MLB Power Rankings 2024: Phillies Reclaim No. 1, Padres Climb in Pursuit of Dodgers

With only two weeks left in the 2024 MLB season, things only seem to be getting wilder.

Just for starters, the National League West title may not be in the Los Angeles Dodgers' pocket after all. The San Diego Padres have been charging hard throughout the second half, and last week saw them cut their deficit from 6.0 games to just 3.5 games.

The American League East and American League Central also remain tight, and nobody has a firm grip on the third wild-card spot in either league.

The Minnesota Twins are practically inviting one of their pursuers to come take said spot in the American League. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets are neck-and-neck in their race for the third wild-card in the National League.

The major award races are bit more settled by comparison, especially now that Aaron Judge's allegedly Paw Patrol-rooted home run drought is over as he pursues the AL MVP. It otherwise remains a shame that the NL Rookie of the Year can only go to one player.

Let's get into all this and more in the latest rendition of B/R's MLB Power Rankings.

30. Chicago White Sox (35-115)

29. Miami Marlins (55-95)

28. Colorado Rockies (57-93)

27. Los Angeles Angels (60-89)

26. Washington Nationals (68-81)

25. Oakland Athletics (65-85)

24. Pittsburgh Pirates (71-78)

23. Toronto Blue Jays (72-78)

22. Texas Rangers (71-79)

21. Cincinnati Reds (73-78)

Even after taking two of three from Oakland over the weekend, the White Sox remain on track to topple the 1962 Mets as the worst team in modern MLB history.

But don't worry, Sox fans. Owner Jerry Reinsdorf wants you to know that he's "extremely unhappy" with this season, too.

The Rockies and Marlins are finishing in very different styles, with the Rockies winning six out of their last 10 as the Marlins have dropped eight out of their last 11. The catch for Colorado? Its offense has scored an MLB-low 40 runs in September.

As if the Angels weren't already unwatchable amid a 9-25 skid since August 9, now their most exciting pitcher is on the injured list. Ben Joyce has a bum shoulder, meaning no more 106 mph fastballs for now.

Speaking of watchability, the Nationals are a respectable 9-9 since calling up Dylan Crews. And how about a hand for CJ Abrams? He's one of five shortstops to go 20-20-20 for home runs, doubles and stolen bases this season.

At 28-24, the Athletics' strong second-half run is ongoing. Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler are one of only two teammate duos with better than a 170 wRC+ since the break. The other is Aaron Judge and Juan Soto.

With the franchise's rookie strikeout record in his pocket, Paul Skenes continues to be a bright side in an otherwise forgettable season for the Pirates. Elsewhere on the topic of ascendant young pitchers, Bowden Francis' near-no-hitter for the Blue Jays last Wednesday was merely his latest dominant showcase. He has a 1.50 ERA in seven starts since August 7.

Kumar Rocker likewise looked hype-worthy in his MLB debut, and the Rangers must have also liked what they saw from Jacob deGrom in his return from Tommy John surgery. He touched 99 mph and fanned four batters in 3.2 innings.

Lastly, it was a solid week for the Reds. They notably got their power going again, following a six-game homerless streak with back-to-back games with two long balls against the Twins on Friday and Saturday.

20. San Francisco Giants (72-78)

19. Tampa Bay Rays (73-77)

18. St. Louis Cardinals (74-75)

17. Boston Red Sox (75-75)

16. Chicago Cubs (76-73)

Suffice it to say that the Giants are going through it right now. They've lost 15 out of their last 22 games, including three in a row by way of shutout last week.

The Rays continue to randomly flash competence against competitive teams, splitting a four-game set with Cleveland over the weekend. This is very much in spite of their average with runners in scoring position, which stands at a dismal .192 since the break.

The Cardinals were playing solid baseball for a minute, going 7-4 to finish out August. But that minute is over. They're 6-7 in September, with their sweep by Toronto over the weekend marking their second straight series loss to an AL opponent.

For the Red Sox, what started as a fun week turned into a nightmare when they lost three of four to the Yankees in New York. The losses that came via Juan Soto's walk-off single and Aaron Judge's go-ahead grand slam were especially crushing.

The Cubs had a whiplash sort of week, taking a series from the Dodgers in Los Angeles only to turn right around and lose one to the Rockies in Denver. They're not dead yet, but a 5-7 stretch in September has them 5.0 games off the pace in the NL wild-card race.

15. Seattle Mariners (77-73)

14. Detroit Tigers (77-73)

13. Minnesota Twins (79-70)

12. Atlanta Braves (81-68)

11. New York Mets (81-68)

If the Mariners end up earning the AL's third wild-card, the weekend that Julio Rodríguez just had should be remembered as a pivotal moment. He hit homers in back-to-back games against the Rangers, including a game-winning three-run shot on Friday.

