MLB Power Rankings: A's making run, Brewers staying afloat without Yelich

This is the 14th and final edition of theScore's MLB Power Rankings for the 2019 regular season.

1. New York Yankees

Don't look now, but the Yankees are getting healthy. Dellin Betances and Jordan Montgomery have returned, Luis Severino is set to make his season debut this week, and Giancarlo Stanton should rejoin the lineup just in time for the postseason. Adding Severino to the rotation alongside a cruising James Paxton will boost the club's biggest weakness, and a full-strength Yankees team is bad news for the rest of the league.

2. Houston Astros

The Astros are cruising toward a third straight AL West title thanks to an MLB-best plus-255 run differential. Aces Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole are locked in a tight Cy Young Award race, while Alex Bregman (.999 OPS) might make a run at the Junior Circuit's MVP Award now that Mike Trout is sidelined with a foot injury. First-year slugger Yordan Alvarez is the heavy favorite to be named AL Rookie of the Year.

3. Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers are holding steady as the top NL juggernaut, but they've appeared somewhat lethargic down the stretch and seem to be a step behind the Yankees and Astros. In September, Los Angeles' offense ranks 13th in the majors by wRC+, well behind Houston and New York, but also behind the A's, Mets, Rays, Cubs, White Sox, and Braves.

4. Atlanta Braves

After riding a nine-game winning streak into September, the Braves have lost two of their last four, including a 7-0 shutout to the Nationals on Sunday. Still, they look like the Dodgers' biggest threat in the NL and recently reinstated Nick Markakis, who's recorded seven hits in three games since returning. Additionally, Ronald Acuna Jr.'s 40-40 watch should make for great entertainment down the stretch.

5. Minnesota Twins

Cleveland has pushed Minnesota, but the Twins took two of three over the weekend to tighten their stranglehold on the AL Central standings. Minnesota now leads Cleveland by 4 1/2 games with 13 contests to go against the White Sox, Royals, and Tigers. The division isn't officially locked up, but the odds are definitely in the Twins' favor.

6. Oakland Athletics

The A's are the hottest team in the American League, having rattled off six straight wins after being humiliated 15-0 by the Astros. And of the teams vying for the AL wild-card spots, Oakland now has the best run differential at plus-152. The A's have gotten a big lift from starter Sean Manaea, who's allowed just one earned run over 18 innings since returning from shoulder surgery and could be a key factor in the postseason. Credit is also due to under-the-radar MVP candidate Marcus Semien, who's having the best season of his career.

7. Tampa Bay Rays

Austin Meadows is carrying the Rays' offense down the stretch. The 24-year-old has recorded a hit in every game during September, including six multi-hit contests. Next, Tampa Bay should get a huge boost from left-hander Blake Snell, who's set to rejoin the rotation on Tuesday as the team tries to fend off the A's and Indians in the wild-card race.

8. St. Louis Cardinals

Since the All-Star break, the Cardinals have employed the second-best pitching staff in the National League, according to FanGraphs, behind the Mets. Jack Flaherty leads the staff with a 1.05 ERA in the second half and will get Cy Young consideration as a result. Meanwhile, Adam Wainwright and Miles Mikolas have both righted the ship - authoring 3.59 and 3.93 ERAs, respectively, since the break - and Giovanny Gallegos has locked down the late innings with a 1.35 ERA.

9. Washington Nationals

The Nationals have lost three of four series to open September, but are still clinging to an NL wild-card spot ahead of the Cubs and Brewers. Juan Soto has been historically good, recently tying Mel Ott for the most home runs by a player before the age of 21, while Howie Kendrick is hitting a stellar .387 this month. Washington's bullpen continues to struggle - other than Sean Doolittle and Daniel Hudson - and could wind up making or breaking its season.

10. Cleveland Indians

The Indians won't play the Twins again this season, so the division title is likely out of reach. Meanwhile, Cleveland is 1 1/2 games out of the second wild-card spot and is set for a dogfight with the Rays and Athletics.

11. Chicago Cubs

The Cubs are still holding the coveted second wild-card spot in the NL, but even if they qualify, they're facing an uphill battle to make it past the one-game playoff. Most recently, Anthony Rizzo suffered a sprained ankle, so he'll be sidelined alongside Craig Kimbrel and Javier Baez. Without those three, the Brewers and Mets feel a lot closer in the standings.

12. New York Mets

Jacob deGrom's monster second half has put him in contention for another NL Cy Young Award. In 80 innings since the All-Star break, he's allowed just 15 earned runs with 101 strikeouts. New York will need the right-hander to keep this up, as the team sits four games behind the Cubs for the second wild-card spot.

13. Milwaukee Brewers

Even with superstar Christian Yelich done for the year, the Brewers have stayed in the thick of the wild-card race. However, starting pitching would be an issue in the WC game, as Milwaukee's rotation ranks 21st in WAR, according to FanGraphs, and its 4.62 ERA is 11th in the Senior Circuit. Zach Davies doesn't strike anyone out, Chase Anderson has looked shaky at best, and no other starter has logged even 100 innings.

14. Arizona Diamondbacks

When September began, Arizona appeared to be a dark horse riding its way to the postseason, and Torey Lovullo looked like the NL Manager of the Year. Losing seven of eight quickly brought the D-Backs back to Earth, as they now sit 5 1/2 back of a wild-card spot. This month, Arizona is hitting .212 and has scored just 44 runs, including eight combined in the last seven games.

