Ultimate MLB Power Rankings: Week 9

Coming off a four-game sweep that saw them outscore the New York Mets by a combine 21-6, the Chicago Cubs are the hottest team in the National League and now have the second-best run differential margin (+93) in all of baseball.

That outburst has helped the Cubbies surge in this week’s edition of RealClearLife‘s Ultimate Power Rankings, which combine ratings from ESPN, CBS Sports and USA Today to get a single definitive rank for all the teams in Major League Baseball.

For weeks, the American League’s New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros have been the consensus top-three teams in MLB. Until another team goes on a run like the Cubs have, winning eight of their last 10, and one of those clubs goes on a losing streak, that likely won’t change.

Or will it?

To see if the Cubs have done enough to displace New York, Boston or Houston as well as which other clubs are contenders and which are pretenders, check out the full list and segmented tiers in our Ultimate Power Rankings.

The Best of the Best (1.00-5.00)

No. 1.66, last. 1.33, two weeks ago 2.00: Boston Red Sox – (ESPN, 2), (CBS Sports, 2), (USA Today, 1)
No. 2.00, last 2.66, two weeks ago 1.00: New York Yankees – (ESPN, 3), (CBS Sports, 1), (USA Today, 2)
No. 2.33, last 2.00, two weeks ago 3.00: Houston Astros – (ESPN, 1), (CBS Sports, 3), (USA Today, 3)
No. 5.00, last 7.66, two weeks ago 5.33: Chicago Cubs – (ESPN, 4), (CBS Sports, 4), (USA Today, 7)

The Best of the Rest (5.01-10.00)

No. 5.66, last 4.66, two weeks ago 7.33: Milwaukee Brewers – (ESPN, 6), (CBS Sports, 7), (USA Today, 4)
No. 6.00, last 6.33, two weeks ago 4.00: Atlanta Braves – (ESPN, 7), (CBS Sports, 6), (USA Today, 5)
No. 6.66, last 7.00, two weeks ago 11.00: Seattle Mariners – (ESPN, 9), (CBS Sports, 5), (USA Today, 6)
No. 7.00, last 6.33, two weeks ago 8.66: Washington Nationals – (ESPN, 5), (CBS Sports, 8), (USA Today, 8)
No. 8.33, last 9.33, two weeks ago 9.00: Los Angeles Angels – (ESPN, 12), (CBS Sports, 12), (USA Today, 11)
No. 9.33, last 11.00, two weeks ago 9.00: St. Louis Cardinals – (ESPN, 10), (CBS Sports, 9), (USA Today, 9)

So You’re Saying There’s a Chance (10.01-15.00)

No. 10.33, last 7.66, two weeks ago 6.66: Philadelphia Phillies – (ESPN, 11), (CBS Sports, 10), (USA Today, 10)
No. 11.00, last 12.00, two weeks ago 14.33: Cleveland Indians – (ESPN, 8), (CBS Sports, 13), (USA Today, 12)
No. 12.66, last 14.33, two weeks ago 17.66: Los Angeles Dodgers – (ESPN, 13), (CBS Sports, 11), (USA Today, 14)
No. 13.66, last 17.33, two weeks ago 12.33: Arizona Diamondbacks – (ESPN, 14), (CBS Sports, 14), (USA Today, 13)

Stuck in the Middle with You (15.01-20.00)

No. 16.00, last 14.66, two weeks ago 16.00: Oakland Athletics – (ESPN, 17), (CBS Sports, 15), (USA Today, 16)
No. 16.33, last 14.00, two weeks ago 14.00: Pittsburgh Pirates – (ESPN, 16), (CBS Sports, 18), (USA Today, 15)
No. 17.00, last 16.00, two weeks ago 14.33: Colorado Rockies – (ESPN, 18), (CBS Sports, 16), (USA Today, 17)
No. 17.33, last 19.66, two weeks ago 19.66: Tampa Bay Rays – (ESPN, 15), (CBS Sports, 19), (USA Today, 18)
No. 19.00, last 20.66, two weeks ago 19.00: San Francisco Giants – (ESPN, 22), (CBS Sports, 17), (USA Today, 18)

It’s Probably Not Your Year (20.01-25.00)

No. 20.66, last 16.66, two weeks ago 17.00: New York Mets – (ESPN, 20), (CBS Sports, 22), (USA Today, 20)
No. 20.33, last 21.00, two weeks ago 21.66: Minnesota Twins – (ESPN, 19), (CBS Sports, 20), (USA Today, 22)
No. 21.66, last 23.00, two weeks ago 23.00: Detroit Tigers – (ESPN, 23), (CBS Sports, 21), (USA Today, 21)
No. 22.66, last 20.66, two weeks ago 19.66: Toronto Blue Jays – (ESPN, 21), (CBS Sports, 24), (USA Today, 23)
No. 24.00, last 24.00, two weeks ago 24.00: San Diego Padres – (ESPN, 25), (CBS Sports, 23), (USA Today, 24)
No. 24.66, last 25.00, two weeks ago 25.33: Texas Rangers – (ESPN, 24), (CBS Sports, 25), (USA Today, 25)

See You in 2019 (25.01-30.00)

No. 26.33, last 27.66, two weeks ago 28.66: Kansas City Royals – (ESPN, 27), (CBS Sports, 26), (USA Today, 26)
No. 26.66, last 26.33, two weeks ago 24.66: Cincinnati Reds – (ESPN, 26), (CBS Sports, 27), (USA Today, 27)
No. 28.66, last 28.00, two weeks ago 28.00: Miami Marlins – (ESPN, 29), (CBS Sports, 29), (USA Today, 28)
No. 29.00, last 29.66, two weeks ago 29.66: Chicago White Sox – (ESPN, 30), (CBS Sports, 28), (USA Today, 29)
No. 29.33, last 28.33, two weeks ago 27.33: Baltimore Orioles – (ESPN, 28), (CBS Sports, 30), (USA Today, 30)