Usually, when we publish our weekly edition of RealClearLife‘s Ultimate Power Rankings, we focus on a team or two that are making noise at the top of the ranks.
However, in this week’s installment of RCL’s Ultimate Power Rankings, which combine ratings from ESPN, CBS and USA Today to get a single definitive rank for all 30 teams in Major League Baseball and use segmented tiers to arrange them, we’re going to look at the bottom of the MLB barrel—and it ain’t pretty.
The three teams that consistently rank at the bottom of our rankings—the Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals, and Baltimore Orioles—continue to play some of the most pathetic baseball the league has ever seen.
With a combined record of 79-189 overall, the White Sox, Royals, and O’s have gone a combined 4-26 over their last 30 games played. As of Monday, the White Sox were riding a losing streak of five games, the Orioles six, and the Royals nine.
All three teams are so pathetically inept that they, along with the almost-as-putrid Miami Marlins, have a three-digit negative run differential, the only clubs that can make that ignominious claim.
Things are so bad at the bottom that the Orioles (24-65) are already separated from the AL East first-place Boston Red Sox (62-29) by a stunning 37 games, a gap that projects to widen to 66 by the end of the season. Were that to happen, the Orioles would end up just a half-game shy of the all-time worst single-season finish behind first place, set in 1906 when the Boston Beaneaters finished 66.5 games behind the 116-win Chicago Cubs.
While we’re talking Cubbies, the 2018 edition of Wrigley’s Boys of Summer are creeping up in the standings and in our power ranks. To see how far they made it—and if anyone else is making a mid-season climb to the top—read on.
Hold your nose at the bottom …
The Best of the Best (1.00-5.00)
No. 1.33, last 2.00, two weeks ago 2.33: Boston Red Sox – (ESPN, 2), (CBS Sports, 1), (USA Today, 1, tie)
No. 1.66, last 2.33, two weeks ago 1.00: Houston Astros – (ESPN, 1), (CBS Sports, 3), (USA Today, 1, tie)
No. 2.66, last 1.66, two weeks ago 2.66: New York Yankees – (ESPN, 3), (CBS Sports, 2), (USA Today, 3)
No. 5.00, last 5.33, two weeks ago 7.00: Chicago Cubs – (ESPN, 4), (CBS Sports, 5), (USA Today, 6)
No. 5.00, last 7.33, two weeks ago 5.00: Milwaukee Brewers – (ESPN, 5), (CBS Sports, 6), (USA Today, 4)
The Best of the Rest (5.01-10.00)
No. 5.33, last 5.33, two weeks ago 8.66: Seattle Mariners – (ESPN, 7), (CBS Sports, 4), (USA Today, 5)
No. 7.33, last 6.66, two weeks ago 5.33: Cleveland Indians – (ESPN, 6), (CBS Sports, 7), (USA Today, 9)
No. 8.33, last 6.66, two weeks ago 7.66: Atlanta Braves – (ESPN, 9), (CBS Sports, 9), (USA Today, 7)
No. 9.00, last 11.33, two weeks ago 11.33: Philadelphia Phillies – (ESPN, 11), (CBS Sports, 8), (USA Today, 8)
No. 9.66, last 10.00, two weeks ago 9.33: Los Angeles Dodgers – (ESPN, 8), (CBS Sports, 11), (USA Today, 10)
So You’re Saying There’s a Chance (10.01-15.00)
No. 11.33, last 8.33, two weeks ago 6.66: Arizona Diamondbacks – (ESPN, 10), (CBS Sports, 12), (USA Today, 12)
No. 11.33, last 11.66, two weeks ago 15.00: Oakland Athletics – (ESPN, 13), (CBS Sports, 10), (USA Today, 11)
No. 13.00, last 14.66, two weeks ago 13.66: St. Louis Cardinals – (ESPN, 12), (CBS Sports, 13), (USA Today, 14)
No. 14.33, last 13.66, two weeks ago 11.66: Washington Nationals – (ESPN, 14), (CBS Sports, 16), (USA Today, 13)
Stuck in the Middle with You (15.01-20.00)
No. 15.66, last 19.00, two weeks ago 17.00: Colorado Rockies – (ESPN, 17), (CBS Sports, 14), (USA Today, 16)
No. 16.00, last 14.00, two weeks ago 16.66: San Francisco Giants – (ESPN, 18), (CBS Sports, 15), (USA Today, 15)
No. 16.33, last 15.66, two weeks ago 13.00: Los Angeles Angels – (ESPN, 15), (CBS Sports, 17), (USA Today, 17)
No. 17.33, last 16.33, two weeks ago 18.66: Tampa Bay Rays – (ESPN, 16), (CBS Sports, 18), (USA Today, 18)
No. 19.66, last 18.66, two weeks ago 18.66: Pittsburgh Pirates – (ESPN, 21), (CBS Sports, 19), (USA Today, 19)
No. 20.00, last 20.00, two weeks ago 21.00: Toronto Blue Jays – (ESPN, 19), (CBS Sports, 21), (USA Today, 20)
It’s Probably Not Your Year (20.01-25.00)
No. 21.00, last 22.33, two weeks ago 23.66: Cincinnati Reds – (ESPN, 20), (CBS Sports, 20), (USA Today, 23)
No. 22.00, last 21.66, two weeks ago 19.66: Minnesota Twins – (ESPN, 22), (CBS Sports, 23), (USA Today, 21)
No. 22.33, last 21.66, two weeks ago 23.33: Texas Rangers – (ESPN, 23), (CBS Sports, 22), (USA Today, 22)
No. 24.33, last 25.00, two weeks ago 22.00: Detroit Tigers – (ESPN, 24), (CBS Sports, 25), (USA Today, 24)
No. 24.66, last 23.66, two weeks ago 24.33: San Diego Padres – (ESPN, 25), (CBS Sports, 24), (USA Today, 25)
See You in 2019 (25.01-30.00)
No. 26.66, last 26.66, two weeks ago 26.33: New York Mets – (ESPN, 26), (CBS Sports, 28), (USA Today, 26)
No. 26.66, last 26.66, two weeks ago 26.66: Miami Marlins – (ESPN, 27), (CBS Sports, 26), (USA Today, 27)
No. 27.66, last 27.66, two weeks ago 28.00: Chicago White Sox – (ESPN, 28), (CBS Sports, 27), (USA Today, 28)
No. 29.33, last 29.33, two weeks ago 30.00: Kansas City Royals – (ESPN, 29), (CBS Sports, 29), (USA Today, 30)
No. 29.66, last 29.66, two weeks ago 29.00: Baltimore Orioles – (ESPN, 30), (CBS Sports, 30), (USA Today, 29)
Whether you’re looking to get into shape, or just get out of a funk, The Charge has got you covered. Sign up for our new wellness newsletter today.
