The Los Angeles Dodgers have fallen to third place in The California Post's latest MLB Power Rankings, surrendering the second spot to the Atlanta Braves. The Dodgers' recent struggles, marked by a 2-13 record against winning teams in the past month and offensive inconsistencies, contributed to their decline.
Adding to the Dodgers' concerns, Shohei Ohtani has slipped to second in the National League MVP race, now trailing the Chicago Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong. Ohtani's pitching status remains unclear, and a recent slump at the plate, where he is 4-for-31 over his last eight games, has impacted his standing. Crow-Armstrong now boasts a better on-base-plus-slugging (OPS) and a higher wins-above-replacement (WAR) total.
The Milwaukee Brewers continue to hold the top spot in the rankings, maintaining their lead for the best record in baseball. The Braves climbed to second after a sweep of the Dodgers, a performance highlighted by Chris Sale's shutout and AJ Smith-Shawver's strong outing upon returning from injury.
Other teams seeing movement in the rankings include the Tampa Bay Rays, who moved to fourth following positive news about their new ballpark development. The New York Yankees remain in fifth, with the potential return of Aaron Judge and other players from the injured list on the horizon.
In the NL MVP race, Crow-Armstrong leads with a .277 batting average, 33 home runs, 83 RBIs, and a .923 OPS. Ohtani follows with a .283 average, 30 home runs, 80 RBIs, and a .921 OPS. Jacob Misiorowski ranks third among pitchers with a 14-5 record and a 1.73 ERA.