Reports surfacing that Manny Machado will be traded this week

Could this local artist rendering be a preview?

With the MLB non-waiver trade deadline looming just two weeks away, the Philadelphia Phillies remain one of the favorites to land superstar shortstop Manny Machado from the Baltimore Orioles.

Based on a number of developments leaking out into the media on Monday morning, things now appear to be finally coming to a head.

Former big league general manager Jim Bowden, now an analyst and talk show host who is also featured on Sirius XM and MLB Network, tweeted out the following update:

Manny Machado will represent the #Orioles in the All Star Game….but he is expected to be traded before the regular season resumes later in the week according to sources involved in the trade discussions.
— Jim Bowden (@JimBowdenGM) July 16, 2018

All of the usual MLB insiders have been following the Machado developments closely. In particular, Jon Heyman of Facred Sports and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic have been all over the story.

Heyman recently reported that there have been “at least nine teams in on” Machado, with “seven that made offers” according to the Baltimore Sun.

On Sunday, Machado homered in the bottom of the first inning of the Orioles 6-5 victory over the Texas Rangers. However, following a 36-minute rain delay he was removed from the game. The homer may have been Machado’s final moment in front of the fans at Camden Yards.

Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo of Sirius XM and MLB Network’s “High Heat” (Mon-Fri, 1-2pm ET) was a guest this morning on local Philly Sports Radio 94.1 FM WIP. During his appearance, the station tweeted out the following quote:

“I think maybe [Machado] played his last game yesterday with the Orioles. I could see a trade by Wednesday, maybe Thursday. And I think it’s Brewers and Phillies, I really do.” — @MadDogUnleashed on Machado
— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) July 16, 2018

After the game, Orioles skipper Buck Showalter commented on Machado’s removal per Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com:

“We’re all adults here, some more than others. We know what’s going on, the potential. I’m not going to sit here and tell you that [the rain] was all of it. My thought on that is, What are you telling the other eight people?’ Obviously there’s a different situation going on with Manny. You all know that. That had a lot to do with it.”

The Phillies may actually be the leading contender to acquire the 26-year old. They have an absolute need, and the resources both from a financial and prospect perspective to get a deal done. The Orioles have reportedly been scouting the Phillies farm system over the last few days with increased intensity.

Some of the names mentioned as possibly going to Baltimore in a Machado package are current or recent big leaguers Nick Pivetta, J.P. Crawford, Maikel Franco, Enyel De Los Santos, and Drew Anderson. Prospects such as Adonis Medina, Jo Jo Romero, and Adam Haseley are also frequently mentioned.

It may be difficult to get Machado to give up free agency and sign a long-term contract while the season is still going on. However, the Phillies have those financial resources to get it done. Owner John Middleton is also extremely motivated. So, don’t be surprised that, if the club does acquire him, the Phillies are able to get such a contract done. 

Originally appeared at PHILLIES NATION as "Manny Machado to be dealt this week, per report"

Blue Jays play spoiler in walkoff win over Orioles

Richard Urena mobbed after walkoff pushes Jays past O's

The season has long been over for the Toronto Blue Jays, as far as their own contending status. But for a second straight night the Jays played the role of spoiler perfectly.

On Tuesday night at Rogers Centre, the host Blue Jays rallied against Baltimore closer Zach Britton. Toronto scored twice in the bottom of the ninth inning to walkoff the Orioles by a 3-2 score.

It marked the second straight night that Toronto registered a one-run victory over Baltimore. the loss also extended Baltimore’s recent untimely swoon to six consecutive defeats. As a result, the O’s are now 4.5 games out in the race for the final American League Wildcard playoff berth.

Just as importantly, there are five teams now sitting between Baltimore and Minnesota. The Twins currently hold possession of that final postseason slot.

Tim Beckham‘s 21st home run of the season, a solo shot, had put Baltimore in front by 2-1 in the top of the 8th inning. That blast somewhat spoiled an impressive outing by Jays’ starting pitcher Joe Biagini. The righty allowed just two runs on six hits across eight innings.

Biagini had been matched by O’s starter Dylan Bundy, who lasted just six frames, but struck out eight and surrendered just one run on five hits.

2014 Best of MLB Awards

Trout, Kershaw are AL and NL POY respectively

It's that time of year again, awards season in Major League Baseball. And this site will be no exception.

This year for the first time, with the renewed emphasis on baseball, I am announcing the first-ever "Best of MLB" awards honorees.

In all, honorees are being named for both the National League and the American League in each of 9 categories, one for each inning in a ballgame: Player of the Year, Starting Pitcher, Relief Pitcher, Offensive Player, Defensive Player, Rookie, Comeback Player, Breakout Player, and Manager.

