2022 MLB Power Rankings: Wild Card Teams Ranked

8 – Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies temporarily had MLB’s longest playoff drought before they finally clinched a spot in the final days of the season. They won 87 games, their most since 2011 (the last time they made the playoffs). The team hit its stride under interim manager Rob Thomson who oversaw a 65-46 record (95-win pace). Similarly, J.T. Realmuto played like an MVP candidate in the second half, posting an OPS above .894 in each of the final three months.

The pitching staff is anchored by Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler, two arms that can match up with any arm in baseball. Ranger Suarez is a solid No. 3 option, but the question with the Phillies is still their bullpen. David Robertson had two solid months at the back end, but the Phillies’ middle relievers walk as many batters as any team in baseball. The offense will be there. The starters will be there as well. However, the bullpen could blow chances.

7 – San Diego Padres

The Padres won 89 games, making their first full-season playoff appearance since 2006. However, the season still feels like something of a disappointment. Even with Manny Machado playing at an All-Star level, it felt that the Padres left many wins on the table. The Padres swung for big deadline moves, but none of their four key pieces have panned out quite as well as they would have hoped. Josh Hader has settled in as their closer, but Juan Soto’s numbers are not quite as good as what he did with the Washington Nationals.

The Padres do have a formidable rotation led by Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove, but they will need to cobble together run support and bullpen innings. Even with Hader’s decent stretch, he has an ERA over 7.00 since coming over. Machado is the only player on the team with an OPS above .800. On the bright side, Fernando Tatis Jr. should be back for next season.

6 – Seattle Mariners

For the first time in 21 years, the Mariners are back in the playoffs. They had been eerily close in years passed, winning 85 or more games in 2002, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2021, but they finally broke through this season. The Mariners have one of the deepest collections of good players both on the mound and at the plate. However, the lightning rod is future AL Rookie of the Year Julio Rodriguez.

If the Mariners have a flaw, it might be that Rodriguez is the lone star or superstar on the roster. For example, the pitching staff boasts five players who made at least 10 starts and has an ERA below 3.75. However, this is juxtaposed with none of them being better than a 3.20 ERA. The Mariners rely on being better than the sum of their parts, and they might be one year too early from genuine contention.

5 – Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays have been the go-to "better than the sum of their parts" team for more than a decade now. The 86-win Rays have two bona fide stars (Wander Franco and Shane McClanahan), but they win from production around the margins. Pieces such as Yandy Diaz (143 OPS+) and Isaac Paredes (20 home runs) have been integral in passing the baton in an otherwise average offense.

On the mound, the Rays have their new ace in McClanahan with competent secondary pitchers in Drew Rasmussen, Jeffrey Springs, and Corey Kluber. Jason Adam is having a historic reliever season, and the Rays are the classic example of a deep bullpen with many ways to beat their opponent. However, they will operate with a thin margin for error as they have limited high-end upside.

4 – Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays are an inverted Rays. They live and die with their superstar players, but they have many of them. Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit everything in sight. Matt Chapman quietly had a 27-homer season. George Springer and Teosar Hernandez can hit any pitch into the seats. On the mound, Alek Manoah is a Cy Young threat, and the likes of Kevin Gausman and Ross Stripling have pitched well.

En route to 92 wins, the Blue Jays had 11 players with at least 2.5 bWAR. However, they will need protection and production from some of their depth to advance in the playoffs. Players such as Cavan Biggio and Whit Merrifield could be the difference between an early exit and the end of the Blue Jays’ title drought.

3 – St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals have been led by one of the stronger offenses in the sport this season. Paul Goldschmidt is the presumptive NL MVP after a stellar season in which he threatened for the triple crown and had an OPS+ of 180. Nolan Arenado has been his usual self at third base, and even Albert Pujols chipped in with 24 home runs and a 154 OPS+. Beyond the big three, the likes of Tommy Edman, Brendan Donovan, and Lars Nootbaar filled in gaps and helped the Cardinals to 93 wins.

The issue for the Cardinals has been their middling pitching staff. The de facto ace Jack Flaherty has only made eight starts. Miles Mikolas and Adam Wainwright have done enough this season, but Jordan Montgomery and Jose Quintana remain as question marks. They were fabulous in brief stints at the end of the season, but will they be viable postseason arms? At the very least, the Cardinals will be able to close games with flamethrower Ryan Helsley.

2 – Cleveland Guardians

The Guardians are a duplicated version of the Rays. Rather than one star hitter, the Guardians have two in Andres Gimenez and Jose Ramirez. Instead of one star pitcher, the Guardians have two in Shane Bieber and Triston McKenzie.

The Guardians round out their cast with a host of role players. Steven Kwan gets on base. Josh Naylor comes up with clutch hit after clutch hit. The bullpen is more of a death march with Eli Morgan, Trevor Stephan, and Sam Hentges giving way to the filthy James Karinchak and Emmanuel Clase in the eighth and ninth.

Experience will be a commonly cited concern with such a young team, but manager Terry Francona has more than 20 years of managerial experience (and 40 playoff wins) that should offset some doubt. The Guardians are not the sexy pick, but they could win the World Series.

1 – New York Mets

The Mets won 101 games, their most since 1986. However, they opened the NL East just enough for the Atlanta Braves to earn a post season spot. Even with an impending Wild Card series, the Mets are built to win games in October.

Every conversation about the Mets begins with three names: Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer, and Edwin Diaz. No team in baseball can match this three-ace setup (Diaz as an ace reliever). Scherzer and deGrom have been untouchable in the playoffs historically, and Diaz struck out more than half the batters he faced. If the rest of the Mets show up, they will be a juggernaut.

The rest of the Mets features batting champion Jeff McNeil and RBI champion Pete Alonso. Eduardo Escobar had a blazing hot September while the likes of Mark Canha and Brandon Nimmo live at first base. The biggest question for the Mets is health. Scherzer and deGrom have dealt with injuries all season, and Starling Marte is on the IL now.

Read More: New York Mets All-time Starting Lineup

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