Each week, the California Post will power rank MLB’s 30 teams and check in on one intriguing awards race. This week, we’re looking at how much the rankings shook up in the wake of the trade deadline (records through Saturday morning).
1) Brewers (72-44)
The Brewers reportedly, supposedly, allegedly made a “strong push” to try to land Tarik Skubal. It didn’t work. For now, the important thing, of course, is that they have the majors’ best record, are holding off the red-hot Cubs in the NL Central and are going to roll the dice in the crapshoot of October once again this year. But will a Jacob Misiorowski, Dustin May, Kyle Harrison rotation be enough once they get there? Time will tell. (Last week: 2nd)
2) Braves (70-46)
Amid a series of mostly smaller moves at the deadline, the Braves have played some of their best baseball of the season. A recent eight-game winning streak helped them leapfrog the Dodgers for the No. 2 seed in the NL. Their 8 ½-game division lead is also the biggest in the majors. It’s the kind of form they’ll have to tap back into in October to make a deep run. (Last week: 4th)
3) Cubs (68-49)
If the Cubs’ deadline pitching additions hadn’t cemented their status as legitimate contenders, then their three-game sweep of the Dodgers certainly did. Granted, it might be too late for Chicago to catch up in its division. And they still don’t have a bona fide ace. But their rotation (now plus Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes) and lineup (headlined by ascendant MVP candidate Pete Crow-Armstrong) are deep and impressive. And if this week was any indication, they could pose a threat in a postseason series. (Last week: 5th)
4) Red Sox (64-51)
For a season that once felt so lost, GM Craig Breslow went stunningly all in. Gone, it seems, are half the club’s highest-ranked prospects. In, they hope, is a reinforced roster that — given how long their stunning 32-5 run has gone on now –– might actually be a real World Series contender. (Last week: 7th)
5) Rays (69-46)
Freddy Peralta and the Rays really do feel like a perfect deadline match. If Tampa’s pitching machine can get the struggling right-hander back to All-Star form, it might be the thing that pushes them over the top in a wide-open AL pennant race. (Last week: 3rd)
6) Dodgers (69-47)
With Skubal in tow, there is no doubting that the Dodgers are the most talented team in baseball. However, seeing as how they haven’t won a game since his arrival (extending their season-long skid to seven with a walk-off loss Friday night), they are also doing their best to remind the sport that talent only gets you so far. Granted, this is some of the worst baseball the Dodgers have played all year. Then again, what’s to stop it from recurring in October? If it does, consider any team ranked above them this week, and maybe a few further down, as a candidate to end their dynasty. (Last week: 1st)
7) Yankees (65-51)
After some minor, albeit needed, deadline additions, the waiting game goes on for the Yankees to get back to full health. With Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton all still out, Brian Cashman just bet the rest of the season on it happening. (Last week: 6th)
8) White Sox (59-56)
The White Sox showed just about the perfect level of aggression at the deadline, showing a willingness to take on money (and save themselves from giving up more prospects) to acquire an experienced, albeit struggling, frontline starter in Luis Castillo. If they continue to trend toward October, he’ll give their rotation some needed postseason gravitas. (Last week: 8th)
9) Phillies (62-55)
The Phillies went bold, completely reorganizing their defense (all hail the return of outfielder Bryce Harper!) to add the kind of floor-raising bat they desperately needed in second baseman Luis Arraez. It’s the kind of move that should balance out their lineup and put more pressure on opposing pitching staffs in October (something they couldn’t do against the Dodgers last year). But, they’ll still be dependent on their superstars showing up when it matters. (Last week: 10th)
10) Diamondbacks (62-55)
It was not the deadline week the Dbacks imagined, after they came up empty in their search for pitching by having a trade for Holmes nixed by a prospect’s medical record. But, they managed to split against the Padres to maintain hold of a wild-card spot, then stunned the Dodgers on Friday night. (Last week: 9th)
11) Padres (60-57)
In hindsight, maybe we all should’ve known better than to speculate about A.J. Preller being a seller for most of this summer. Instead, after a recent uptick in form from his team, Preller acted like an aggressor again, adding Casey Mize and Robbie Ray to a pitching-needy team that is back in the thick of the playoff race. (Last week: 13th)
12) Astros (60-57)
The stars really are aligning in Houston; at least for the Astros to actually make the playoffs. The Rangers tried (albeit, failed) to sell at the deadline. The Mariners have looked snakebitten all season. And though the ‘Stros did little at the deadline (Daulton Varsho was their big move), their odds to win the AL West just keep on growing. (Last week: 11th)
13) Guardians (58-59)
Cleveland got plenty of help at the deadline, from Foster Griffin to Jo Adell. Now, they’ll need it to pan out, having fallen under-.500 for the first time since early May. (Last week: 12th)
14) Twins (58-59)
The Twins were firmly in buyer territory, as expected, even though that only amounted to the addition of a few relievers (most notably, Jeff Hoffman) and a depth starter (Dean Kremer). Will it be enough to actually push them into the playoffs? They remain within a game of the wild card, as currently the first team out. (Last week: 16th)
15) Marlins (58-59)
The Marlins sold some pieces at the deadline but held onto other important ones. That one foot in, one foot out approach will be tested down the stretch. If they miss the playoffs, it will be fair to wonder if they should’ve sold more. (Last week: 17th)
16) Cardinals (58-58)
After a fun first half, the Cardinals wound up as sellers anyway. That’s probably all right with new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom, who has the Cardinals seemingly well positioned to begin reemerging from their rebuild process. (Last week: 20th)
17) Rangers (58-58)
An underwhelming Rangers season was mirrored by their underwhelming, stuck-in-neutral trade deadline. Clearly, they wanted to sell more than they did. But a Jacob deGrom no-trade clause scuttled those plans. (Last week: 15th)
18) Mariners (56-61)
The Mariners added a bat (Taylor Ward), a reliever (Seranthony Domínguez) and traded from their rotation surplus (Castillo). That was the expected outcome for their deadline. Now, they better hope it’s enough to save their season. (Last week: 21st)
19) Pirates (57-61)
The Pirates’ season is starting to teeter, with a remade post-deadline bullpen doing little to stop a 2-8 skid that threatens to dash their playoff dreams. Somehow, even the Reds have leapfrogged them in the standings. (Last week: 14th)
20) Nationals (57-61)
Good thing the Nats trended toward selling at the deadline. They’ve been ice cold ever since (eight losses in their last 10) and are quickly fading from the NL wild-card picture. (Last week: 18th)
21) Orioles (56-60)
By trading Adley Rutschman, the Orioles became this deadline’s cautionary tale: Young cores don’t always materialize as expected. A good lesson for other clubs to remember when they fall in love with hoarding prospects. (Last week: 19th)
22) Reds (56-59)
A week ago, the Reds were reportedly trying to shop Hunter Greene before the deadline. Now, they are saying he has a damaged UCL that will require surgery. The hits keep coming this year in Cincinnati. (Last week: 23rd)
23) Tigers (56-60)
Detroit went (almost) full-seller mode, dealing Skubal and Mize despite being within shouting distance of a wild-card spot. It was probably the right move. But they better hope their return packages pan out. Otherwise, what a missed opportunity it will be that they didn’t do more selling last winter. (Last week: 22nd)
24) Blue Jays (55-62)
This might be a lost season in Toronto. But the Blue Jays showed what they think of their chances for 2027, making a series of moves — most notably, their acquisition of José Soriano from the Angels — designed to bounce right back into contention a year from now. (Last week: 24th)
25) Mets (51-66)
The Mets were busy as expected at the deadline, selling whatever they could from their trainwreck of a roster this year. The cleanse was needed. But it’s still anyone’s guess how competitive they will be next season. It would help if Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor can make the latest reports of their relationship — as ESPN detailed — last. (Last week: 26th)
26) Giants (49-67)
Good news: Tony Vitello is going to get to work with more young players the rest of this year, his supposed strong suit. Bad news: It’s because the Giants had to trade veteran pieces to salvage something from their nightmare campaign. (Last week: 25th)
27) Royals (48-69)
It says something about the state of the Royals that one of their few feel-good stories last year — Kris Bubic and his unexpected All-Star selection — was dealt for a Triple-A reliever just a few months later. (Last week: 27th)
28) Athletics (45-71)
Because the A’s can’t seem to go more than a few months without looking dysfunctional: Longtime GM David Forst split with the organization this week — just days after a quiet deadline. (Last week: 28th)
29) Rockies (45-71)
The Rockies have been the most forgettable team in the majors this season. Their quiet deadline activity — Antonio Senzatela was the biggest name they moved — was no exception. (Last week: 29th)
30) Angels (45-71)
Never has a trade deadline sale felt so refreshing. Now, the question is whether the Angels keep stripping down this winter, or if Zach Neto, Reid Detmers and others who survived the deadline become pieces to build around in the future. (Last week: 30th)
Award Tracker: National League MVP
1) Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers (.296 average, 26 home runs, 70 RBIs as hitter, .952 OPS; 8-2 record, 1.79 ERA as pitcher)
Outside of the deadline, the Ohtani/Pete Crow-Armstrong MVP debate was perhaps the biggest story in the sport this week. Betting odds suggest PCA might have overtaken Ohtani. The two-way star’s inability to pitch also leaves him at a WAR deficit. Then again, if he reaches 40 home runs or gets back on the mound this season, this award should still be his to lose.
2) Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cubs (.289 average, 26 home runs, 70 RBIs, .937 OPS, 30 stolen bases)
If Ohtani doesn’t meet the above criteria, however, PCA might be the upset MVP winner. He is closing in on a 30/30 (and, maybe, 40/40) season. He is doing much more heavy lifting for a Cubs team with World Series aspirations. And while we’re not certain his (admittedly very, very good) defense is really as valuable as the 14 pitching starts Ohtani has made, it’s still very, very good. For the first time in a while, Ohtani has some real competition for the sport’s biggest piece of individual hardware.
3) James Wood, Nationals (.265 average, 30 home runs, 73 RBIs, .928 OPS)
It’s too bad the Nationals are fading from contention. Because it would’ve been fun to watch Wood and the rest of their young offense handle the pressure of a true postseason push. The good news, at least, is the arrow is still pointed up for him and the team. Soon enough, they’ll be experiencing it.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: nypost.com