For the most part, these awards were not subjective. I went to FanGraphs, looked up overall regular season WAR values, and gave the awards to the highest players in their categories. In 2-3 other categories, I weighted those numbers heavily in deciding the honorees. Remember, the honors are based on the regular season.

If you follow baseball, you already know these players and are well aware of the excellence of each of their 2014 season performances. So not much extra commentary is needed. But I did want to make just a few comments on some of the honors.

First, my selection of Cincinnati Reds outfielder Billy Hamilton as the top National League Rookie over New York Mets pitcher Jake deGrom. These were clearly the two most impactful rookies in the league this season. I chose Hamilton, who had a higher WAR value, feeling that his everyday impact as a centerfielder was greater than deGrom's weekly impact as a starting pitcher.

For the American League Starting Pitcher honors, Cleveland's Corey Kluber beat out a strong field that included 'King' Felix Hernandez, David Price, Phil Hughes, and Jon Lester. Kluber was the #2 player in all of baseball in individual WAR, while the others rated 11-14 respectively. All tremendous, but one clearly above the rest.

Corey Kluber, AL's top starting pitcher

At the A.L. Reliever spot, what a horse race. The honor went to Yankees RP Dellin Betances in a very close race with the Royals excellent setup man Wade Davis. While Davis rightfully received a lot of publicity due to KC's postseason run, Betances was every bit as dominant in the regular season, and simply finished with a higher WAR value.

Also, I wanted to single out the Breakout Player winners. What a season for both Michael Brantley and Anthony Rendon, 5th and 6th in all of baseball in overall WAR numbers. The 27-year old Brantley has been one of those "good not great" contributing types, and elevated his game. The 24-year old Rendon stayed healthy in his first true full season and served notice that he should be one of the game's best into the future.

On defense, Boston's Jackie Bradley Jr was the best defensive outfielder in the game this season, and that includes Lorenzo Cain. Only two facts: his poor offense, and that his poor offense kept him from playing every day, all year long with the Red Sox, kept him from what should have been an easy Gold Glove win. If you don't know, watch him closely. He's the kind of player who, with the right offense around him, impacts a game enough defensively to overcome the offensive shortcomings. He should be starting somewhere every day.

Finally, the NL Manager of the Year. Keep in mind, this was a regular season honor, so Bruce Bochy's great postseason run to a 3rd World Series did not factor. But the job that 'Donny Baseball' did in winning the NL West in LA with a frequently dysfunctional core under tremendous pressure to win got him the nod.

Don Mattingly skippered Dodgers to NL West crown

Without further ado, here are the 2014 'Best of MLB' awards honorees:

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
NL - Clayton Kershaw, SP, LA Dodgers
AL - Mike Trout, OF, LA Angels

OFFENSIVE PLAYER
NL - Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh
AL - Mike Trout, Los Angeles

STARTING PITCHER
NL - Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles
AL - Corey Kluber, Cleveland

RELIEF PITCHER
NL - Aroldis Chapman, Cincinnati
AL - Dellin Betances, New York

DEFENSIVE PLAYER
NL - Andrelton Simmons, SS, Atlanta
AL - Jackie Bradley Jr, CF, Boston

COMEBACK PLAYER
NL - Johnny Cueto, SP, Cincinnati
AL - Chris Young, SP, Seattle

BREAKOUT PLAYER
NL - Anthony Rendon, 2B/3B, Washington
AL - Michael Brantley, OF, Cleveland

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
NL - Billy Hamilton, CF, Cincinnati
AL - Jose Abreu, 1B, Chicago

MANAGER
NL - Don Mattingly, Los Angeles
AL - Buck Showalter, Baltimore

ALCS: Royals over Orioles

On Sunday night, October 27th, 1985, Hall of Famer George Brett and the Kansas City Royals put an 11-0 beat down on the Saint Louis Cardinals to win Game 7 of the 1985 World Series.

The victory clinched the first and only World Series championship in the history of the Royals organization. It would also prove to be the last time the team would reach the MLB postseason until now.

The current incarnation of the team ended that postseason drought by clinching an American League Wildcard playoff berth on the final weekend of the regular season. Then they put on one of the wildest comebacks in history to win that Wildcard Game over the Oakland Athletics.

This past weekend, KC put the capper on an ALDS sweep of the West-champion Los Angeles Angels with an 8-3 thrashing. That victory advanced them to the ALCS beginning on Friday night, where their opponents will be the equally impressive Baltimore Orioles.

