MLB Power Rankings: What to watch for each team in final weeks

Welcome to the 12th edition of theScore's MLB Power Rankings for the 2024 regular season. The last edition was published Sept. 2.

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1. Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies are firing on all cylinders as they close in on their first division title since 2011. What they need to do down the stretch is simply stay healthy. Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto, and Alec Bohm all returned to the lineup over the weekend to help the team win a critical series against the Mets. The sooner the Phillies can clinch, the sooner their key players can get some much-needed rest before October.

2. New York Yankees

Aaron Judge still has an outside shot at the Triple Crown if he can chase down Bobby Witt Jr. for the batting title (.010 back), but securing a second AL East title in three years remains the priority in the Bronx. Despite an odd outing from Gerrit Cole on Saturday and a bit of a collective slump from Judge and Juan Soto, the Yankees are playing solid baseball. Most importantly, they're the healthiest they've been all year.

3. Los Angeles Dodgers

As the baseball world waits to see if Shohei Ohtani can become the first player in history to record a 50-50 season, the roster is falling apart around him. The Dodgers appear likely to enter the postseason without Tyler Glasnow or Clayton Kershaw, while their grip on both the division and a top-two seed is weakening. Los Angeles can't afford many more pitcher injuries if it wants to make a deep run.

4. Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers are on the verge of clinching the NL Central for the third time in four seasons. It's time to get a little greedy and try to chase down a top-two seed, earning a bye to the NLDS. Milwaukee enters the final two weeks just two games back of the Dodgers for the second seed in the NL.

5. San Diego Padres

Will the Padres keep Xander Bogaerts at shortstop? He shifted back to the position in the wake of Ha Seong Kim's shoulder injury. The veteran has found his groove at the plate since the All-Star break, but he doesn't provide the defensive value at shortstop that Kim does. It will be interesting to see how manager Mike Shildt proceeds if Kim is unable to return.

6. Houston Astros

Winning a seventh AL West title in eight years seemed out of reach following a 12-24 start to the season, but the Astros could hang another division banner if they take care of business in a crucial three-game set with the Mariners next week. Figuring out Justin Verlander's role in the playoffs might be a challenge. The veteran starter owns a 8.34 ERA and 1.76 WHIP over his last five starts (22 1/3 IP).

7. Baltimore Orioles

After briefly regaining first place last week, the Orioles lost three consecutive series to fall behind the Yankees again, continuing their inconsistency. Baltimore has been a near-.500 club since June 1 and has a losing record over the last two months. Key injuries have been a factor, but they can't be blamed for everything that's gone wrong. Although the Orioles are all but guaranteed a playoff spot, home field in the wild-card round might slip away if they're not careful; the Royals are only two games behind for the No. 4 seed.

8. Cleveland Guardians

Cleveland's rotation looks like a major question mark. Beyond Tanner Bibee, there isn't much to be confident about in a playoff setting. Manager Stephen Vogt needs someone from the group of Matthew Boyd, Joey Cantillo, Gavin Williams, and Ben Lively to step up down the stretch to secure the AL Central and put Cleveland in a position to have some postseason success.

9. Kansas City Royals

Salvador Perez has once again stepped up to carry the young Royals amid Bobby Witt Jr.'s slump and Vinnie Pasquantino's injury. Perez shifted from catcher to first base with Pasquantino out while playing great defense at his new position. Thanks in large part to Perez's recent play, Kansas City clinched its first winning season since 2015 on Saturday and has closed within two games of Baltimore for home field in the wild-card series.

10. Arizona Diamondbacks

Arizona is sputtering at the wrong time. The D-Backs dropped nine of their last 16 games and find themselves just two games up on the red-hot Mets and Braves. Arizona's 7-6 in September despite ranking first in runs scored (93) because the pitching staff ranks 30th in ERA. Eduardo Rodriguez and Brandon Pfaadt have allowed 24 earned runs over 25 innings this month, while Ryne Nelson was placed on the IL. Luckily, Zac Gallen has returned to his ace form.

11. New York Mets

Francisco Lindor's making one heck of a case for NL MVP as he soars toward another 30-30 season and attempts to drag the Mets into the playoffs. However, collars across Queens are tightening after Lindor was removed from Sunday's game due to a back issue that initially flared up Friday. The Mets' amazing run over the last two-plus weeks has put them in a spot few thought they would reach this year, but they simply can't play into October without a healthy Lindor.

12. Atlanta Braves

Despite injury after injury, the Braves are still right in the mix. Remarkably, Chris Sale appears to be putting the finishing touches on his first Cy Young Award and currently leads the NL's pitching Triple Crown - which would mark the first one in the NL since 2011. Of course, it would really put a damper on that celebration if Atlanta misses the playoffs for the first time since 2017. The Braves play six in a row against the Reds and Marlins before hosting the Mets for a potentially pivotal three-game series in the final week of the regular season.

13. Seattle Mariners

The Mariners' offense is finally showing signs of life, but is it too late? Seattle ranks second in MLB in runs scored and third in OPS in September, helping the club pull within 2.5 games of the final wild-card spot. Armed with arguably the best pitching staff in baseball, the Mariners will pose a challenge to any opponent in October if they can just sneak in.

14. Detroit Tigers

The Tigers turned the AL playoff race on its head with their 18-9 surge over the last month. After taking a series from the Orioles, they're only 2.5 games out of a wild-card spot. The Tigers have their work cut out to erase the deficit, including a difficult road trip to Kansas City and Baltimore this week. But Detroit also gets the lowly White Sox on the final weekend - a matchup that could make all the difference if things are really tight.

