1. Oakland Athletics (67-43) (Last Week 1) – Billy Beane is getting his roster ready for October by stacking the starting rotation and adding Jon Lester. But will losing the bat of Yoenis Cespedes prove to be a problem? The early results are mixed. In the three games without him since the trade deadline, Oakland has scored zero, eight, and two runs.
2. Los Angeles Angels (66-44) (LW 2) – If the Angels are able to overtake the Athletics to win the A.L. West and pick up home field advantage, that could make them tough to beat in October. At 38-19, the Angels have the best home record in baseball.
3. Los Angeles Dodgers (63-49) (LW 3) – Matt Kemp has thrived since trade rumors involving him had popped up. In his last seven games, he has went 9-for-21 with five home runs, four doubles, a triple, seven RBIs, and two steals.
4. Baltimore Orioles (62-48) (LW 5) – The Orioles got some bullpen help prior to the deadline, but could have used a front-line starter, too. Baltimore’s starters do rank in the top half of the American League, but they lack a true ace. The O’s don’t have a starter with an ERA lower than 3.69.
5. Detroit Tigers (61-47) (LW 7) – The Tigers are straight up hoarding Cy Young Award winners with their acquisition of David Price. But it also makes it more clear that Justin Verlander is the worst pitcher on the staff, with a 10-9 record, 4.66 ERA, and 0.7 WAR.
