MLB power rankings: The Angels kept (and helped) Shohei Ohtani, then promptly fell apart
When fans look back on Shohei Ohtani's tenure in Anaheim, it will include a bottomless trove of eye-popping performances, from tape-measure home runs to double-digit strikeout games to historic double-duty, doubleheader performances.
It's just going to be a highlight-free reel.
The Los Angeles Angels did right by their fans and Ohtani, retaining him at the deadline and making some of the boldest moves on the market, bolstering hopes they'd snag a wild card spot and lift the greatest two-way player in baseball history into his first postseason.
And then they lost seven of their next nine games.
A maddening and ill-timed cold spell will almost certainly knock the Angels from playoff contention, despite importing pitchers Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez and sluggers Randal Grichuk and C.J. Cron before the trade deadline. The playoff-crushing blow might have been administered this weekend, when the Seattle Mariners came into Angel Stadium and swept four games, dusting the Angels in the wild card standings and sending them below .500.
As if to epitomize this maddeningly frustrating era where both Ohtani and Mike Trout haven't been to the playoffs together, the Mariners won two games in their final at-bat and two games by one run, the weekend commencing when a fellow named Cade Marlowe hit a grand slam – just his second career homer – off All-Star closer Carlos Estevez to turn a 3-1 Angels lead into a 5-3 loss.
The Angels were punished appropriately in USA TODAY Sports' power rankings, dropping four spots to No. 20, while the Mariners vaulted six places into 11th.
A look at this week's rankings:
1. Atlanta Braves (-)
Their majors-leading 212 home runs are 34 more than No. 2 Dodgers.
2. Baltimore Orioles (-)
Now tied with Braves in, as old broadcaster Joe Angel would say, "the win column."
3. Texas Rangers (+1)
Haven't lost since trading for Max Scherzer.
4. Tampa Bay Rays (-1)
Season may rest on outcome of Shane McClanahan's trip to arm specialist in L.A.
5. Los Angeles Dodgers (-)
9-6 since debuting Freddie Freeman dance celebration.
6. Houston Astros (-)
Chas McCormick and Jake Myers combine for 4.4 WAR - adding up to one elite center fielder.
7. Toronto Blue Jays (-)
A weekend sweep at Fenway shows they can flourish down Bo Bichette.
8. Philadelphia Phillies (+4)
Fans' standing ovation for Trea Turner moves his mother to tears.
9. San Francisco Giants (+1)
Feeble offense (.709 OPS, 13th in NL) too often too much to overcome.
10. Milwaukee Brewers (-1)
Suddenly a three-team race thanks to those fellows down Lake Michigan.
11. Seattle Mariners (+6)
Blame these guys when Ohtani's watching from his couch in October.
12. Cincinnati Reds (-4)
Time to show they aren't just a one-month fad.
13. New York Yankees (-)
A lost first season in the Bronx for Carlos Rodon.
14. Chicago Cubs (+6)
Won a series off the Braves, in case you didn't think they were serious.
15. Boston Red Sox (-4)
Aimless team drifts back into irrelevance.
16. Miami Marlins (-2)
Eury Perez finally getting called back up. Is it too late?
17. Arizona Diamondbacks (-2)
26-38 against winning teams.
18. San Diego Padres (-)
Rather large five-game trip to Seattle, Arizona.
19. Minnesota Twins (-)
The AL Central, where a modicum of competence is rewarded.
20. Los Angeles Angels (-4)
Mike Trout gonna return to the Donald Glover pizza GIF.
21. Cleveland Guardians (-1)
About time everyone learned how fantastic longtime Cleveland radio voice Tom Hamilton is.
22. New York Mets (-)
Stunning how this club went from glitziest team ever to the Syracuse Mets.
23. Detroit Tigers (-)
Closer Alex Lange has a 7.32 ERA since June 4.
24. Pittsburgh Pirates (+1)
.The No. 1 overall pick as a catcher in 2021, Henry Davis has started exclusively in right field (and DH).
25. Washington Nationals (+1)
Sweep at Cincy has them in rarefied power rankings air.
26. St. Louis Cardinals (-2)
Last time they lost a series at home to Colorado, Albert Pujols was 29.
27. Chicago White Sox (-)
Has any team taken more high-profile Ls?
28. Colorado Rockies (-)
For one day, Austin Gomber won the Nolan Arenado trade.
29. Kansas City Royals (-)
17 saves are fewest in majors, and 50% conversion rate tied for 29th.
30. Oakland Athletics (-)
The record: 32-80. The run differential: Minus-271. Attendance for second "reverse boycott" game at Coliseum: 37,553.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB power rankings: Angels keep Shohei Ohtani, collapse in AL standings
