Welcome to the August 30th 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 (89-38)

Last Week Record: 4-2

Last Week Ranking: 1

Monty (1): They went 4-2 last week and will win 110+ games. Don’t see them falling out of the #1 spot.

Nick (1): Without question the best team.

Danny (1): A 4-2 week doesn’t change anything. They’re a dominant team that’s coasting into October.

Tyler (1): They are still the best team in ball. They’re at damn near 90 wins already before the calendar has even struck September. Would be surprised to not see them win over 110 games.

Ryan (1): Another dominant week for them 41-9 over their last 50 outrageously talented and expand their lead to 7.5 games above the second best record in baseball.

2. New York Mets (82-47)

Last Week Record: 3-3

Last Week Ranking: 2

Monty (2): They lost both games that Max Scherzer started last week and went 3-3 overall to the free falling Yankees and the meh Rockies. Not their best week.

Nick (2); Not getting enough credit for how good they are.

Danny (2): Max Scherzer took a hard-luck 1-0 loss yesterday after the Mets took the first 3 against Colorado. They lost a 2-game series to the Yankees earlier in the week, but they still get the nod over the Astros here for the second spot.

Tyler (2): Despite a pretty middling past week, the Mets have proven they’re still one of the top dogs in the NL along with the Dodgers. Not even close to the same caliber of lineup, but they have pitching that can beat anyone.

Ryan (2): They couldn’t beat the Rockies because they couldn’t get a runner to 3rd vs Marquez Max became first mets pitcher to give up 1 ER and strikeout 10+ and get the loss since deGrom in 2021, still hold onto second spot. Mets are talented but the Rockies series showed that when that lineup goes cold, not even an elite Max start can help.

T-3. Atlanta Braves (79-50)

Last Week Record: 4-2

Last Week Ranking: 4

Monty (3): The Braves/Cardinals series lived up to the hype in my opinion and the Braves could’ve just as easily swept the Cardinals as lose the series as they did. Despite losing that series in St. Louis, they’ll remain above the Cardinals for me.

Nick (4): I hate this team.

Danny (4): They went 4-2 overall this week despite losing 2 of 3 to the red hot Cardinals. I’d still take them in a 5 or 7 game set against the Cardinals though, so I’m keeping them at #4.

Tyler (4): Even though they just lost a series to the Cardinals, the Braves lineup is still as scary as ever and will be looking to slug their way through October.

Ryan (4): You can make an argument that they are the second best team in baseball (I won’t listen to your argument but you can) But fumbling that series against the Cardinals when they could have and should have swept has them moving down the rankings for me.

T-3. Houston Astros (82-47)

Last Week Record: 4-2

Last Week Ranking: 3

Monty (5): The Astros swept the Twins with ease before running into the juggernaut that is the Baltimore Orioles. They were lucky not to get swept and only managed to score 4 total runs in the 3 games against the O’s.

Nick (3): Without question the best team in the AL.

Danny (3): After sweeping the Twins, they lost 2 of 3 to the surging Orioles. They’re still the clear-cut best team in the AL.

Tyler (3): Despite just losing a series to the Orioles, this is still clearly the best team in the AL.

Ryan (5): Every good team has that team that just has their number and funny enough the O’s just have the Astros number.

5. St. Louis Cardinals (75-54)

Last Week Record: 5-3

Last Week Ranking: 5

Monty (4): After a massive series win over the Braves, they are 19-5 over their last 24 games. They’re really good and finally have started to show it with some good pitching performances. Goldschmidt and Arenado are battling for the NL MVP and they are suddenly running away with the NL Central.

Nick (5): Could be sneaky. The MLB is already giving Pujols juiced baseballs so he hits 700, they could help out the Cardinals so they go on a run.

Danny (5): They’re red hot and have opened up a 6 game lead on the Brewers. Their next 13 games are against the Reds, Cubs, Nats and Pirates. They should have the NL Central locked up by mid-September.

Tyler (5): They just took a huge series from the Braves and have been red-hot since the All Star break. While Goldschmidt and Arenado had been leading the charge in that lineup for most of the season, the rest of the lineup is starting to figure it out. Jordan Montgomery and Jose Quintana have been big pickups for their rotation. 

Ryan (3): A big series win over the braves, beat the braves late against the strength of their bullpen gets them the bump to 3 on the rankings. Imagine if this team forked up for Soto.

