With just four weeks of the regular season remaining, we have updated the SportsTips’ MLB Power Rankings to reflect how each team is looking down the stretch, what their form is like and their chances of making it into the postseason.
FanDuel continues to change their World Series odds and there are seven teams that seem to have put themselves above the rest of the pack heading into Week 22 of the 2021 MLB season, making the last four weeks even more exciting.
Here’s where all 30 MLB teams stand after 22 weeks of baseball:
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
World Series Championship Odds: +250
Current Record: 86-51
Previous Rankings: 2
The Los Angeles Dodgers have moved up to the top spot of the MLB Power Rankings following a 4-2 week. While they lost to the Giants, who are second in the rankings, 1-2 over the weekend, they still managed to sweep the NL East-leading Braves to start the week. LA will be disappointed that they aren’t on top of the NL West at the end of the week, we are betting on the fact that they will be by the end of the next four weeks.
Back on top in the NL West.
The @SFGiants hold on for a #SundayNightBaseball win. pic.twitter.com/xBTgLjOvqh
— MLB (@MLB) September 6, 2021
2. San Francisco Giants
World Series Championship Odds: +1000
Current Record: 87-50
Previous Rankings: 3
Despite beating LA 2-1 over the weekend, we can’t have the Giants in top spot given they had a 3-4 week. Their 1-3 series loss, at home, to the Brewers was extremely disappointing but at the end of the day, San Francisco still ended the week with the best record in baseball. They may not be playing as well as the Dodgers overall, again, despite beating them over the weekend, but they are doing enough to stay in front in the standings.
3. Milwaukee Brewers
World Series Championship Odds: +1000
Current Record: 84-54
Previous Rankings: 7
Milwaukee have made their way into the top three on the back of an extremely impressive performance in San Francisco. The Brewers managed to take the first three games of their four game series, setting up a 5-2 week. They are now just 3.5 games off the pace for the best record in baseball and their bullpen should scare all teams across the country.
4. Tampa Bay Rays
World Series Championship Odds: +750
Current Record: 86-51
Previous Rankings: 1
After making it up to #1 on our MLB Power Rankings last week, the Rays had a bit of a reality check over the last seven days. They started off incredibly well, comfortably beating the Red Sox in the first two games of the week but then went just 2-3 from there on out. They lost the next two games to Boston before going 2-1 to the Twins, with all of those games at home. While their lead in the American League and the AL East is almost uncatchable, they would want to be playing better down the stretch.
5. Houston Astros
World Series Championship Odds: +450
Current Record: 79-57
Previous Rankings: 4
It was another disappointing week for the Astros, going down to both the Mariners and Padres 1-2. They are now 6.5 games behind the Rays for top record in the American League whilst slipping to just 4.5 games above the Mariners in the AL West. They open the week against them and may need to make a statement.
6. Boston Red Sox
World Series Championship Odds: +3000
Current Record: 79-60
Previous Rankings: 8
The Red Sox are making their push and it is on the back of an impressive comeback in Tampa. After dropping the first two games of their series, Boston won the next two to leave with a 2-2 split. They then returned home to beat Cleveland 2-1, giving them plenty of good form into another matchup with the Rays to start the week. Can Boston continue their push up the charts and the standings down the stretch?
7. Chicago White Sox
World Series Championship Odds: +750
Current Record: 79-58
Previous Rankings: 9
While the White Sox had a 3-2 week, and still remain 9.5 games clear on top of the AL Central, they went 1-2 in Kansas City and are the worst-placed division leader in the American League with just four weeks left. While they are only marginally worse than the Astros, getting that second placed ranking for the playoffs is important and something this team should be aiming for.
8. San Diego Padres
World Series Championship Odds: +5000
Current Record: 73-64
Previous Rankings: 19
The Padres are the biggest winners of the week, moving up into the top 10 of our MLB Power Rankings and reclaiming the last Wild Card slot in the National League. While they will be kicking themselves for dropping a game to Arizona, winning that series 2-1, they also managed to beat the AL West-leading Astros 2-1 in a confidence boosting performance.
WALK-OFF BOMB IN THE DAMN CRONE ZONE!! PADRES WIN
pic.twitter.com/JOJWroEgY1— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) September 5, 2021
9. Atlanta Braves
World Series Championship Odds: +1600
Current Record: 72-64
Previous Rankings: 6
It was an unfortunate week for the Braves, going 0-3 in LA against the Dodgers despite having chances to win two of those three games. They then carried some poor form into Colorado, going just 2-2 against the Rockies. A 2-5 week isn’t great when your lead in the NL East is getting smaller by the day, with two teams right on your tail.
