The year of the incomplete team lurches on. Yet with great mediocrity comes great opportunity, at least when it comes to making nominal gains in USA TODAY Sports’ power rankings.
With that, welcome the Los Angeles Dodgers back to the penthouse.
Hey, at least their superstars are firing on all cylinders. Two days after Shohei Ohtani locked in a 40-40 season with a walk-off grand slam, Mookie Betts drove him in with a go-ahead two-run homer to claim a harrowing series victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. In 13 games since returning from a broken hand, Betts has seven extra-base hits and 11 RBI.
With the Arizona Diamondbacks nearly unbeatable, the Dodgers maintained their three-game lead in the NL West – and methodically worked their way back to the best record in the major leagues.
No rest for the freshly coronated, however: The Baltimore Orioles are at Dodger Stadium for three games this week before the Dodgers embark on a four-game showdown in the desert at Arizona.
Follow every MLB game: Latest MLB scores, stats, schedules and standings.
A look at our updated rankings:
1. Los Angeles Dodgers (+4)
Yoshinobu Yamamoto finally ready to attack rehab assignment.
2. New York Yankees (-)
You get the sense Eddie Gaedel could hit behind Aaron Judge and it wouldn’t matter.
3. Milwaukee Brewers (+3)
The only team with a double-digit division lead.
4. Baltimore Orioles (-1)
Slugging prospect Samuel Basallo moves on up to Class AAA.
5. Philadelphia Phillies (-4)
14-20 since All-Star break, tied for worst mark in NL.
6. Cleveland Guardians (-2)
Jhonkensy Noel’s 12 homers in 41 games puts him shoulder to shoulder with Russell Branyan in franchise history.
7. Minnesota Twins (-)
Zebby Matthews with a nifty 3.00 ERA and 1.00 WHIP after three starts.
8. Arizona Diamondbacks (+2)
Jordan Montgomery relegated to bullpen, which means Merrill Kelly is back and Ryne Nelson is pitching well.
9. Kansas City Royals (-)
What a week: Four big games in Cleveland followed by three in Houston.
10. San Diego Padres (-2)
Jackson Merrill walks off the Mets – his fifth game-tying or go-ahead homer in the ninth or later.
11. Houston Astros (-)
Return to Philly for first time since 2022 World Series conquest.
12. Atlanta Braves (+1)
Matt Olson awakening: Nine homers in his last 27 games, after hitting 13 in his first 102.
13. New York Mets (+1)
Francisco Alvarez has a .167/.219/.250 line in 64 plate appearances this month, with two extra-base hits.
14. Boston Red Sox (-2)
Pitching blows up again as Diamondbacks sweep at Fenway.
15. Seattle Mariners (-)
They went with the nuclear option. Yet it can’t make them hit.
16. Tampa Bay Rays (-)
Junior Caminero may never look back – he homers in consecutive games at Dodger Stadium.
17. San Francisco Giants (-)
Heliot Ramos hits 20th homer, has shot at Giants’ first 30-homer season since … Barry Bonds in 2004.
18. St. Louis Cardinals (-)
Bad breaks continue for Willson Contreras, who suffers fractured finger.
19. Detroit Tigers (+1)
Prospect Ty Madden to make major league debut Monday vs. White Sox.
20. Chicago Cubs (-1)
Pete Crow-Armstrong hits an inside-the-park homer and a second-deck shot on consecutive days.
21. Cincinnati Reds (-)
No structural elbow damage for Hunter Greene, but also may not see him pitch until Goodyear.
22. Toronto Blue Jays (+2)
Bowden Francis’s near no-hitter another nifty little harbinger for 2024.
23. Pittsburgh Pirates (-1)
‘Pittsburgh, I love you,’ says Barry Bonds, now a Pirates Hall of Famer.
24. Texas Rangers (-1)
Corey Seager has now homered in 27 of 30 parks, with St. Louis, Kansas City and Atlanta on his to-do list.
25. Washington Nationals (-)
They’ll begin the Dylan Crews era with Juan Soto in the opposing dugout.
26. Oakland Athletics (-)
Mason Miller records 21st save, closes within five of Andrew Bailey’s rookie franchise record.
27. Los Angeles Angels (-)
GM Perry Minasian gets a two-year contract extension. Yay, stability?
28. Miami Marlins (-)
Recently acquired Connor Norby has six extra-base hits in first six games as a Marlin.
29. Colorado Rockies (-)
A young man named Bradley Blalock registered his first major league win, at Yankee Stadium.
30. Chicago White Sox (-)
One hundred losses by Aug. 25 – earliest than any club in modern era.
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