By Marvin A Azrak
With the playoff race heating up by the day, team fortunes can change in the blink of an eye, which can create chaos in MLB Power Rankings, which is precisely what happened to ours here at the Jewish Voice. So, let’s see where your favorite team stacks up amongst the rest of the league at this current moment in the 2021 season.
My updated power rankings 8/17/21
1. LOS ANGELES Dodgers(73- 46) (1)
Went 6-1 this week, taking two of three from the Phillies(5-0, 8-2, 1-2), before sweeping the reeling New York Mets(6-5, 2-1, 14-4) in New York. On Monday, the Dodgers kept the good times rolling by eking out a win over Pittsburg 2-1 upon returning home.
2. SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS(77-42) (2)
San Fran went 6-1 on the week to maintain their four-game lead over the Dodgers atop the NL West. First, they swept the league-worst Diamondbacks(8-7, 7-2), before taking three of four from the Rockies( 7-0, 5-4, 1-4, 5-2), and are in the midst of finishing up their homestand in a three-game series against the Mets.
On Monday, trade-acquisition Kris Bryant had his “Breakout game” as a Giant, going deep twice, and driving in five during a 7-5 win over the Amazins.
3. HOUSTON ASTROS( 70-47) (3)
The Astros went 5-1 on the week, by sweeping the Rockies (5-0,5-1) at home before going to Anaheim and winning their series against the Angles(4-1, 8-2, 1-3). Houston leads Oakland by 2.5 games(Three in the loss column) for the AL West lead.
4. MILWAUKEE BREWERS(72-47) (5)
Milwaukee continued to separate themselves from their NL Central rivals with a four-game obliteration of the rebuilding-Cubbies at Wrigley Field( 4-2, 6-3, 10-0, 17-4), and a series win over the Pirates (4-14, 6-0, 2-1). The win puts the Brewers firmly in the second seed in the NL, with a 7.5 game lead (Eight in the loss column) over the Reds in the division.
5. TAMPA BAY RAYS(72-47) (4)
Tampa Bay continues to play relatively well, and currently boasts a healthy lead in the division, leading the second-place Red Sox by 3.5 games(4 in the loss column) entering Tuesday’s action. The only concern? Well aside from having 15 pitchers on the IL, it’s the fact they just lost a series to the last place Twins over the weekend in Minnesota. However, they did return home and crush the Orioles on Monday night, 9-2 wiping away any signs (For now) of a collapse.
6. BOSTON RED SOX (69-51) (13
How can a team go from sixth to thirteenth, and back again in a three-week span? Well, getting Chris Sale back from the IL, and finally getting to see their trade-deadline acquisition in Kyle Schwarber in uniform has seemed to reenergize a team in desperate need of a revival. The demolition of the Orioles(8-1, 16-2, 6-2) at Fenway Park over the weekend, where Sale went five innings of two-run ball with eight punch-outs, has this team in high spirits as they gear up for a crucial three-game series in the Bronx against the Yankees this week.
7. CHICAGO WHITE SOX (69-50) 6)
The “Field of Dreams” game victory was sweet, but then they followed that up by losing the series to the injury-ravaged Yankees in Chicago, before taking game one of an intra-league clash against Oakland. That home series loss to the Yankees is a bit of a “Headscratcher” considering they entered that series having not only the stronger, and healthier bunch, but the better pitching as well. Closer Liam Hendricks had a career-worst weekend, serving up six runs in two innings of work, while the Chisox bullpen allowed nine runs as a whole, and was outscored 21-17 in the three games. Chicago finished the season an alarming 1-5 against a team in the Bombers that if they make the playoffs, they may see meet them yet again likely even healthier than they were this time around.
8. OAKLAND ATHLETICS(68-51) (7)
The A’s swept aside Clevland(4-3, 6-3, 17-0), but then lost a series to the Rangers(8-6, 4-7, 7-4) in Texas, putting them back into the second AL Wild Card entering Tuesday’s action.
