Every week, the Pitcher List team will publish an update to our power rankings, highlighting three teams among the different tiers of contention. As always, the full rankings can be found at the bottom of this article, but where’s the fun in that?
There is an old saying that in the land of the blind, the man with one eye is king, and that’s kind of how I feel about upgrading the Chicago White Sox to the Contender tier. Despite the Rays’ outstanding record—the overall strength of the AL East in comparison with the other two divisions on that side—the White Sox simply have too much going for them not to be looked at as a serious threat to represent the American League in the World Series.
Sure, we could wait a couple more weeks to see if the White Sox can secure a larger lead in the AL Central and really cement their status as a potential division winner. Where would be the fun in that, though?
Contender
No. 9 Chicago White Sox (65-58, +47)
For basically the entire season, two of three divisions in the American League have been led by different clubs, all hanging on to a slightly above-average record, if that. The White Sox haven’t exactly taken off to fight at the tier one of contenders, but they’ve done enough so to the point that, barring any major screw-ups, at the very least a playoff spot is guaranteed—likely one with a division title given their 4.5 game lead over the Guardians.
As much as we might recognize the breakout potential of several key players on this White Sox roster, their lack of pedigree probably affects how we view the team’s potential. Take Sean Burke, for instance, who wasn’t at his finest in a win over the Tigers this past week but has been performing like a true ace this season—Burke leads his rotation in most major categories, including innings pitched, ERA, strikeouts, and WHIP.
The White Sox are combining for a 12.4 fWAR with no weak links in the chain, with Vargas—one of this team’s three All-Star hitters this season—on fire over the past week, leaving the yard four times. Speaking of home runs, it’s only a matter of time before three of Chicago’s four starting infielders reach 30 long balls on the season (Vargas, Munetaka Murakami, and Colson Montgomery)—an easily historic feat for this organization.
Last week, the Tigers were red-hot on the back of four straight winning series when they found themselves on the losing end of a sweep at home, failing to contain the Sox offense, which scored 20 runs in just three games. Murakami and Vargas both homered on Sunday to pick up the slack for Burke, who delivered his worst outing in two months, allowing four runs.
The Middle
No. 10 San Diego Padres (67-59, +3 run differential)
Potentially overlooked by the commanding series win the Brewers had at Dodger Stadium over the weekend was the Padres’ sweep of the NL Central leaders early in the week. Opting to buy and not sell at the deadline, the Padres are thriving as of late in the middle of this tightly contested National League playoff race—a recent development largely connected to the breakthrough from stars who were supposed to be carrying this offense.
In theory, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill had the makings of a scintillating outfield duo capable of athletic plays on both sides of the ball. In reality, their season numbers have left a lot to be desired, but things seem to be picking up for both in August, each with an OPS north of .900 this month.
Tatis had well-documented struggles to provide power early in the season, but adjustments to his swing have paid off immensely. The Padres right fielder has a .999 OPS in a little under 30 games in the second half, reverting to the power threat from the leadoff spot he has been for the Padres. The third act of this group who isn’t sharing the same improved form as his teammates is the veteran third baseman Manny Machado—cooling off in August after an exciting month of July in which he hit seven long balls.
Speaking of veterans, Robbie Ray is still settling in as a Padre. Although the numbers were far from great in his first two starts since moving teams in California, you also have to account for the quality of opposition, facing off against the Houston Astros and Milwaukee Brewers. At the top of the rotation, Michael King continues to silence questions about his health on his way to setting a career high in innings pitched. Possessing a losing record ever since the start of June, King is now 8-8 on the season after back-to-back wins on quality starts against the Guardians and Astros.
Wait ‘Til 2027
No. 20 Washington Nationals (60-66, +18)
The Washington Nationals are one of a few teams to suffer from the highly competitive setting of the National League in the current season. Understanding that harsh reality, they made some difficult moves at the deadline that are ultimately probably in the best interest of the team. One of the more exciting offenses in baseball this season for its youthful exuberance, the Nationals are currently without the injured James Wood—they also need to reinvent themselves following the trade of Luis Garcia Jr., who, alongside Wood and C.J. Abrams, made up the core of this lineup.
Considering where this offense is compared to where it was not so long ago, a series sweep at the hands of the New York Mets, scoring just eight runs in three games, can be more easily explained. Abrams currently carries too big a burden to anchor this lineup. With Wood’s timetable for a return looking murky as of late, not unexpected with oblique injuries, it’s plausible to assume that the drop-off in offensive production will carry on.
Instead of playing out his expiring deal in the attempts of re-signing him in the offseason, the Nats decided to cash in on the breakout performance of Foster Griffin—a move that inevitably created a vacuum at the top of this rotation that wasn’t particularly imposing to begin with. Take the series against the Cubs early last week, for instance; despite managing a shutout win in Cade Cavalli’s start—this team’s new ace—the Nats still allowed well over six runs a game versus the Cubs.
The Curtis Mead for Connelly Early trade hasn’t exactly turned out like either team wanted. Mead was injured shortly into his Red Sox tenure, while Early suffered a setback in his rehab after joining the Nats, meaning neither player has been able to contribute for their new club.
