Note: RCL’s Ultimate Power Rankings did not appear last week because of the All-Star break. All figures are based on our Week 14 rankings from July 10.
If not now, when?
That essentially sums up the attitude of the Los Angeles Dodgers who, for what seems like the 10th year in a row, added a key piece ahead of the trade deadline to help boost their World Series chances.
The Dodgers, of course, were within a game of winning it all last year but came up short against the Houston Astros – a team they’ll have a good shot of facing in October if they make it that far.
Now, after adding slugger Manny Machado from the Orioles after the All-Star break, the Dodgers have to be the favorite to represent the NL in the Fall Classic … right?
According to this week’s installment of RCL’s Ultimate Power Rankings, which combine ratings from ESPN, CBS and USA Today to get a single definitive rank for all 30 teams in Major League Baseball and use segmented tiers to arrange them, Los Angeles is close to being the NL favorite, but they’re not quite there yet.
By the rankings, the Chicago Cubs are the favorite to make it out of the NL and then face one of the AL’s big three of the Astros, Boston Red Sox, and New York Yankees.
As it stands, the Dodgers are just a tier below those four teams and they’ve got company. A number of other teams – including the Indians and Athletics – have made moves that have boosted them in the rankings.
To see how far those clubs have made it, and where the other 28 teams in MLB stand after the All-Star break, read on.
The Best of the Best (1.00-5.00)
No. 1.33, last 1.33, two weeks ago 2.00: Boston Red Sox – (ESPN, 2), (CBS Sports, 1), (USA Today, 1)
No. 1.66, last 1.66, two weeks ago 2.33: Houston Astros – (ESPN, 1), (CBS Sports, 2), (USA Today, 2)
No. 3.00, last 2.66, two weeks ago 1.66: New York Yankees – (ESPN, 3), (CBS Sports, 3), (USA Today, 3)
No. 4.33, last 5.00, two weeks ago 5.33: Chicago Cubs – (ESPN, 4), (CBS Sports, 4), (USA Today, 5)
The Best of the Rest (5.01-10.00)
No. 5.66, last 9.66, two weeks ago 10.00: Los Angeles Dodgers – (ESPN, 5), (CBS Sports, 8), (USA Today, 4)
No. 6.33, last 7.33, two weeks ago 6.66: Cleveland Indians – (ESPN, 6), (CBS Sports, 7), (USA Today, 6)
No. 7.66, last 5.33, two weeks ago 5.33: Seattle Mariners – (ESPN, 11), (CBS Sports, 5), (USA Today, 7)
No. 7.66, last 11.33, two weeks ago 11.66: Oakland Athletics – (ESPN, 8), (CBS Sports, 6), (USA Today, 9)
No. 8.66, last 8.33, two weeks ago 6.66: Atlanta Braves – (ESPN, 7), (CBS Sports, 11), (USA Today, 8)
No. 9.66, last 9.00, two weeks ago 11.33: Philadelphia Phillies – (ESPN, 9), (CBS Sports, 9), (USA Today, 11)
So You’re Saying There’s a Chance (10.01-15.00)
No. 10.66, last 5.00, two weeks ago 7.33: Milwaukee Brewers – (ESPN, 10), (CBS Sports, 12), (USA Today, 10)
No. 11.66, last 15.66, two weeks ago 19.00: Colorado Rockies – (ESPN, 12), (CBS Sports, 10), (USA Today, 13)
No. 12.66, last 11.33, two weeks ago 8.33: Arizona Diamondbacks – (ESPN, 13), (CBS Sports, 13), (USA Today, 12)
No. 15.00, last 19.66, two weeks ago 18.66: Pittsburgh Pirates – (ESPN, 17), (CBS Sports, 14), (USA Today, 14)
Stuck in the Middle with You (15.01-20.00)
No. 15.33, last 16.00, two weeks ago 14.00: San Francisco Giants – (ESPN, 16), (CBS Sports, 15), (USA Today, 15)
No. 16.00, last 13.00, two weeks ago 14.66: St. Louis Cardinals – (ESPN, 14), (CBS Sports, 18), (USA Today, 16)
No. 16.66, last 14.33, two weeks ago 13.66: Washington Nationals – (ESPN, 15), (CBS Sports, 17), (USA Today, 18)
No. 17.66, last 16.33, two weeks ago 15.66: Los Angeles Angels – (ESPN, 18), (CBS Sports, 16), (USA Today, 19)
No. 18.33, last 17.33, two weeks ago 16.33: Tampa Bay Rays – (ESPN, 19), (CBS Sports, 19), (USA Today, 17)
It’s Probably Not Your Year (20.01-25.00)
No. 20.33, last 20.00, two weeks ago 20.00: Toronto Blue Jays – (ESPN, 21), (CBS Sports, 20), (USA Today, 20)
No. 21.00, last 22.00, two weeks ago 21.66: Minnesota Twins – (ESPN, 20), (CBS Sports, 22), (USA Today, 21)
No. 21.66, last 21.00, two weeks ago 22.33: Cincinnati Reds – (ESPN, 22), (CBS Sports, 21), (USA Today, 22)
No. 23.66, last 22.33, two weeks ago 21.66: Texas Rangers – (ESPN, 23), (CBS Sports, 25), (USA Today, 23)
No. 24.66, last 26.66, two weeks ago 26.66: Miami Marlins – (ESPN, 26), (CBS Sports, 23), (USA Today, 25)
No. 25.00, last 24.33, two weeks ago 25.00: Detroit Tigers – (ESPN, 24), (CBS Sports, 27), (USA Today, 24)
See You in 2019 (25.01-30.00)
No. 25.33, last 26.66, two weeks ago 26.66: New York Mets – (ESPN, 25), (CBS Sports, 24), (USA Today, 27)
No. 26.33, last 24.66, two weeks ago 23.66: San Diego Padres – (ESPN, 27), (CBS Sports, 26), (USA Today, 26)
No. 28.00, last 27.66, two weeks ago 27.66: Chicago White Sox – (ESPN, 28), (CBS Sports, 28), (USA Today, 28)
No. 29.00, last 29.33, two weeks ago 29.33: Kansas City Royals – (ESPN, 29), (CBS Sports, 29), (USA Today, 30)
No. 30.00, last 29.66, two weeks ago 29.66: Baltimore Orioles – (ESPN, 30), (CBS Sports, 30), (USA Today, 29)
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