MLB Power Rankings: 30 Haikus As We Bid Adieu to the Regular Season
Itâs here: the final weekend of the season, and with it, the final (non-playoff) edition of SIâs MLB Power Rankings. Thereâs no theme this week. Instead, thereâs one haiku for every team. (Why not?) So, once more, letâs rank on:
30. Detroit Tigers (46-112; Last Week: 30)
Oh! pain across all
Welcome to an endless night
âTil next (next) (next) year
29. Baltimore Orioles (52-107; Last Week: 29)
Better than last year
Which does not say much, truly
But it is something
28. Kansas City Royals (58-101; Last Week: 27)
Could be worse? It could.
âWorseâ feels very distant now
But so does âbetterâ
27. Miami Marlins (56-103; Last Week: 28)
Losingâexpected.
Where are you, Dinger Machine?
An empty heart-space.
26. Toronto Blue Jays (65-94; Last Week: 25)
Hark! Here come the sons
Tomorrow, at last, is here
When will winning join?
25. Pittsburgh Pirates (68-91; Last Week: 24)
Haunted by trades,
Constant chaos, so much loss
Whatâs next? Who could guess?
24. Seattle Mariners (66-93; Last Week: 26)
Behold the roster.
Yes, sixty-seven players
And still not enough.
23. Colorado Rockies (68-91; Last Week: 22)
Bad start. Worse middle.
Crumble: slow, then all at once
But! Nightmare ends soon
22. Chicago White Sox (70-88; Last Week: 23)
Growth pains for rebuild
But gaze at Giolito,
Hold hope for others
21. San Diego Padres (70-89; Last Week: 21)
To save for winter:
Tatis Magic, Sheriffâs rule
Pieces to share warmth
20. Los Angeles Angels (72-87; Last Week: 20)
Story is the same:
Center, burning bright, always
Just donât look elsewhere.
19. Texas Rangers (76-83; Last Week: 19)
Remember summer?
The brief glimmer of hope here?
Yes. It passed so quick.
18. Cincinnati Reds (73-86; Last Week: 18)
Hypothetical:
Live in Pythagorean
Itâs not so bad there.
17. San Francisco Giants (77-82; Last Week: 17)
Will they or wonât they?
A deadline refrain, and here,
a sign of progress
16. Philadelphia Phillies (79-80; Last Week: 16)
Springâs heady promise
Dies a slow death through summer
Whither the pitching?
15. Arizona Diamondbacks (82-77; Last Week: 15)
A Marte part-ay
In a .500 summer,
Worse places to be.
14. New York Mets (83-76; Last Week: 13)
Up? Down. Up? Chaos.
Add octogenarian
And embrace young Pete
13. Boston Red Sox (83-76; Last Week: 14)
Slow start, major yikes
Shaky âpen, empty deadline
Goodbye to Dombo
12. Chicago Cubs (82-77; Last Week: 12)
Believe in better,
Until no more time for itâ
hot seat, hard ending
11. Washington Nationals (90-69; Last Week: 10)
Finished, left for dead,
Yet born anew by summer
To thrive into fall
10. Milwaukee Brewers (89-70; Last Week: 11)
Miracle last stretch,
Whoâs overperforming nowâ
No MVP? Fine.
9. St. Louis Cardinals (90-69; Last Week: 9)
Rise of Flaherty,
A hot cardinal summer,
No-miss second half
8. Cleveland Indians (93-66; Last Week: 7)
A pitching staff to
Make Beliebers of us all,
Carry club to end
7. Tampa Bay Rays (95-64; Last Week: 8)
To win: Mix Ground Chuck,
Two Lowes, plenty of highs, and
Cash rules everything
6. Oakland Aâs (96-63; Last Week: 6)
Who saw this coming?
Have we seen this one before?
Yet: Theyâre here, canât lose.
5. Minnesota Twins (99-60; Last Week: 4)
Look: dingers, dingers
More dingers, dingers, dingers
swing, thwack, thump, and gone
4. Atlanta Braves (97-62; Last Week: 5)
Itâs here, really? Yes.
The children are our future,
And the futureâs now
3. New York Yankees (102-57; Last Week: 3)
The sick ward is full,
One down after another
And yetâvictory
2. Los Angeles Dodgers (103-56; Last Week: 2)
Nearly too perfect,
Just as good as advertised,
Then: Add the rookies.
1. Houston Astros (104-55; Last Week: 1)
First: Blindingly good
Who can match? Then add Greinke
Winningâimminent