Andrew Vaughn Mirrors Babe Ruth, Boosts Milwaukee Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers stand supreme in the latest MLB Power Rankings, all thanks to the extraordinary hitting spree of Andrew Vaughn, who appears to be echoing the legacy of baseball great Babe Ruth. Once a mercurial talent, Vaughn has found a new lease on life in Milwaukee. He’s been astonishing at the plate, displaying a batting average of .377 and an OPS+ of 219, and hitting seven round-trippers so far. The Brewers’ dazzling form, which includes an unbeaten streak in August and a string of nine victories in their last 10 matches, has set them apart, marking them as the first team in the league to touch the magic figure of 70 wins.

Meanwhile, in the city of brotherly love, the Philadelphia Phillies are igniting postseason fervor at their home turf, Citizens Bank Park. Their trade deadline acquisition of top-tier closing pitcher Jhoan Duran is causing waves. With his stellar performance in the two appearances so far, where he has not allowed a single run or hit and reached 103 mph on the radar gun, Duran has added an electrifying dynamic to the Phillies’ squad.

Los Angeles Dodgers barely managed to escape an injury blow when Shohei Ohtani had to leave the field on July 30th with cramps during his start against the Reds. However, in the recent match against the Cardinals, he bounced back, pitching over four innings, with eight strikeouts and only a single earned run. Ohtani wasn’t just a terror on the mound; with his bat, he added a two-run home run to the Dodgers’ total. However, the Dodgers ended up on the losing side with a 5-3 scoreline against St. Louis, bringing down the curtain on the three-match series.

In Toronto, Bo Bichette’s contractual situation might be causing a wave of regret among the Blue Jays’ management. After rebounding from a slump in the 2024 season, the two-time All-Star has the highest number of hits (145) in the league. His batting dominance, displayed through a .301 batting average, 16 homers, 123 OPS+, and a successful three-game sweep against the Rockies, where he contributed to the enormous tally of 63 hits and 45 runs, underlines his significance for the team.

Over in Detroit, the Tigers seem to be grappling with a minor crisis, having secured only seven victories in 19 games since the All-Star break. Their lack of significant movement during the trade deadline for a top-tier reliever, settling only for depth improvements, hasn’t necessarily boosted their chances. However, they continue to maintain a strong six-game lead over the Guardians in the American League Central.

The Chicago Cubs rolled the dice with their trade for injury-prone starter Michael Soroka from the Nationals. This gamble seems to not have paid off, as the pitcher spent just two innings on the field during his Chicago debut before getting injured once more. With Soroka on the injury list and a below-par start to his career in Chicago, the team’s bid for a World Series title or even catching the Brewers in the NL Central looks bleak.

The Boston Red Sox’s commendable showing was interrupted when the Kansas City Royals snapped their seven-game winning streak. Despite the single setback, the Red Sox have solidified their position among the league’s top AL teams, clinching the primary Wild Card spot. Further bolstering their squad, they secured the former top talent Roman Anthony on an 8-year deal worth $130 million, which could escalate up to $230 million.

Making waves in the National League West, the San Diego Padres have been on a roll after some major deadline day trades, which included the acquiring of closer Mason Miller and power hitter, Ryan O’Hearn. Bolstered by these changes, they won nine out of their last eleven matches, standing just two games behind the leading Dodgers.

Houston meanwhile celebrated the return of Carlos Correa, the favorite son of the Astros, from his stint with the Twins. The shortstop has begun his second spell impressively with a batting average of .346, an OPS of .931, 155 OPS+, a couple of doubles, and a home run in his initial six games.

New York Mets, conversely, are experiencing a slide. A troublesome spell has seen them losing eight out of their last nine matches. Frankie Montas, despite signing a $34 million contract spanning two years, couldn’t produce the desired results with a disappointing ERA of 6.68. He gave away seven long balls and 25 earned runs over 33? innings following his return from the injured list.

In contrast, the Seattle Mariners have used the trade deadline to their advantage – winning five out of the last six games. Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez, their latest acquisitions, have packed a punch, together contributing four home runs. Given the team’s strong pitching line-up, it’s not unrealistic for the fans to dream about a maiden World Series triumph for Seattle.

Meanwhile, with a promising run differential of +70, the Texas Rangers are placed in third position in the AL West. They reinforced their already robust rotation by securing Merrill Kelly during the trade deadline, complementing their line-up that features Nathan Eovaldi and Jacob deGrom. The Rangers’ upcoming success depends heavily on their batters, who need to buck up for a playoff challenge.

The Cincinnati Reds seem tantalizingly close to earning a playoff spot for the first time since the truncated 2020 season due to the pandemic. Currently, just three games away from a wild card spot, they beefed up their rotation with Zack Littell and upgraded their third base by enlisting Ke’Bryan Hayes at the deadline.

The New York Yankees, on the other hand, are experiencing a rough patch worse than their city counterparts, the Mets. Their defense and base running have been underwhelming, to say the least, and the reliever Jake Bird, acquired at the trade deadline, has been so subpar he’s been relegated to Triple-A. Falling to third in the AL East, they are barely clinging on to the final Wild Card spot with a minuscule 1.5 game advantage.

Emerging as a surprise package, the Cleveland Guardians are chasing the last Wild Card spot vigorously, trailing the Yankees by only 1.5 games. They managed to overcome the potential loss of All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase, below investigation for sports betting, clinching victories in seven out of the last eight games. An impressive performance was delivered by their pitcher Gavin Williams, who narrowly missed out on a no-hitter against the Mets.

The Miami Marlins, exactly like the 2024 Tigers, are hoping to defy their low probability (1.3% according to FanGraphs) of reaching the playoffs. The Marlins have emerged as a force post the All-Star break, with a winning record of 12-6 that includes an exciting sweep of the Yankees. While they are still six games behind the last Wild Card spot, such a comeback is not entirely out of the question.