2022 MLB Power Rankings Vol. 2: Midseason edition
The All-Star break has arrived. We’re nearly 60 percent of the way through the season, with the Aug. 2 trade deadline in two weeks. So, it’s time to do my second rendition of my 2022 MLB Power Rankings.
I should preface by saying these are not an indication of how I think the standings will play throughout the season. It’s still very early, and plenty can happen between now and next week — let alone in late September, when we figure out who’s advancing to October or not.
Let’s jump into them!
1. New York Yankees, 64-28 (Last MLB Power Rankings spot: 1)
The Yankees rank atop my MLB Power Rankings for the second consecutive time. Matt Carpenter’s resurgence might be the best story in baseball right now. The 36-year-old was on the brink of retiring after three poor seasons in St. Louis. He signed with Texas on a minor League deal, got cut because he wanted a major league opportunity, and eventually signed with New York — the only team reportedly to reach out to him for an MLB deal. He’s hit 13 homers in 31 games and has been the best hitter in baseball since he was acquired in late May, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. AL MVP candidate Aaron Judge and the Yankees have scuffled a bit in July, but decleated Boston over the weekend to maintain their top spot in these rankings. They’re not perfect. There are still needs in the outfield, shortstop and in the rotation/bullpen, especially with multiple arms approaching their career-highs in innings . But, they do have the league’s best offense and remain the best team in baseball through the first 92 games.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers, 60-30 (Last Ranking: 2)
The Dodgers have won 15 of their last 17, having outscored opponents 94-50, despite having a compromised pitching staff. Tony Gonsolin is having an amazing season, Kershaw is having a Clayton Kershaw-esque campaign; Tyler Anderson is quietly posting career numbers in his first season donning Dodger Blue. Five of their top-8 in plate appearances — Freddie Freeman, Trea Turner, Mookie Betts, Will Smith and Gavin Lux — sport exceed 15 percent above league-average in OPS. The Dodgers are one arm away from rounding out the rest of their roster.
3. Houston Astros, 59-32 (Last Ranking: 3)
The Astros lost two of three at home to the lowly Oakland A’s entering the break. However, they are now 4.5 games behind the Yankees for home field in the American League. They’ve been one of the hottest teams in the AL over the last month, capping the first-half with a 23-9 record. They’ve also dealt with recent injuries to Michael Brantley and star DH Yordan Alvarez, who leads baseball in OPS (1.508) and OPS+ (196) with 26 long-balls on the season. So, the All-Star break comes at a good time for Houston, who’s primed to make another run at the World Series.
4. New York Mets, 58-35 (Last Ranking: 5)
The Mets are the first team to move up my MLB power Rankings. While they nearly coughed up a 10.5-game lead in the division, they took two of three from the Braves last week and have been victors in six of their last nine. So, I gave them the benefit of the doubt. Max Scherzer has been nearly unhittable in his three games since returning from injury. Jacob deGrom is on the cusp of making his debut, but the rotation with Chris Bassitt and Taijuan Walker has been above average. Their lineup has been among the best in the NL and sport the third-lowest strikeout rate (20.0%) in the game. We know that Steve Cohen will go fishing for a whale at the deadline, so Mets fans should be satisfied with where this team is at through 93 games.
5. Atlanta Braves, 56-38 (Last Ranking: 15)
Between my last power rankings and this one, the Braves rattled off a 14-game win streak. They’ve won 33 of their last 44 since the start of June. Michael Harris, who was called up at the end of May, has entered the NL Rookie of the Year conversation with a .283/.319/.816 slash line with eight home runs, 26 RBI’s and 10 stolen bases in 48 games (178 PA’s). Austin Riley and Adam Duvall have begun heating up after their slow starts, while Spencer Strider has taken baseball by storm with his electric fastball.
6. San Diego Padres, 52-42 (Last Ranking: 4)
The Padres, at some point, will need more consistent offense aside from players other than Manny Machado and Jake Cronenworth. Fernando Tatis should be returning in August, barring a setback, so that should definitely help. Their top-eight, outside of Cronenworth and Tatis, sport a .235/.320/.367 (99 wRC+) slash line, which could be improved upon. Joe Musgrove is in the thick-and-thin of the NL CY Young award. But, he will need additional pitching depth plus offense for the final stretch.
