The Milwaukee Brewers have taken the top spot in the latest MLB power rankings, moving up from fifth place last week, while the Los Angeles Dodgers slipped to third.
The Brewers' rise to the top can be attributed to the impressive debut of right-hander Dustin May, who turned in a quality start in his Brewers debut, including a notable uptick in cutter usage. Given his plus velocity and deep pitch mix, it'll be interesting to see how the Brewers remix May's repertoire, especially if they're counting on him to be part of the postseason rotation.
May's performance has been a welcome boost for the Brewers, who reportedly finished runners-up in the Tarik Skubal sweepstakes. While Skubal has been good, not great, in his first two starts with the Dodgers, May's quality start has given the Brewers a much-needed spark.
The Brewers are now tied with the Tampa Bay Rays, who have also seen a significant boost from their deadline additions. Freddy Peralta, who made his first two starts as a Ray in Colorado and Sacramento, bounced back from a rough outing at Coors Field with solid six innings against the A's.
Peralta's performance has been a key factor in the Rays' push for the pennant, and his value heading into free agency is likely to be a major factor in the team's decision-making process down the stretch. Meanwhile, catcher Liam Hicks has hit a grand slam in his Rays debut, and reliever Tyler Wells has struck out eight across 4 ⅓ scoreless innings.
The Dodgers, on the other hand, have seen a slight dip in their power rankings, despite Skubal's solid performances in his first two starts with the team. The pressure is on Ben Rortvedt and Hunter Feduccia, who were acquired at the deadline, to support Skubal's transition to Los Angeles and the rest of the star-studded pitching staff.
The Braves, who are also in the mix for a top-two seed in the NL postseason field, have seen a boost from their own deadline addition, Tyler Mahle. Despite the Braves' reported pursuits of Skubal and Jacob deGrom in trade talks, Mahle ended up being the lone reinforcement for Atlanta's injury-ravaged rotation.
Mahle made a brilliant first impression with six scoreless innings at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, and will look to continue his strong form as the Braves push for a postseason spot. The Cubs, who desperately needed to add pitching at the deadline, have seen a boost from their own additions, including Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes.
Gausman was rock-solid in his Cubs debut, completing seven innings for just the second time this season in a win Friday in Kansas City. Holmes was less stellar, allowing four runs across four innings in a loss the next day, but that was his first major-league outing after he missed nearly three months due to a right fibula fracture.
The Yankees, who opted to upgrade their lineup at the deadline rather than bolster their pitching staff, have seen a boost from their own additions, including Luis Garcia Jr. and Heliot Ramos. Garcia electrified the Bronx crowd with a go-ahead blast in his Yankees debut, but the bullpen went on to blow that game.
The Red Sox, who are waiting for Adley Rutschman's highly anticipated debut, have seen a boost from their own additions, including Erik Miller, who was acquired from San Francisco for former top prospect Marcelo Mayer. Miller looks capable of supercharging a bullpen that already features two of the best relievers in the AL in Aroldis Chapman and Garrett Whitlock.
The Phillies, who have seen a boost from their own additions, including Luis Arraez, have been on a hot streak of late, with Arraez notching five hits, including two doubles and a rare homer, in their series win over Washington last week. The Red Sox and Phillies are now tied for eighth place in the power rankings.
Source: Yahoo Sports