10. New York Yankees
World Series Championship Odds: +900
Current Record: 78-58
Previous Rankings: 5
The Yankees are one of the biggest fallers of the week, going just 2-4 with 1-2 series losses to both the Angels and Orioles. Both of those teams are well and truly out of postseason contention, with Baltimore posting the worst record in the league. Losing a series to them, at home, is simply unacceptable for a team that was once the favorites to win the World Series.
11. Seattle Mariners
World Series Championship Odds: +30000
Current Record: 75-62
Previous Rankings: 12
The Mariners are unlucky not to have cracked the top 10 this week. A 5-1 week saw them move up to second in the NL West, three games back from the Red Sox for the last Wild Card slot and just 4.5 games back from the Astros for the division lead. They started the week with a 2-1 series win over Houston but now open this week against them, in Houston, which will be a big test to see if they are ready for postseason baseball.
12. Cincinnati Reds
World Series Championship Odds: +5000
Current Record: 73-65
Previous Rankings: 10
Cincinnati had a disappointing week that has seen them hurt their postseason chances. Going just 2-4 isn’t great, but going 1-2 against both the Cardinals and Tigers, at home, is terrible. They are still only half a game behind the Padres for the last Wild Card slot but they aren’t playing like a postseason team at the moment.
13. Toronto Blue Jays
World Series Championship Odds: +8000
Current Record: 73-62
Previous Rankings: 14
A 5-1 week has breathed some fresh air into the chances of Toronto down the stretch. Getting a full week at home, the Blue Jays went 2-1 over the Orioles and then swept the A’s, who they have leap frogged in our MLB Power Rankings. Toronto is just four games back from a Wild Card slot but are in the right sort of form to be able to make it matter. However, a matchup with the Yankees, in Yankee Stadium, to start the week will let us know how well they are really going.
14. Oakland Athletics
World Series Championship Odds: +7000
Current Record: 74-63
Previous Rankings: 11
The A’s are in a rough patch of poor form at the moment and it couldn’t have come at a worse time. Oakland’s 2-4 week has seen them drop to third in the AL West and are now four games back from the Red Sox for the last Wild Card slot. They still have time to turn things around, only needing to make up one game per week, but they can’t keep playing the way they are at the moment.
15. Philadelphia Phillies
World Series Championship Odds: +8000
Current Record: 70-66
Previous Rankings: 16
Despite dropping a series to the Marlins, the Phillies managed to stay just above their AL East-rivals, the Mets. A 4-2 week was buoyed by a 3-0 series win in Washington and has meant that Philadelphia are now only two games behind Atlanta in the race for the division title.
16. St Louis Cardinals
World Series Championship Odds: +20000
Current Record: 69-66
Previous Rankings: 15
St Louis have dropped down a spot in our MLB Power Rankings due to having an even 3-3 week and also the fact that they are three games out of a playoff spot while the Phillies are just two games out of one. While they played much better teams, the Reds and Brewers, than the Phillies, that is the nature of the game and you need to beat what is put in front of you.
17. New York Mets
World Series Championship Odds: +10000
Current Record: 69-68
Previous Rankings: 20
The Mets move up three spots in the charts thanks to a 5-1 week that has them just 3.5 games behind the Braves for top spot of the AL East. However, their 5-1 week is less impressive when you consider they played the Marlins and Nationals, who have a combined 0.414 record.
KEVIN PILLAR THE HERO OF THE 2021 NEW YORK METS HITS A GRAND SLAM! pic.twitter.com/tZFOsyp508
— Mets’d Up Podcast (@MetsdUp) September 5, 2021
18. Cleveland Indians
World Series Championship Odds: +60000
Current Record: 68-66
Previous Rankings: 21
After taking all three games in Kansas City to start the week, Cleveland has moved above them in our MLB Power Rankings. They also managed to steal one of three games in Fenway Park to finish with a 4-2 week and while there is some slim chance they could sneak into the postseason, Cleveland should be focused on celebrating these little victories rather than aiming higher than they need to.
19. Kansas City Royals
World Series Championship Odds: Off the charts
Current Record: 61-75
Previous Rankings: 13
Another team that is hard to pick, the Royals showed their inconsistency yet again. They dropped all three games to Cleveland, at home, to start the week but then managed to beat the White Sox 2-1. Given there is a 9.5 game difference between those sides, in favor of the White Sox, Kansas City’s results are even more confusing and frustrating.
