MLB Power Rankings: The Toronto Blue Jays are Soaring

Since the firing of manager Charlie Montoyo, the Toronto Blue Jays are soaring. At the time of Montoyo’s departure, the team was 46-42 and 15 1/2 games back in the American League East. Since then, they have gone 11-3, making up four games in the division along the way.

In terms of our MLB Power Rankings, the Blue Jays have jumped up six spots, from 12 to 6 in the last three weeks alone. Now, they’re knocking on the door of a Top 5 slot.

They have a better hitter fWAR than the Mets and the Braves, who are ranked ahead of them. Also, since Montoyo’s firing, their offseason acquisition Matt Chapman has come alive. Since July 13, the third baseman is batting .417 with a 1.417 OPS and trailing only Aaron Judge for the MLB fWAR lead.

---

---

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 16 of the 2022 MLB season.

2022 MLB Power Rankings

10. San Diego Padres (0)

Since our last Ranking, the Padres have gone 5-5. Coming off of a series win against the Minnesota Twins, the Padres hope to ride the momentum into this week when they face the Colorado Rockies and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

9. Milwaukee Brewers (+3)

The Brewers return to our MLB Power Rankings for the first time since Week 11. They have done so by winning seven of their last nine games coming out of the All-Star break. This week, they can keep the ball rolling when they face the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds, two of the worst teams in baseball.

8. St. Louis Cardinals (-1)

Since the All-Star break, the Cardinals are 4-4 and have seen the Brewers’ division lead increase from 1 1/2 games to 3 games. As it stands, St. Louis is out of the postseason picture. They can make that up in their upcoming 3-game series against the Cubs.

7. Philadelphia Phillies (-1)

The Phillies dropped one spot this week despite riding a 5-game winning streak. This is more a testament to the Blue Jays than it is a negative on Philadelphia. This week, they have an opportunity to cover more ground as they are set to face the Washington Nationals in a 4-game set.

6. Toronto Blue Jays (+3)

The Blue Jays face two playoff-contending teams in the Tampa Bay Rays and Twins. If the Blue Jays can win these series, they would cement their standing as a top team in MLB.

Sign up for Our Esquina’s weekly newsletter.

The Top Five

5. Atlanta Braves (-1)

The Braves’ wave seems to be breaking. After coming within a half-game of the National League East lead out of the All-Star break, Atlanta is now 3-games behind the Mets. They will have another chance to challenge the division leaders later this week when they face off in a 5-game series.

4. New York Mets (+1)

Currently, the Mets are riding a 6-game win streak. They are also set to get back their top starting pitcher Jacob deGrom ahead of their 5-game series against the Braves. This might be the most important week of the regular season for the Mets.

3. Houston Astros (0)

Despite being ranked third in our Ranking, the Astros might very well be the best team in baseball. Unfortunately, their 115 run differential pales in comparison to the Dodgers (+195) and Yankees (207). For that reason, they stay put for another week.

2. Los Angeles Dodgers (0)

The Dodgers have a tough schedule ahead. Aside from three games against the Kansas City Royals and Miami Marlins each, every team they are set to face are in the postseason picture.

1. New York Yankees (0)

Out of the All-Star break, the Yankees have stumbled a bit. The Dodgers have a better win-percentage and are knocking on the run-differential door. They will have to win upcoming series’ against the Seattle Mariners and Cardinals to retain the top spot.