MLB Power Rankings Week 20: D-backs, Padres heat up NL race - ESPN

With six weeks left in the season, the divisional and wild-card races are heating up more — and are making for some exciting baseball.

A dominant run from the Padres and Diamondbacks — both of whom are now solidly in the top 10 of our rankings — has closed the gap between them and the Dodgers, making the National League West more competitive. Similarly, in the East, the Phillies' slump has allowed the Braves to come back within striking distance to where a division title isn't totally impossible.

Meanwhile, in the American League, battles for the division between the Yankees and Orioles in the East and the Astros and Mariners in the West could come down to the wire. And a handful of teams in both leagues are still very much in the mix for wild-card spots.

How will things play out in the stretch run?

Our expert panel has combined to rank every team based on a combination of what we've seen 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, Buster Olney, Alden Gonzalez and Jorge Castillo to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.

Week 19 | Second-half preview | Preseason rankings

Record: 71-50
Previous ranking: 5

Mookie Betts returned Monday from an eight-week absence caused by a fractured left hand and homered almost immediately. Walker Buehler, who struggled through command issues and an injured hip in his return from a second Tommy John surgery, rejoined the rotation on Tuesday. Max Muncy and Tommy Edman are expected to be activated early next week. The Dodgers, ravaged by injury throughout the summer, are starting to become whole again. And the biggest development might be Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who will meet