With just two weeks remaining in the regular season, 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 now a clear six teams that have put themselves above the rest of the pack heading into Week 25 of the 2021 MLB season, making the last four weeks even more exciting.
Here’s where all 30 MLB teams stand after 24 weeks of baseball:
1. San Francisco Giants
World Series Championship Odds: +750
Current Record: 97-53
Previous Rankings: 2
The Giants remain on top of the MLB Power Rankings, but only just. A 4-3 week saw the league-leaders split a series, at home, with the Padres, who then went on to get swept by the Cardinals. Their lead on top of the NL West has dwindled down to just one game and the Dodgers are hot on their heels.
Clayton Kershaw 🔥 pic.twitter.com/MdsOoEfwvk
— Dodger Yard (@DodgerYard) September 19, 2021
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
World Series Championship Odds: +270
Current Record: 96-54
Previous Rankings: 3
It was a massive week for LA. Not only did they go 5-1 and close the gap on San Francisco, but the Dodgers had Clayton Kershaw pitch in two games that resulted in wins. He is an extremely important part of their top-level bullpen and to have him back in the fold is massive for the World Series favorites.
3. Houston Astros
World Series Championship Odds: +480
Current Record: 88-61
Previous Rankings: 4
Houston had a great week. They went 5-2, won both their series, they all but locked up the #2 seed in the American League and they also became just the second team this season to eclipse +200 for their run differential. There is no denying how talented this team is, especially their batting lineup, but can they play consistently enough to make a splash in the postseason?
4. Milwaukee Brewers
World Series Championship Odds: +850
Current Record: 91-58
Previous Rankings: 2
Despite going just 2-3 last week, the Brewers secured a playoff berth for the fourth straight season and will head into the playoffs with the #2 seed in the National League. Their big strength is their bullpen, given they are just one run off the Giants, who have allowed the fewest runs this season.
5. Tampa Bay Rays
World Series Championship Odds: +700
Current Record: 92-58
Previous Rankings: 5
While alarm bells shouldn’t be going off just yet, the Rays having a below 0.500 week this close to the postseason isn’t a good thing. A three-game series in Toronto is always tough, but to return home and split a four-game series with the Tigers, who are six games below 0.500, is not ok.
6. Boston Red Sox
World Series Championship Odds: +2000
Current Record: 86-65
Previous Rankings: 8
Here come the Red Sox. A 5-1 week has seen Boston regain second place in the AL East, move a game clear of the final Wild Card slot and put themselves in a very good position for the last two weeks. Their schedule is pretty light the rest of the way home too, given three of their last four opponents are below 0.500.
7. St Louis Cardinals
World Series Championship Odds: +6000
Current Record: 79-69
Previous Rankings: 13
The Cardinals are the form team in all of baseball right now and the biggest movers in our MLB Power Rankings. Their eight game streak is the best active streak in the league and they are have the final National League Wild Card by three games. While the Reds and Padres won’t give up, St Louis just swept the Padres over the weekend, highlighting their form. The worry is that half of their remaining games are against the Brewers, meaning they will have to earn it.
How sweep it is!
That’s EIGHT in a row for the @Cardinals! https://t.co/DNNtNuFcSQ pic.twitter.com/WdJ2KO5MRg
— MLB (@MLB) September 19, 2021
8. Chicago White Sox
World Series Championship Odds: +750
Current Record: 85-64
Previous Rankings: 6
It is hard to be positive about Chicago’s week. They went 3-3 against the Angels and Rangers, who have a combined record of 0.426. That is no way for a division leader to be playing at this stage of the season and they now look destined to be the worst placed of the division leaders in the American League.
9. Toronto Blue Jays
World Series Championship Odds: +2000
Current Record: 84-65
Previous Rankings: 7
You ask for much more from the Blue Jays. They went 4-2 last week beating the Twins and the AL East-leading Rays 2-1 in their respective series. Given the Yankees’ poor form, Toronto now holds on to the last American League Wild Card by 1.5 games. However, they open this week in Tampa and then host the Yankees in the final week, meaning this is no lay-down misere.