With wins in 15 out of their last 22, the Tigers are on a run that feels like it could actually pay off. And maybe they have something in Keider Montero? He has a 2.72 ERA in his last six starts, including that "Maddux" from last Monday.

The Twins are playing like they want to give the AL's third wild-card away. They've now lost 17 out of their last 26. And as great as it is to have Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton back on paper, neither is 100-percent healthy.

As for which team is going to take the third spot in the NL, it's basically a coin-flip between the Braves and Mets.

They're tied in the standings, and both clubs' pitchers seem to really want it. Led by NL Cy Young Award favorite Chris Sale, Atlanta hurlers are rocking an NL-leading 2.26 ERA in September. The Mets, meanwhile, are getting a 2.09 ERA from their starters this month.

Still, here's something Mets fans probably don't want to hear: Between the two clubs, the Braves have a significantly easier remaining schedule.

10. Kansas City Royals (82-68)

Previous Rank: 11

Last Week: 1-2 @ NYY, 2-1 @ PIT

Aaron Judge gave Bobby Witt Jr. an opening to make a move in the AL MVP race, but he didn't take it. He hit only .224 amid Judge's homerless streak.

The good news is that the Royals have won seven out of their last 10 despite losing last week's showdown in the Bronx. That series nonetheless underscores an uncomfortable reality for the Royals: They're 44-21 against Central teams and 38-47 against all others.

9. Houston Astros (81-68)

Previous Rank: 9

Last Week: 1-2 vs. OAK, 3-0 @ LAA

The Astros already have two separate three-game losing streaks in September, but they've won 24 out of their last 37 all the same. And despite Justin Verlander's best efforts at sabotage, they have a 2.96 ERA in this span.

Otherwise, it feels like the season Yordan Alvarez is having hasn't gotten enough press. He's hitting .308 with 34 homers, with his last 33 games yielding a 1.130 OPS and 14 of those long balls.

8. Cleveland Guardians (86-64)

Previous Rank: 8

Last Week: 3-0 @ CHW, 2-2 vs. TBR

Sweeping the White Sox isn't going to impress anyone, but the Guardians needed it. Before that series took place, they had somehow only been 5-5 against the Pale Hose for the year.

More generally, the Guardians should probably try to get hot before October arrives. They've been treading water at 19-22 since August 3, in part because their offense has produced only a .226 average and 3.9 runs per game.

7. Arizona Diamondbacks (83-66)

Previous Rank: 7

Last Week: 2-0 vs. TEX, 1-2 vs. MIL

The Diamondbacks are outscoring the next-best team in MLB by half a run per game, and they're already well on their way to leading the league in runs for a third month in a row. Eugenio Suárez is especially on one with 10 homers in his last 21 games.

Yet as much as Arizona's offense is clearly ready for the playoffs, it's not easy to say the same about the pitching staff. It has an MLB-high 6.42 ERA this month, and nobody is feeling it more than Brandon Pfaadt. His ERA for his last five starts is in the double digits.

6. Baltimore Orioles (84-66)

Previous Rank: 5

Last Week: 1-2 @ BOS, 1-2 at DET

The more time goes by, the more it looks like July 7 may prove to be the pinnacle of the Orioles' 2024 season. They were a season-high 24 games over .500 on that date, with a 3.0-game cushion over the Yankees in the AL East.

They're 27-33 ever since then, with contenders and non-contenders alike doing their share of damage against them. That their 3.0-game lead is now only a 3.0-game deficit feels akin to a small miracle.

5. San Diego Padres (85-65)

Previous Rank: 6

Last Week: 1-1 @ SEA, 3-0 @ SFG

Believe it or not, Luis Arraez actually had a two-strikeout game back on July 3. That's as many times as he's struck out in the entire second half, and his current strikeout-less streak is at 140 plate appearances and counting.

Meanwhile, Fernando Tatis Jr. spent last week both hitting and robbing home runs. Hence the increasingly good vibes for a Padres squad that is now 35-16 in the second half.

4. Milwaukee Brewers (86-63)

Previous Rank: 4

Last Week: 2-1 @ SFG, 2-1 @ ARI

Jackson Chourio made history last week, becoming the youngest hitter to ever record a 20-20 season. And he's been on a heater for a while now, posting a .954 OPS in 68 games dating back to June 23.

Also, remember when the book on the Brewers was that their offense was more formidable than their pitching? It's past time to throw that out. Only three teams have a lower ERA in the second half than they do.

3. New York Yankees (87-63)

Previous Rank: 3

Last Week: 2-1 vs. KCR, 3-1 vs. BOS

The Yankees went into last week needing a pick-me-up, and they got it. They got back-to-back walk-offs on Wednesday and Thursday and then that game-winning slam by Aaron Judge on Friday, who added another 445-foot homer into the wind in Sunday's win.