MLB FINAL 2014 POWER RANKING

Kansas City Royals finish 2014 atop the Power Ranking

Last week, the Kansas City Royals celebrated reaching the MLB post-season for the first time since 1985.

Two nights ago, after a draining, exhilirating rally, the Royals celebrated a victory over the Oakland A's in the AL Wildcard Game.

And now, the Royals have also finished on top of the 2014 regular season final Power Ranking.

For the first time this season, the full 30-team MLB ranking list is presented below. All season long, I presented the Top 10 teams in a Power Ranking on either/both of the 1st and 15th of a month. This was followed by recognition for any other team that I felt had a shot to make a move into the Top 10, which was any team with a winning record at that point.

At the end of each Power Ranking, I evaluated where the hometown Philadelphia Phillies were during that point in the season. As you can imagine, it usually wasn't a good place. The Fightin' Phils didn't put up much fight this season. In the Ruben Amaro Era, the Phils have steadily regressed: 2009 - lost World Series, 2010 - lost NLCS, 2011 - lost NLDS, 2012 - .500 finish, 2013 - losing record and 4th place, 2014 - losing record and last place. He has to go.

The Power Ranking itself has been arrived at by an evaluation of each team's WAR performance as provided by 'Fangraphs' in the areas of Offense, Pitching, and Defense, with no consideration of the Win-Loss record. There were always some consistencies, and there were surprises as well. Among the consistencies were the season long battle between Oakland and their division rivals, the LA Angels, for the top spot. In the end, both clubs were passed by multiple teams.

Surprises included that the Washington Nationals, who emerged and have finished as the top team in the National League in the Power Rankings, were not even included at all in the first edition back on June 1st. At that point, the Nats were below .500 and floundering. Obviously, they more than righted their ship.

Another surprise was that the Boston Red Sox consistently showed up in the Top 10, despite the fact that the defending World Series champions were sputtering through an awful season when measured by wins and losses. Boston finished in last place in the AL East, 20 games under the .500 mark. However, they finished 6th in the final Power Ranking. This team will be back in 2015.

A final surprise, on the bad side, were the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Buccos made the playoffs as an NL Wildcard team for the 2nd straight season. However, their Power Ranking was never very high, and the finished all the way down at 21 of 30 MLB teams. This was a flawed team, and it showed when they were shutout by the similarly flawed (17 ranked) San Francisco Giants in that Wildcard Game.


POWER RANKING - 2014 REGULAR SEASON FINAL


1. Kansas City Royals
The Royals were on top of the rankings on July 1st, and returned to the top in both the September 1st and 15th rankings. And it is at the very top of the Power Rankings that the team has finished as well. KC earned it's first MLB post-season appearance in 29 years, and it was indeed well-earned. The Royals speedy club finished as the #1 overall team on Defense by a wide margin, a place that they occupied all season long. They also finished as the #5 Pitching team, and their Offense rose to finish at the #10 spot. They were one of only two teams, the other being the club that they would defeat in the AL Wildcard Game, the Oakland A's, to finish in the Top 10 in all evaluation categories. As they showed in that Wildcard Game, this is a dangerous team that needs to be taken seriously in the MLB playoffs moving forward.

2. Washington Nationals
It says here that right now, the Nats are the best team in baseball. They finished just a hair behind KC in the final Power Ranking, but they have been rising steadily ever since missing the first ranking completely. Washington has the #1 ranked Pitching staff and the 5th rated Offense in the game. They finished up at #11 in defense, where they had been 14th in the three previous rankings. Given more time, they would likely have taken over the top spot. Now is that time. The Nationals are my personal choice to win the World Series, and I believe that this post-season could very well be Bryce Harper's true launching pad to on-field stardom.

3. Baltimore Orioles
Buck Showalter is a baseball genius. I have no trouble saying that whatsoever. Have you seen the pitching staff that he has had to work with? At least by past reputation coming into this season, it is easily the least recognizable staff among baseball's serious contenders. The same can be said for their bullpen. Besides that, they lost catcher and team leader Matt Wieters early on for the season to injury. Then they lost talented young 3rd baseman Manny Machado later in the summer for the season to injury. Then they lost slugging 1st baseman Chris Davis to a 25-game suspension for a violation of MLB's drug policy, with Davis ineligible for the first 8 games into the post-season. All that, and the O's still won the always tough AL East by a dozen games. They have the 2nd ranked Defense, and that pitching has been managed to the point that it finished 3rd overall. The Orioles only finished 14th on Offense, and they will have to show that they can consistently score runs if they want to extend their season deep into October.