6. Philadelphia Phillies (72-57)

Last Week Record: 6-1

Last Week Ranking: 9

Monty (6): A single loss to the Pirates on Sunday is the only thing that kept them from a perfect week, instead going 6-1 against the hapless Reds and Pirates. That’s what you expect a good team to do against bad teams, though I’m sure Phillie fans will be disappointed not to go 7-0.

Nick (8): Getting Bryce back is huge, but I don’t believe in their pitching.

Danny (6): They went 6-1 last week and added the reigning MVP back to their lineup. They’re taking advantage of their soft second half schedule and with just 12 games remaining against opponents above .500 it would be a shock if they missed the playoffs.

Tyler (6): They keep getting it done vs the teams they need to beat and also just added Bryce Harper back to their lineup. It would take an absolutely epic collapse, even bigger than the ones they’ve had in years past, for them to not end their October drought this year.

Ryan (6): Firing Girardi seems to be the best thing they have ever done. They kept on winning and had a fantastic week going 6-1.

7. New York Yankees (78-51)

Last Week Record: 4-2

Last Week Ranking: 7

Monty (9): Big 2-game sweep of the Mets at home and then a split series with the pathetic Oakland A’s. The struggle for this team is real.

Nick (7): Biggest frauds in baseball.

Danny (7): They started the week by sweeping a 2-game series against the Mets and ended it by splitting a 4-game series against the Athletics. This team doesn’t make any sense. They stink right now, but if they get things right they could also wind up in the ALCS again. Weird.

Tyler (7): Their scorching hot start in the first half of the season keeps proving to be unsustainable after being pretty garbage in the second half. Don’t get me wrong, they’re still a good team, just not really up there with baseball’s best. I really wish I could put them lower, but I have to acknowledge that they’re still 28 games over .500 with a 7.5 game lead in the AL East.

Ryan (8): THEY STINK.

T-8. Seattle Mariners (70-58)

Last Week Record: 4-2

Last Week Ranking: 10

Monty (7): The Mariners went 4-2 last week which included a massive three of four from the visiting Cleveland Guardians.

Nick (9): Great pitching, but I don’t view them as a legit contender. I do hope they make the playoffs though.

Danny (9): They took 3 of 4 against the Guardians this weekend and could’ve had an even bigger week had they swept their 2-game series against the Nats. A 4-2 week isn’t bad though. They’ll have to take advantage of a 3-game series against the Tigers to start the week though because their hold on a wildcard spot is still only 2 ½ games.

Tyler (9): They just won a big series against Cleveland while locking up arguably baseball’s most exciting rookie and future superstar Julio Rodriguez. They’re young and hungry, and baseball needs this team in the playoffs.

Ryan (11): BIG series win against the Guardians making a statement – great week for them as they also locked up J-Rod.

T-8. San Diego Padres (71-59)

Last Week Record: 3-2

Last Week Ranking: 6

Monty (8): I still don’t understand why this team isn’t quite clicking yet after acquiring Juan Soto, Josh Bell, and Brandon Drury at the deadline. I know Hader has been bad but still. A 2-3 week is not where they should be right now.

Nick (10): Pains me to say the Padres are once again all hype. So much potential wasted.

Danny (10): I guess? I don’t know. Between the Padres and Blue Jays there is an immense amount of talent, but neither team seems to have the ability to turn it on. The Padres got swept in a 2-game series against the Guardians before taking 2 of 3 from the Royals. They don’t have many easy games left on the schedule, so they’re going to have to start playing up to their potential sooner rather than later or else they’ll miss the playoffs.

Tyler (10): Josh Hader is completely broken and this team just refuses to go on a tear like they should with the amount of talent on their roster. They just won a series against the Royals, but that is a team they should be sweeping if they’re truly all that. But long story short, too much talent on this team to not go on a tear soon. He returned and homered yesterday, but Juan Soto’s back is something to watch.

Ryan (7): Weird team an week but too much talent to not figure it out, just don’t pitch hader (25.10 ERA since joining) and they will be fine.

10. Tampa Bay Rays (70-57)

Last Week Record: 4-2

Last Week Ranking: 12

Monty (12): The Rays did go 4-2 but after losing a series to the Red Sox, I couldn’t justify moving them up in the rankings, so they maintain their spot at #12 for me.

Nick (7): This is where the list breaks from contenders to could be contenders. I’ve said it before, it would not shock me if the Rays come out of the AL.

