MLB Power Rankings: Dodgers reclaim top spot, Pete Crow-Armstrong makes MVP push for Cubs

Featured in this week’s MLB Power Rankings, the trade deadline takes centerstage while the Dodgers reclaim the top spot and the Diamondbacks find their way into the top 10.

As a reminder, this article is a combination of current performance and long-term outlook.

Let’s get into it!

▶ RELATED: The Rotoworld staff breaks down who they think are most likely to be moved before the MLB Trade Deadline

Note: Rankings are from the morning of Monday, July 27.

1) Los Angeles Dodgers

Last week: 2

Back in the No. 1 spot, the Dodgers might end up making the biggest bullpen addition of any team before the deadline. That’s because Edwin Díaz is set to rejoin the club on Wednesday. Signed to a three-year, $69 million contract over the winter, Díaz struggled to the tune of a 10.50 ERA across his first seven appearances as a Dodger before undergoing surgery in late April to remove loose bodies in his elbow.

2) Milwaukee Brewers

Last week: 1

Another week, more history made for Jacob Misiorowski. The NL Cy Young Award front-runner set the Brewers’ franchise record on Sunday by striking out seven consecutive Rockies hitters to begin the game. He gave up just one run in five innings and actually saw his ERA go up a smidgen from 1.57 to 1.58. That’s when you know you are having a special season. The same goes for the Brewers, who should be active leading up to next Monday’s trade deadline. Lance McCullers has already been designated for assignment after being acquired from the Astros less than two weeks ago. It would be surprising if the Brewers didn’t land a starting pitcher.

3) Tampa Bay Rays

Last week: 4

The Rays have won six out of seven, including seven innings of one-hit ball from Drew Rasmussen to finish off a sweep of the Guardians on Sunday. They’ve opened up a three-game lead in the AL East, but could still use upgrades in multiple areas over the next week.

4) Atlanta Braves

Last week: 3

One thing we know for a fact is that the Braves are getting a major addition on Monday in the form of Ronald Acuña Jr. As for what else could be coming their way, the Braves will surely be in the market for a starting pitcher and another bat.

5) New York Yankees

Last week: 5

Speaking of bats, how much more damage can the Yankees’ lineup take? Cody Bellinger has joined Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton on the injured list, a development which could the Yankees to be more aggressive to add some offense going into the deadline. We already know that catcher and bullpen are on the wish list.

6) Chicago Cubs

Last week: 6

Is there a lane for Pete Crow-Armstrong to win the NL MVP Award? With Shohei Ohtani’s knee still barking, he’s unlikely to pitch in the near future and it’s possible the Dodgers are extra careful with him in general down the stretch. Meanwhile, PCA just continues to produce. He’s sporting a 1.178 OPS over his last 51 games during which he’s gotten on base at a .458 clip.

I couldn’t close this Cubs portion of the power rankings without showing this ridiculous trick pitch from Kerry Wood during a Savannah Bananas game at Wrigley Field over the weekend. It’s hard to do anything cooler than a 20-strikeout game, but this is pretty close.

7) Philadelphia Phillies

Last week: 7

A stunning stat which might explain the Phillies’ trade discussions leading into August 3.

The back-end of the rotation isn’t the only area of need here, as they had Edmundo Sosa hitting fifth and Bryan De La Cruz in the sixth spot over the weekend.

8) Chicago White Sox

Last week: 8

Munetaka Murakami picked a good day to bust out of his mini slump. After hitting .184 with one RBI in his first 11 games back from the IL, he busted out with two homers and six RBI on Sunday against the Astros. Not only was it his bobblehead day at Rate Field, but his parents threw out of the first pitch.

9) Boston Red Sox

Last week: 10

And, we’re off! We had our first meaningful deal of the MLB Trade Deadline with the Red Sox sending pitcher Connelly Early to the Nationals for infielder Curtis Mead. Craig Breslow acknowledged that it was “uncomfortable” to deal Early, but they clearly believe in Mead’s progression this season. His pull-side power makes him a fun fit at Fenway Park, even with some questions about his defense.

10) Arizona Diamondbacks

Last week: 13

The Diamondbacks are showing some surprising persistence in the NL Wild Card race and Gabriel Moreno has played a crucial role in making it happen. The 26-year-old has driven in at least one run in five straight games and currently holds a 23-game on-base streak.

11) Pittsburgh Pirates

Last week: 12

Storybook moment for Pirates catcher Shawn Ross, who blasted a 438-foot home run in his first MLB start on Sunday.

Ross originally signed with the Pirates out of independent ball in 2022 and had a .188/.319/.416 batting line over 270 minor league games. Still, the Pirates needed catching help with Rafael Flores going on the IL due to concussion symptoms. Ross is making his opportunity count.

12) Texas Rangers

Last week: 15

Jacob deGrom fired five innings of one-run ball on Sunday against the Mariners before the bullpen coughed up the lead. With as close as things are in the AL West and Wild Card picture, this is a loss which could come back to bite them down the line. It also underscores the Rangers’ need for bullpen help.

