MLB power rankings: The teams under the most pressure before the MLB trade deadline
With the MLB trade deadline in just over two weeks, there are plenty of MLB teams feeling the heat. But which ones are under the most pressure with August 1 looming?
Every team will have a different approach at the MLB trade deadline, and there are certainly a range of scenarios that can still play out as the next two weeks evolve for some teams (we're looking at you, San Diego and the uninspiring teams lurking near the top of the American League Central). But which teams have more at stake over the next two weeks than others? That's where this week's MLB power rankings come in.
30) MLB Power Rankings: Washington Nationals
Outside of where Jeimer Candalerio will go, there isn't much drama inside Nationals Park. Washington should get a nice return from him to pair with the players received in the Juan Soto and Max Scherzer/Trea Turner deals, so it's all about finding that best return before August 1.
29) MLB Power Rankings: Oakland A's
Let's be honest … the pressure for the A's comes more about the future off the playing field than it does on. Trying to figure out exactly where it will be playing over the next five years takes more attention right now to ownership than the product that is on the field. Field the calls for Brent Rooker, Seth Brown and anyone else of interest and get the best return you can. If you're in the A's front office, just a word of advice … if the Atlanta Braves call, don't pick up the phone.
28) MLB Power Rankings: Kansas City Royals
The Royals have already dealt away Aroldis Chapman and are not (repeat, are not) trading away Salvador Perez. That leaves reliever Scott Barlow as likely the biggest trade chip left to move and the Royals should be getting plenty of calls about him. Like Washington, it's about finding the best deal in return as Kansas City continues to build toward the future.
27) MLB Power Rankings: Colorado Rockies
Things could actually be interesting in Denver at this year's trade deadline. Don't laugh. I'm being serious. The Rockies have several players who could be moved, ranging from outfielder Randal Grichuk to relievers Brad Hand, Brent Suter and Pierce Johnson. Now it's just a matter of if general manager Bill Schmidt pulls the trigger on a deal. The Rockies should be active at the trade deadline as a seller, but will they? Believe it or not, signs are pointing to yes.
26) MLB Power Rankings: Pittsburgh Pirates
It's already been a fun season in Pittsburgh, right? The Pirates started off hot and had plenty of folks around MLB buzzing about the beginning of their season. Then reality set in and Pittsburgh once again slumped into the lower parts of the National League Central. Andrew McCutchen came back to the franchise, and that was fun too. The Pirates aren't trading Bryan Reynolds or McCutchen, and it seems to hard to believe they would move David Bednar as well. Unlike previous trade deadlines, this could be a relatively quiet one in the Steel City.
25) MLB Power Rankings: Detroit Tigers
Eduardo Rodriguez has returned to the mound just in time to show why could be the answer for some teams with postseason dreams. For the Tigers, now it's about making sure that the 30-year-old southpaw not only continues to throw well, but also that he stays healthy. If he does both of those, both he and Michael Lorenzen could be pitchers on the move that could land the Tigers some reinforcements on the farm.
24) MLB Power Rankings: Philadelphia Phillies
The first team with a winning record to make an appearance on our power rankings, the Phillies know almost certainly they're not going to be able to catch the Atlanta Braves for the NL East title. They also know they're sitting in a good position to contend for a Wild Card spot, something they did last year and made it all the way to the World Series. With Bryce Harper soon to be manning first base, Philadelphia took care of one glaring need before the deadline ever arrived. Manager Rob Thomson has dealt with pressure since taking over the position, so we're keeping the Phillies low on the list.
23) MLB Power Rankings: Houston Astros
Back-to-back entries for last year's World Series participants? Ah, life is good when you have a deep roster and the flexibility to make your team better in just a few positions. Even with Jose Altuve's early injury and Jose Abreu's early struggles, the Astros always felt like the AL team that still was the one to beat to get to the World Series. Houston has dealt with the pressure of the postseason many times, and these next two weeks will see the Astros only getting stronger with deals. The only pressure in Houston is seemingly how much Dusty Baker puts on his toothpicks every game.
22) MLB Power Rankings: Atlanta Braves
The team with the best record in baseball, and arguably the shrewdest front office when it comes to making deals, the Braves have little to worry about during these next two weeks except making sure they stay healthy and upgrade at positions than can make them even harder to beat. For Atlanta, it's all about being the hunted rather than the hunter heading toward the trade deadline. Everyone else is trying to catch them for the NL's top seed, and that leaves them feeling just fine.
21) MLB Power Rankings: Texas Rangers
With Houston breathing down their neck in the AL West standings, you might think the Rangers are feeling the heat. Ah, but that's where a secret weapon kicks in in Arlington … manager Bruce Bochy. At the All-Star Game, plenty of Rangers praised the veteran skipper for being a steady presence. That steady presence who has plenty of postseason experience is going to pay big dividends for the Rangers, who will likely be active at the trade deadline and made the biggest early splash by acquiring Aroldis Chapman as their closer.