10. Atlanta Braves
World Series Championship Odds: +1600
Current Record: 77-70
Previous Rankings: 9
The Braves are still in the playoff picture, just. A 1-4 week saw their lead in the NL East shrink to just two games. Admittedly they finished the week in San Francisco, only managing to go 1-2 there, but they opened the week at home against the Rockies and lost both games played. They need to turn things around ASAP, especially with eight games on the road this week.
11. Oakland Athletics
World Series Championship Odds: +19000
Current Record: 82-67
Previous Rankings: 15
After looking down & out, the A’s came back to life with a 5-1 week. They now have the second longest winning streak in all of baseball and have put themselves in a position to strike. The issue is they have 10 days straight of the Mariners & Astros and will have to win at least seven of those to give themselves any chance at a Wild Card.
12. Philadelphia Phillies
World Series Championship Odds: +4900
Current Record: 76-73
Previous Rankings: 17
They will be kicking themselves that they couldn’t complete the sweep last night but Philadelphia did everything they needed to last week. A 4-2 week saw them move within two games of the Braves for the top of the NL East and they now host Baltimore and Pittsburgh this week, who have a combined record of 0.346.
13. New York Yankees
World Series Championship Odds: +2300
Current Record: 83-67
Previous Rankings: 11
With their season on the line, the Yankees went to water. A 4-3 week was capped off with a thumping by Cleveland. New York gave up 22 runs across two games, only managing four themselves, at home. They are now 1.5 games back from the last Wild Card slot with two weeks to go and have the hardest remaining schedule of the AL East contenders.
Gerrit Cole leaves and gets booed. Gee, he’s been CARRYING this team all year. pic.twitter.com/pPGgJFeC7c
— John Sterling Calls (@JSterlingCalls) September 19, 2021
14. San Diego Padres
World Series Championship Odds: +8500
Current Record: 76-73
Previous Rankings: 10
The Padres had a Wild Card berth in their reach and then threw it away over the weekend and dropped in our MLB Power Rankings because of it. Three games against the Cardinals, who they were tied with heading into the series, saw them get swept and pushed 3.5 games back. They are just 2-8 over their last 10 games and are now turning on each other, seen by Tatis Jr & Machado throwing hands.
15. Cincinnati Reds
World Series Championship Odds: +10000
Current Record: 77-73
Previous Rankings: 12
While a matchup with the Dodgers is about as tough as it comes in baseball, the Reds had already gone down 1-2 to the lowly Pirates. Considering there is a chance they could still make the postseason, being just three games back from the Cardinals, that sort of effort can’t be tolerated.
16. Seattle Mariners
World Series Championship Odds: +24000
Current Record: 80-69
Previous Rankings: 14
Starting out the week against an in-form Red Sox side is tough, but the Mariners managed to end up going 3-3 and still within reach of the Blue Jays, who hold the last American League Wild Card. Seven of their last 14 games are against the A’s, who are also chasing the Blue Jays, but the other seven are against the Angels, who are playing poorly and looking forward to the offseason.
17. New York Mets
World Series Championship Odds: +13000
Current Record: 73-77
Previous Rankings: 16
After a good week two weeks ago, the Mets lost five straight games last week to go 1-5 and see their slim chances of sneaking to the top of the NL East dissipate. Having all six games at home, the Mets got swept by the Cardinals and then lost 1-2 to the Phillies. While they are both above 0.500 and tough opponents, this week was the final nail in the coffin.
18. Detroit Tigers
World Series Championship Odds: Off the charts
Current Record: 72-78
Previous Rankings: 19
Despite being well and truly out of playoff contention, given they are six games below 0.500, the Tigers seem to be fighting to close out the season. A 4-2 week saw Detroit take both games from the Brewers before splitting a four-game series with the Rays, in Tampa. There are plenty of positives to take from this and they should continue to finish the season off strongly.
19. Colorado Rockies
World Series Championship Odds: Off the charts
Current Record: 66-78
Previous Rankings: 18
Another side that is just below 0.500 but had a positive week, the Rockies made a splash whilst travelling out east. They took both games from the Braves, in Atlanta before closing out the week going 2-1 in Washington. Unfortunately for Colorado, they are the fourth best team in their division, and play the 2nd and 3rd best teams this week.