15. Boston Red Sox

Less than a year after winning the World Series, the Red Sox made a surprising move last week when they fired president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski after losing series to the Twins and Yankees. Since then, Boston has fallen nine games back of the second AL wild-card spot and will likely miss the postseason for the first time since 2015. Despite the misery, Eduardo Rodriguez is having a career year, with highs in wins (17), innings pitched (185 1/3), and strikeouts (189).

16. Philadelphia Phillies

After spending a ton of money on Bryce Harper and now-injured stars like Andrew McCutchen and David Robertson, the Phillies are in need of a near-miracle to reach the postseason for the first time since 2011. Will manager Gabe Kapler be the scapegoat if the team doesn't live up to colossal expectations? No matter how the season ends, GM Matt Klentak will need to get help for a rotation that's collectively laid an egg beyond ace Aaron Nola.

17. Cincinnati Reds

Even when the Reds get a dynamite performance from a starter, things don't seem to go right. Anthony DeSclafani allowed one run on one hit over seven innings on Saturday, but the Reds lost 1-0, becoming the first team in the modern era (since 1900) to lose a game despite allowing a lone baserunner. Yikes. At least Eugenio Suarez is providing a ton of offense as he pushes to be a late contender for the NL HR title.

18. Texas Rangers

The Rangers could throw a monkey wrench into the AL playoff picture, as their next 11 games will come against the Astros, Athletics, Red Sox, and Yankees. Two of those teams are fighting for home-field advantage in the postseason, one is trying to secure the top wild-card spot, and the other is attempting to keep its season alive. Talk about potentially playing spoiler.

19. San Francisco Giants

Johnny Cueto's return from Tommy John surgery has been stellar so far. The 33-year-old has only allowed four hits across two starts (10 shutout innings) and looks primed to be a mainstay in the Giants' rotation in 2020. Meanwhile, manager Bruce Bochy is just two wins away from 2,000 for his career in his final season in the majors.

20. San Diego Padres

Manny Machado's first season with the Padres has featured more downs than ups, but he did cross the 30-HR threshold for the fifth consecutive season over the weekend. Otherwise, he's seen his numbers nosedive across the board. With eyes on 2020, the Padres will get a glimpse at Garrett Richards when he makes his Friars debut this week.

21. Los Angeles Angels

The Angels - who've been out of playoff contention for pretty much the entire year - have at least been treated to productive seasons from Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. However, both campaigns recently came to an end, with Trout requiring foot surgery and Ohtani undergoing a knee operation.

22. Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates have been a hot mess both on and off the field. Pittsburgh looks primed to finish last in the NL Central, while several members of the club have been involved in altercations. The most recent incident was a clubhouse fight between right-hander Kyle Crick and closer Felipe Vazquez, which resulted in the former requiring season-ending surgery. The turmoil could end up costing manager Clint Hurdle his job.

23. Chicago White Sox

If September is any indication, the future remains bright on the South Side. Youngsters Yoan Moncada, Eloy Jimenez, and Tim Anderson are raking down the stretch and they're all expected to be with the organization until at least 2023. Whether or not Jose Abreu sticks around to mentor the youth remains to be seen, but the free-agent-to-be is making a strong case for potential suitors. Abreu now leads the AL in RBIs after driving in 100 for the fifth time.

24. Colorado Rockies

With Colorado firmly out of the playoff picture, it made sense to officially end oft-injured outfielder David Dahl's season. Before going down for good, the 25-year-old had played in a career-high 100 games while stroking 15 homers and hitting .302. Despite the club's disappointing season, an offensive core of Dahl, Nolan Arenado, Charlie Blackmon, Ryan McMahon, and Brendan Rodgers has a lot of potential.

25. Toronto Blue Jays

The young sluggers had already arrived - and had started producing - for the Blue Jays. Now, September roster expansion has brought in some young pitching. Through two starts, Anthony Kay - who came over from the Mets in the Marcus Stroman trade - has registered a subpar 6.30 ERA, but the peripherals, including a 2.72 FIP, indicate he can manage a big-league gig.

26. Seattle Mariners

The future is on display for the Mariners with Kyle Lewis enjoying a blazing start to his major-league career. The 11th overall pick of the 2016 draft has slugged four home runs in six games since getting called up. Seattle needs a young star to market next season, and Lewis could be that guy.

27. Kansas City Royals

There isn't a whole lot of good happening in Kansas City, as the Royals appear destined for back-to-back 100-loss seasons. At least Jorge Soler has made the team bearable to watch, as he's just one home run behind Trout for the AL lead (with the Angels star done for the season because of injury). Soler would become the first Royal to win the HR crown if he pulls it off.

28. Miami Marlins

The Marlins have been predictably bad at scoring runs, but their pitching staff features some electric pieces. Sandy Alcantara owns a 1.96 ERA and a 2.86 FIP over 23 innings in September. Sure, those three starts came against the Pirates, Royals, and Giants, but they still count.

29. Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles have lost 100 games in consecutive seasons for the first time since moving to Baltimore in 1954. There are nice pieces in the system - particularly catcher Adley Rutschman, pitchers DL Hall and Grayson Rodriguez, and infielder Ryan Mountcastle - but the immediate future is bleak. Fun fact: Jonathan Villar was responsible for the homer that set a new MLB record for the most in a single season across the league.

30. Detroit Tigers

This Tigers team has almost no redeemable qualities. The biggest talking point is that Casey Mize and Riley Greene will get a new highly regarded minor-league teammate as Detroit locks up the top overall selection in the 2020 MLB Draft.