15. Minnesota Twins

Rocco Baldelli tore into his team after the Twins were shut out twice in a sweep by the Royals last weekend. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to work, and the returns of Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton didn't seem to provide a jolt either. After dropping two of three against Cincinnati, the Twins are 3-3 since Baldelli's outburst, and they've lost eight of 12 from Sept. 3 onward. Minnesota is now only 2.5 games up on Detroit and Seattle for the final AL playoff spot heading into a potentially season-defining four-game series at Cleveland.

16. Chicago Cubs

Is Pete Crow-Armstrong for real? The 22-year-old has been among the game's best defensive outfielders this season. The big question mark was how much he could give the Cubs with his bat. Crow-Armstrong has been productive since the All-Star break, hitting seven home runs with a .797 OPS. Anything approaching that level of production will make him an extremely valuable player.

17. Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox are barely hanging around the wild-card race due to an 18-24 stretch since the start of August. With the pitching staff having settled down, it's up to the offense to try and get things going once again. Rafael Devers and Jarren Duran have really struggled in September, so the club will need more from recent injury returnees Trevor Story and Triston Casas to help carry the load if the club wishes to return to the postseason for the first time since 2021.

18. San Francisco Giants

Is the Blake Snell era already coming to a close? Snell will likely opt out of the two-year contract he signed in the offseason after a strong second-half performance. The Giants recently re-signed Matt Chapman to a lucrative contract extension and should be a strong suitor to retain Snell, even if he tests the open market.

19. Toronto Blue Jays

Can Bo Bichette close the campaign strong? The shortstop's had a puzzling year, struggling through injuries and the worst offensive season of his career. He's just one year away from free agency, leaving the Blue Jays in an awkward position heading into the offseason. A strong finish might make potential trade partners more interested should general manager Ross Atkins decide to take offers for the two-time All-Star.

20. St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals are on the verge of missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, which could also mark the end of Paul Goldschmidt in St. Louis. The 2022 NL MVP has slumped through the worst offensive season of his career with free agency looming. Goldschmidt has shown signs of life at the plate of late, but it'll be interesting to see how John Mozeliak handles his free agency with a roster possessing a lot of question marks.

21. Texas Rangers

Life with Jacob deGrom resumed once again in Arlington. The right-hander pitched for the Rangers on Friday for the first time in 504 days, delivering 3 2/3 shutout innings. DeGrom is still owed $115 million guaranteed through 2027, so his return to the mound is incredibly important should Texas wish to rebound next year.

22. Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays are looking to avoid a losing record for the first time in a season since the 2017 campaign. Injuries in the rotation have been a big culprit, but the offense has lacked bite all season. Tampa Bay doesn't have a single hitter with 20 home runs and is 27th in the league in OPS.

23. Cincinnati Reds

It's easy to see why Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall hinted at a managerial change over the weekend. Despite the big steps taken by Elly De La Cruz, the Reds continue to spin their wheels with inconsistent play and are struggling to stay out of the NL Central basement. While injuries, especially to their rotation, have undoubtedly played a role here, the Reds have a ton of talent and haven't played up to the level many think they're capable of.

24. Pittsburgh Pirates

It's another lost season in Pittsburgh, but Paul Skenes continues to provide some much-needed optimism. The rising star set the Pirates rookie strikeout record and is showing no signs of letting up down the stretch of his debut season. Having Skenes as a built-in ace is a huge development for the team as it heads into a critical winter. The Pirates have also evened out somewhat after a dreadful August pushed the club out of contention, perhaps providing a bit more hope heading into what will be a critical offseason.

25. Washington Nationals

One of the Nationals' deadline trades is already paying off in a big way. Rookie José Tena, acquired from Cleveland for outfielder Lane Thomas, has been quite impressive since arriving. The 23-year-old has stabilized third base for the Nats by hitting .315/.350/.441 over the last two months, ensuring he'll play a role in the team's future.

26. Oakland Athletics

The future is looking fairly bright, but not for baseball fans in Oakland, unfortunately. The next couple of weeks will be a bitter pill to swallow with the Athletics set to move to Sacramento for a few years before ultimately settling in Las Vegas. It'll be interesting to see what the crowds are like at the Coliseum with just six home games remaining.

27. Colorado Rockies

Brenton Doyle has been one of the few bright spots in the Mile High City. Doyle has made significant strides at the plate, sitting with an above-average wRC+ and the first 20-20 campaign of his career. The 26-year-old is one of the best defensive outfielders in the game and looks like a building block moving forward.

28. Los Angeles Angels

The Angels are hoping to avoid finishing on the wrong end of the record books. At 60-89, Los Angeles owns the worst winning percentage (.403) in the franchise's history. With 13 games to play, the club needs to go 7-6 to avoid setting a new team record for most losses in a single season. Luckily for the Halos, they have six games remaining against the 115-loss White Sox.

29. Miami Marlins

The Marlins have already lost 90 games for the fifth time since 2018 and are closing in on their first 100-loss campaign since 2019. Soon, the questions will start about manager Skip Schumaker's future, as he'll be a free agent once the season ends and should get offers elsewhere.

30. Chicago White Sox

Everyone will be watching to see if the White Sox can avoid breaking the 1962 Mets' modern-era record for most losses in a season with 120. Chicago rattled off back-to-back wins over the weekend for the first time in nearly three months, so maybe the team is peaking at the right time.