OTH MLB Power Rankings: 8/20

1. Yankees

Record: 83-43

The Yankees continued to keep up their dominant path on our power rankings, as they hold the best record in baseball. The Bronx Bombers have been able to stay hot even with the struggles of Aaron Judge. The Yankees are coming off of a series split against the Indians and a 4 game sweep of the Orioles. However, they will be heading to the West Coast for a tough road stretch. They will be facing the red hot A’s and the powerhouse Dodgers. The series against the Dodgers is intriguing as it is a possible World Series matchup. This series is important for the Yanks as it may show who the best team in the league really is. – Jack Murphy

2. Dodgers

Record: 82-44

The Dodgers are the clear World Series favorite in the National League and are one of only two teams with 80 wins in the MLB. They are coming off a series loss to the Braves. However, that was the first time they had lost a series since July 24th. This week, they will be hosting a couple of AL East teams in the Blue Jays and the Yankees. If the Dodgers can get back on track and beat up on the Yankees, they have a very realistic shot at claiming the top spot in our rankings. Even so, the Dodgers are the team to beat in the National League. – Jack Murphy

3. Astros

Record: 80-46

On paper, the Houston Astros are the best team in baseball. They have little to no weaknesses in their game. However, they have been a little cold as of late and their record has dipped behind the Yankees and Dodgers. They lost two straight series to the White Sox and the A’s. The Astros will be heading back to Minute Maid Park for a 10 game home stand this week. They will be facing the unimpressive Tigers as well as the Angels and Rays. If they can get back on track, the Astros can be right back in first place in the American League. – Jack Murphy

4. Twins

Record: 76-49

The AL Central is heading down to the wire and can go either way. However, the Twins have been playing some great baseball as of late which is enough to give them the edge here. They are coming off of an impressive road trip, splitting a two game series with the Brewers and winning three out of four against the Rangers. The Twins have an 11 game stretch coming up which features the White Sox and Tigers. If the Twins can rack up some wins, they have an opportunity to run away with the AL Central. – Jack Murphy

5. Indians

Record: 74-51

The Indians have made up a lot of ground in the divisional race. For a while, it seemed as though the Twins were the easy favorites to win the AL Central. However, the Indians have surged back and have made things a bit more interesting, The Indians just lost a three game series to the Red Sox and split a four game series with the Yankees. The Tribe will be traveling to Citi Field to play three games against the Mets, who are also trying to make a playoff push. If they can go on a hot streak, the. Indians can gain even more ground on Minnesota and make the AL Central an interesting race come September. – Jack Murphy

6. Braves

Record: 74-52

This week the Braves continued to look like the biggest threat in the National League to the Dodgers. The Braves won the series against the Dodgers in Atlanta this weekend to cap off a week that also saw them cool off the red hot Mets. With a weaker schedule in the next few weeks, expect the Braves to continue to close the gap with the Dodgers for the best record in the National League. – Phillies News Today

7. A’s

Record: 71-53

On paper, it may be confusing as to why the A’s come in higher than the Rays despite the Rays having the better record. Just like the Rays, the A’s have been hot as of late. The only difference has been that the A’s have been able to do it against better opponents. The A’s are coming off a strong showing against the Astros, as they took 3 of 4 from the division leader. They also currently have the 5th best record in baseball against teams above .500. If they can continue this success against the top teams in the league, the A’s could definitely be a threat to make the playoffs come October. – Phillies News Today

8. Rays

Record: 73-53

Despite going 7-3 on the week, the Rays slide into the eight slot in our rankings. The team has caught fire as of late but much of this seems to be attributed to their weaker opponents. The Rays haven’t played a team above .500 since the beginning of August. If they can continue this level of success they’ve had, the Rays should be able to secure their wild card spot, even if their starting staff is in shambles. – Phillies News Today

9. Nationals

Record: 68-56

After a slow start to the season, the Nationals have finally hit their stride and have cracked into our power rankings. The Nationals currently sit in second place in the NL East and hold one of the two wild card spots in the National League. The offense seems to be clicking on all cylinders as they were able to score over 10 runs in 3 of their games last week. If they can keep this up, expect the Nationals to continue moving up the rankings as they head towards a postseason berth. – Phillies News Today