Every week, we ask all of our baseball writers — both the local scribes and the national team, more than 30 writers in all — to rank the teams from first to worst. Here are the collective results, the TA30.
Baseball is an exact game. In order to score, a player runs along a precise path with equilateral dimensions. There’s nothing amorphous about that route, not like basketball or hockey or soccer. In 1945, Snuffy Stirnweiss won the American League batting title with a .309 average, topping Tony Cuccinello by .0008 percent — exactly, down to the ten-thousandth decimal.
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And yet, every year, we casually refer to baseball’s first half and second half with no regard for math. The first half plays before the All-Star Game and the second half after. Even though, at this moment, every team is already well beyond the actual halfway point. Most are already 90 games in.
Screw it. Let’s roll. The All-Star break is still a great opportunity to take stock. And just in time — because there is a NEW No. 1.
Finally, months in, after holding baseball’s best record for weeks, the Giants, those Sons of the Seal, are now The Best Team in Baseball.
The Giants. From San Francisco. Those guys. It happened.
For all your needs and questions and wisecracks, Chad Jennings is here to handle the American League and I, Nick Groke, will handle the National League. Here are your halftime power rankings…
1. San Francisco Giants
Record: 57-32
Last Power Ranking: 2
They did it. They really did it. The Giants conquered the top spot in our weekly rankings and all it took was holding the best record in baseball nearly nonstop since May 3.
Before we get too overboard here, there are a few cracks. The Giants are just 3-6 against the Dodgers. And they’re picking on the dregs in their division, with a combined 15-4 record against the Diamondbacks and Rockies. But the Dodgers and Padres play those teams just as often. The Giants have led the best division in the majors since May 31 and they continually fight back the challengers.
As our Andrew Baggarly wrote: “The division is too stacked and it’s too deep into the season for pretenders to be leading the way.”
The Giants aren’t play-acting anything. It’s kinda simple. They’re just a good baseball team. Certainly an unorthodox “best team in baseball,” what with their 34-year-old catcher on an MVP-type tear and their 34-year-old shortstop playing out of his mind and their 35-year-old, injured third baseman taking advantage of found time. But a pretty good best team in baseball, nonetheless.
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“We’re not letting our foot off the gas at any point,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said.
The target is now colored black and orange.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
Record: 56-35
Last Power Ranking: 1
Clayton Kershaw is in the infirmary. Trevor Bauer has been accused of sexual assault and is on administrative leave. What was once the Dodgers’ greatest strength is now an unknown. They’re actually, suddenly, in need of starting pitching depth.
The Dodgers will find no sympathy from the rest of the league. Sure, no one expected Mookie Betts’ “bad” start, but they still have the most potent offense in the National League. C’mon, they dropped a 22-spot on the Diamondbacks. And they still have enough depth in the field to roll with any more punches, like they’ve done so far at times without Cody Bellinger and Corey Seager.
Bottom line: The Dodgers are on a collision course with the Astros. Boogity.
3. Houston Astros
Record: 55-36
Last Power Ranking: 3
Four Astros were picked for the All-Star Game. None will actually play. Carlos Correa and Ryan Pressly are going to stay home with their pregnant wives, Jose Altuve and Michael Brantley are going to nurse minor injuries, and the rest of you will have to wait to properly boo them during the playoffs.
Because right now, it looks very much like the Astros — still facing the infamy of their sign-stealing scandal — are going back to the playoffs, and they might even be the team to beat in the American League. It’s a pretty good sign that, even with Alex Bregman and José Urquidy hurt, their only glaring need is in the bullpen, which they’ll surely try to address at the trade deadline. These guys can still hit, and they can still pitch, and they’re still very much in contention at the break.
4. Boston Red Sox
Record: 55-36
Last Power Ranking: 4
How do you overshadow a couple of bad losses to end the first half? How about signing your All-Star closer to a contract extension just a few hours before drafting perhaps the top talent in the entire draft class? The Red Sox know how to make news.
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But for the time being, their spot in these Power Rankings is as notable as anything. The first time we did this, the Red Sox were No. 19. Through a surprising first half, they’ve moved up 15 spots by the All-Star break. Granted, all of us who vote are pretty stupid — you’re often kind enough to point that out in the comments — but there’s a reason the Red Sox have risen this high.
Now, is it time for Jarren Duran or what?
5. Chicago White Sox
Record: 54-35
Last Power Ranking: 7
There is only one contending baseball team in Chicago these days, and it’s not the one in Wrigleyville.