13) Washington Nationals

Last week: 18

In previewing the trade deadline a couple of weeks ago, I noted that the Nationals would likely be “tactical aimed at the long-term,” and we saw that approach materialize in the aforementioned trade for left-hander Connelly Early. The 24-year-old is still working his way back from elbow inflammation, but cashing in on Curtis Mead’s breakout to address a clear area of organization need (starting pitching) is exactly what they should be doing. While this move was made with the bigger picture in mind, the Nationals are just one game back of the Diamondbacks for the third Wild Card spot.

14) St. Louis Cardinals

Last week: 11

Losers of seven out of their last nine, the Cardinals might have played themselves into sellers. Dustin May is one of the more logical names to move, and he made his best start in a few weeks with six innings of one-run ball against the Reds on Friday.

15) Cleveland Guardians

Last week: 9

The Guardians have lost five straight, including a three-game sweep at the hands of the Rays. They’ve scored a grand total of four runs over their last four games. If that wasn’t bad enough, they also failed to sign second round pick left-hander Logan Schmidt.

16) San Diego Padres

Last week: 19

Thanks to the resurgent Manny Machado, the Padres pulled off a sweep of the reeling Marlins over the weekend. The 34-year-old Machado is slashing .288/.376/.588 with seven homers this month.

17) Seattle Mariners

Last week: 16

The Mariners fired assistant hitting coach Bobby Magallanes, a move which feels more like message to the clubhouse rather than a scapegoating. The lineup has underperformed all season, and there’s little excuse for the club to still be below .500 this late in the year.

18) Minnesota Twins

Last week: 20

The Twins will be a fascinating team to watch in the coming days. They have a pulse, and therefore are still alive in the American League. But at the same time they have one of the deadline’s most interesting players in Ryan Jeffers, who is due to become a free agent after the season. They might very well thread the needle in terms of trades, sort of like what we saw with the Nationals already.

19) Houston Astros

Last week: 23

The Astros saw their five-game winning streak come to an end on Sunday, but the positives mostly outweigh the negatives right now. While Spencer Arrighetti is back on the injured list with a right foot injury, staff ace Hunter Brown blanked the White Sox for seven innings on Saturday. He had a 7.98 ERA with 14 walks in 14 2/3 innings across his first three starts this month.

20) Miami Marlins

Last week: 14

Life comes at you fast. The Marlins were very much in the playoff picture this time last month, but they’ve now lost 12 straight to set a new franchise record. Could the Marlins reconsider trading Sandy Alcantara?

21) Baltimore Orioles

Last week: 17

The Orioles are 2-4 since their seven-game winning streak. The absences of Adley Rutschman and Samuel Bassalo are being felt in a big way.

22) Detroit Tigers

Last week: 21

Tarik Skubal did what he had to do against the Royals on Friday, but the Tigers were handed a pair of one-run losses on Saturday and Sunday. Perhaps they take their increasingly-low chances and hold on to Skubal (and Casey Mize), but it really feels like they should sell.

23) Cincinnati Reds

Last week: 24

Spencer Steer has been bandied about as a target for teams in need of a right-handed hitter, but that’s all on hold now that he’s headed to the injured list with a right wrist sprain. Per Buster Olney of ESPN, Steer is set to miss “significant time.”

24) Toronto Blue Jays

Last week: 22

This season hasn’t gone anywhere close to what the Blue Jays had in mind. The question is how aggressive they are as a seller going into the deadline. The Blue Jays could — and probably should — trade impending free agents like Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, and George Springer.

25) Kansas City Royals

Last week: 28

Some good vibes for the Royals at the moment, as they are 7-3 since the All-Star Break. On a related note, kudos to Salvador Perez for passing George Brett to become the franchise’s all-time leader in home runs.

26) San Francisco Giants

Last week: 25

It’s July 27 and the Giants have yet to sweep a series this season. That sort of says it all about where they find themselves. The Giants should be one of the most aggressive sellers this week, with Luis Arráez as the most likely name to be moved.

27) Athletics

Last week: 26

The Athletics have had some awful injury luck this season and it continued this weekend as Shea Langeliers went down with a torn meniscus in his knee and could end up missing the remainder of the season. Langeliers has been mentioned in trade rumors in recent weeks, and while the A’s would have had to been blown away to actually deal him, this takes a significant name off the table for now.

28) New York Mets

Last week: 27

Just like the Mets’ roster looked vastly different on Opening Day, we could see a housecleaning over the coming week. Freddy Peralta, Clay Holmes, AJ Minter, Brooks Raley, Tyrone Taylor, and Luis Robert Jr. are all logical candidates to be dealt, and names like Luke Weaver, Huascar Brazoban, Luis Torrens, and Francisco Alvarez shouldn’t be ruled out either. This is your classic “turn lemons into lemonade” situation as the Mets attempt to restock a farm system which has also taken a step back this year.

29) Los Angeles Angels

Last week: 30

It’s important to appreciate the moments where Mike Trout reminds us of his greatness. The future Hall of Famer managed his first four-hit game in five years as the Angels salvaged the finale against the Giants on Sunday. He’s hitting .318 this month and has struck out just one time in his last five games.

30) Colorado Rockies

Last week: 29

As noted above, Jacob Misiorowski carved up the Rockies on Sunday, but one notable highlight was Cole Carrigg’s solo homer to break up the early no-hit bid. The opposite-field blast from the rookie came against a 101.9 mph fastball. If you’re wondering if that’s some sort of record, it is. For the Rockies, anyway.