4. Los Angeles Angels
The Angels battled for the top spot all summer, and were tied for 2nd as recently as the last Power Ranking on September 15th. But like their primary opponents for both the top of this list and the top of their division all summer, the Oakland A's, they were passed at the end. For the Halos, it wasn't so much that they faded, but that other teams simply got hot and passed them. They finished at #2 on Offense and #7 on Defense, so they can score and they don't make a lot of mistakes. However, their Pitching finished just 12th in the rankings. I said at mid-season that the Angels needed to add not just one, but two more proven veteran arms before the trade deadline. They added none, and lost a pair of strong, young starting pitchers, Garrett Richards and Tyler Skaggs, to the DL for the season. Their failure to bolster the rotation behind Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson may very well end up costing them a real World Series shot.

5. Oakland Athletics
They met up with the top team on this final Power Ranking, the Kansas City Royals, in the Wildcard Game, and now they are out. Much as with their regular season performance, the A's bolted out hot, but then collapsed at the end, and watched the Royals literally run them out of  Kauffman Stadium. They will finish, along with KC, as the only team to finish in the Top 10 of every category: 9th in Offense, 8th in Pitching, 8th in Defense. They made moves at the trade deadline to bolster a weakness in their rotation to help with a deep October run. Unfortunately, they now don't get to show off that depth. It was a lost opportunity for the A's, who now may be facing a refacing, or even a rebuilding, during the off-season.

6.   Boston Red Sox (O-18, P-7, D-4)
7.   New York Yankees (O-22, P-2, D-9)
8.   Los Angeles Dodgers (O-1, P-13, D-20)
9.   Saint Louis Cardinals (O-11, P-18, D-5)
10. Detroit Tigers (O-6, P-3, D-26)
10. Atlanta Braves (O-19, P-10, D-6)
12. Tampa Bay Rays (O-14, P-9, D-14)
13. Toronto Blue Jays (O-6, P-14, D-22)
14. Seattle Mariners (O-22, P-10, D-12)
15. Milwaukee Brewers (O-13, P-25, D-9)
15. Chicago Cubs (O-24, P-6, D-17)
17. San Francisco Giants (O-6, P-28, D-16)
18. Cincinnati Reds (O-21, P-27, D-3)
19. Cleveland Indians (O-20, P-4, D-29)
20. Miami Marlins (O-17, P-16, D-21)
21. Pittsburgh Pirates (O-4, P-29, D-25)
22. New York Mets (O-15, P-30, D-15)
23. Colorado Rockies (O-12, P-26, D-23)
24. Minnesota Twins (O-16, P-19, D-27)
25. Texas Rangers (O-25, P-19, D-19)
26. San Diego Padres (O-29, P-23, D-12)
27. Arizona Diamondbacks (O-26, P-24, D-18)
28. Philadelphia Phillies (O-27, P-22, D-24)
28. Chicago White Sox (O-28, P-17, D-28)
30. Houston Astros (O-30, P-21, D-30)

MLB Mid-September Power Ranking

Jordan Zimmermann, Gio Gonzalez, Stephen Strasburg front
the NL-best Wasington Nationals top-ranked pitching staff

This marks the 6th Power Ranking released in the 2014 season, with previous versions released on June 1st, July 1st, August 1st, August 15th, and September 3rd.

In each of those previous versions, the focus has largely been on teams from the American League. Frankly, that is because the Power Rankings are based on overall performance in the areas of Hitting, Pitching, and Defense over the course of the full season to that date, and the teams of the A.L. have just simply been better than their National League counter-parts.

But today we can finally focus on an N.L. club, because the top team in the league has clearly caught up with the top A.L. clubs. The Washington Nationals are that team. With a losing record, they were not even given a "Best of the Rest" mention in that first June ranking article. But they took off, and have pulled away in the N.L. East Division.

Saint Louis, Atlanta, and the LA Dodgers are lined up behind the Nats in the N.L. Rankings. But all four of those clubs are significantly behind Washington. This would appear to be the Nats year, finally. The talent is clearly there. Now it is going to be up to the team to actually perform under the glare of the October post-season spotlight.

Meanwhile, over in the A.L., the Royals, Angels, and Orioles remain the clear top three teams. But Kansas City is still in a tough divisional race with the more veteran and proven Detroit Tigers. Here then is the next-to-last MLB Power Ranking of the 2014 season.

