The trade deadline has come and gone, and now it’s time to break down our latest American League power rankings.
1. Tampa Bay Rays
For the first time, the Rays are No. 1. Oakland is slightly better, but they are getting some time off due to a positive COVID test. The Rays are in the middle of a big series against the Yankees where they already took Game 1 thanks to Tyler Glasnow continuing to be excellent.
2. Oakland Athletics
As mentioned, the A’s fall due to postponed games. It’s not their fault, but the Rays must be rewarded for their recent dominance. Oakland did get better in their short absence by adding Mike Minor from the Rangers.
3. Cleveland Indians
The Indians made the biggest splash at the deadline, trading Mike Clevinger to the Padres for a total of six players including Josh Naylor, Cal Quantrill, and Austin Hedges. All three will be with the team as they continue to fight for the AL Central crown.
4. Chicago White Sox
The White Sox were quiet at the deadline but are still in a prime position to make a run at the World Series thanks to their powerful lineup. They have been mashing the ball and it helps that their rotation, headlined by Lucas Giolito, who has been just as effective.
5. Minnesota Twins
The Twins have fallen to third in the AL Central after a poor showing against Detriot. This team still has all the tools to make a World Series run but they cannot afford to get cold as the White Sox and Indians are starting to surge.
6. Houston Astros
This team is still very good. Outside of Jose Altuve, Houston has been hitting the ball very well as of late. Most importantly, Framber Valdez is filling in nicely for the injured Justin Verlander.
7. New York Yankees
COVID-19 and injuries have really derailed this team. There shouldn’t be too many worries when it comes to the Yankees, besides their starting pitching. Once everyone returns from the IL, the Yankees should be right back atop the best teams in baseball.
8. Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays are all-in, and it shows by the trade for Taijuan Walker. We knew that this team would be fun to watch offensively, and they have. But the pitching, especially Hyun Jin Ryu, has been very beneficial for this team. They are a year away from contending, but this young group is blossoming early.
9. Detroit Tigers
Even after good back-to-back series against the Indians and Tigers, this team shouldn’t scare you. They are better than we thought, but still not very good. They will fizzle out very soon.
10. Baltimore Orioles
Like the Tigers, it could be very worse. The good news is they have a bright future and are playing some decent baseball this season. They will completely fizzle out soon as they don’t have the talent at the moment to contend.
11. Seattle Mariners
The Mariners got a haul at the deadline, specifically Taylor Trammell from San Diego. For their sake, let’s hope that their young talent finally pans out. They just cannot find real Major League talent.
12. Kansas City Royals
Brad Keller has been very impressive for the Royals and even had a great outing against Cleveland last night. Not trading Whit Merrifield and Jorge Soler was a peculiar decision, but the Royals still have a bright future ahead of them.
13. Texas Rangers
The Rangers made a huge mistake not trading Lance Lynn and Joey Gallo at the deadline. At some point, you cannot keep pushing back this total rebuild.
14. Los Angeles Angels
Even with the great seasons from Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon, this team stinks. They will have to address starting pitcher at some point over the next year.
15. Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox were silent for the most part at the deadline, but this team is in a full rebuild. The Red Sox are a couple of years away from being good again.
Check us out on our socials:
Twitter: @PTSTNews and @TalkPrimeTime
Facebook Page: Prime Time Sports Talk
Join our Facebook Group: Prime Time Sports Talk
Instagram: @ptsportstalk
Follow Daniel Corrigan on Twitter @Corrigan_Tweets
Main Image Credit:
One Response