20. Cleveland Indians
World Series Championship Odds: Off the charts
Current Record: 69-72
Previous Rankings: 22
They may be the worst second placed team in all of baseball, but Cleveland makes a small rise up our MLB Power Rankings thanks to an explosive weekend, along with a 4-2 record last week. Playing all six games on the road, Cleveland went 2-1 against both the Twins and Yankees, including out-scoring New York 22-4 in two games over the weekend.
21. Kansas City Royals
World Series Championship Odds: Off the charts
Current Record: 67-82
Previous Rankings: 20
It was a tough week for Kansas City, playing the A’s and Mariners, who are both chasing a postseason berth. It has been a disappointing year for the Royals but they have shown glimpses of ability, highlighted by scoring 8+ runs in three of their games last week.
22. Miami Marlins
World Series Championship Odds: Off the charts
Current Record: 63-86
Previous Rankings: 23
The Marlins broke even last week but given the quality of their opponents, they should have done better. Despite being 23 games under 0.500 themselves, Miami played two teams with worse records and still only managed to go 3-3.
There have been more than 6,000 instances of a pitcher striking out 100 batters in a season. There have been 351 instances of a batter hitting 40 home runs.
Shohei Ohtani is the only player in MLB history to do both in a single season. pic.twitter.com/emq3TAv5WI
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 17, 2021
23. Los Angeles Angels
World Series Championship Odds: Off the charts
Current Record: 72-77
Previous Rankings: 21
Reports broke that Shohei Ohtani would be done pitching for the remainder of the season, but he actually started yesterday and only allowed two runs in eight innings of work. The issue is, LA still lost 2-3. They went 2-4 for the week and have now fallen five games below 0.500 for the season.
24. Pittsburgh Pirates
World Series Championship Odds: Off the charts
Current Record: 56-93
Previous Rankings: 27
With the best week of the bottom teams, Pittsburgh made a jump up our MLB Power Rankings. Coming up against two teams with better records than them, the Pirates went 2-1 against the Reds and Marlins, showing that this team can do some damage, when they put their minds to it.
25. Minnesota Twins
World Series Championship Odds: Off the charts
Current Record: 65-85
Previous Rankings: 24
Minnesota couldn’t muster much of a showing last week, going 2-5 and losing series to Cleveland and Toronto, along with a one-off game with the Yankees. The Twins will know that they are just 2.5 games behind Kansas City and may want to try their hardest to ensure they don’t finish on the bottom of the AL Central.
26. Chicago Cubs
World Series Championship Odds: Off the charts
Current Record: 67-83
Previous Rankings: 25
Coming up against a division leader and a team that is hunting a postseason berth, the Cubs weren’t expected to do much last week. They gave up over seven runs per game to the Phillies and Brewers last week and only managed two wins from six games because of that.
27. Texas Rangers
World Series Championship Odds: Off the charts
Current Record: 55-94
Previous Rankings: 26
The Rangers played two division leaders and managed to steal a game off both of them, but lost the other five games they played. Given all seven were at home and they now play seven straight on the road, Texas won’t be looking at many more wins for the rest of the season.
28. Washington Nationals
World Series Championship Odds: Off the charts
Current Record: 61-88
Previous Rankings: 30
With a two game gap to fourth, the Nationals are firmly planted to the bottom of the NL East. They even played the Marlins, who are in fourth, but lost that series 1-2. They get another opportunity to start this week but now play them in Miami and have tough games that follow that.
29. Arizona Diamondbacks
World Series Championship Odds: Off the charts
Current Record: 48-101
Previous Rankings: 29
Considering they were playing the Dodgers and Astros, some people may have expected the Diamondbacks to go winless. After being swept by the Dodgers to start the week, that was looking more and more like a realistic outcome. However, they showed some fight, going 1-2 against the Astros but breaking even for runs scored in the series.
30. Baltimore Orioles
World Series Championship Odds: Off the charts
Current Record: 47-102
Previous Rankings: 28
The Orioles return to the bottom of our MLB Power Rankings, which is where they truly belong. During the week they became the first team to reach 100 losses, going 1-5 in games against the Yankees and Red Sox.
*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel
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