POWER RANKING - SEPTEMBER 15TH


1. KANSAS CITY ROYALS
The Royals led the ranking of July 1st, and then returned to the top again in the most recent ranking on September 3rd. They have held on to the top spot as we enter the final two weeks of the regular season, despite having fallen behind the Detroit Tigers in the A.L. Central race. KC's problem seems to be that they just can't figure out a way to beat the more seasoned, 3-time defending divisional champs head-to-head. In a pair of series over the past two weeks, one at each home park, the Tigers took 5 out of the 7 games, and now lead by 1.5 games. The Royals are holding on to the 2nd A.L. Wildcard spot, but only lead that race by a single game over Seattle. The club remains 1st in Defense, and they are 4th in Pitching. But the inconsistency of their 12th-ranked Offense keeps holding them back. They will post a winning record for the 2nd straight season. But a return to the post-season for the first time since 1985 is still not assured.

2. BALTIMORE ORIOLES
The O's have the 2nd best overall record in all of baseball, behind only the LA Angels, with whom they are now tied here in the Power Rankings. I am listing the Orioles first, because Baltimore took 4 of 6 head-to-head meetings between the two teams in the 2nd half of July. Both clubs will make the post-season, and could be headed for an ALCS showdown. The Orioles have the #2 Offense and Defense in the entire game. It is their 16th-rated Pitching that is keeping the club from being truly dominant. Their 'X-factor' is manager Buck Showalter, who has been an absolute magician under the circumstances, and who is a serious AL Manager of the Year candidate because of it.

2. LOS ANGELES ANGELS
The Halos have been at or near the top of the Power Rankings all summer long. They now possess the best overall record in all of Major League Baseball. They have opened up a massive 10 game lead in the A.L. West Division. They are hot, having won 9 of their last 10 games, 16 of their last 19. The only losses in that stretch have inexplicably been to Houston. Led by A.L. MVP front-runner Mike Trout, the Angels have the game's top Offense, are 7th in Defense, and are 12th in Pitching. It is the possibility that their starting pitching could falter in a short playoff series that could be their biggest Achilles' heel.

4. OAKLAND ATHLETICS
Battling with the Angels for Power Ranking supremacy for much of the summer, and leading the A.L. West for much of the first half, the A's have seriously faltered over the last month and a half. They are just 5-8 so far in September, and that's having won their last two games. This follows a 12-17 month of August. Overall, the team is still 6th in Offense, 8th in Defense, and 12th in pitching. Much has been made of a collapse following the trade deadline deal of slugging outfielder Yoenis Cespedes to Boston for lefty starter Jon Lester and outfielder Jonny Gomes. But the A's were struggling before that, and the deals to bring in Lester, Jeff Samardzija, and Jason Hammel to shore up what was a weak point in the rotation, while sound on paper, has not worked in practice. The division is lost to the Angels now, but Oakland still owns the top Wildcard playoff spot by 1.5 games over KC, and a playoff berth by 2.5 over Seattle. There is no reason that they shouldn't be able to right the ship enough to battle for a post-season berth right to the end.

5. BOSTON RED SOX
Nothing has confounded me more than running the Fangraphs numbers every month, now every two weeks, relating to MLB Offense, Pitching, and Defense, and come up with a result showing that the Boston Red Sox are one of the game's top 5-10 teams statistically each and every time. But that has indeed been the case, despite the fact that measured by win-loss record, this has been a dismal season for the defending World Series champions. The Bosox now rank as the game's #3 Defense and #8 Pitching club. As I surmised previously, the Offense, ranked just #16, is the single major reason that they have not been able to win consistently. The sum of the parts is not bad. With a couple of tweaks, there is no reason that this team cannot return to contending next year. Time will tell.

6. SAINT LOUIS CARDINALS

7. ATLANTA BRAVES

8. LOS ANGELES DODGERS

9. TAMPA BAY RAYS

10. TIE - SEATTLE MARINERS / NEW YORK YANKEES

Best of the Rest:
Detroit, Toronto, Cleveland, San Francisco, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh

My Call:
The Orioles, Angels, and Nationals have made their winning of the A.L. East, A.L. West, and N.L. East respectively easy calls with their play over the first two weeks of September. The call here is also that the Saint Louis Cardinals, currently with a 3.5 game lead, will win the N.L. Central. The Cards have gone 10-4 in September, the only blemish being a 3-game sweep of them by the Reds in Cincy last week, and they don't play 2nd place Pittsburgh again. On the other hand, I am not calling the N.L. West, where the Dodgers lead the longtime rival Giants by 3 games. San Fran took 2 of 3 over the weekend, and the two clubs meet head-to-head in a 3-game series next Monday-Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. That series should decide things. The same could be said in the A.L. Central, where the Tigers lead the Royals by just one game in the loss column, and the two clubs are slated to meet this coming weekend in KC's Kauffman Stadium. The AL Wildcard race is being fought among Oakland, Seattle, KC and Detroit. The NL should see one Wildcard spot go to the Giants. For the other, the Pirates hold a 2-game lead on the Brewers and a 4-game lead on the Braves in the respective loss columns. Both those two trailers have been playing awful. The Bucs have enough weaknesses that they shouldn't run away and hide, so if either Milwaukee or Atlanta can right their ship in the final two weeks, that final NL spot could still be a race.