The White Sox have reached the All-Star break very much in control of the American League Central. They’re getting rid of the dead weight, expecting their used-to-be top starter to get back on track, and getting a lot closer to Eloy Jiménez returning to the middle of the order. Luis Robert could be a few weeks behind him.
At this point, I was going to just link to that Moby and Gwen Stefani song about the Southside, but it’s super confusing and kind of crazy, and I never really liked it. So, just make up your own Southside song to hum along with your friends. For lyrics, keep in mind that Lance Lynn rhymes with “win,” and Tony La Russa rhymes with almost nothing.
6. Tampa Bay Rays
Record: 53-37
Last Power Ranking: 9
Do you realize the Rays have two All-Stars and neither one is a pitcher? One is a sixth-round pick utility man (Joey Wendle) and the other is a catcher who’s hitting below .200 (Mike Zunino). It’s cliché, of course, but man, those guys sure find weird ways to stay relevant. When those weird ways involve Brett Phillips, we all win.
But isn’t this the pitching organization? They have the lowest ERA in the American League, but with Tyler Glasnow hurt, they’ve done it without a singular pitcher to really define that success. They just kind of keep finding guys who can do the job — old guys, young guys, and even fourth-outfielder guys. We can imagine Kevin Cash in Mandalorian armor saying, “This is the way.”
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7. San Diego Padres
Record: 53-40
Last Power Ranking: 6
The Padres sport more All-Stars than they’ve had since the last time they reached the World Series, in 1998, back when Kevin Brown had that ridiculous run in his only season in San Diego and Craig Stammen was in his third year (just kidding). And yet, they’re still — still! — a third-place team.
Well, A.J. Preller didn’t run up his phone bill and waste all that red ink trading the farm for nothing and he’s probably not going to stop now. That’s why they’re already talking about Joey Gallo jerseys in San Diego, which, by the way, is a wild idea that just might work.
They’ve still got Yu Darvish pitching like an ace — and getting better. And Fernando Tatis Jr. is still playing like an MVP. But the clock is ticking.
8. Milwaukee Brewers
Record: 53-39
Last Power Ranking: 5
Even as their regulars continue to get it done, the Brewers are preparing to push all-in. Right on. They’re actually trying. How rare. The current, most exploitable market inefficiency in baseball? Half of the league is already packing it in.
July is such a confusing time for so many teams trying to figure out if they’re ready to dance in the playoffs or about to turn into pumpkins. Too many of them make that determination in a vacuum. OK, maybe your roster isn’t ready to sweep October. But if most of the league gives up anyway, well, all of a sudden you’re on the top of the hill.
Might as well let it eat. Like the Brewers. Good things can happen.
9. Oakland Athletics
Record: 52-40
Last Power Ranking: 8
Mark this date: It was the Thursday before the All-Star break, July 8 on your calendar, when the A’s beat the Astros and catcher Aramis Garcia called it a “must-win.” One year with a 60-game schedule, and we’ve already lost sight of what 162 means.
But who am I to judge? Maybe that 2-1 win to avoid a sweep against the Astros really was a must-win for the A’s. They’ve been one of the more surprising teams in the American League, but they’ve reached the break in position for the second wild card, which doesn’t leave much wiggle room. The fanbase is ready for reinforcements. Wonder if they’re considered a must-have?
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10. New York Mets
Record: 47-40
Last Power Ranking: 11
Three doubleheaders last week for the Mets. That makes, like, what, 60 doubleheaders for them this season, give or take? They really could use a break during All-Star week. Don’t call the Mets until Friday. They need to sleep in for a few days.
The Mets are seven games over even and now in firm control of the East. They’re not perfect, but they are making it work. Nobody in New York was hoping for Ronald Acuña Jr. to go down (if you were, don’t do that). But it did happen. And it does help the Mets. Nobody was hoping the Phillies bullpen would continue to be a dumpster fire (OK, if you were, that’s fine). But it is true. And it does help the Mets.
Everything is coming up Queens right now.
11. Toronto Blue Jays
Record: 45-42
Last Power Ranking: 10
I cover the Red Sox, so when I heard the Blue Jays traded Rowdy Tellez to the Brewers, I assumed the return included Christian Yelich, Brandon Woodruff, Robin Yount in his prime, and Bernie Brewer’s slide. But, no. It seems Tellez did not have a 1.184 OPS with 12 home runs in 24 starts against every other team in the majors, so the Blue Jays flipped him to improve their faulty bullpen with Trevor Richards (career ERA versus the Red Sox: 6.00). It was their second move to add relief help this season.
And if that pitching improves, the team could be a real problem for the Red Sox and everyone else in the American League in the second half. There’s still room to add more pitching, but George Springer is healthy now, and the Blue Jays are within shouting distance of a playoff spot despite playing without him for most of the year. A team to watch at the deadline and beyond.