Yet is Gerrit Cole...you know, OK? His sudden onset cowardice vis-à-vis Rafael Devers on Saturday was a bad look. It was also his third start with more walks than strikeouts, something he did only once in his Cy Young Award-winning 2023 season.

2. Los Angeles Dodgers (88-61)

Previous Rank: 1

Last Week: 1-2 vs. CHC, 2-2 @ ATL

The Dodgers are just 6-7 in September and they're coming off a week that wasn't just rough on the field. It was nice to welcome back Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but the Dodgers subsequently learned that they won't get to do the same with Tyler Glasnow.

On the plus side, there seems to be no stopping Shohei Ohtani's march to 50-50. With one more home run and two more stolen bases last week, he's now at 47 and 48, respectively.

1. Philadelphia Phillies (90-59)

Previous Rank: 2

Last Week: 3-0 vs. TBR, 2-1 vs. NYM

The Phillies don't merely have the best record in MLB. They're also putting an exclamation mark on their season, as they're 10-3 in September and 21-9 in their last 30 games.

Kyle Schwarber has seven homers this month, while Bryce Harper launched a pair on Saturday to snap a 30-game stretch without any. And after activating him off the injured list on Sunday, now the Phillies have Alec Bohm back in their lineup as well.

According to FanGraphs, it's the Yankees and Dodgers who have the best odds of winning the World Series. But if you're the Phillies right now, you might beg to differ.

1. Philadelphia Phillies (+1 spot)
2. Los Angeles Dodgers (-1 spot)
3. New York Yankees
4. Milwaukee Brewers
5. San Diego Padres (+1 spot)
6. Baltimore Orioles (-1 spot)
7. Arizona Diamondbacks
8. Cleveland Guardians
9. Houston Astros
10. Kansas City Royals (+1 spot)
11. New York Mets (-1 spot)
12. Atlanta Braves
13. Minnesota Twins
14. Detroit Tigers (+2 spots)
15. Seattle Mariners (+2 spots)
16. Chicago Cubs (-2 spots)
17. Boston Red Sox (+1 spot)
18. St. Louis Cardinals (-3 spots)
19. Tampa Bay Rays (+1 spot)
20. San Francisco Giants (-1 spot)
21. Cincinnati Reds (+2 spots)
22. Texas Rangers (-1 spot)
23. Toronto Blue Jays (-1 spot)
24. Pittsburgh Pirates
25. Oakland Athletics
26. Washington Nationals
27. Los Angeles Angels
28. Colorado Rockies
29. Miami Marlins
30. Chicago White Sox

AL MVP

1. Aaron Judge, NYY
2. Bobby Witt Jr., KC
3. Juan Soto, NYY
4. Gunnar Henderson, BAL
5. José Ramírez, CLE
6. Yordan Alvarez, HOU
7. Jarren Duran, BOS
8. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., TOR
9. Brent Rooker, OAK
10. Tarik Skubal, DET

AL Cy Young

1. Tarik Skubal, DET
2. Seth Lugo, KCR
3. Emmanuel Clase, CLE
4. Logan Gilbert, SEA
5. Cole Ragans, KCR

AL Rookie of the Year

1. Luis Gil, NYY
   
2. Colton Cowser, BAL
3. Austin Wells, NYY

NL MVP

1. Shohei Ohtani, LAD
2. Francisco Lindor, NYM
3. Elly De La Cruz, CIN
4. Bryce Harper, PHI
5. Ketel Marte, ARI
6. Willy Adames, MIL
7. Marcell Ozuna, ATL
8. Mookie Betts, LAD
9. Freddie Freeman, LAD
10. Matt Chapman, SFG

NL Cy Young

1. Chris Sale, ATL
2. Zack Wheeler, PHI
3. Paul Skenes, PIT
4. Hunter Greene, CIN
5. Dylan Cease, SDP

NL Rookie of the Year

1. Paul Skenes, PIT
2. Jackson Merrill, SDP
3. Jackson Chourio, MIL

Key Series for the 1st Half of the Week

• Minnesota Twins at Cleveland Guardians
• Detroit Tigers at Kansas City Royals
• Philadelphia Phillies at Milwaukee Brewers
• Houston Astros at San Diego Padres
• New York Yankees at Seattle Mariners

Key Series for the 2nd Half of the Week

• Detroit Tigers at Baltimore Orioles
• Philadelphia Phillies at New York Mets
• Arizona Diamondbacks at Milwaukee Brewers
• Minnesota Twins at Boston Red Sox
• Cleveland Guardians at St. Louis Cardinals

Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.