Phillies:
Nothing to see here, unless you're looking for some good, R-rated entertainment for the kiddies, supplied by Jonathan Papelbon. Very likely he just burned his last bridge here in Philly with his crotch-grabbing, er, athletic cup-adjusting antics yesterday. Shame, because he has actually been very good for the Fightins this season. The bullpen, especially with Jake Diekman and heir apparent closer Ken Giles setting up, has been excellent as the Phillies have gained some measure of stability over the last month or so, having gone 21-19 since August 1st. Still, in the full Power Rankings of all MLB clubs, the Phillies rank 27th of the 30 teams, and they are at the very bottom of the NL rankings.

MLB September 2015 Power Ranking

Alex Gordon (4) and KC are Power Ranking royalty

When it's July 1st and you're ranked at the top of the Power Ranking, as the Kansas City Royals were back on that date, it may still be a little too early to get overly excited.

When you're an evaluator and you put a team like the Royals, who have not reached the MLB playoffs in over two decades, on top that early in the season there will be those who scoff, saying that you are just trying to get attention by being different. And scoff at yours truly they did.

No one is scoffing any longer. In fact, others have jumped on the bandwagon, now that the Royals good play has been rewarded with an actual run to the top of the A.L. Central standings. After a couple of months that saw the A's and Angels dueling for the honors, the Royals are back on top of the latest Power Ranking.

It's no longer June and early. It's September, and it's starting to get late. The Royals are still baseball's top statistical defensive team, are being led by legitimate A.L. MVP candidate Alex Gordon, and for the first time since the 1980's, Kansas City fans have a true World Series contender.

POWER RANKING - SEPTEMBER 3RD

1. KANSAS CITY ROYALS
After holding the top spot in the first Power Ranking of the season back on June 1st, the Royals dropped back a bit as summer got underway and the A's and Angels see-sawed for supremacy. But KC got hot after the All-Star break, ran down the Detroit Tigers in the A.L. Central, and moved up to the #2 spot in the mid-August Power Ranking. Now they are back on top here in early September. Their defense has been ranked #1 almost all season. With the #8 offense and pitching staff, they are one of only two clubs in MLB ranked in the Top 10 of all three areas of evaluation. 30-year old leftfielder Alex Gordon is their senior player, their unquestioned leader, and an A.L. MVP candidate.

2. LOS ANGELES ANGELS
The Halos battled all summer for the Power Ranking top spot with their division rivals, the Oakland A's. Just over two weeks ago, they had fallen to 3rd, with Oakland on top. But then the Angels got white hot. They are now on a 15-5 run that has seen them open up a 4.5 game lead on the A's in the division. Included in that run have been 5 straight wins head-to-head vs Oakland. Led by A.L. MVP candidate Mike Trout, they are the game's top offense. With the #7 defense and 10th-ranked pitching staff, they join KC as the only other MLB club in the Top 10 of all three major categories.

3. BALTIMORE ORIOLES
The fast-risers in the Power Ranking, the O's were ranked 6th in mid-August. Though they have been a regular Top 10 club all summer, they have not been able to push into the very upper echelons. But since losing 3 of 4 at home to the Rays at the end of June, they have been on a tear. Their record since that series is 38-18, and they have pulled away to a 9.5 game lead in the usually tough A.L. East. Having lost catcher and leader Matt Wieters early, and budding star Manny Machado late, and with a mediocre starting rotation, Buck Showalter is pushing seriously for the A.L. Manager of the Year award. Baltimore is ranked 2nd in both offense and defense in all of baseball. Only their middling 15th-rated pitching staff is keeping them from the top.

4. WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Back on June 1st, the Nats lost to Texas to fall a game below the .500 mark. They were not included at all in that first Power Ranking. Three months later, they are the top team in the National League. Much as with their Beltway brothers from the A.L. in Baltimore, the Washington side have been white hot ever since, having gone 51-31 since that June-opening defeat. They have opened up a 7-game lead in the N.L. East. They have baseball's #1-ranked pitching staff, and the game's 6th-rated offense. Only their mediocre 14th-rated defense holds them down a bit. Bryce Harper, baseball's erstwhile wunderkind, is finally looking fully healthy and is getting hot. They may get veteran leader Ryan Zimmerman back soon. As they get healthier, they are getting tougher to beat, and are serious World Series contenders.