Danny (8): They’ve closed the gap in the AL East to 7 ½ games after a 5-2 week. With 6 head-to-head games against the Yankees left, it’s not impossible that they win the East. That seems crazy considering the Yankees had a 15 game lead over the Rays on June 30th.

Tyler (8): Despite losing a series to the Red Sox recently, they’ve been hot and just 4-game swept the Angels. It looks like things are heating up in Tampa Bay.

Ryan (14): I just don’t like them I will not be expanding.

11. Toronto Blue Jays (69-58)

Last Week Record: 3-3

Last Week Ranking: 8

Monty (10): They did what they needed to against Boston and then bats went cold in Toronto as they were swept at home by the Angels.

Nick (11):  I’d be a hypocrite to call the Padres all hype and not the Blue Jays, so I guess I’ll be a hypocrite.

Danny (11): They’re still hanging onto a Wild Card spot. But barely. They got swept by the Angels over the weekend, which just can’t happen. They have 3 against the Cubs and then 3 against the Pirates this week before a big series against the Orioles next week. They need to take advantage of the soft schedule this week.

Tyler (12): They just got swept by the Angels, which is never a good thing for any team. But like the Padres, this team just has too much talent not to figure it out at some point.

Ryan (9): Weird week for AL East, swept by the Angels who have been a disaster of late.

12. Baltimore Orioles (67-60)

Last Week Record: 4-2

Last Week Ranking: 13

Monty (11): The Orioles won both of their series including a massive road series against the AL’s best team in the Houston Astros. The O’s get my Voth (Sorry for the pun).

Nick (13): Say his name. AUSTIN VOTH.

Danny (13): After a 4-2 week where they took 2 of 3 against the clear-cut best team in the AL, they’ve made it clear that they aren’t going anywhere. They remain 1 ½ games out of a playoff spot, but have 10 head-to-head matchups against the Blue Jays left on the schedule. It’s going to be a fun September.

Tyler (11): The magic continues. Austin Voth is elite and it should be said every time he starts with how brutally the Nats pooped the bed on him. They’re only 1.5 games behind the Blue Jays for third place and 3 games behind the Rays for second place and a guaranteed playoff spot.

Ryan (10): Austin Voth eh?

13. Cleveland Guardians (67-59)

Last Week Record: 3-3

Last Week Ranking: 12

Monty (13): The Guardians went to San Diego and swept the Padres in a short 2 game series before dropping 3 of 4 to the Seattle Mariners. They remain the favorites for the AL Central.

Nick (12): The epitome of “eh, they’re fine”.

Danny (12): Another 3-3 week for the Guardians, but this time it was against two playoff contenders. They still have a 2 game lead in the Central but have two big series this week against the Orioles and Mariners.

Tyler (13): Middling week, but still a very underrated scrappy team. Next two series against the Orioles and Mariners will prove something.

Ryan (12): Up and down week for an up and down team.

14. Milwaukee Brewers (68-59)

Last Week Record: 3-3

Last Week Ranking: 14

Monty (14): They lost a tough series in LA as expected, but came home to take 2 of 3 from the Cubs. They’re just 1.5 games behind the Padres in the NL Wild Card race.

Nick (14): The NL epitome of “eh, they’re fine”.

Danny (14): After a 3-3 week, they’re still hanging on, but only because the Padres are letting them. They have a much easier schedule than the Padres down the stretch and play their next 10 games against the Pirates, Diamondbacks and Rockies. The last wild card spot in the NL could get interesting.

Tyler (14): This team is simply the mids, and their 5-5 record over their last 10 shows that. They’re holding onto that last wild card spot with the skin of their teeth.

Ryan (13): Not punishing them for losing to the Dodgers everyone (not my nationals) does.

15. Minnesota Twins (66-61)

Last Week Record: 3-3

Last Week Ranking: 15

Monty (15): They started the week losing 4 in a row before rebounding with a sweep of the Giants over the weekend. With the White Sox reeling, the Twins remain as the #15 team for me.

Nick (15): I had to pick a 15th team.

Danny (15): They’re the only other team in the league that’s above .500. They started the week by getting swept by the Astros and finished it by sweeping the Giants. Going 3-3 kept them 2 games back of the Guardians with 8 head-to-head matchups between the two clubs still to go.

Tyler (15): Also just a very mid team, they’ve won 3 straight but were essentially freefalling before that. Time will tell with the Minnesota ballclub.

Ryan (15): A team I have been finding excuses to not have in the top 15, but after a sweep they forced my hand and face reality that they belong in the top half.