MLB Power Rankings: Phillies rise against the odds

The Philadelphia Phillies have been dealt enough blows this year to hamper their MLB Postseason possibilities. Manager Joe Girardi was fired after an abysmal 22-29 start, and Bryce Harper is set to miss six-to-eight weeks after fracturing his right thumb.

Yet the fighting Phillies have overcome all of those blows, rising in our weekly MLB Power Rankings and inserting themselves right in the playoff picture.

If the season ended today, they would be the third National League Wild Card team. It would be the first time they made the Postseason and finished a season above .500 in over a decade.

With the rival New York Mets faltering, Philadelphia finds themselves within striking distance of the top five in our ranking.

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Before we see how the rest of the league did, understand that when preparing for the MLB Power Rankings this season, I relied on numbers. I created a spreadsheet using pitcher WAR, batter WAR, team record, and run differential. Teams with the highest combined score are ranked at the top.

Let’s look at the top 10 teams in Week 13 of the 2022 MLB season.

2022 MLB Power Rankings

10. St. Louis Cardinals (-2)

Last week was a challenge for the Cardinals. Facing the Braves and the Phillies, St. Louis was only able to muster up two wins. Fortunately, the NL Central leaders Milwaukee Brewers didn’t fare any better. In fact the division lead dipped from three games last Monday to two-and-a-half games today.

9. Boston Red Sox (-2)

The Red Sox salvaged what could have been a catastrophic week by beating the Yankees in comeback fashion two times this past weekend. If not for that, they would have lost six of seven games.

8. San Diego Padres (-2)

The Padres dropped two spots this week after losing four of six games to the Seattle Mariners and San Francisco Giants. Fortunately, they face the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks before the All-Star break.

7. Minnesota Twins (+5)

This week, the Twins made the biggest jump of any team in our MLB Power Rankings. Mostly, this is due to superb hitting – Minnesota owns the sixth-best hitter fWAR in MLB – and a top-10 run differential. They will need to improve their pitching if they want to make a serious run in the Postseason.

6. Philadelphia Phillies (+3)

The Phillies made a big jump this week after winning four of six games against the Washington Nationals and the St. Louis Cardinals. This week, they face the Blue Jays and the Marlins before a much needed All-Star break.

The Top 5

5. New York Mets (0)

There is zero quit in the Mets this season. With manager Buck Showalter at the helm, they have overcome several devastating injuries and stayed in the hunt. Tonight, they begin a massive three-game series against the Braves, which could determine the lead in the NL East.

4. Atlanta Braves (0)

Since June 1, the Braves have been the best team in baseball. In that time period, they are 28-8 and have reduced the Mets’ lead in the NL East from 10 1/2 games to 1 1/2. This week, they will look to take the division lead as they face the Mets in a three-game, must-watch series.

3. Houston Astros (0)

Houston won five of seven games this week against the Kansas City Royals and the Oakland Athletics. Their schedule looks favorable before the MLB All-Star break. First they face the Los Angeles Angels, who were just swept by the Baltimore Orioles, and then they take on the last-place A’s again.

2. Los Angeles Dodgers (0)

The Dodgers went undefeated this week after sweeping the Colorado Rockies and Chicago Cubs. This week, they face a tougher challenge as they take on the Cardinals.

1. New York Yankees (0)

Last week, the Yankees suffered two devastating losses to the Red Sox. Thankfully, they have built enough equity to keep their standing as the top dog in MLB. New York is the only team with 60 or more wins this season and continue to have the best run differential. For those reasons, they remain numero uno.