5. OAKLAND ATHLETICS
The top team for much of the summer, and still at that lofty perch just over two weeks ago with the mid-August Power Ranking, the A's have slipped. After winning the first two of a big 7-game stretch with their division rivals, the Angels, Oakland dropped the final 5 straight games. The slide is part of a 7-15 mark over the past few weeks that has seen them fall 4.5 games behind the Angels in the A.L. West. It is showing in the Power Ranking now, and the A's need to rally fast. They still possess the game's 3rd-most potent offense, but it has been less so since dealing away slugger Yoenis Cespedes. With the game's 9th-rated defense and an improving pitching staff, there remains time to right the ship.

6. BOSTON RED SOX
BONUS NOTE: the Bosox stats continue to bely their position in the standings. A last-place team for much of the season, they have also spent the summer among the Top 10 teams statistically. They have the game's 3rd-ranked Defense, and 6th-ranked Pitching. The 16th-rated Offense has struggled for runs all year, and has led to the poor record. They remain a serious bounce-back candidate for 2015.

7. Atlanta Braves

8. Tampa Bay Rays

9. Saint Louis Cardinals

10. Los Angeles Dodgers

Best of the Rest:
Chicago Cubs (that's right), Seattle Mariners, Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees,
San Francisco Giants, Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers,
Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates

My Call:
The Orioles will win the A.L. East, the Washington Nationals the N.L. East. Every other division is too close to call, though the Angels have done an impressive job opening a solid lead on Oakland in the A.L. West. I still believe that could turn around again over a 2-week stretch that goes in the A's favor, much as the last two have gone the Halos way. The Brewers and Indians in the respective Central divisions are, to me, the two most likely to fade completely out of the races. And watch the Cubs now: 11-6 over the last three weeks, their improvement is for real. Won't win anything this year, but they will be tough on everyone they play, and are primed for contending as soon as 2015.

Phillies:
Ruben Amaro Jr has been given the old "Vote of Confidence" from interim President Pat Gillick, who is supposed to be minding the store only until ailing David Montgomery can get healthier after battling cancer. We wish Mr. Montgomery the best, of course. But Amaro has done a poor job in his tenure, and it is this evaluator's opinion that improvement will not come under his watch. The team won the World Series in 2008 with Gillick as GM. Since then under Amaro: 2009 - lost World Series, 2010 - lost NLCS, 2011 - lost NLDS, 2012 - a .500 finish, 2013 - losing record, 2014 - last place in NL East. The farm system is consistently rated no better than mid-level, and usually in the bottom 1/3 of MLB, by reputable outside evaluators. In the Power Ranking of all 30 MLB teams, the Fightins are at #28, with only the White Sox and Astros rated lower. Their pitching is 20th-rated, and that is the strong point of a club with the #24 Defense and #27 Offense. That is all Amaro's responsibility. A change at the top is needed. Desperately. Period.

MLB Mid-August 2014 Power Ranking

Bearded closer Sean Doolittle and the A's remain on top

The Oakland A's were on top of the first Power Rankings back in June, slipped just a notch to 2nd in July behind Kansas City, and were tied at the top with the Angels on August 1st. Here in the middle of August, they move back on top of the rankings all by themselves.

In addition to being on top of these rankings, they are also baseball's top team by record. Their win-loss mark of 73-48 comes out to a .603 win percentage, the best in baseball, and they hold a 2-game lead in the A.L. West. Meanwhile, three other teams: Baltimore, Washington, and the LA Dodgers, have all taken charge in their respective divisional races and will be tough to catch. But the other 3 divisional races remain up for grabs. The NL Wildcard race has 4 teams within 4 games, and the AL Wildcard has 3 teams within 4 games.

POWER RANKING - AUGUST 15TH

1. OAKLAND ATHLETICS
The A's have been consistently at or near the top of the Power Rankings since the summer began. GM Billy Beane has assembled an excellent all-around team that can beat you in many ways, and manager Bob Melvin and his staff keep them focused and enthused. The A's are baseball's #2 offensive team overall, have the 5th-rated defense, and rank 10th in pitching. Those numbers are full season numbers. With the pre-trade deadline pickups of ace-caliber starting pitchers Jon Lester and Jeff Samardzija, they made themselves clear favorites for a deep post-season run.