20. Los Angeles Angels
World Series Championship Odds: Off the charts
Current Record: 68-69
Previous Rankings: 23
The Angels are still 10 games off the pace in terms of an American League Wild Card slot, but they had a successful week, going 4-2. While a 2-1 series win over the Rangers is expected, a 2-1 series win over the Yankees is not and was a massive positive for LA. Shohei Ohtani is 5-0 with a 2.20 ERA in his last seven starts whilst also managing three runs, two of which were homers, over the last week.
21. Colorado Rockies
World Series Championship Odds: Off the charts
Current Record: 63-74
Previous Rankings: 17
While the Rockies managed to split a four game series with the NL East-leading Braves, we aren’t forgetting how they opened the week – dropping a series 1-2 to the lowly Rangers. Colorado are genuinely a case of unbackable on the road and almost must-back at home but that sort of inconsistency isn’t getting you anywhere meaningful.
22. Detroit Tigers
World Series Championship Odds: Off the charts
Current Record: 65-73
Previous Rankings: 22
It was another mediocre and inconsistent week by the Reds, losing a one-off game to the Twins, before going down 1-2, at home, to the A’s before beating the Reds 2-1, in Cincinnati. While the Reds are slipping at the moment, they are a Wild Card contender so a series win over them is a big positive.
23. Chicago Cubs
World Series Championship Odds: Off the charts
Current Record: 63-75
Previous Rankings: 26
The Chicago Cubs had an interesting week, being swept in a series before sweeping a team, finishing up going 4-2. Back to back losses in Minnesota were disappointing before a 4-0 sweep of the lowly, struggling Pirates redeemed their week. While it isn’t a massive achievement beating Pittsburgh, being able to claim all four wins is worthy of commenting on and as well as a slight rise up the charts.
24. Miami Marlins
World Series Championship Odds: Off the charts
Current Record: 57-80
Previous Rankings: 24
With plenty of movement all around them, the Marlins are actually unlucky not to have moved higher this week. While they only went 2-4 this week, they did go 2-1 against the Phillies and actually moved off the bottom of the NL East, moving to fourth while the Nationals dropped down to fifth.
25. Minnesota Twins
World Series Championship Odds: Off the charts
Current Record: 59-77
Previous Rankings: 18
After holding a higher spot in the MLB Power Rankings than their record suggests they should, being buoyed by good performances against top-level teams, the Twins have come crashing back down to earth. While they managed to steal a game off the Rays, they lost the two others in the series and also dropped two at home to the Cubs.
26. Baltimore Orioles
World Series Championship Odds: Off the charts
Current Record: 43-92
Previous Rankings: 30
The Baltimore Orioles had one of their best weeks of the season and have moved off the bottom of our MLB Power Rankings because of it. While they only went 3-3, for a team that is 0.319 this season that is massive, especially when all six games were on the road against divisional rivals. A 2-1 series win in Yankee Stadium would feel very nice for this ball club.
BIG-TIME win in the Big Apple! pic.twitter.com/FpCcYjigC9
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) September 5, 2021
27. Texas Rangers
World Series Championship Odds: Off the charts
Current Record: 48-88
Previous Rankings: 29
Another team at the bottom of the rankings and their respective division that actually had a good week. The Rangers going 3-3 is a big achievement considering they are aiming towards the draft. They are below the Orioles because their six games were at home and against much worse opposition.
28. Pittsburgh Pirates
World Series Championship Odds: Off the charts
Current Record: 48-89
Previous Rankings: 25
The only team in the majors that failed to register a win last week, the Pirates are ending this season in very poor fashion and are lucky not to be on the bottom of our MLB Power Rankings. While a 0-2 result in Chicago to th White Sox is expected, to then go 0-4 in Chicago against the Cubs isn’t good enough.
29. Arizona Diamondbacks
World Series Championship Odds: Off the charts
Current Record: 45-93
Previous Rankings: 28
It was another disappointing week for the Diamondbacks that saw them lose five of six games at home, including a 3-0 sweep at the hands of the red-hot Mariners. While they are in one of the two toughest divisions in baseball, their record and recent form speaks for itself.
30. Washington Nationals
World Series Championship Odds: Off the charts
Current Record: 56-80
Previous Rankings: 27
The Nationals have had a disastrous second half of the season and now find themselves on the bottom of the very weak NL East. They were lucky to pick up a win against the Mets but lost that series 3-1 and couldn’t register a win against the Phillies earlier in the week, despite all seven games being at home.
*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel
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