There is one week left in the regular season, and the AL wild card race is extremely tight with several contenders, while the NL will very likely be between the Mets, Braves, and Diamondbacks for the final two spots.
1. Philadelphia Phillies (92-64) | Last week: 1
Philadelphia not capitalizing on either of their opportunities to win the NL East at Citi Field over the weekend stings, but they should still be viewed as the World Series favorites and just need one more win to lock up the division. If the bats go cold for a streaky lineup, though, the Phillies could very well disappoint in October.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers (93-63) | Last week: 2
The Dodgers have the best record in baseball, but the NL West is far from secure with the red-hot Padres just 3.0 games back heading into this week’s massive showdown. Shohei Ohtani having one of the greatest single-game performances in sports history probably hasn’t gotten the recognition it deserves.
3. New York Yankees (92-64) | Last week: 3
New York is peaking at the right time with a 9-2 record over their past 11 games, and the Orioles are firmly in the rearview mirror with the magic number to clinch the AL East now at one. Looking ahead to the postseason, a 50-31 road record is easily the best in baseball and a sign that Aaron Boone’s club won’t disappoint again.
4. Cleveland Guardians (90-67) | Last week: 5 (+1)
An unbelievable seven-game losing streak for the Royals allowed Cleveland to lock up the AL Central, and they now return home for the final five games with the best home record in the American League (48-28). Jose Ramirez is quietly on a quest to join the 40/40 club with 37 home runs and 40 stolen bases entering the week.
5. San Diego Padres (90-66) | Last week: 6 (+1)
The Padres match the Yankees as the hottest team in the majors with a 9-2 record over the past 11 games, and a sweep in Los Angeles would create a tie atop the NL West heading into the weekend. Despite allowing five homers in four starts since returning earlier this month, Yu Darvish has been solid with the Padres winning all four of his outings.
6. Milwaukee Brewers (89-67) | Last week: 4 (-2)
Milwaukee has momentum after erasing an eight-run deficit to beat the playoff-hopeful Diamondbacks yesterday, but a 3-4 week causes them to slip outside the top five—with the comeback being necessary to avoid a four-game sweep. That said, taking the series versus the Phillies last week should give them confidence, and they can potentially keep the Mets out of the playoffs this weekend.
7. Houston Astros (85-71) | Last week: 8 (+1)
Houston should be safe atop the AL West as they sit 5.0 games ahead of the Mariners with six games to go, but Seattle is playing better recently and is also competing for a wild card berth (2.0 games back). After the divisional matchup, the Astros get a tough test in Cleveland.
8. Arizona Diamondbacks (87-69) | Last week: 9 (+1)
The blown lead yesterday was crushing for Arizona, so we’ll see how the respond tonight when the Giants visit beginning tonight. One big concern for the Diamondbacks is their 44-49 record against teams with a winning record, which is clearly the worst among all NL contenders.
9. New York Mets (87-69) | Last week: 11 (+2)
Despite not having Francisco Lindor for the past week, New York has surged into position for the postseason—holding a 2.0-game lead over the Braves for the final wild card spot ahead of a trip to Atlanta. Of course, it would be a very Mets thing for them to collapse over the final week coming off a four-game series win over Philadelphia, so it’ll be interesting to see how they handle the pressure.
10. Baltimore Orioles (86-70) | Last week: 7 (-3)
Baltimore continues to tumble down the power rankings, and their position as the No. 1 team in the wild card race isn’t at all secure despite a 4.0-game lead, especially with road series against the Yankees and Twins to end the season. The last time the Orioles won a series versus a team currently above .500 was on July 4.
11. Atlanta Braves (85-71) | Last week: 12 (+1)
12. Detroit Tigers (82-74) | Last week: 15 (+3)
13. Kansas City Royals (82-74) | Last week: 10 (-3)
14. Minnesota Twins (81-75) | Last week: 13 (-1)
15. Seattle Mariners (80-76) | Last week: 14 (-1)
16. Tampa Bay Rays (78-78) | Last week: 19 (+3)
17. Boston Red Sox (78-78) | Last week: 17
18. Chicago Cubs (80-76) | Last week: 16 (-2)
19. St. Louis Cardinals (79-77) | Last week: 18 (-1)
20. San Francisco Giants (77-79) | Last week: 22 (+2)
21. Cincinnati Reds (76-81) | Last week: 20 (-1)
22. Texas Rangers (74-82) | Last week: 24 (+2)
23. Toronto Blue Jays (73-83) | Last week: 21 (-2)
24. Pittsburgh Pirates (73-83) | Last week: 23 (-1)
25. Washington Nationals (69-87) | Last week: 25
26. Oakland Athletics (67-89) | Last week: 26
27. Los Angeles Angels (63-93) | Last week: 27
28. Colorado Rockies (60-96) | Last week: 28
29. Miami Marlins (57-99) | Last week: 29
30. Chicago White Sox (36-120) | Last week: 30