12. New York Yankees
Record: 46-43
Last Power Ranking: 13
Early in the week, the Yankees had a Gerrit Cole and Aroldis Chapman problem, they somehow had a Joe Pepitone versus the Hall of Fame problem, and they had an ongoing what-to-do-at-the-trade-deadline problem.
Then their ace went berserk for a second, and everything felt a lot better.
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Cole’s fiery, defiant complete game on Saturday was an emotional lift for the Yankees heading into the All-Star break. They were sitting middle-of-the-pack in our Power Rankings a week ago, but still feel like a sleeping giant with the potential to improve at the deadline. Eight of their first 10 games after the break are against the division-leading Red Sox. Immediately after that, they play three games against the second-place Rays. They might not be finished going berserk.
13. Cincinnati Reds
Record: 48-42
Last Power Ranking: 13
So they sweep the Cubs, win two of three in K.C. (gotta love The K), then take three of four in Milwaukee against a tough Brewers side? The Reds are on some kind of roll.
Joey Votto’s jazzed. “I feel good,” he said (which you should definitely read in a late-era James Brown voice). Their bullpen is suddenly gettin’ ‘er done. And they’re still scoring a ton of runs. Time to kick up the hope machine.
14. Cleveland Indians
Record: 45-42
Last Power Ranking: 12
It was only two weeks ago that the Indians were two games out of first place, and it was worth looking around for a bat to help their thin offense or maybe an arm to solidify their top-heavy rotation.
But that was before the nine-game losing streak.
At the break, the Indians are a bit of a mess again. They got a couple of walk-off wins to end the skid, but José Ramírez and Franmil Reyes are their only reliably league-average hitters, and Shane Bieber and Aaron Civale are hurt, and that’s a pretty rough combination. When you’ve got Zack Meisel making comparisons to 2012 while name-dropping Brent Lillibridge and Jack Hannahan, it’s not a good situation.
15. Seattle Mariners
Record: 48-43
Last Power Ranking: 17
Look, I don’t know why the Mariners have a winning record with a lopsidedly negative run differential, but they do. Yusei Kikuchi is an All-Star. Logan Gilbert’s been a pretty good rookie. J.P. Crawford started to hit. Kyle Seager’s still plugging along. The Mariners have found ways to stay relevant, even if our rankings don’t necessarily believe in them.
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Did you see the Ichiro thing? It’s the only Mariners story I can think about right now, and it’s about a guy whose best years with the team were more than a decade ago. His preparation. His confidence. His personality. His quirks. Ichiro was and is an absolute treasure. Maybe he knows why the Mariners are better than they should be this season.
16. Atlanta Braves
Record: 44-45
Last Power Ranking: 16
There is no amount of fluff that can make Saturday night’s news feel any better for Braves fans. Ronald Acuña Jr. — one of the five or so best players in all of baseball and headed toward his second All-Star Game in just his fourth season — will instead pack it up until next year. A brutal and complete tear of the ACL in his right knee, suffered as he chased a fly ball on the warning track in Miami, will lead to surgery and end his season.
And things were looking up for the Braves. Now they’re forced to decide whether to spring for a mercenary rental hitter at the trade deadline to make up for his loss, or cross their fingers and hope the rest of the team can rally around the Gipper, or just punt on the whole shebang. Tough call. What a bummer.
17. Los Angeles Angels
Record: 45-44
Last Power Ranking: 19
Every once in a while, we go into an All-Star Game knowing it will be all about one player. Usually, it’s a retiring legend. Cal Ripken Jr. had his moment. Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera had theirs. But this week, the singular focus will be on a player in his prime. It’s going to be the Shohei Ohtani show. And we can’t wait.
Perhaps you’ve noticed that we just can’t get enough of the guy.
Of course, Ohtani’s used to stealing the show. With Mike Trout hurt and Albert Pujols gone, Ohtani’s been the main attraction on another disappointing Angels team, which seems to be trying to keep its head above water so that perhaps Trout can make a difference when he returns from the injured list sometime in the second half. Maybe he will, maybe he won’t. The show must go on, and the best show in the game right now is Ohtani.
18. Philadelphia Phillies
Record: 44-44
Last Power Ranking: 21
If the Red Sox are the pleasant surprise story of the season, the Phillies might be the most disappointing. That is not a sub-.500 roster in Philly. And yet …
Personally, I love that the Phillies exist. I wish them no harm, but they’re great evidence. Peek at any Twitter team hashtag in baseball and you’ll find a river of fans complaining about their team’s bullpen. Context is so helpful here. There’s always a worse bullpen, trust me. Except for maybe the Phillies. They lead the majors, by far, in blown saves.
