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Here are the latest power rankings across all the different outlets:
MLB.com
This week: 1 | Last week: 3
The Dodgers benefitted from an easier segment of their schedule with 10 wins in their past 12 games, all against the Pirates, Rangers, Phillies and D-backs. Now, it gets trickier — over the next week and a half, they’ll play all above-.500 teams: the Padres, Cubs and Giants. The Dodgers are 1 1/2 games behind the Giants, but they have the best run differential in the NL West at +103. For those secretly (or openly) rooting for a Dodgers-Astros 2017 Fall Classic rematch, the past couple of weeks were a reminder that it very well could happen.
The Athletic
This week: 1 | Last week: 3
Despite not actually leading their division, the Dodgers are back in the top spot. And I know what most of you — especially you Giants fans — are thinking. It’s the same thing going through your heads as you track Los Angeles’ spin rates lately.
Yeah, I know, they swept the Diamondbacks, and who hasn’t done that lately. Yeah, I know, they haven’t overtaken San Francisco in the standings. What are our voters thinking? Maybe they’re looking at how the Dodgers have a better run differential and Pythagorean record than their in-state rivals to the north. Maybe they’re looking at how they’ve survived the absences of Cody Bellinger, Max Muncy and Corey Seager with contributions from old-man Albert Pujols and reclamation project Steven Souza Jr. And maybe they know all those good, injured players are going to be coming back.
As for the spin rates: if the team’s overall drop in rotations per minute is indicative of a sudden lack of tack, it doesn’t seem to be stopping the Dodgers from getting outs.
Sports Illustrated
This week: 3 | Last week: 5
We did not list Walker Buehler among the Dodgers’ potential All-Stars a couple of weeks ago. That was not a sign of disrespect, but an acknowledgement of the extremely high bar set by NL pitchers. Still, it seems to have been a mistake. Buehler, who took a no-hitter into the eighth inning against Arizona on Saturday, has allowed just six runs over his last seven starts and boasts MLB’s third-best ERA (1.36) over that span.
CBS Sports
This week: 2 | Last week: 4
They’ve won 10 of 12, though the competition hasn’t been overly stiff. That changes right now. The Dodgers’ next nine games are against the Padres, Cubs and Giants.
Dodgers links
- On and off the field, outfielder Zach Reks is not your average call-up
- Former LA Dodgers owner earmarks $100M for blockchain-based social media
- Fanatics taps Dodgers executive Tucker Kain to explore new verticals
- Are high draft picks getting to the majors faster than ever?
- First career hit for every No. 1 prospect
- Jacob deGrom lowers ERA and is somehow getting better
- Wander Franco will make his MLB debut tonight. Here’s everything you need to know about the top prospect in baseball.