2. KANSAS CITY ROYALS
When I ranked the Royals at the top back on July 1st, there were many who scoffed. After all, KC has not been to the playoffs since their lone World Series victory way back in 1985, nearly three decades ago. But most everyone around the game has recognized the young talent they were accumulating over the last few years. It is all finally coming together. This past week, they took over the A.L. Central lead from recent perennial winners Detroit. They are for real, featuring what is by far the #1 defense in the entire game. The Royals also have the 6th-rated pitching staff. Their offense is just 11th, and they could use an impact bat, which might have to come from someone already on the roster stepping forward down the stretch.

3. LOS ANGELES ANGELS
The Halos are obviously one of baseball's best teams. Unfortunately for them, they play in the same division as the very best team in the game. The Angels have battled Oakland most of the year, and just two weeks ago the two teams were tied at the top of the Power Rankings. Since then, the A's have opened a 2-game cushion on their division rivals. The Angels remain comfortably in charge of a playoff berth, holding the A.L.'s top Wildcard spot by 5 full games. They own the game's #1 offense, and have baseball's 6th-ranked defensive unit. It's their 12th ranked pitching staff that is holding them back a bit. As I mentioned previously, they could use another proven, veteran starting pitcher. In any event, they look like a post-season shoo-in at this point, and we might finally see the game's most exciting young player, their 23-year old superstar Mike Trout, take home the MVP Award.

4. TAMPA BAY RAYS
This may be a case of a team cashing in a major trade chip, pitcher David Price, just a bit too soon. The Rays were awful at the start of the season, falling below the .500 mark on April 23rd and bottoming out at 31-48 by June 24th, at which point they were a season-high 13 games out in the division and the "for sale" signs were clearly up. Funny thing happened after that, they began to win, and win regularly. They have now won 6 of their last 8, with the only two losses coming via opponents walk-offs. They are just a game under .500 after going 29-12 over the last month and a half, and are just 6 out in the Wildcard race. In short, had they kept Price, they might have a shot. They are the only team in MLB besides the A's to rank in the Top 10 on Offense (5), Pitching (7), and Defense (10) and cannot be counted out.

5. WASHINGTON NATIONALS
The Nats have taken charge in the N.L. East over the last couple of months. Rising from below .500 and not even being spoken of in the first Power Rankings on June 1st, Washington now owns a 7-game lead in the loss column on 2nd place Atlanta. They are the N.L.'s hottest team, and it's best all-around club. The Nats rank 9th in baseball on offense, and those numbers have been rising. They are just 14th in defense, held back there by injuries during the first half to Jayson Werth and Bryce Harper, and here in the 2nd half to Ryan Zimmerman. But they possess the game's 1st overall pitching staff. Pitching wins in the post-season, and their enviable starting rotation depth should keep them as N.L. favorites right on into the post-season.

6. BALTIMORE ORIOLES
Bonus Commentary: Buck Showalter is a miracle worker. With the loss of catcher and team leader Matt Wieters in the first half, and now of Manny Machado for at least a couple of weeks, that will have to continue. But the O's are starting to open up a big lead in the A.L. East, now up to 7 1/2 games.

6. BOSTON RED SOX
Bonus Commentary: Some find it amusing that in what has been an awful follow-up to last year's World Series win, the Bosox have consistently been a Top 10 team in the Power Rankings. The numbers don't lie, folks. This team is better than their record. Don't be surprised if they quickly turn it around in 2015.

8. SEATTLE MARINERS

9. ATLANTA BRAVES

10. LOS ANGELES DODGERS

Best of the Rest:
Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, Saint Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants

My Call:
Some of these races are clearing up. The A's may pull away with their starting pitching acquisitions, previously their only weakness. The Beltway pair of the Orioles and Nats are already pulling away in the respective league's East division races. Everything is too early to call, but right now, I see the Washington Nationals as the best bets to actually win their division in the National League, and with Oakland as at least a clear playoff team in the American League. Hopefully in two weeks, on Labor Day, I may be able to call something formally.

Phillies: 
For my fellow fans of the Fightin' Phils, things in our neck of the woods are even worse statistically than they have looked on the field and in the standings, if that is possible. The Phillies are the worst team in the National League, the 2nd worst ahead of only Houston in all of baseball. And the Astros have far and away a better farm system. Out of 30 teams in MLB, the Phils are 24th in Pitching, 25th in Defense, and 28th in Offense. They have no strengths, they are old and/or under-achieving, and they don't have a lot of impact-level talent coming from the Minors. This will not be an easy fix, especially with the current General Manager steering the ship.