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Then again, to contradict the previous paragraph, when you really zoom in closely, the Phillies bullpen is probably not alone in its struggle. The Rockies and Diamondbacks would like a word. What little consolation.
19. Washington Nationals
Record: 42-47
Last Power Ranking: 18
“We hit a little rough patch,” Trea Turner said last week after the Nationals were swept by the Dodgers. That’s one way of looking at it. They gained a good bit of ground in June, going 19-9 in the calendar month. But now they’re 2-9 in July after a sweep in San Francisco. Make up your minds here, Nats.
The East is an eminently winnable division. There’s no reason why the Nationals should be bogged down in fourth place. But they have to hustle. The next two weeks are critical. There are plenty of options to buy themselves into roster improvements before the deadline. And just as many options if they decide to call it a season.
20. Chicago Cubs
Record: 44-46
Last Power Ranking: 15
Pity the poor Cubs fans with whiplash this season. Their team roller-coastered down and up, then down again. The Cubs were on the verge of a rebuild in March, then they shot up into seemingly true National League contenders, then they cratered back down again. And now they’re sellers? That hurts.
Things are not OK on Waveland. The potential problems with this situation are endless. Here’s one downstream example. Let’s say Jed Hoyer decides he wants to trade Javier Báez. Does he have to wait until the Rockies get off their butts to trade Trevor Story and set the shortstop market? You do not want to be in a position where you’re relying on the Rockies to help with anything at the trade deadline. Oof.
Oh, and a funny twist: The Cubs are freaking out after a gnarly skid, but they still have the same record as the Cardinals — and the Cardinals think they’re contenders.
21. St. Louis Cardinals
Record: 44-46
Last Power Ranking: 20
The Cardinals got “back on the right track,” Adam Wainwright said, after winning a series against the West-best Giants in San Francisco. But splitting two games with the Cubs before a rainout Sunday only muddied the waters.
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What to make of this team? Recency bias says the Cubs are fading fast. And yet they have the same record as the Cardinals. “We’re a better team than we’ve shown,” Waino said. But, um … are they?
A sample size of 90 games is not small. And, brass tacks, this is a losing team. They’re south of .500. In the NL standings, they are closer to the Diamondbacks than the Dodgers, hovering at the bottom of the league’s second tier. And still, they are not even close to out of contention. The beer in St. Louis is neither half full, nor half empty. It’s still stuck in the tap.
22. Miami Marlins
Record: 39-50
Last Power Ranking: 22
There’s a grand history of pranks in baseball, often played on a prospect when the big-league club calls him up for a debut. Glenallen Hill was a master of breaking the news to a prospect with a slow-play reveal. He could build up the tension, then pop the balloon just in time with the good news. There’s an art to this. It’s like The Aristocrats. There’s a transgressive arc of storytelling involved. There’s room for improvisation, sure, but you can’t ruin the moment. The point is still good news. These are meant to be some of the best memories in a young player’s life.
Don Mattingly ruined it for Trevor Rogers and his All-Star selection. This is just cruel. Sorry. But what was he thinking? There is no timing, no tension. It’s just mean. And it’s definitely not funny.
Anyway, Rogers is a rookie. He’s one of the best pitchers in the National League. And he’s an All-Star. Good for him.
23. Detroit Tigers
Record: 40-51
Last Power Ranking: 23
The Tigers aren’t awful. I mean, they’re not exactly good, but they’re not awful, and they have some players putting up pretty decent numbers. That means there might be some trade deadline shopping in Motor City.
- Need a second baseman who can hit? Can we interest you in Jonathan Schoop’s second consecutive solid year? He can play first base, too, and who doesn’t love versatility?
- How about relief pitchers who can get strikeouts in the late innings? The Tigers have them in both the left-handed (Gregory Soto) and right-handed (José Cisnero, Michael Fulmer) variety.
- Starting pitchers? Sure, the Tigers have those, too! (Though you might have to wait for Matt Boyd and Spencer Turnbull to come off the injured list.)
So, for all your deadline shopping needs, please come to the showroom to check out the not-quite-awful Tigers! You’ll love what you see!
24. Minnesota Twins
Record: 39-50
Last Power Ranking: 26
When’s the last time the Twins won 100 games? Would you believe it was two years ago, the last time Major League Baseball even played that many games in the season? The wheels are thoroughly disconnected at this point, and the only good news is at least the Twins won’t lose another playoff game this year.