7. Tampa Bay Rays, 51-41 (Last Ranking: 8)
The Rays have been wrecked by injuries all season. The latest two big ones are Shane Baz getting sent to the 60-day IL (shoulder) and Wander Franco to the 10-day IL with wrist surgery, which is expected to hold him out for over a month. They’ve recently held their ground against the rest of the AL East and hold the top wild-card spot. Shane McClanahan has been arguably the most dominant pitcher in baseball and has carved together a top-10 rotation with a revolving door of back-end starters. No matter how injured or beat up they are, Tampa’s not a team to take lightly.
8. Milwaukee Brewers, 50-43 (Last Ranking: 6)
The Brewers, who are in the top-half in offense (102 wRC+; T-12th), appear to be a bat or two short of really putting the pedal to the metal for the NL Central crown. Christian Yelich is manufacturing near-average numbers, but they’re getting capable offense from Willy Adames, Rowdy Tellez and, recently, Keston Hiura. After three uninspiring series against Chicago, Pittsburgh and San Francisco, look for Milwaukee to add another impact bat come the deadline.
9. Seattle Mariners, 51-42 (Last Ranking: 22)
The Mariners, my biggest risers, have one not one, not two….but 14 straight entering the All-Star break by an average of nearly three runs per contest, doubling the score of its opponents (70-34) over that span!!! Their win streak ties Atlanta for the longest this season and one shy of tying a franchise record. Even though Ty France was originally one of the few snubs left off the All-Star team, he still made it as a fill-in and is having an incredibly productive season. Julio Rodriguez has a .973 OPS over his last 28 games and continues to be in-line to win AL Rookie of the Year award. And the M’s also have a sneaky, very consistent rotation with a good bullpen. Watch out!
10. St. Louis Cardinals, 50-44 (Last Ranking: 11)
Paul Goldschmidt is the frontrunner for the NL MVP, in my mind — topping the NL in BA, OBP, OPS and OPS+, placing third in fWAR. His defense hasn’t been where it’s typically been, but his offense well makes up for it. Nolan Arenado isn’t far behind Goldschmidt in the race, while Tommy Edman has been one of the most valuable players in baseball (per his WAR) because of his elite base running and defense. They hit a bit of a wall to start the month, but handled the Reds over the weekend to stay within a half-game of the Milwaukee Brewers for the division-lead.
11. Minnesota Twins, 50-44 (Last Ranking: 7)
The Twins got blasted by the White Sox over the weekend, and have lost seven of their last 10, which is why I have them just outside my top-10. Their lineup has been one of the best in baseball, led by Jorge Polanco, who’s hit six homers and has sported a 184 wRC+ in the month of July. Their rotation has been sneaky good, and Jhoan Duran has been a top-flight back-end bullpen piece. Don’t be surprised if they had another arm come Aug. 2.
12. Toronto Blue Jays, 50-43 (Last Ranking: 10)
Rough first-half for the Jays, eh? They fired their manager Charlie Montoyo — who went 236-236 in four seasons with the club — last week. They have yet to fulfill their lofty expectations, which is why they’re lower on my list. Their rotation outside of Alek Manoah and Kevin Gausman has been very shaky and their ‘pen, for the most part, is hit-and-miss. Their lineup, which is 3rd in OBP (.326) and T-4 in MLB in wRC+ (112), has been good despite less-than-superstar seasons from Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Alejandro Kirk, who will be the AL’s starting catcher in the All-Star game, has been an amazing story though.
13. Philadelphia Phillies, 49-43 (Last Ranking: 16)
This might pain Trey more than it does bring joy to Phillies fans — but, despite the slow-ish start and a recent slump, Kyle Schwarber has been an absolute tear since June began. From June 1 to July 6, he slashed .285/.395/.724 (199 wRC+) with 16 home runs, 32 RBIs and six doubles. He’s gone 3 for his last 38. But, if last year or nearly every other year proved anything, it’s that it shouldn’t take long for Schwarber to heat back up at this time of year.
14. San Francisco Giants, 48-43 (Last Ranking: 12)
The age-old Giants were in the midst of a rough 6-15 slide before winning five of their last six against the Diamondbacks and Brewers. They’re still a half-game back of the Cardinals and Phillies for the final wild card spot. It’s not 2021 anymore — sorry, Giants fans — but they have the fifth-easiest remaining strength of schedule in the NL, and all it takes is one red-hot stretch. If you’re a Giants fan, you can’t help but love what you’re seeing from Carlos Rodon and Logan Webb. And how about a six-run ninth inning, capped-off by a walk-off grand salami by Mike Yastrzemski? Great way to cap-off the first half, though the Giants still have progress to make.
