MLB Power Rankings: 30 Haikus As We Bid Adieu to the Regular Season

Entering the last weekend of the regular season, it's time to wrap up each team's 2019 campaigns... with haikus.
MLB Power Rankings: 30 Haikus As We Bid Adieu to the Regular Season
MLB Power Rankings: 30 Haikus As We Bid Adieu to the Regular Season /

It’s here: the final weekend of the season, and with it, the final (non-playoff) edition of SI’s MLB Power Rankings. There’s no theme this week. Instead, there’s one haiku for every team. (Why not?) So, once more, let’s rank on:

30. Detroit Tigers (46-112; Last Week: 30)

Oh! pain across all

Welcome to an endless night

‘Til 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.

“Worse” feels very distant now

But so does “better”

27. Miami Marlins (56-103; Last Week: 28)

Losing—expected.

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

What’s 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, Sheriff’s rule

Pieces to share warmth

20. Los Angeles Angels (72-87; Last Week: 20)

Story is the same:

Center, burning bright, always

Just don’t 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

It’s not so bad there.

17. San Francisco Giants (77-82; Last Week: 17)

Will they or won’t they?

A deadline refrain, and here,

a sign of progress

16. Philadelphia Phillies (79-80; Last Week: 16)

Spring’s 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 ‘pen, empty deadline

Goodbye to Dombo

12. Chicago Cubs (82-77; Last Week: 12)

Believe in better,

Until no more time for it—

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,

Who’s overperforming now—

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 A’s (96-63; Last Week: 6)

Who saw this coming?

Have we seen this one before?

Yet: They’re here, can’t 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)

It’s here, really? Yes.

The children are our future,

And the future’s now

3. New York Yankees (102-57; Last Week: 3)

The sick ward is full,

One down after another

And yet—victory

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

Winning—imminent


Published
Emma Baccellieri
EMMA BACCELLIERI

Emma Baccellieri is a staff writer who focuses on baseball and women's sports for Sports Illustrated. She previously wrote for Baseball Prospectus and Deadspin, and has appeared on BBC News, PBS NewsHour and MLB Network. Baccellieri has been honored with multiple awards from the Society of American Baseball Research, including the SABR Analytics Conference Research Award in historical analysis (2022), McFarland-SABR Baseball Research Award (2020) and SABR Analytics Conference Research Award in contemporary commentary (2018). A graduate from Duke University, she’s also a member of the Baseball Writers Association of America.