There are two weeks left of the Major League Baseball (MLB) 2022 regular season, and we expect the last few games to be exciting, anything could happen!
Four of the top five teams have clinched a playoff berth, but the Yankees, Guardians, and Cardinals, despite being division leaders, are still fighting for their playoff spot.
Let’s take a look at the top 10 power rankings for the remainder of the season.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
Record: 104-46
The LA Dodgers remain at the top of the NL West Table and are doing the best in the National League, with their pitching staff having the lowest ERA in the league, they have managed to win a total of 13 games out of twenty, bringing the record to 104-46.
Clayton Kershaw has been impressive after returning from the IL, he reached a 1.50 ERA over 18 innings across three September starts.
2. Houston Astros
Record: 99-51
The Astros have secured their playoff berth at the top of the AL West and top of the American League. They are currently in a position to be regarded as the greatest Houston team in franchise history, depending on how the playoffs turn out. They are the team to beat in the AL and the favorite to make a fourth consecutive World Series appearance.
The AL Cy Young favorite, Justin Verlander has come back from a three-week absence and has immediately shown his positive impact on the team.
3. New York Mets
Record: 95-56
Although front management should have made more moves at the trade deadline, this season should be seen as a success given the Mets have already secured a spot in the postseason and are on the verge of reaching 100 victories.
The Mets haven’t been playing as well as they could, but they are still doing what they need
to. They will need to top the Braves over the next few weeks to secure their playoff spot.
4. Atlanta Braves
Record: 93-56
The Atlanta Braves won the weekend series against the rival Phillies, but unfortunately, they have now lost second baseman, Ozzie Albies. Albies broke his right pinky finger on Saturday while sliding into second base, just one night after returning from a three-month hiatus due to a fractured left foot.
This means Ablies will miss the rest of the regular season, and possibly the postseason. With help from their rising stars Spencer Strider and Micheal Harris II, they haven't been able to top the Mets in the NL East, but things could change.
5. New York Yankees
Record: 90-58
The Yankees are currently in the wild card race for the AL East league, with exceptional help from Aaron Judge. He has made some impressive statistics, including his slash line of .350/.428/,832 in the games the Yankees have won, and .256/.388/.482 in the games they have lost.
6. St Louis Cardinals
Record: 87-63
The Cardinals are doing well in the NL Central league, but the real question is, when will Albert Pujols reach 700 home runs? He is currently on his 698th, his most recent came on Friday against Cincinnati.
7. Toronto Blue Jays
Record: 84-65
If the Blue Jays can keep their winning streak, they can secure the fourth seed in the AL bracket. This season, the Blue Jays have performed significantly better away from Rogers Centre. Although the win-loss records are comparable, Toronto's run differential at home (until Tuesday) corresponds to that of a team with 79 wins over 162 games.
8. Tampa Bay Rays
Record: 82-67
Despite the restrictions they are facing, the Tampa Bay Rays are finally getting their act together at the appropriate time. Although it's still hard to imagine Tampa Bay making a run to the World Series, nobody should be shocked if it advances to the ALCS.
9. Seattle Mariners
Record: 81-67
The Mariners are not doing their best this season, Jesse Winker, who had a subpar first season in Seattle, could use a late-season rebound for the team. He is currently hitting .218 with 13 home runs, his average this month is .147 with his last home run in August.
10. Philadelphia Phillies
Record: 81-67
The Phillies are not doing their best this season, and if they don’t want to miss out they need to step up their game in the next coming weeks.
Philadelphia's disappointing weekend series in Atlanta, where the team scored only seven runs in three days, served as a reminder of the team's shortcomings, notably its relief pitching. Despite having the second-fewest innings pitched in the majors, the Phillies' bullpen is ranked 23rd out of 30 teams in ERA.
The rest of the power rankings:
11. Cleveland Guardians
12. San Diego Padres
13. Milwaukee Brewers
14. Baltimore Orioles
15. Chicago White Sox
16. Minnesota Twins
17. San Francisco Giants
18. Boston Red Sox
19. Arizona Diamondbacks
20. Texas Rangers
21. Los Angeles Angels
22. Colorado Rockies
23. Chicago Cubs
24. Miami Marlins
25. Kansas City Royals
26. Cincinnati Reds
27. Detroit Tigers
28. Pittsburgh Pirates
29. Oakland Athletics
30. Washington Nationals