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At this point, the most compelling storyline for the Twins heading into the second half is just how thoroughly they try to rebuild. Should they do the bare minimum and try to contend again next year, or slam this window of contention shut (José Berríos would be awfully valuable) and start from scratch trying to build the next 100-win contender?
“Sometimes you have to do some self-reflection,” Josh Donaldson said. “Sometimes you have to reflect on those losses as well and be honest about it with yourself.”
25. Colorado Rockies
Record: 40-51
Last Power Ranking: 25
I don’t get it. It’s complete nonsense. There is no explanation. This Rockies season has to be one of the weirdest in baseball’s recent history. They own the second-best record in baseball at home, and they’re flirting with the worst record in the history of the game on the road. There has never been as big a home-road swing for one team.
The 1935 Boston Braves went 13-65 on the road, with a .167 winning percentage. That team had Babe Ruth and Rabbit Maranville playing in their final seasons. And that team stunk. Bad. But the Rockies have been worse for most of the year! They’re 9-34 with a .209 winning percentage on the road. Only a series win at San Diego to finish the first half (their first road series win of the season!) bumped them above Rabbit’s nine.
“We’re scratching our heads,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. Black on Sunday became just the 62nd manager in baseball’s history to surpass 2,000 games. And this might be his most difficult season to sit through.
T-26. Kansas City Royals
Record: 36-53
Last Power Ranking: 24
How many contending teams would not have a spot for Whit Merrifield? He can play five positions, he fits basically anywhere in the lineup, he adds a speed element on the bases, and he brings some leadership by example to the clubhouse. He’s become a mainstay in Kansas City the past six years, but this might be the time to finally trade him because the Royals aren’t going anywhere. At this point, they’re just trying to avoid finishing at the very bottom of a bad division.
I stand by what I wrote in the second Power Rankings of the year: At this point, just let me know when Bobby Witt Jr. gets called up.
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T-26. Texas Rangers
Record: 35-55
Last Power Ranking: 27
Way down here near the bottom of the Power Rankings, we find a team with three All-Stars. Three! That’s as many as the Giants, and more than the Rays, Mets or A’s. So, well done Joey Gallo, Adolis García and Kyle Gibson.
But at least one of you has to go.
All year, the Rangers have been fairly entertaining by losing-team standards, but Levi Weaver points out they are “into year five of what might be called the Robert Frost era in Arlington — Nothing Gold Can Stay,” which means All-Star nods are little more than signals of trade value, and Gibson at the very least seems like a chip too good not to dangle at the deadline. Again we turn to Levi: “So what are the Rangers to do? Will they find themselves with an ace on a losing team for the third year in a row? Or will they strike while the iron is hot?”
28. Pittsburgh Pirates
Record: 34-56
Last Power Ranking: 28
Crazy number our Rob Biertempfel dug up this week: 10 of the Pirates’ top 30 prospects will be poachable in the Rule 5 draft later this year. There’s room for maybe five of them on Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster. If opposing teams aren’t circling like vultures now, they will be soon.
It’s just one more trap door in a rebuild. General managers and their penny-pinching owners want you to think rebuilds are the best possible avenue for a turnaround. That’s not necessarily true. Sometimes a rebuild is unavoidable. But sometimes they’re cynical ploys to play cheaply. Either way, rebuilds are crapshoots. We won’t know for a while where the Pirates end up. Wherever they go, it won’t be easy.
29. Baltimore Orioles
Record: 28-61
Last Power Ranking: 29
You know what really stinks for the Orioles — besides the terrible record, and John Means being on the IL, and Matt Harvey being perhaps the worst starting pitcher in the game? On Sunday night, they had to wait for the first-place Red Sox to make a draft pick before they could make their first selection. The 55-win Red Sox picked fourth. The 28-win Orioles picked fifth.
I mean, that couldn’t have felt good. And the real kick in the shins? The Red Sox got the top player on Keith Law’s draft board, while the Orioles took Law’s No. 12 talent in an apparent strategy to save money for later rounds. Sorry, O’s fans. At least you still have Adley Rutschman.
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30. Arizona Diamondbacks
Record: 26-66
Last Power Ranking: 30
What’s the big deal here? I’ve seen the Diamondbacks play 13 games this season. They won seven of them. They averaged more than six runs per in those 13 games. They looked pretty good to me. Not World Series champs, probably. But they clearly have something good going on.
[Checks standings, schedule, scores and run differential]
[Calls Zach Buchanan]
[Watches replay of Daniel Vogelbach going third to home in about 15 minutes to score easily]
[Sees Zac Gallen on the injured list, again]
O M G.
(Top photo: Lachlan Cunningham / Getty Images)