MLB Power Rankings Week 17: A shake-up in the top 5 - ESPN

Tampa Bay's 113-day reign atop the American League East is over — there's a new division leader in town.

The Orioles not only jumped the Rays in the division but in our power rankings as well, with Baltimore making its debut at No. 2 — its highest standing in recent memory. But that was not the only change in our top five this week.

The Dodgers secured the final spot in the top three, the Rays fell to No. 4 — their lowest standing since they were fourth in our Week 1 power rankings — and the Rangers rounded out the top five.

What's the biggest need among these top five teams — and all 30 clubs — before the Aug. 1 trade deadline?

Our expert panel has combined to rank every team in baseball based on a combination of what we've seen so far and what we already knew going into the 162-game marathon that is a full baseball season. We also asked ESPN MLB experts David Schoenfield, Bradford Doolittle, Jesse Rogers and Alden Gonzalez to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.

Week 16 | Second-half preview | Preseason rankings

Record: 64-36

Previous ranking: 1

After tearing the cover off the old horsehide in June when they hit .306/.371/.569 with 61 home runs in 25 games, the Braves' offense has slowed down a bit in July — enough that the Dodgers now lead the National League in runs (the Rangers lead the majors). The Braves are still slugging a ton of home runs, so it's not really a cause for concern, and they're averaging 5.57 runs per game overall (through Tuesday), which would be their highest since 2003, when they averaged 5.60 per game (not counting 2020, when they averaged 5.80). The Braves made some minor moves to add pitching depth, claiming Yonny Chirinos off waivers from the Rays and acquiring relievers Pierce