While the MLB is often known for its long season, it is also well-known for some of the oddest injuries in professional sports. Once again, this week didn’t disappoint. New York Mets pitcher Max Scherzer had his hand bitten by his own dog while Mets infielder Francisco Lindor fractured the tip of his finger after getting it caught in a hotel door. While those injuries don’t affect the Mets in this week’s MLB Power Rankings, we will see what happens going forward.
No matter what month of the season we are in, there are always plenty of storylines swirling around. With the season about a third of the way through the rumor mill will start to heat up soon. Before the craziness of trades really starts to kick off, here are your updated MLB Power Rankings.
Week 9 MLB Power Rankings
1) New York Yankees (39-15) (Last Week: 2)
After a week on the outside looking in on the top spot of our MLB Power Rankings, the New York Yankees have claimed it once again. The Yankees were a perfect 6-0 this past week and have seen fantastic performances from their entire pitching staff. The Yankees have given up more than four runs in just two of their last 11 games. With Aaron Judge and the offense crushing any pitch that dares to pass through the strike zone, there is little doubt that the Yankees are the most dangerous team in baseball right now.
2) New York Mets (37-19) (3)
It may seem premature, but I already have a pretty good feeling that the New York Mets are going to be playing in the World Series this fall. No matter what hits them, the Mets just keep winning. Unlike the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Mets look good on paper and on the field consistently. The Mets are currently the team to beat in the National League. As a result, the Mets only sit behind the Yankees in our MLB Power Rankings.
3) Houston Astros (35-19) (8)
Just a few weeks ago, it looked like the Houston Astros finally had some competition in the AL West. Thanks to a horrific collapse that the Los Angeles Angels are still in the middle of, the Astros find themselves with a lead of 8.5 games in the division. The season is far from over, but it’s been abundantly clear that the Astros are one of the few teams to trust in the American League. With almost two weeks before they play another team above .500, this division race may already be virtually over.
4) Los Angeles Dodgers (35-19) (1)
Right when you think you know what the Los Angeles Dodgers are, they turn on you. After the Dodgers finally showed some consistency, they were tripped up yet again by inferior opponents. The Dodgers didn’t just lose a home series to the Pittsburgh Pirates, they were swept over three games. While they were able to split a four-game series with the Mets to end the week, the Dodgers are simply underwhelming this season. While they do have a solid record, there is no reason Los Angeles should be 1-5 against the Pirates this season.
5) St. Louis Cardinals (32-23) (7)
After a somewhat pedestrian start to the 2022 MLB season, the St. Louis Cardinals are starting to find their groove. The Cardinals swept the San Diego Padres over their three-game series before taking three of five games from the Chicago Cubs to end the week. The Cardinals just don’t show any slowing down and continue to take series after series. With a weak division and the Milwaukee Brewers currently plagued by injuries, it wouldn’t at all be surprising to see St. Louis push the Dodgers for the second seed in the National League.
6) San Diego Padres (33-21) (5)
The San Diego Padres were punched in the mouth to start the week. Even on the road, being swept in three games by St. Louis isn’t a good look. After blowing a three-run lead in the ninth against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first game of the very next series, it looked as if a bad cold spell was on the horizon. Instead, the Padres used some fantastic pitching to take the last three games of their series against the Brewers. While Milwaukee is all sorts of banged up, there is something to be said about taking care of business and the Padres rebounded nicely to do just that.
7) Toronto Blue Jays (31-22) (10)
The Toronto Blue Jays continue to see problems in a pitching staff they have invested plenty of resources into over the last few years. While the Blue Jays are only 12th in runs against, they have also played fewer games than most teams in the MLB.
Toronto has had a tough time getting both sides of the ball to be playing well at the same time. This isn’t anything new either for a Blue Jays team that has struggled with this for a few years now. Until they get at least one side of the ball locked down, it’s hard to see Toronto being able to jump much higher than their current spot at seven in our MLB Power Rankings.
8) Milwaukee Brewers (33-23) (4)
The bad news for the Milwaukee Brewers is that they lost three of four games to the Padres to end the week. The good news is that the gauntlet for the Brewers is finally over. Hit with injuries left and right, somehow the Brewers still hold a slim lead atop the NL Central. While their play hasn’t been very good as of late, their mettle has been impressive. Even with a poor record as of late, the Brewers still hold the sixth-best record in baseball.
9) Tampa Bay Rays (31-23) (9)
For a team like the Tampa Bay Rays, who are usually the epitome of consistency, this past week was quite the rollercoaster of results. After losing their first two in a four-game series against the Texas Rangers, the Rays took the last two games on top of the first game of their next series against the Chicago White Sox. The Rays ended the week like it started though as they lost the last two games against the White Sox to end the week.
Tampa Bay is a tough team to read. The Rays rarely dominate games, yet also rarely look completely flat. With their next nine games coming against teams with a winning record, now is the time for the Rays to make a statement.
10) Minnesota Twins (32-24) (6)
The Minnesota Twins have been a hard team to read this season due to the numerous injuries they have. The Twins ended the week by winning two of three games against a hot Toronto Blue Jays team on the road. Even more impressive, the Twins did it without a few key players like Max Kepler and Trevor Megill among others due to them not complying with the Canadian COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
For as good of a series win that it was, the Twins were simply embarrassed for most of the week by the lowly Detroit Tigers. Minnesota lost four out of their five games in Detroit and failed once again to put space between them and their rivals atop the AL Central. Even with a good end to the week, playing the way they did against Detroit to start the week is the reason the Twins dropped to 10 in our MLB Power Rankings.