15. Boston Red Sox, 48-45 (Last Ranking: 14)
Perhaps no contender needed the All-Star break like the Boston Red Sox, who got boat-raced 27-3 over their final two games to the Yankees. In his second start since returning from a rib injury, Chris Sale took a 107 MPH to the finger, suffering a fracture that could derail his season. Boston’s played their last 14 games against New York and Tampa, going 4-10, including 1-6 over this past week. They have yet to win a series against an AL East foe, going 0-10-1. To their credit, they have gone 25-18 since the start of June and 29-23 since my last power rankings — but they are going to need to collectively reboot for the final stretch of the season. There’s clear needs at first base, outfield and with their overall pitching depth to address.
16. Baltimore Orioles, 46-46 (Last Ranking: 24)
Excuse me for a moment…*clears throat*…HOW ABOUT THEM ORIOLES?!?! Baltimore’s 10-game win streak was snapped Friday, but they have won 11 of their last 13 and are heading into the All-Star break .500 for the first time since 2016, when they went 89-73. They’ve gotten excellent production from Ryan Mountcastle, Cedric Mullins and rookie Adley Rutschman, and rock-solid production from the pitching staff, led by Dean Kremer, Jordan Lyles and Tyler Wells. I’m not sure how sustainable this pace is, but they’re 3.5 games back of the second wild-card spot and are not a pushover, like they have been in the past. Could they squeak their way into a WC spot over one of their AL East friends? Only time will tell.
17. Cleveland Guardians, 46-44 (Last Ranking: 20)
The Guardians have gotten an MVP-like season from Jose Ramirez, who, by the way, has more walks than strikeouts (I know I’m like the 10000th person to point that out, but it’s incredible in this day and age), with stellar offensive contributions from Josh Naylor and Andres Gimenez. But, there’s something to be left desired elsewhere. They’re only a couple of games back of Minnesota, but can you expect them to buy at the deadline? I don’t, at least not yet. I’d like to see Cleveland add another rotation arm with Bieber-McKenzie-Quantrill-Plesac and another bat by Aug. 2 to really put them in prime playoff position.
18. Chicago White Sox, 46-46 (Last Ranking: 13)
The White Sox throttled the Twins over the weekend and have won five of their last six, but have yet to find their footing. They have been significantly underwhelming as they enter the break. There’s been discussion about whether they will sell come Aug. 2. They open the second-half break with four games against Cleveland (at home), two against Colorado (road), and three against Oakland (home). That’s a more than manageable stretch to stave off any selling speculation that arises.
19. Miami Marlins, 43-48 (Last Ranking: 17)
To put it nicely, the Marlins did not play well entering the break. They haven’t scored in 25 frames, got swept by the Phillies over the weekend, and got outscored 16-1 in those four games. Sandy Alcantara remains the NL CY Young favorite with a National League-leading 1.76 ERA (233 ERA+), and they just called up top-pitching prospect Max Meyer. There isn’t much to be ho-hum about, otherwise, when Jazz Chisholm isn’t healthy.
20. Texas Rangers, 41-49 (Last Ranking: 18)
Let’s get an update on Texas’ $500 million men. After an incredibly slow start, Marcus Semien has slashed .282/.338/.524 since my previous rankings, adding 13 homers, 34 RBIs and 14 stolen bases over that span. Corey Seager has clobbered seven home runs over his last 12 games and slugged his way into Monday’s Home Run derby and All-Star game in his former Major League home. However, the Rangers have still lost five of their last six — including four to the red-hot Mariners — and still might offload arms like Martin Perez, Matt Moore and Jon Gray within the next couple of weeks.
21. Colorado Rockies, 43-50 (Last Ranking: 21)
Kris Bryant and Charlie Blackmon have recently found their swings, helping join C.J. Cron as one of Colorado’s only sources of offense. Daniel Bard is having his best season in over a decade and has formed a good tandem with Alex Colome at the back of the bullpen. I wouldn’t be surprised if either is dealt by the deadline, as well as Chad Kuhl, because there’s no reason to buy if you’re Colorado. But they also (willingly) spent $182M on Bryant with a full no-trade clause, so maybe they don’t sell off pieces? I’m not sure what to think about the Rockies anymore, other than that they’re not a great team. That much is settled.