20) MLB Power Rankings: Cleveland Guardians
In the quagmire that is the American League Central, someone has to win it, right? Cleveland did last year, so does that make them a favorite to win it this year as well? Will the Guardians trade off starting pitcher Shane Bieber or keep him? Will they trade off some of their prospects to strengthen the team, knowing the Houston Astros are lurking in the postseason? There are too many questions right now to even gauge the stress level of the Guardians, so maybe that's stressful? Agh, another question.
19) MLB Power Rankings: Los Angeles Dodgers
To say the Dodgers don't exactly have to go all in this year may seem weird to say, but it feels like we've been talking about how this could be a down year inside Chavez Ravine since the start of the campaign. And down for the Dodgers means it might be difficult for them to win 100 games, so we're not crying too much for the franchise. When your team is the favorite to land Shohei Ohtani in the offseason, do you worry about pushing all of your chips to the center of the table this season? That may be the most pressure-filled question of the next two weeks in L.A.
18) MLB Power Rankings: Miami Marlins
The trade for Luis Arraez has absolutely been a plus for the Marlins, a team that has an interesting schedule ahead of it before the MLB trade deadline. With the Marlins playing the Tampa Bay Rays and Philadelphia Phillies before the calendar turns to August, there are some challenges. With the Colorado Rockies and Detroit Tigers also on the schedule during that stretch, it seems like the Marlins could keep adding to their win total. The question becomes how aggressive Miami might actually get and how much it thinks it can compete with the other NL juggernauts if it makes the postseason.
17) MLB Power Rankings: San Francisco Giants
Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi has said, "As we approach it, it's really a goal of ours to be in the playoffs this year. So, I think we'll be aggressive when we get to [the trade deadline]." But that was also back in early June. Now the Giants are still very much in the hunt for the division lead as well as a postseason spot. San Francisco has done well this season with what they have on their roster, and it's expected that division rivals Arizona and Los Angeles may be buyers at the trade deadline as well. Just how aggressive will they be?
16) MLB Power Rankings: Seattle Mariners
Seattle put together a solid run before the All-Star break to be the hosts of the Midsummer Classic with a record just above .500. That push, however, put the Mariners in the in-between world of buyer and seller. There have been rumors about the St. Louis Cardinals being interested in acquiring starting pitcher Logan Gilbert, which would certainly signal a sale in Seattle. The Mariners are very much like the Giants, sitting in a division with two teams ahead of them that will likely be aggressive at the deadline. Seattle has a remaining July schedule with seven games against the Minnesota Twins and three games each against the Toronto Blue Jays and Arizona Diamondbacks. That run could determine their fate.
15) MLB Power Rankings: Minnesota Twins
The Twins entered the weekend with the top-ranked pitching group according to Baseball Reference's WAR calculations, with the starters leading the league with a whopping 4.8 bWAR combined (Tampa Bay was second at 3.3). Minnesota has the arms in place to be a good team, but the Twins' inability to gain control of the mediocre AL Central speaks to the issues that have come with the team at the plate. Outfield is particularly a problem, with the Twins ranking 24th at minus-0.9 bWAR. It feels like the Twins could make some moves and not only help their cause in the division, but also make themselves more dangerous in the postseason. The question becomes will they … and how aggressive will they be. The division is there for the taking.
14) MLB Power Rankings: Chicago Cubs
What will the Cubs do with Marcus Stroman and Cody Bellinger? That's the all-consuming question on the North Side right now. It certainly feels like the Cubs could get a very nice return for both players if they choose to move them, but Chicago needs to decide just how much Bellinger, who has shown a return to form with his one-year deal, is a part of the future of the team. Chicago won't win the division, but it certainly could win the trade deadline with the right moves.
13) MLB Power Rankings: Boston Red Sox
In the ultra-competitive American League East, the Red Sox not only have to figure out the direction they're heading this season, but also how this season's decisions at the MLB trade deadline will impact next year as well. Entering Sunday just 2.0 games back in the Wild Card chase, it makes sense for Boston to improve in the pitching department. Can they get controllable starters that can help them past this season, the same goal that so many other MLB teams have as well? It feels like West Coast trips to Seattle, San Francisco and Oakland will determine much of the direction for the Red Sox.
12) MLB Power Rankings: Cincinnati Reds
Who would've thought the Reds would be in this position this season? Sure, some of you are raising your hands, but be honest, did you expect Matt McLain, Elly De La Cruz and the rest of the youth movement in Cincinnati to mesh so well with the return of Joey Votto (and for Votto to come through the way he has)? Will this ownership group actually invest in a chase to win the division? Yet another question we didn't envision asking when the season began.
11) MLB Power Rankings: Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays jumped out of the gate, but came back to earth around the Midsummer Classic. With the Baltimore Orioles now close behind in the division standings, Tampa Bay will have to make the right moves at the MLB trade deadline to keep their impressive season on its previous trajectory. Catcher is (by bWAR) the weakest position on the Rays, and Tampa Bay needs to get and stay healthy. Small tweaks can be enough to carry the Rays into the postseason, but they have to be the right tweaks to serve notice they're not going to surrender the division to Baltimore or anyone else.
