MLB Power Rankings - September 15

1. Los Angeles Angels

The league's most prolific offense refuses to abate as the regular season winds down, as the Angels averaged 8.6 runs per contest throughout their recent 10-game winning streak. They seem just as determined to reach the 100-win plateau as Mike Trout is to win Most Valuable Player, considering the 23-year-old boasts a 1.243 OPS with six multi-hit games since Sept. 4.

2. Baltimore Orioles

Baltimore's rotation roundly defied expectations with their strong performance this season, improving markedly as the season progressed. The club's starting corps is particularly efficient lately, leading the majors with a combined 1.85 ERA in September.

3. Washington Nationals

Ian Desmond collected a pair of stolen bases Saturday to reach the 20-20 plateau for a third consecutive season, and remains tied for sixth among shortstops this season with 3.1 wins above replacement. His offensive productivity, however, pales in comparison to that of his teammates, as his 104 wRC+ represents the seventh-best mark among Nationals players with at least 200 plate appearances.

4. Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers symbolically asserted their dominance over the National League West with a 17-0 massacre of the San Francisco Giants on Sunday, in which the division leader bounced starter Tim Hudson from the game after just one inning. Barring a collapse, the Dodgers should secure a second successive division title as 10 of their remaining 13 games come against the Rockies or Cubs.

5. St. Louis Cardinals

Adam Wainwright seems to have rectified whatever it was that plagued him in August, as the 33-year-old owns a 1.06 ERA with an 11:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio over his last two starts, helping the Cardinals secure a 3.5-game lead atop the National League Central.

6. Oakland Athletics

Josh Donaldson picked the most inopportune time to start slumping, as the MVP candidate is hitting just .200/.254/.309 (50 wRC+) over his last 13 games, heightening his team's already pronounced offensive struggles. Though runs are at a premium right now, the return of closer Sean Doolittle will help alleviate some of the pressure on Oakland's bullpen as the wild-card race reaches its apex.

7. San Francisco Giants

The Giants continue to stay afloat in the division race despite the recent struggles of their pitching staff, which owns a 4.74 ERA this month while surrendering 1.32 home runs per nine innings. Amid the recent woes of Tim Hudson and Ryan Vogelsong, Jake Peavy was surprisingly reliable, crafting a 1.12 ERA with a 5:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio over his last 40 1/3 innings.

8. Detroit Tigers

Only the Angels have proven more productive than the Tigers at the plate this month, as Brad Ausmus' crew is hitting .304/.357/.472 (130 wRC+) with a league-best 18 homers in September. Miguel Cabrera appears to have reserved most of his energy for the season's last few weeks, as the 31-year-old is hitting .420/.473/.780 with five homers over his last 13 contests.

9. Kansas City Royals

The Royals relinquished their division lead with five losses in their last seven games, averaging just 3.7 runs per game over that dismal stretch. Even a bullpen as strong as Kansas City's can't be perfect all the time - Aaron Crow yielded a grand slam to Daniel Nava that proved the difference in Sunday's 8-4 loss - so it's imperative the Royals improve upon the .646 OPS they managed over the last week.

10. Seattle Mariners

Unable to secure a victory Saturday with Felix Hernandez on the mound, the Mariners have stumbled of late, managing just two wins in their last seven contests. A difficult path stands between the Mariners and their first postseason berth in more than a decade, as 10 of the club's last 13 games come against the Angels and Blue Jays (and the latter is also vying for a wild-card spot).

11. Pittsburgh Pirates

Pittsburgh's 1.5-game advantage over the Brewers for the second wild-card spot can be at least partially attributed to their bullpen's performance of late, as the club's relief corps boasts a tidy 1.62 ERA with a league-best 32.5 percent strikeout rate this month, allowing just one homer in 39 innings.

12. Milwaukee Brewers

A lack of offense initially fueled Milwaukee's late-season implosion, but concern has quickly shifted to the starting rotation, which owns a 4.89 ERA this month, the second-worst in the National League since the calendar flipped to September.

13. Toronto Blue Jays

After stumbling through a disastrous August, the Blue Jays have cobbled together a 8-4 record this month that will only encourage misguided hope about the second wild-card spot. Effective starting pitching has been central to Toronto's recent surge, as the club's rotation boasts a 2.51 ERA over the last two weeks, the second-best mark in baseball during that span.

14. Cleveland Indians

Manager Terry Francona was appropriately redundant when he stated after Sunday's loss to the Tigers - his team's third straight defeat - that "we desperately need to win games so bad." A shaky bullpen has contributed significantly to Cleveland's recent woes, as the club's relief corps managed four meltdowns while posting a league-worst 9.00 ERA over the last week.

