FanGraphs Power Rankings: August 14–27

After per week hiatus, the FanGraphs Power Rankings are again and there’s been a reasonably large shakeup within the high tiers. And as we head into the ultimate month of the season, there are many thrilling playoff races nonetheless up within the air.

A reminder for a way these rankings are calculated: First, we take the three most essential parts of a crew — their offense (wRC+), their pitching (a 50/50 mix of FIP- and RA9-, weighted by starter and reliever IP share), and their protection (RAA) — and mix them to create an general crew high quality metric. I additionally add in an element for “luck,” adjusting a crew’s win share primarily based on anticipated win-loss file. The result’s an influence rating, which is then offered in tiers beneath.

After the latest collapse of the Rangers, the Braves now stand alone atop these rankings. They’re on cruise management proper now, with the NL East locked up and a primary spherical bye into the divisional spherical all however assured. They’ve received 13 of their final 16 video games, with six shutouts and simply 2.9 runs allowed per sport throughout this stretch. They’ve received an enormous four-game collection in Los Angeles in opposition to the Dodgers this weekend that would go a great distance in direction of figuring out the highest seed within the NL.

No crew in baseball is hotter proper now than the Mariners. As lately as mid-July, they have been 10 video games behind Texas, however they’ve misplaced simply 5 video games in August and have surpassed each the Rangers and the Astros to take the division lead within the AL West. It’s the primary time the M’s have led their division this late within the season since 2003. The offense that had been so frustratingly inconsistent earlier within the season has exploded this month; they’re scoring greater than six runs per sport and lead all of baseball with a 147 wRC+ in August.

A 4-2 file final week marked the low level of the Dodgers’ August; these two losses have been simply the third and fourth of the month for Los Angeles. They’re being led by two guys who’re out of the blue difficult Ronald Acuña Jr. within the NL MVP race: Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts. The former is within the midst of the most effective full season of his profession on the plate, within the subject, and on the basepaths. Betts, in the meantime, loved an emotional return to Boston this weekend and prolonged his hitting streak to fifteen video games.

After beginning the month with an eight-game win streak and 12 wins of their first 14 video games in August, the Rangers have been in free fall since then. A win on Saturday snapped an eight-game dropping streak, however they misplaced an unpleasant, 13-inning walk-off affair in Minnesota on Sunday. That dropped them to second place within the AL West, the primary time they’ve been out of the highest spot since April 8. Their bullpen particularly has been a sore spot throughout this stretch; Texas relievers have allowed 35 runs over their final 10 video games, with six blown saves.

The Orioles have been dealt a severe blow when their ace nearer Félix Bautista was sidelined with elbow discomfort final week. Losing a pitcher of Bautista’s caliber could be an issue for any membership, however for Baltimore, it’s an amazing loss. So a lot of the O’s success this season has hinged on the success of their bullpen. Their shot on the playoffs in all probability isn’t threatened, however their grip on the AL East division lead is out of the blue slightly extra tenuous.

With the Mariners budging in, the battle for the AL West crown is out of the blue very crowded. The Astros have performed second fiddle to the Rangers all season lengthy, however now they’ve a 3rd crew to cope with. The ‘Stros offense has been frustratingly inconsistent this month; they’ve had simply as many video games the place they rating 9 or extra runs as they’ve had video games the place they rating two or fewer. Kyle Tucker has been a rock in the midst of their lineup, and Jose Altuve has been improbable since coming back from his thumb harm, however Yordan Alvarez has been stored in test by varied maladies, and each José Abreu and Jeremy Peña have been nice disappointments this 12 months.

The Brewers received their eighth straight sport on Sunday and have now prolonged their lead within the NL Central to 4 video games. They have an enormous collection in opposition to the Cubs on the docket this week, which may go a great distance in direction of figuring out how shut this division race goes to be down the stretch. Milwaukee’s offense has come alive currently, scoring greater than seven runs per sport after notching simply three complete runs throughout the three-game sweep by the hands of the Dodgers that instantly preceded this win streak. That’s an excellent signal, as run scoring has been such a difficulty for them throughout this latest aggressive window.

Thanks to a floundering offense and an extraordinarily skinny pitching employees, the Giants have fallen out of Wild Card place, sitting even with Cincinnati at a sport and a half again of the Diamondbacks. The depth of their roster has been strained to the breaking level by a cavalcade of accidents. They have key collection in opposition to the Reds and Cubs arising over the following two weeks, and so they desperately want some optimistic ends in these matchups to remain within the playoff image.

Meanwhile, the curler coaster the Diamondbacks are using is at the moment again on the upswing. They began the month with a nine-game dropping streak, however they’ve gone 12-3 over their final 15 video games to get proper again into the thick of the NL Wild Card race. They simply received an enormous four-game collection in opposition to the Reds over the weekend, one which featured one of many most dynamic single performs you’ll ever see.

The groups on this tier are tangibly higher than these within the tier beneath, however they’ve both fallen out of the playoff image or are such lengthy photographs that they match higher as a possible spoiler than a real contender. The Padres exemplify this distinction; they’re underlying crew high quality is strong however they’re simply too far again within the NL Wild Card race to actually make a run at it. Of course, being crew that isn’t actually adequate has loads of tough implications for his or her future. The expertise on their roster regarded dominant on paper, however the precise outcomes on the sector have been disappointing to say the least. After getting swept by the Brewers over the weekend, you’ll be able to in all probability put a pin in San Diego’s slim postseason hopes.

Speaking of groups at a crossroads, a 2-12 file over the previous couple of weeks has sunk no matter final hopes the Yankees had of creating a postseason run this 12 months. If issues maintain going this manner, they’ll end in final place within the AL East for the primary time since 1990; it could be their first dropping season since 1992. To make issues worse, their future outlook appears fairly bleak except they’re in a position to miraculously fill their growing old roster with younger expertise. For the primary time in practically three many years, the Yanks are dealing with the choice to rebuild, or at the least reset, their roster.

As if issues weren’t unhealthy sufficient for the Angels, Shohei Ohtani injured his UCL final week and is finished pitching for the season (and maybe subsequent season, too, relying on the severity of the tear). That similar day, they positioned Mike Trout again on the IL after he performed in only a single sport because of renewed discomfort in his left hand. Los Angeles was already properly out of the playoff image because of a ghastly 7-17 file in August, however depriving baseball of two of its biggest skills is a tragedy.

In the midst of one other misplaced season, the Tigers lastly have one thing to provide them a shred of hope: the breakouts of Spencer Torkelson and Kerry Carpenter. After a very tough introduction to the large leagues, the previous first general choose is lastly near residing as much as the hype surrounding his draft choice and ascent by means of the minor leagues. Meanwhile, Carpenter’s emergence has largely flown below the radar, however he’s been Detroit’s greatest hitter since getting referred to as up final August. The Tigers have loads of work left to do earlier than breaking out of this rebuild cycle, however these two hitters give them one other pair of constructing blocks to work with.

Things lastly got here to a head for White Sox govt vice chairman Kenny Williams and basic supervisor Rick Hahn final week. The architects of the crew for practically 20 years, each have been fired from their roles, as Chicago has squandered a bunch of younger expertise over the previous few years. The White Sox will head into subsequent 12 months looking for a brand new path, although with Jerry Reinsdorf nonetheless in place because the crew’s proprietor, it stays to be seen how completely different of a course they’ll chart.

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