22. Arizona Diamondbacks, 40-52 (Last Ranking: 19)
In his first two years in Sedona Red, Madison Bumgarner posted a 5.07 ERA and a 5.20 FIP in 35 starts. In 2022, his first with former Astros pitching coach Brent Strom, Bumgarner’s produced to a tune of a 3.83 ERA and a 4.59 FIP. He’s gotten a little lucky, but the 33-year-old is still having his best year since leaving the Bay. He, Merrill Kelly, and Zac Gallen are all names to potentially keep an eye on come Aug. 2.
23. Pittsburgh Pirates, 39-54 (Last Ranking: 26)
Oneil Cruz catapults baseballs at 95+ MPH from shortstop while Ke’Bryan Hayes plays gold-glove level defense over at the hot corner — them aside, there’s not much to look forward to. Bryan Reynolds is currently stationed on the 10-day IL and might fetch a haul if he’s moved at the deadline; Jose Quintana’s resurgence on the mound has been fun to follow (although odds are he won’t be with the club much longer), and David Bednar is *checks notes* still one of the top relievers in baseball. Maybe the future’s brighter in Pittsburgh than I originally thought?
24. Los Angeles Angels, 39-53 (Last Ranking: 9)
How different do a couple of months look for the Angels. Sheesh. They were my lowest drop from the last MLB power rankings. They possess the arguable AL MVP in Shohei Ohtani, whose scoreless innings (earned runs) streak ended at 31.2 innings this last week. He might not be producing on the offensive tear he did a year ago, but has remarkably improved on the bump with a wipe out slider and splitter. They fired Joe Maddon, and have been abysmal for the last month or so, but Ohtani has still been a must-watch every at-bat/time on the bump. At least the Angels get to look forward to watching him and Mike Trout, who’s been one of the AL’s top outfielders, each night?
25. Detroit Tigers, 37-55 (Last Ranking: 29)
It’s so awesome that Miguel Cabrera is going to be named an honorary All-Star, alongside Albert Pujols — perhaps the two-best right-handed hitters of the 21st century. Everything else has not fared well for Detroit: The lineup has been horrific, and the pitching staff has been pretty poor, ranking 9th-worst in baseball in team ERA. They have lost eight of their last nine and are 13-21 over their last 34. For a team that was hoping to be better entering the season, they’re still scraping the bottom-of-the-barrel in the AL without many desirable trade pieces.
26. Kansas City Royals, 36-56 (Last Ranking: 27)
The Royals were without nearly half their team this weekend in Toronto because of the COVID-19 mandate in Canada. This included outfielders Andrew Benintendi and Michael A. Taylor, both of whom are receiving trade interest. Bobby Witt Jr. is slashing .310/.351/.500 with six home runs, 19 RBIs and nine stolen bags over his last 36 games and is paired with rookie third-baseman Emmanuel Rivera on the left side of the infield. While they’ve had a decent July, the Royals will be surefire sellers once again.
27. Cincinnati Reds, 34-57 (Last Ranking: 30)
With Sunday’s Cards-Reds game postponed, Chicago’s win over New York put them a half-game above Cincinnati for last place in the NL Central. Though the Reds are playing better ball than the Cubbies, narrowly winning a three-game set against the Yankees while sweeping the Rays — both on the road. Assuming a team trades for Luis Castillo over the next couple of weeks, he’s going to fetch quite the haul. Tyler Stephenson, Brandon Drury and Tommy Pham are among those possibly on the block to a contender, so this team will likely look different in a couple of weeks.
28. Chicago Cubs, 35-57 (Last Ranking: 25)
The Cubs have lost 9 of their last 10 after taking series from the Red Sox, Brewers, Reds, and Cardinals. They also took 2-of-3 against the red-hot Braves in early June. Other than that, it’s been doom and gloom for Chicago, who were inevitably projected to sell preseason. Ian Happ, Willson Contreras, and David Robertson should fetch a few good prospects, though!
29. Oakland Athletics, 32-61 (Last Ranking: 23)
The penultimate team in my second MLB power rankings is the A’s. Parting with Christian Bethancourt was the first of many moves the A’s will potentially make come Aug. 2. That could include Sean Murphy, Ramon Laureano, Paul Blackburn, Seth Brown, Tony Kemp and, most importantly, Frankie Montas. After a hot start, it’s a lost season for Oakland.
30. Washington Nationals, 31-63 (Last Ranking: 29)
The most exciting thing about the Washington Nationals nowadays is imagining the package that Juan Soto could fetch in a potential trade. And that Josh Bell is having a career year. Other than that, it’s pretty bleh.
Stay tuned for my third MLB power rankings, which again, is TBD.
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