The MLB is starting to get closer to the mid-summer classic, but we’ve still got a few more weeks of games until we get there. So let’s try to recap it all in this week’s Power Rankings.
30. Baltimore Orioles, 21-51, last in the AL East (ranked 28th last week)
The Orioles are a train wreck, losing eight of their last 10 games while having to face the Blue Jays, Red Sox and now the Athletics this week. Baltimore still can’t score more than four runs per game, at 3.97 on average, and are still allowing over five runs per game at the moment. Their longest winning streak is two games and they’ve only won two games in a row twice this season. At this point, it’s irrelevant for the Orioles to declare they’re sellers because taking one look at their record it’s obvious the team needs to do something different.
One of the few bright spots, if you can call it that, has been their rotation with John Means in the mix. The 26-year-old has helped keep the team in some games alongside Dylan Bundy and Andrew Cashner, who have both been so-so on the year but have played better recently. Overall, Baltimore will likely flip whatever pieces they can to continue to build for the future.
29. Toronto Blue Jays, 26-46, 4th in the AL East (ranked 27th last week)
Toronto has continued to struggle to push across the plate this season. Despite calling up Vlad Jr. earlier this season, they just barely outscoring Miami, Detroit and San Francisco for the fourth-lowest scoring total on the year. Marcus Stroman is having another solid season with the Blue Jays. Easily the team’s best trade chip, the 28-year-old bounced back after a six-run game by allowing only one run in six IP against the O’s last week. But with the rotation lacking much depth behind Stroman, the Blue Jays have continued to struggle with their lack of offensive firepower.
The Blue Jays know this isn’t their year, but what they do need to figure out is how far away they are from it. If they continue to see their young studs struggle, it might be enough for the Blue Jays front office to decide it’s time to move Stroman and see if they can get more prospects to groom.