10) MLB Power Rankings: Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore surprised last season and made everyone believers in what the Orioles can do. However, the team decided to pull back at the MLB trade deadline and not chase the postseason, choosing instead to sell. This season, Orioles fans aren't going to accept that same choice. Can Baltimore survive a late-July gauntlet that includes the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies? Can the Orioles find the right starting pitcher to boost the rotation? It's going to be an interesting few days in Baltimore.
9) MLB Power Rankings: Milwaukee Brewers
There are plenty of areas where the Brewers can improve at the MLB trade deadline, but don't count on starting pitcher Corbin Burnes being dealt this season like Josh Hader was last year. Brewers general manager Matt Arnold told Burnes that he is staying in Milwaukee and that, according to Burnes, "They're looking to add some pieces. Obviously the market we're in, they're going to do it responsibly and not trade off the farm system for one guy for two months." Milwaukee has to not only figure out what those pieces are, but also make sure they don't shatter the locker room like they did last season when Hader was traded.
8) MLB Power Rankings: Toronto Blue Jays
Is there any team that enters seasons with more expectations only to not live up to them more than the Blue Jays? Mired in the middle of the AL East, Toronto was supposed to be the team to beat again this season. However, an implosion from Alek Manoah leveled a blow to a rotation that was already missing Hyun Jin Ryu. Manoah is already back with the Jays and Toronto hopes he can level out. Ryu has made some rehab starts and could return soon. Toronto needs answers (and consistency) before the MLB trade deadline.
7) MLB Power Rankings: Arizona Diamondbacks
Flash back to the 2018 season, a year when the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers were battling for the top of the NL West. At the MLB trade deadline, the Rockies did little while the Dodgers restocked with Manny Machado and Brian Dozier. It would take Game 163, but the Dodgers did top the Rockies and win the division. It feels like that a bit this season as well with the Diamondbacks and Dodgers chasing the top. Will Arizona be aggressive at the deadline, and will it be aggressive enough to keep the Dodgers at bay? The core is already solid in the desert but help could certainly be used in the rotation and designated hitter.
6) MLB Power Rankings: Chicago White Sox
For the White Sox (and, spoiler alert, the rest of the teams on the list), it's about choosing the right pieces to sell at the trade deadline and getting the right return. Lucas Giolito should be one of the most valuable trade chips in all of MLB, with the Dodgers already linked to him as a potential destination. Now the question becomes who else goes away from the South Side and what do the White Sox get in return? The next two weeks are all about the deals that can be made to build for the future.
5) MLB Power Rankings: New York Mets
No one thought the season would go like this in Queens, with rumors of Buck Showalter being on the hot seat and the Mets selling some of the high-profile pieces they acquired in the offseason when dreams of the World Series were very prevalent. Now, entering Sunday at 42-49, the Mets and owner Steve Cohen have put all of the pressure on the players to succeed … and the strategy simply hasn't worked. Now it's a matter of when exactly the Mets pull the plug on the season, as well as what they can potentially get in return for another run in 2024.
4) MLB Power Rankings: New York Yankees
Unlike their cross-borough neighbors, the Yankees are believed to be buyers. Additionally, they're waiting to see exactly when Nestor Cortes and Aaron Judge will return from injury and provide a boost on the mound and at the plate. However, time is of the essence for the Yankees to decide which way they're going at the trade deadline and just how aggressive they will be. There is always pressure in the Bronx, but these next two weeks will have the microscope especially focused on Aaron Boone and company.
3) MLB Power Rankings: San Diego Padres
The Padres and Mets are in a wild chase to see which high-spending team is the biggest disappointment of the season. While the Mets seem to be clear sellers, that is not the indication coming out of San Diego. However, time is running out on the Padres quickly if they're really going to make 2023 more than just an asterisk in the annals of MLB's most frustrating teams. Will San Diego buy or sell? Will they part with big stars like Josh Hader, Blake Snell and/or Juan Soto? Seemingly everything is on the table right now and a three-game set in Toronto beginning on Tuesday could tilt the scales one way or the other.
2) MLB Power Rankings: St. Louis Cardinals
While the Cardinals didn't spend as much as the Mets and Padres, they certainly topped both of those teams in terms of falling flat in 2023. It's all about selling in St. Louis as the Cardinals sit in the bottom of the division. So what's the pressure? Well, if St. Louis is really going to return to prominence in 2024, the decisions they make at this MLB trade deadline will go a long ways toward that. John Mozeliak has to push the right buttons over the next two weeks. It's that simple.
1) MLB Power Rankings: Los Angeles Angels
Of all of the MLB teams, only one has to decide if there is a big enough package out there to send a two-way superstar and arguably the front-runner for American League MVP away in a trade. Will the Angels be known as the franchise that traded away Shohei Ohtani? Can the Angels actually string together enough wins to get back in the Wild Card conversation before the trade deadline? Ohtani wants to play for a winner. Now the Angels have to show they can be that or be faced with a decision no general manager would want to have. That's pressure.