Buster Posey
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

It’s Friday the 13th. What could go wrong?

The Field of Dreams Game was a lovely celebration of a terrific movie and two teams with October dreams. But it counts as only one game in the standings for both the Yankees and White Sox.

We’re now into mid-August and the playoff races are heating up. For the two teams in New York, the trends are in opposite directions.

Let’s jump into our weekly update of ESNY’s Power Rankings. Any surprises? Let us know!

1. San Francisco Giants

The Giants now hold a four-game lead on the rest of baseball for the best overall record. They continue winning games and have enjoyed consistency that other teams, including the Dodgers, have not. It’s been an impressive season in San Francisco.

2. Los Angeles Dodgers

They’re chasing the Giants, but placing Mookie Betts on the IL earlier this week doesn’t help. Trea Turner has brought new energy to their lineup.

3. Tampa Bay Rays

Tampa continues to have a strong hold on the top spot in the American League East. The separation they’ve been able to create, coupled with the Red Sox slide, has kept them well above the wild card conversation.

4. Chicago White Sox

Lance Lynn is your favorite to win the American League Cy Young Award this year. Chicago just got Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert back from injury, making their lineup as potent as any. They’re a dangerous team with good, deep pitching.

5. Houston Astros

Houston and Oakland are battling for the top spot in the AL West, but the Astros appear to be ready for a run. They’ll get Alex Bregman and Yuli Gurriel back in their lineup, helping make their lineup deeper.

6. Milwaukee Brewers

Josh Hader is back from the COVID list and the Brewers enjoyed a trip to Chicago’s North Side this week, beating up what’s left of the Cubs. They’re as much a playoff lock as the White Sox because of their terrible division.

7. Oakland A’s

A strong week for Oakland has them right back on the heels of the Astros. Starling Marte has been a terrific addition to their lineup. They’re going to make the wild card chase a tricky one for the Yankees and Blue Jays.

8. San Diego Padres

Even without Fernando Tatis Jr, the Padres have been able to be an interesting team in the wild card race. With the Giants continuing their strong play, who’s ready for a potential Padres-Dodgers wild card matchup in the National League?

9. Toronto Blue Jays

The return to Toronto has been a huge bounce for the young Blue Jays, who have won eight of their last 10 and look like they’re ready to make life hell for the Yankees and Red Sox.

10. New York Yankees

Thursday night’s comeback was amazing… until Tim Anderson walked it off. This Yankees team has played tough while battling through injuries and distractions. And Anthony Rizzo joining the COVID list was a tough blow as the Yankees were starting to put it together. They need to get healthy and stay hot to keep up with Toronto.

11. Boston Red Sox

They still lead both the Yankees and Blue Jays in the standings, but that won’t last long if they don’t get it back on track soon. The return of Chris Sale to the rotation should provide an emotional lift to a team that needs one.

12. Seattle Mariners

Seattle is a team nobody wants to play right now. Their young players are getting comfortable in the big leagues and their future looks bright. The playoffs might not happen this year but look out if you’re in the AL West.

13. Philadelphia Phillies

Philly sprinted past the Mets this week and have taken over first place in the NL East. Bryce Harper is making a case for MVP honors and their pitching has found a good groove.

14. Atlanta Braves

The Braves are chasing the Phillies, not letting them get too comfortable in first place. Ozzie Albies continues to be a fun player to watch in their lineup and they should get some pitching help back from the IL soon.

15. Cincinnati Reds

The Reds were active at the deadline, bringing in a few pieces to help their bullpen. But they haven’t been able to make much of a dent in Milwaukee’s division lead or the wild card because the three teams in California are so good.

16. Detroit Tigers

Miguel Cabrera’s chase of 500 home runs have been fun to watch. The young arms in Detroit are coming of age this season; once Spencer Torkelson gets ready for prime time, the Tigers will be a tough match-up for teams in the American League.

17. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Shohei Ohtani is probably going to win the AL MVP this year, and rightfully so. He’s been a revelation with the bat and his arm has lived up to the hype. Their youth movement has started to pay dividends. Now if they can just get Mike Trout healthy…

18. St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals have been a huge disappointment this year after making the big trade for Nolan Arenado before the season. Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina defy their ages but the rest of the pitching staff needs help.

19. New York Mets

No good news yet on Jacob deGrom and now both Javier Baez and Francisco Lindor are hurt. The offense has been tough to watch for the last two months. Can they find a spark and get back in the playoff race?

20. Cleveland Guardians

It’s been a hard year in Cleveland since the Lindor trade. But, once Lindor was gone, their expectations weren’t nearly as high as the Twins’ hopes for this season.

21. Colorado Rockies

The Rockies are 6-4 in their last 10 and the players they surprisingly kept at the deadline have been… interesting. Some of the young players they have integrated into their lineup have been good as the year has gone on as well.

22. Minnesota Twins

After trading their ace to Toronto at the deadline and Nelson Cruz to Tampa earlier, the Twins officially put the 2021 season in the books. But they have rallied to win six of their last 10. They need to figure out what the future holds for Byron Buxton, however.

23. Miami Marlins

The record doesn’t reflect it, but the Marlins are building something that could become dangerous eventually. Sandy Alcantara bounced back from a brutal start to look good in his last appearance. Their minus-17 run differential is the best in the bottom half of our power rankings.

24. Kansas City Royals

The Royals gave the Yankees more than perhaps some expected. Their lineup still has some proud veterans in it and Salvador Perez is having perhaps his best season. They have a ton of young pitching coming in the future.

25. Washington Nationals

They still have Juan Soto.

26. Chicago Cubs

Remember when they were a playoff contender… two months ago? The Cubs have won less than 25 percent of their games since throwing a combined no-hitter and DFA’d Jake Arrieta on Thursday. It’s ugly for the Cubs right now.

27. Baltimore Orioles

Chris Davis retired on Thursday, which should help the O’s financially. His contract didn’t work out at all and his body failed him at the end. But the future is bright in Baltimore. Cedric Mullins is a fun player to watch.

28. Texas Rangers

They did what they were supposed to – sell everything of value – at the deadline. The Rangers have deep pockets and could be big spenders this winter with a deep free agent class.

29. Arizona Diamondbacks

They have the worst record in baseball, but they have won more games in their last ten (two) than the team that owns dead last in this week’s power rankings. So they’ve got that going for them… which is nice.

30. Pittsburgh Pirates

Beautiful stadium. The Roberto Clemente statue is gorgeous. The bridge beyond the outfield is spectacular. The team on the field sucks.

-Follow ESNY - Elite Sports NY on Google News to keep up with the latest New York sports news.

Tab Bamford
Tab has written about MLB, the NHL and the NFL for more than a decade for publications including The Fourth Period, Bleacher Report and La Vida Baseball. He is the author of two books about the Chicago Blackhawks and has been credentialed for the MLB All-Star Game and postseason and multiple Stanley Cup Finals. He is the co-host of the Line Drive Radio podcast.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR