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MLB Power Rankings - August 3: Revamped Blue Jays return to top 10; Twins take a tumble

Dan Hamilton / USA TODAY Sports

1. St. Louis Cardinals

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
67-38 67-38 1 (-)

Only the Cardinals could send Matt Holliday to the disabled list and get more production out of his replacement. Through the first 12 games of his career, Stephen Piscotty is hitting .400/.450/.514 with four doubles and a 0.67 walk-to-strikeout ratio, bolstering an offense that ranks among the National League's elite.

2. Pittsburgh Pirates

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
61-43 58-46 3 (+1)

The Pirates improved by adding Aramis Ramirez and Joakim Soria, but the most significant development for the club of late could be the emergence of Jung Ho Kang. After starting only 53 games in the first half of the season, Kang ranks fourth in the majors with a 1.252 OPS since the All-Star break and should remain the everyday shortstop when Jordy Mercer returns from injury.

3. Los Angeles Dodgers

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
60-45 60-45 4 (+1)

Zack Greinke's scoreless innings streak is bound to be overshadowed by the magical stretch Clayton Kershaw is currently enjoying. Despite battling a hip issue last week, the reigning MVP hasn't allowed a run since July 3, whittling his ERA from 3.20 to 2.37 over his last five starts. Maybe he can even rub off on Alex Wood, the 24-year-old left-hander who joined the Dodgers' rotation last week.

4. Houston Astros

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
60-46 63-43 7 (+3)

The Astros added two-time All-Star Carlos Gomez at last week's trade deadline and he isn't even the best Carlos on their 25-man roster. Since the All-Star break, rookie shortstop Carlos Correa is hitting .358/.429/.717 with five home runs. He's still about seven weeks away from his 21st birthday.

5. Kansas City Royals

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
62-42 59-45 2 (-3)

Johnny Cueto's debut wasn't particularly memorable, but the addition of Ben Zobrist has infused some punch into a reeling lineup, still without Alex Gordon, that owns a meager .298 on-base percentage since the All-Star break. In four games with the Royals, Zobrist is 5-for-15 (.333) with three homers and a double.

6. New York Yankees

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
59-45 58-46 5 (-1)

Unless Dustin Ackley can log some quality innings on the mound - and, frankly, exploring that possibility might me a worthwhile career venture for the 27-year-old with a lifetime 92 OPS+ - the Yankees may regret being so quiet at the deadline. Since the All-Star break, the Yankees' rotation owns the third-worst ERA in the American League (5.36) while relying on the likes of Bryan Mitchell and Chris Capuano.

7. San Francisco Giants

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
57-47 58-46 9 (+2)

Newcomer Mike Leake was totally adequate in his Giants debut, allowing two earned runs over 6 1/3 innings in a tough 2-1 loss to Texas on Sunday. Hardly overpowering but consistently effective, Leake should fit in nicely in a rotation that owns an 18.4 percent strikeout rate and a 3.89 ERA, the seventh-best (or tenth-worst) in the National League.

8. Chicago Cubs

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
57-47 53-51 10 (+2)

A favorable stretch in the schedule, with consecutive series against the Rockies and Brewers, helped the Cubs revive their postseason hopes, as Joe Maddon's crew lost just once in six games last week. The addition of Tommy Hunter, meanwhile, should help reduce stress on a bullpen that's logged more innings over the last two weeks than all but one team in the majors.

9. Los Angeles Angels

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
55-49 57-47 6 (-3)

According to reports, certain people in the Angels' clubhouse weren't thrilled that C.J. Wilson is leaning toward season-ending surgery to rid his elbow of loose bodies. Maybe, however, the disgruntled parties should focus instead on hitting. Losers in five straight, the Angels own a .698 OPS since the All-Star break, posting the fourth-lowest hard-hit ball rate in the majors over that span.

10. Toronto Blue Jays

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
54-52 63-43 13 (+3)

The likelihood of postseason baseball in Toronto (for the first time in more than two decades) jumped 14.2 percent over the last week. That's what happens when you add Troy Tulowitzki and David Price, among others, to a team that already boasts the best offense in the majors. Since leaving Colorado, Tulowitzki is 6-for-17 (.353) with a homer and two doubles, while Toronto has yet to lose a game when the five-time All-Star is in the starting lineup.

11. Washington Nationals

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
54-49 55-48 8 (-3)

A second straight division title, once a foregone conclusion for the Nationals, no longer seems so inevitable amid persistent offensive trouble in Washington. Losers in three straight, the Nationals own the fifth-worst wRC+ in the NL over the last two weeks (78) despite welcoming Jayson Werth back from the DL on Tuesday.

12. New York Mets

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
55-50 52-53 12 (-)

Is Yoenis Cespedes, now on his fourth team in the last 13 months, improvement enough to send the Mets back to postseason for the first time since 2006. Maybe not, but the Mets didn't relinquish any top prospects (or Zack Wheeler) to bolster an offense that, despite some improvement of late, still owns a .694 OPS over the last two weeks.

13. Baltimore Orioles

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
53-51 57-47 14 (+1)

They haven't been particularly hot at the plate lately, but the Orioles continue to stay afloat with impeccable defense and a strong relief corps. Though their rotation owns a pedestrian 4.60 ERA over the last two weeks, the club's bullpen has managed fewer bullpen meltdowns than all but two teams during that span.

14. Minnesota Twins

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
54-50 52-52 11 (-3)

Nothing is going right in Minnesota, where regression continues to crush the Twins' playoff aspirations. Since the All-Star break, their staff owns a 4.84 ERA and their lineup has combined for a .661 OPS. As for Glen Perkins? He's surrendered twice as many home runs (4) than strikeouts over his last six appearances.

15. Tampa Bay Rays

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
52-54 51-55 16 (+1)

Curt Casali, the rookie catcher recalled from the minors in June, is further evidence that the Rays don't make any sense. Over the last two weeks, the former 10th-round pick owns a 1.062 OPS with five home runs, zero walks, and a 41.6 percent strikeout rate.

16. Detroit Tigers

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
51-54 49-56 15 (-1)

Daniel Norris, the key return of the David Price trade, enjoyed an auspicious debut with the Tigers on Sunday, allowing one run while fanning five over 7 1/3 innings en route to a 6-1 victory in Baltimore. Perhaps the youngster can galvanize the veterans in Detroit's rotation, who own a combined 4.67 ERA (5.00 FIP) over the last two weeks.

17. Texas Rangers

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
51-53 48-56 17 (-)

He wasn't especially impressive in his Rangers debut, but Cole Hamels still dramatically improves a rotation that owns a 6.31 ERA over the last 30 days, easily the worst in the majors, and features little impact talent.

18. Chicago White Sox

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
50-53 44-59 18 (-)

After stumbling through the first few months of the season, the White Sox have finally started hitting, an encouraging development for a team that retained Jeff Samardzija to take a shot at a wild-card berth. Since the All-Star break, the White Sox rank third in the majors with a 127 wRC+ while leading the league in both line-drive rate (24 percent) and batting average on balls in play (.357).

19. Arizona Diamondbacks

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
50-53 52-51 19 (-)

Despite a paucity of household names, the Diamondbacks' bullpen has been exceptionally dominant of late, posting the lowest ERA (2.03) and left-on-base rate (84.3 percent) in the majors over the last 30 days. Now imagine if that reported deal for Aroldis Chapman had materialized.

20. San Diego Padres

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
51-54 47-58 20 (-)

Still exhausted from his busy winter, perhaps, A.J. Preller did nothing at the trade deadline, failing to unload even his expiring assets like Ian Kennedy and Will Venable. The Padres have done a decent job vindicating Preller's decision to stand pat, though, winning seven of their last nine games while hitting .280 as a club over the last week.

21. Cleveland Indians

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
48-56 47-57 22 (+1)

A trip to the disabled list might be looming for Jason Kipnis, a development that could completely decimate Cleveland's faint wild-card hopes. Despite some regression of late, Kipnis still owns an .814 OPS over his last 14 games for a team that's just so average offensively.

22. Seattle Mariners

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
48-58 46-60 23 (-1)

Better late than never? The Mariners, at long last, are finally starting to hit, posting the sixth-best wRC+ (121) in the majors over the last two weeks amid a recent surge from Nelson Cruz and, believe it or not, Robinson Cano.

23. Atlanta Braves

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
47-58 45-60 21 (-2)

The Braves have officially shifted their focus to 2016 after dropping six of seven last week and trading Alex Wood, Jim Johnson, and Jose Peraza away at the deadline. Cuban infielder Hector Olivera comes to Atlanta from the Dodgers and offers a significant building block to center around.

24. Boston Red Sox

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
47-59 46-60 24 (-)

Ben Cherington made what amounted to a concession speech last week, admitting "we were wrong at the beginning of the season as to what this team could do." Another busy offseason could be looming, then, as the Red Sox are currently poised to field a very similar squad next summer with more than $112 million already committed to their 2016 payroll (including raises for Rick Porcello, Wade Miley, and Hanley Ramirez).

25. Cincinnati Reds

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
47-56 47-56 26 (+1)

The Reds landed three left-handed pitching prospects in exchange for Johnny Cueto, but weren't able to find amenable deals for Aroldis Chapman or Jay Bruce. With both players under contract for next year, though, and both Joey Votto and Todd Frazier still in their primes, perhaps they hold onto them through the winter and try to contend again next season.

26. Oakland Athletics

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
47-59 57-49 25 (-1)

GM Billy Beane opted not to make much of a splash at the trade deadline, outside of a pair of minor deals acquiring Felix Doubront and shipping reliever Ryan Cook off to Boston. The A's responded by taking two of three from the Indians and appear poised to go head-to-head with the Red Sox to try and avoid the basement of the AL.

27. Colorado Rockies

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
44-59 46-57 27 (-)

With Troy Tulowitzki now plying his trade in Canada, the Rockies can now dream on a future where Trevor Story, their highly touted shortstop prospect, takes the field behind a pitching staff that, with arms like Jeff Hoffman and Miguel Castro, isn't completely dreadful.

28. Milwaukee Brewers

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
44-62 47-59 28 (-)

The Brewers haven't scored more than five runs in a game since July 21. Trading away both Carlos Gomez and Gerardo Parra, though a prudent and wise strategy, probably won't help reverse that trend.

29. Miami Marlins

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
43-62 48-57 29 (-)

While Giancarlo Stanton's recovery is progressing slower than expected, the Marlins conceded the 2015 season last week, anyway, shipping Mat Latos and Michael Morse's contract elsewhere at the trade deadline.

30. Philadelphia Phillies

RECORD PYTHAG RECORD PREVIOUS RANK (CHANGE)
41-65 39-67 30 (-)

For all the ridicule he's provoked in recent years, Ruben Amaro Jr. landed an impressive crop of talented prospects - including Nick Williams and Jorge Alfaro - in exchange for Cole Hamels. Now we play the waiting game.

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