Welcome to the first edition of the Half Street High Heat Power Rankings. Every Tuesday from now until the end of the season, HSHH contributors will submit their individual Top 15 MLB Power Rankings to be averaged out for an official HSHH Power Ranking. Below in parenthesis next to each HSHH contributor’s name you can see what each individual ranked that particular team that week. Also included are some of the thoughts on the teams ranked for each of these contributors. Do you agree with our rankings? Which HSHH contributor got it right and which HSHH contributor got it wrong?

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (70-33)

Last Week Record: 7-0

Monty (1): Everyone was talking about the Padres trades but the Dodgers remain the class of NL West and MLB after a statement sweep of San Diego.

Nick (1): It’s their world and we’re just living in it. They didn’t make any additions to prevent the October burnout, so we’ll see if this year is just more of the same failure.

Danny (1): I’m not sure how we could go in any other direction here. Their lineup is nasty and they just swept Juan Soto’s Padres in LA. As long as Kershaw’s injury doesn’t linger too long, they’re the team to beat.

Matt (1): And it’s not really close. The Dodgers just manhandled the division-rival Padres in a three game series proving they are still the team to beat in baseball.

Tyler (1): Not really much to say here, this team is an absolute wagon and has virtually no holes. It’s pretty easy to see why they have the best record in the sport at this point. Easy World Series favorites.

Allison (1)

Ryan (1)

2. New York Mets (71-39)

Last Week Record: 6-2

Monty (2): The Mets have been really good all year and now they’ve got deGrom back. Easy #2 for me after they took 4 of 5 from Atlanta over the weekend.

Nick (2): I hate to say it, but this team is good and only getting better.

Danny (2): With deGrom and Scherzer at the top of the rotation and Diaz closing games out, they’re going to be hard to beat. The only question for me is whether their lineup can do enough against a team like the Dodgers?

Matt (4):  I hate to say it but the Mets keep proving me wrong. It’s been a special season so for in NY.

Tyler (3): When fully healthy, the Mets have the best rotation in baseball and it’s not even close. DeGrom, Scherzer, Bassitt is a nightmare top of the rotation in October, and it’s hard to see even the most elite lineups compete with that. Their lineup is also insanely annoying to face. Not a ton of power, but a lot of contact, a lot of long at bats running up pitch counts, and a lot of timely hitting with RISP. They also have the best closer in the game in Edwin Diaz. As much as I hate to say it, they are legitimate World Series threats and I would be shocked if they didn’t win the NL East at this point after taking 4 out of 5 from the Braves this past weekend.

Allison (2)

Ryan (2)

3. Houston Astros (70-40)

Last Week Record: 3-4

Monty (3): The Astros keep on truckin’ in the AL West and are pushing the Yankees for the best record in the American League.

Nick (4): Can we get past the 2017 stuff? The Astros are just good.

Danny (3): They just keep going year after year. Justin Verlander anchors a stacked rotation that’s just not getting enough credit. They’re the favorite in the AL.

Matt (2): It’s close between the Astros and Yankees, but I gotta give Houston the nod because of their H2H record against NY.

Tyler (2): Every year people say this team is gonna fall off and every year they’re wrong. Despite losing Cole, Springer, and Correa in the last few years, the Astros know how to replicate and replace talent like no one else. Their pitching is deep and their lineup is scary. They are the best team in the American League.

Allison (3)

Ryan (3)

4. New York Yankees (71-39)

Last Week Record: 1-5

Monty (4): The Yankees are 10-16 since the All Star Break and were just swept by the Cardinals. They need to get it figured out against the Mariners and Red Sox this week.

Nick (5): The most overrated and fraudulent team in baseball. The Joey Gallo curse is upon them.

Danny (4): They’ve fallen off a bit recently, but they’re still a very very good team. Aaron Judge is going to have to continue to carry them because the rest of the lineup hasn’t been what it was supposed to be.

Matt (3): They are slumping right now, but the Yankees will be fine. Getting Giancarlo Stanton back healthy will be big to get them going in the right direction.

Tyler (4): Despite their struggles since coming out of the All-Star break, the Yankees have still proven they are an elite team and had by far and away the best record in the sport for most of the season. They have an absurd lineup with AL MVP favorite Aaron Judge and pretty strong pitching despite regression from Cole and Nestor Cortes recently. They also just added Frankie Montas and Andrew Benintendi. I still think this team is a serious October threat, just not as complete as the top 3.

Allison (4)

Ryan (6)

5. Atlanta Braves (64-46)

Last Week Record: 2-5

Monty (5): Braves lost 4 of 5 in Queens this past weekend but they’re still a Top 5 baseball team right now.

Nick (3): I hate it even more that this team is good.

Danny (5): They got smacked around by the Mets this weekend, but they’re the defending champs and have been playing very well since the beginning of June.

Matt (7): Would it really surprise anyone if the Braves got fully healthy and made another deep postseason run?

