MLB power rankings: Once formidable Houston Astros keep sinking in mild, mild AL West

2024-12-19 09:15:25 News

Odd enough that the American League West is, objectively, a bad division. Odder still that it looks increasingly unlikely the Houston Astros will finish atop it.

The division that produced both AL finalists a year ago will crown a champion, as Major League Baseball bylaws require. But just one team is above .500 as we near the halfway point – this, one year after three teams won at least 88 games, and the Astros and Texas Rangers met in the AL Championship Series.

But the Astros’ streak of six consecutive division titles grows increasingly imperiled with each cold streak and moderate displays of competence from the Seattle Mariners. The Mariners took three of four games from Houston this week and then, because they’ve performed so poorly at the plate this year, fired their bench coach and offensive coordinator, Brant Brown.

The Astros then lost a weekend series at home to Minnesota, to drop 7½ games back and slide three more spots in USA TODAY Sports’ power rankings.

A look at this week's rankings:

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1. New York Yankees (-)

And Gerrit Cole begins a rehab assignment Tuesday.

2. Philadelphia Phillies (-)

Things might get a little misty when Rhys Hoskins returns.

3. Baltimore Orioles (-)

Elbow matters: John Means and Tyler Wells out for the season, but Kyle Bradish pitching like Cy Young candidate.

4. Cleveland Guardians (+1)

Daniel Scheenemann, a 33rd-round pick in 2018, hits two-run double in first at-bat.

5. Los Angeles Dodgers (-1)

Clayton Kershaw close to getting on the radar.

6. Milwaukee Brewers (+2)

Are they really going to run away with the NL Central?

7. Atlanta Braves (-1)

Might as well learn to spell it now: Spencer Schwellenbach.

8. Kansas City Royals (-1)

Here we go folks: Three-game set at Cleveland, starting Tuesday.

9. Seattle Mariners (-1)

Offensive offense loses its coordinator.

10. Minnesota Twins (-)

Jhoan Duran has just 14 strikeouts in 15 innings.

11. San Diego Padres (+1)

Slowly pulling away from Giants, Diamondbacks in first runner-up race.

12. Boston Red Sox (+4)

Offense should get a boost once Tyler O'Neill and Masato Yoshida return.

13. Texas Rangers (+4)

Once again, Max Scherzer taking tentative steps toward return.

14. Detroit Tigers (+1)

Another trip to the minors for former No. 1 overall pick Spencer Torkelson.

15. Chicago Cubs (-4)

Shota Imanaga finally looks human, and club suddenly looks vulnerable.

16. San Francisco Giants (-3)

Yankees demolition was simply a varsity vs. JV situation.

17. Tampa Bay Rays (-)

Jose Siri kept a bad week from being much worse.

18. Washington Nationals (+5)

Reliever Hunter Harvey has a 0.71 WHIP in last 17 games.

19. St. Louis Cardinals (+2)

Lars Nootbaar's oblique injury pokes another hole in outfield.

20. Toronto Blue Jays (+5)

Throwback weekend: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. starts a game at third base.

21. Arizona Diamondbacks (-3)

Dropping two to Rangers shows Arizona's hangover is worse than the World Series champs'.

22. Houston Astros (-3)

5-13 in one-run games.

23. Cincinnati Reds (-3)

Nice to see TJ Friedl win them a game.

24. Pittsburgh Pirates (-2)

Paul Skenes, meet Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani.

25. New York Mets (-1)

Will take their unique form of misery to London this weekend.

26. Oakland Athletics (-)

Miguel Andujar off to a 13-for-33 (.394) start as an Athletic.

27. Los Angeles Angels (-)

No choice but to ship the struggling Reid Detmers back to minors.

28. Colorado Rockies (-)

Snap a seven-game losing streak at Dodger Stadium.

29. Miami Marlins (-)

Bum shoulder once again sends Sixto Sanchez to injured list.

30. Chicago White Sox (-)

This 11-game losing streak is rock bottom. At least for now.