15. New York Yankees

A lack of consistency over the last two weeks all but eviscerated New York's playoff hopes, as the Yankees have strung together consecutive victories just twice this month. Injuries befell the lineup at a rather inopportune time, as Carlos Beltran hasn't started since Sept. 9 due to an elbow problem and Chase Headley has yet to play an inning since getting hit in the face with a pitch Thursday.

16. Atlanta Braves

It's not often a team as offensively inept as the Braves can masquerade as a postseason contender for as long as Fredi Gonzalez's crew did this season. Averaging a mere 3.66 runs per game this season, Atlanta's offensive struggles reached new heights in September as the Braves rank last in the majors with a .202 batting average and .293 slugging percentage this month.

17. Miami Marlins

Where are you and I'm so sorry
I cannot sleep I cannot dream tonight
I need somebody and always
This sick strange darkness 
Comes creeping on so haunting every time

18. Tampa Bay Rays

Finding a left-handed bat should be among Tampa Bay's offseason priorities, as the team's collective .686 OPS and .119 isolated power against right-handed pitching rank among the worst marks in the American League, respectively. Only one member of the Rays owns an OPS above .800 against right-handers this season and, naturally, it's rookie Kevin Kiermaier.

19. Cincinnati Reds

Mat Latos was scratched from Friday's start due to a bone bruise in his right elbow and likely won't pitch again in 2014, ending an injury-marred season in which the 26-year-old made just 16 starts. Of even more concern, however, is the precipitous drop in velocity Latos endured this season that likely fueled a career-worst 17.6 percent strikeout rate.

20. New York Mets

David Wright's lousy season ended rather unceremoniously last week when the Mets opted to shut down the seven-time All-Star due to persistent inflammation in his left shoulder. The 31-year-old appeared in 134 games this season, but managed career-lows in virtually every offensive category, including on-base percentage, slugging percentage, home runs, OPS+, and isolated power.

21. Philadelphia Phillies

Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg recently praised the defensive prowess of prospect Maikel Franco, who boasts the "the makings of a real good infielder." Franco, however, hasn't done much at the plate that's worthy of praise, hitting .194/.212/.226 with one walk and one double through nine games thus far.

22. San Diego Padres

It doesn't augur well for the Padres that only one of their players to receive at least 391 plate appearances this season owns an OPS above .605, as each of the players will certainly make the 25-man roster next season. Though it's difficult to pinpoint the last team with such a paucity of impact talent, it's fair to presume it was the San Diego Padres.

23. Chicago White Sox

Jose Abreu finally snapped his 18-game homerless drought with a two-run blast against the Twins on Saturday, helping the rookie accrue 35 home runs and 102 RBIs through 133 contests this season. Throughout his "drought," incidentally, he hit .415/.493/.538 with eight multi-hit games, and currently leads the majors with a .988 OPS.

24. Boston Red Sox

It's a shame that Henry Owens didn't receive a September cameo, as none of Boston's pitching prospects have managed to impress during their brief time with the Red Sox thus far. Anthony Ranaudo owns a 7.27 ERA across two starts while issuing more walks than strikeouts, and Allen Webster has to yet to enjoy an outing worthy of anything more than tepid praise.

25. Chicago Cubs

Javier Baez's lack of discipline at the plate continues to be exploited, as the 21-year-old is hitting just .138/.216/.263 with 36 strikeouts (!) in his last 20 games after starting his career with seven homers and a .769 OPS through his first 19 contests. Growing up is hard to do.

26. Houston Astros

Several candidates have reportedly emerged in the Astros' managerial hunt, though general manager Jeff Luhnow appears inclined to hire someone with "prior experience as either a big league manager," according to the Houston Chronicle. The nadir of Houston's rebuild is just about over, so the club's new manager will be tasked with balancing both wins and losses as well as the development of their young core.

27. Minnesota Twins

Stumbling towards the finish line, the Twins have won just twice in their last 10 contests amid some ghastly performances from their rotation. Kyle Gibson and Logan Darnell have combined for a 9.00 ERA through four starts this month while Tommy Milone failed to make it out of the fourth inning in his lone September start.

28. Arizona Diamondbacks

A cursory glance at Arizona's roster provides no shortage of players to pick on, but it's particularly discouraging that Mark Trumbo has just one home run in 226 plate appearances since returning from the disabled list in July. Acquired from the Angels last winter, Trumbo is one of the club's most accomplished offensive players, but his .084 isolated power since the All-Star break represents the 11th-worst mark in the National League.

29. Colorado Rockies

The Rockies struck out 16 times in a 4-1 loss to the Cardinals on Sunday for their sixth consecutive defeat. A chest contusion forced third baseman Nolan Arenado to depart Sunday's game in the fourth inning, prompting his teammates to grumble with jealousy.

30. Texas Rangers

Over the last week, the list of players to occupy the No. 3 spot in Texas' lineup - you know, the spot historically reserved for the team's best hitter - has included Tomas Telis, Adam Rosales, and J.P. Arencibia.