9. SAN DIEGO PADRES( 67-54) (9)
Yes, while losing three of four to the Arizona Diamondbacks, and getting no-hit by Tyler Gilbert in his first MLB start was embarrassing, the return of Fernando Tatis JR made all of that go away as the superstar now in Right Field, went 4 for 5 with two homers, four RBIs and three catches in his first appearance in Right Field after 223 games at Shortstop.
10. NEW YORK YANKEES(66-52) (10)
The winning ways somehow, someway have continued for the injured Yankees who just continue to win series. They took two of three from the White Sox, rebounding from a crushing “Field of Dreams” loss, by hanging on to sweep the next two games at Guaranteed Rate Field on the South Side of Chicago for a series win(8-9, 7-5, 5-3).
11. CINCINNATI REDS(65–55) (11)
The Reds continue to stay on the Padres in the Wild Card race, taking a series from the first-place Phillies over the weekend(6-1, 1-6, 7-4), before annihilating the Cubs 14-5 on Monday night in Cincy. Joey Votto continued to inch closer to the Hall of Fame, with his 2,000th hit making him the first player to accompany that feat, as well as 300 HR, and 1,000 RBIs in the same season. Cincinnati is 1.5 games back of the Padres(One game out in the loss column) for the last NL WildCard spot.
12. PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES(61-57) (14)
Of the NL East contenders, the Phillies have the easiest of them, with 24 of their final 44 games against the “7.5 Dwarfs” in the Orioles, Pirates, Rangers, Diamondbacks, Rockies(When they’re on the road), Twins, Tigers, and Royals. Of those teams, the Phillies only play the O’s, Pirates, D Backs, and Colorado down the stretch. If they just keep to their strengths, they should win this division
13. ATLANTA BRAVES (63-56) (15)
The “Little team that could” continues to keep on rolling, as the Braves swept aside the Nationals(4-2, 12-2, 6-5) over the weekend, and pounded the Marlins on Monday 12-2, to seize control of first place in the NL East for the first time since early May(When they still had Ronald Acuna JR). Simply remarkable what they’re doing overcoming the injury bug once again just as they did to advance to the NLCS last season.
14. SEATTLE MARINERS (63-56) (12)
15. TORONTO BLUE JAYS(63-54) (8)
16. ST LOUIS CARDINALS(61-56) (17)
17. NEW YORK METS(16) (59-59) (16)
Still collapsing…
18. CLEVELAND INDIANS(57-60) (18)
Tristan McKenzie turned in a start for the ages, going 8 scoreless innings with 11 k’s in Sunday’s 11-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers.
19. LOS ANGELES ANGLES(59-61) (19)
Shohei Ohtani has a 2.93 ERA and leads the league with 39 bombs on the season.
20. DETROIT TIGERS(58-62) (20)
Miguel Cabrera is at 499 career home runs, as Detroit anticipates #500 hopefully at Comerica Park sometime soon.
21. MINNESOTA TWINS(52-66) (25)
The Twins have scored series wins over the Astros, White Sox, and Rays over the past week and although it won’t a difference for them in the standings, it will be for the playoff race. If there’s any “Spoiler” team to look out for down the stretch, these Twins are it!
22. COLORADO ROCKIES(53-66) (21)
23. KANSAS CITY ROYALS (50-67) (22)
24. WASHINGTON NATIONALS (50-68) (23)
25. MIAMI MARLINS (51-68(26)
26. CHICAGO CUBS(52-69) (24)
On a 12 game losing streak
27. TEXAS RANGERS 42-76) (28)
28. PITTSBURGH PIRATES ( 42-76) (27)
29. BALTIMORE ORIOLES( 38-79 (29)
On a 12 game losing streak
30. ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS(38-81) (30)
CONGRATULATIONS TO TYLER GILBERT!
He is the fourth pitcher in MLB history to twirl a no-hitter in his first MLB start. The 27-year-old blanked the San Diego Padres on Saturday in Arizona.