Tyler (6): The Braves are still a very talented team, but the last few meetings with the Mets have proven who the superior team is in the NL East. They still have a great lineup despite Acuna’s struggles this year. They also have a good bullpen. I do have questions about their rotation outside of Max Fried though. But still, the Braves are a lock for October and can very easily make a deep run again.

Allison (5)

Ryan (5)

6. Toronto Blue Jays (60-49)

Last Week Record: 3-3

Monty (6): They split a short series with the Rays and then a 4-game series with the Twins. For me, it’s only a matter of time before they go on a run.

Nick (6): This is a really talented team that hasn’t put it together yet. Betting on the talent here.

Danny (6): They’re better than their record indicates. There is a ton of talent on this team, it’s just a matter of whether they’re going to be able to put it all together and get things clicking at the same time.

Matt (6): Dynamic lineup, some questions about their pitching.

Tyler (7): Like the Padres, the Jays are just too talented and have too many names to not get it going a little further soon. The Yankees are still the kings of the AL East, but this team should make some noise with their lineup. Their pitching does scare me a bit though.

Allison (6)

Ryan (8)

7. St. Louis Cardinals (60-48)

Last Week Record: 6-0

Monty (7): The only team besides the Dodgers to have a perfect week after sweeping the Cubs and the Yankees.

Nick (7): They’re a very mature team and a well oiled machine.

Danny (9): They’ve won 7 straight, including a 3 game sweep over the Yankees. They’ve overtaken the Brewers and have a pretty soft schedule to end the year. The 7 head-to-head games against the Brewers might decide the Central.

Matt (8): I think they end up running away with the N.L. Central fairly easily, winning the division by 4-5 games.

Tyler (8): You can always count on the Cardinals to be a solid, great, but not amazing team. And that’s exactly what they are. They’ve won 7 straight and just overtook the Brewers for the division lead.

Allison (7)

Ryan (4)

8. San Diego Padres (61-51)

Last Week Record: 4-4

Monty (10): Like my colleagues, I do believe this team is very talented but getting swept by the Dodgers yet again after making the moves they did means I couldn’t put them higher than 10th.

Nick (8): Pitching is still a question, but this team is too good not to be good. The Dodgers are still the Padres’ Padre though.

Danny (8): The Dodgers showed them just how far off they still are from being the Kings of the West, but this is still a very good team. Add Fernando Tatis Jr. to the lineup and it’s scary. It would be shocking if they didn’t make the playoffs come October, the question is whether they’ll make some noise or not.

Matt (5): The Padres are going to take some time to gel, but they will be a team no one wants to face come October, especially if Fernando Tatis Jr. can come back and stay healthy.

Tyler (5): Despite just getting swept in LA, the Padres are just way too talented on paper after adding Juan Soto, Josh Bell, Josh Hader, and Brandon Drury to not take off soon. I still think when it’s all said and done, they’ll be the top WC team in the NL. They also still have 7 games to play with the Nats, so that’ll help them boost their win total.

Allison (8)

Ryan (9)

9. Philadelphia Phillies (60-48)

Last Week Record: 5-1

Monty (8): Massive week for the Phillies as they split with the Braves and then take all 4 from the Nationals. This could be the year they finally make the playoffs.

Nick (12): It would certainly be a shame if Milwaukee passed them and extended the Phillies’ playoff drought. Real shame.

Danny (7): They’re playing really well right now without Bryce Harper and they play only 7 games against a team with a winning record between now and September 15th (all against the Mets). Once they add the two time MVP back to their lineup, they should be a bonafide playoff contender….except for that awful defense and questionable bullpen.

Matt (10): Who wants to face the Phillies right now? The way their lineup is mashing they seem well on their way to breaking the team’s postseason drought. 

Tyler (9): The Phils deserve praise for the amount of noise they’ve made despite being without their best player in Bryce Harper for most of the season. Their lineup has done damage without Bryce and their rotation has been good. Again, what will always scare me with the Phillies is their bullpen and defense. But I think they have a solid shot as  a Wild Card team.

Allison (10)

Ryan (7)

10. Seattle Mariners (59-52)

Last Week Record: 4-3

Monty (9): I was very impressed with the Mariners last week when they went to the Bronx and won a series without Julio Rodriguez and Ty France in their lineup. Now France is back and so is Mitch Haniger as the Mariners seek their first playoff appearance since 2001.

Nick (9): I love the aggressive deadline move. Making the postseason is almost their world series and they’re going all in.

Danny (11): This could be the year that they finally break the postseason drought. I love the acquisition of Castillo to anchor their rotation. This is an exciting team to watch.

Matt (9): Darkhouse contender in the A.L., but just not as talented as Houston or NYY.

Tyler (10):  Despite constantly being overshadowed by the Astros in that division and also not seemingly being able to beat them, the Ms are a talented bunch and have some real good going for them. Julio Rodriguez is already becoming one of the best players in the sport. I’d be shocked to not see their playoff drought end this year.

