There is a new No. 1 atop Power Rankings

There is a new No. 1 atop Power Rankings

August 8th, 2022

The Yankees’ run atop the Power Rankings has come to an end after claiming the No. 1 spot in eight consecutive polls.

With the Dodgers surging past the Yankees for the top record in the Majors last week, Los Angeles also leapfrogged New York in the latest edition of the Power Rankings. It marks the first time that the Dodgers have topped our rankings since the May 31 edition.

That wasn’t the only shuffling within the Top 5, though. With the Trade Deadline behind us and postseason races heating up in each league, let’s take a closer look at all of the movement in this week’s Power Rankings.

Biggest jump: The Cardinals overtook the Brewers atop the NL Central last week -- and our voters rewarded them by moving the Cards up four spots to No. 7. St. Louis enters the week on a seven-game winning streak after sweeping the rival Cubs and the AL-leading Yankees. Paul Goldschmidt remains the NL MVP favorite, while Nolan Arenado has started to put together an MVP case of his own and newcomer Jordan Montgomery stifled his former club over five scoreless innings against the Yanks in his Cardinals debut.

Biggest drop: The D-backs dropped three spots, from No. 22 to No. 25, though that was more a result of some of the teams below them having a solid week. The only other teams to drop multiple spots this time around were the Twins (from No. 9 to No. 11) and the Red Sox (from No. 16 to No. 18).

Power Rankings Top 5:

1. Dodgers (75-33, last week: 2)
DraftKings World Series odds: 3.7-1
The Dodgers surged their way to MLB’s best record over the past week, reeling off eight straight wins. That stretch included a four-game sweep in San Francisco and a three-game sweep of the new-look Padres. Offensively, Los Angeles leads the Majors in OPS and ranks second in runs, trailing only the Yankees. As for the pitching staff, the Dodgers have an MLB-best 2.87 ERA, including a 2.69 ERA for the starting rotation -- nearly a half run better than the Majors’ next best starting staff (Astros, 3.13).

2. Yankees (70-39, last week: 1)
DraftKings World Series odds: 4.25-1
The Yankees enter the week on a season-high five-game losing streak following a weekend sweep at the hands of the Cardinals. That three-game set featured Montgomery, a former Yankee, earning the win on Saturday and new Yankee Frankie Montas (six runs in three innings) struggling in his debut on Sunday. Even with the recent slump, the Yanks still boast the highest-scoring offense in the Majors.

3. Astros (70-40, last week: 3)
DraftKings World Series odds: 4.5-1
Despite going just 3-3 last week, the Astros sit just a half-game behind the Yankees for the best record in the American League. Houston’s pitching staff continues to thrive, with its starting rotation posting a 3.13 ERA (second in the Majors) and the bullpen putting up an MLB-best 2.68 ERA. The Astros are 16-4 in games started by AL Cy Young favorite Justin Verlander, who is 15-3 with a 1.73 ERA in 20 starts.

4. Mets (70-39, last week: 5)
DraftKings World Series odds: 5.5-1
Already leading the NL East for most of the season, the Mets are looking even more dangerous with Jacob deGrom back on the mound -- and picking up right where he left off. deGrom tossed a 12-strikeout gem on Sunday as the Mets won their 70th game and took four of five in an extended series against the second-place Braves. If deGrom and Max Scherzer (1.98 ERA in 15 starts) stay healthy atop the rotation, New York figures to be a tough matchup for anyone, especially in a postseason series.

5. Padres (61-50, last week: 4)
DraftKings World Series odds: 13-1
The Padres made the biggest splash at last week’s Trade Deadline by acquiring Juan Soto, but they’re still looking to hit their stride after being swept by the Dodgers this weekend. San Diego has lost four straight overall after rattling off five straight wins previously. Despite the recent skid, the potential of a lineup that will soon feature Soto, Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. (currently on a rehab assignment) is enough to keep the Padres in the top five.

The rest of the field of 30:

  1. Braves (6)
  2. Cardinals (11)
  3. Blue Jays (7)
  4. Mariners (8)
  5. Brewers (10)
  6. Twins (9)
  7. Rays (12)
  8. Phillies (13)
  9. Guardians (14)
  10. White Sox (15)
  11. Orioles (17)
  12. Giants (18)
  13. Red Sox (16)
  14. Marlins (19)
  15. Rangers (20)
  16. Angels (21)
  17. Reds (25)
  18. Cubs (24)
  19. Rockies (23)
  20. D-backs (22)
  21. Pirates (26)
  22. Royals (27)
  23. Tigers (28)
  24. A's (29)
  25. Nationals (30)

Voters: Alyson Footer, Anthony Castrovince, Paul Casella, Mark Feinsand, Nathalie Alonso, Mike Petriello, Sarah Langs, Andrew Simon, David Venn, Brett Blueweiss