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MLB Power Rankings: Yankees, Indians on the rise

tim brown
MLB columnist

Boy Scouts were in the news recently. We think Boy Scouts are cool. We thought it would be fun to hand out merit badges.

The rankings (records through Wednesday’s games):

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (75-32; Previous: 1): For Clay’s kid: Pottery.

2. Houston Astros (69-38; Previous: 2): Brad Peacock killin’ it: Bird Study. Or Brad Study.

3. Washington Nationals (63-43; Previous: 3): Given the bullpen issues: Emergency Preparedness.

4. Arizona Diamondbacks (61-46; Previous: 5): Reptile and Amphibian Study. Because, snakes.

5. New York Yankees (57-49; Previous: 10): We didn’t know this was a badge, but Aaron Judge probably did: Space Exploration.

6. Cleveland Indians (57-48; Previous: 11): Yan Gomes, 22 men caught stealing: Crime Prevention.

7. Chicago Cubs (57-49; Previous: 9): For the second-half rally: Bugling.

The AL East will be a battle the final two months between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. (AP)
The AL East will be a battle the final two months between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. (AP)

8. Boston Red Sox (59-49; Previous: 4): For superior defense: Leatherwork.

9. Colorado Rockies (61-47; Previous: 6): They’ll find some pitching somewhere: Scuba Diving.

10. Kansas City Royals (55-51; Previous: 16): For enabling themselves to continue life in the AL Central: Sustainability.

11. Milwaukee Brewers (56-53; Previous: 7): Eric Thames was, for a time, a revelation: Search and Rescue.

12. Seattle Mariners (55-54; Previous: 13): There’s a compass on their dang hat. Orienteering.

13. Tampa Bay Rays (56-53; Previous: 8): Just put it all together and see what it looks like: Welding.

14. St. Louis Cardinals (53-54; Previous: 15): Signs, Signals and Codes. And passwords.

15. Baltimore Orioles (53-54; Previous: 20): For when Buck gets mad. Graphic Arts.

16. Pittsburgh Pirates (51-56; Previous: 14): Just kinda hanging behind the leaders in the NL Central. Drafting.

17. Minnesota Twins (51-54; Previous: 12): Buy? Sell? Both? Just hold on, baby. Whitewater.

Mike Trout is back, but can he get the Los Angeles Angels in the wild card hunt? (Getty)
Mike Trout is back, but can he get the Los Angeles Angels in the wild card hunt? (Getty)

18. Los Angeles Angels (53-55; Previous: 17): Rowing a one-man boat: Kayaking.

19. Miami Marlins (51-55; Previous: 25): What everybody else seems to be playing: Chess.

20. Texas Rangers (51-56; Previous: 19): Searching for that first World Series championship. Archeology.

21. New York Mets (49-56; Previous: 22): A summer of going through the motions: Robotics.

22. Atlanta Braves (49-57; Previous: 18): Also Milwaukee Braves. Also Boston Braves. Genealogy.

23. Toronto Blue Jays (51-57; Previous: 21): So many trips through customs. Stamp Collecting.

24. Detroit Tigers (49-57; Previous: 23): Pulp and Paper (Tigers).

25. San Diego Padres (48-59; Previous: 26): Maybe next year! Salesmanship.

26. Oakland Athletics (48-60; Previous: 24): Athletics. There’s a badge for that. Like, they’re named after a merit badge.

27. Cincinnati Reds (44-63; Previous: 27): To the highest team ERA in the league: Traffic Safety.

28. Chicago White Sox (41-64; Previous: 28): Iffy offense means fewer folks on base paths: Soil and Water Conservation.

29. Philadelphia Phillies (39-66; Previous: 30): They’ll be good again one day. Meantime, Wilderness Survival.

30. San Francisco Giants (41-68; Previous: 29): Up a creek, down a paddle: Canoeing.

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