Allison (9)

Ryan (14)

11. Minnesota Twins (57-51)

Last Week Record: 4-3

Monty (12): They’re barely hanging on for the division but a crucial weekend split with the Blue Jays keeps them atop the AL Central.

Nick (11): They’re taking advantage of the weakest division in baseball. Their postseason loss streak will continue.

Danny (12): They were the only AL Central club to make any additions at the deadline, despite just two games separating them, the Guardians and the White Sox. They’re probably the best team of that bunch, but the AL Central is ugly right now.

Matt (11): Made some great moves at the trade deadline that will pay off into a division title.

Tyler (12): Solid team, made some great additions at the trade deadline in Jorge Lopez and Tyler Mahle. Correa has been a little underwhelming for them, but regardless I think they will win the AL Central when it’s all said and done.

Allison (12)

Ryan (11)

12. Tampa Bay Rays (58-50)

Last Week Record: 4-2

Monty (11): They’ve had more injuries than anyone else in baseball and here they still are, just chugging along towards another postseason berth.

Nick (10): It’s similar to the Astros in a sense, we keep waiting for this team to not be good but the fact is they are good.

Danny (10): I’ll give them a slight edge over the Mariners right now only because of their recent history. They’re still a good team, but not as good as they’ve been the past couple of years. Pitching is going to carry them.

Matt (12): Same old boring Rays, a roster of non-known players and they somehow win 85+ games and make the playoffs.

Tyler (12): They churn out pitchers and maximize talent like it’s no one’s business, but at the end of the day the Rays just don’t really stack up with some of the AL’s best. Their lineup is pretty questionable, although they did make a solid addition with David Peralta. Again, their pitching is what wins them games.

Allison (13)

Ryan (13)

13. Milwaukee Brewers (58-50)

Last Week Record: 1-5

Monty (13): After trading Josh Hader they are reeling. They were swept by the Pirates and lost a series to the Reds.

Nick (13): It would certainly be a shame if they passed Philadelphia and extended the Phillies’ playoff drought. Real shame.

Danny (13): If I had to take a guess out of which team currently in the NL wildcard race misses the playoffs, it would be the Brewers. They’re a solid team, but they’re not playing well right now and have a much tougher schedule than the Cardinals and Phillies the rest of the way.

Matt (13): I don’t see the Brewers making the playoffs. Think they have an awful second half and finish right around .500.

Tyler (13): They’ve been solid most of the year but have been struggling bad as of recently, leading to the Cardinals passing them in the division. Their pitching is among the best in baseball, but their lineup is truly mid if not below average, and if they were to make October, it wouldn’t be shocking to see them go silent like it did last year against the Braves. Trading Josh Hader while in first place is also an extremely questionable move.

Allison (11)

Ryan (12)

14. Baltimore Orioles (57-52)

Last Week Record: 5-1

Monty (14): Somehow this team just keeps winning and are in contention for a Wild Card spot against all odds.

Nick (14): I don’t care about the so-called Beltway Rivalry – rooting for the Orioles is fun. We could use a fun team to root for in our lives. I get trading away expiring contracts at the deadline as they’re more poised to compete next year than this, but I wish we could’ve seen a Baltimore playoff run with Mancini and company.

Danny (14): It was a rough five years, but the Orioles seem poised to contend for the next 5-7 years now. They have the top farm system in baseball and an exciting young team already at the major league level. It would be a longshot for them to sneak into the playoffs this year, but stranger things have happened.

Matt (15): If the baseball gods are just, they’ll let the Orioles sneak into the playoffs.

Tyler (14): The rebuild finally seems to be paying off for the O’s as their premier young talent like Adley Rutschman is starting to come up and immediately take effect, and they are very close to a Wild Card spot despite dealing Trey Mancini and Jorge Lopez at the deadline (stupid). While the O’s might not be here *just* yet and I do ultimately think they will still miss October, they are coming and will be a force in the AL very soon.

Allison (unranked)

Ryan (10)

15. Cleveland Guardians (56-52)

Last Week Record: 4-3

Monty (15): No moves made at the trade deadline but having Jose Ramirez and that pitching staff in a weak division makes anything possible.

Nick (15): Speaking of teams that we always expect to be dreadful, the pitching factory coming out of Cleveland the past decade plus does not get talked about enough. They could mess around and win the central.

Danny (15): I don’t really have anything great to say about any of the remaining teams in baseball, including the Guardians. They have a solid pitching staff and good bullpen, but they’re boring to watch.

Matt (unranked)

Tyler (15): This team is often slept on, but they’ve always had some of the most underrated rosters in baseball. They have a bonafide superstar in Jose Ramirez locked up for cheap and have some amazing pitching that they just seem to keep developing year after year. Andres Gimenez is a name that flies under the radar too much, very solid young player.

Allison (14)

Ryan (15)