How the trade deadline changed everything

The updated MLB Power Rankings after the close. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

The MLB power rankings look very different a day after the MLB close.

How can one day the MLB Power Rankings be drastically changed? Well, if that day is MLB trade deadlinemaybe you understand that.

Duty rosters look very different at the moment than they did 24 hours ago. Some teams look like they belong in the lower leagues. Others are more championship ready than ever.

On no other day of the year does the force change so much — at least in the baseball world. Although we also have to consider the standings that MLB Power Rankings look different than they did two mornings ago.

10) MLB Achievement Rankings: Seattle Mariners

Things calmed down for the Seattle Mariners after Luis Castillo’s trade. This is a ball club that either wisely or not so wisely puts a lot of faith in their young players to move up this season. Their big winning streak over the past month has made them obvious trade deadline buyers. In the MLB power rankings, they have the potential to swing drastically in many directions.

Seattle is just as capable of continuing another long winning streak as they drop a few games in a row. The trade deadline moves they performed made them better, but maybe not as great as they needed to be to compete with the best in the American League.

If Mariners fans aren’t feeling exhilarating today, they’re not alone. Jerry Dipoto is known for doing a lot of transactions. At this year’s MLB trading close, however, he was a little quieter than many would like.

9) MLB Power Rankings: Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies had a terrific final day of the MLB trade deadline. They’re rocketing up the MLB power rankings and seem better positioned to make the playoffs as a wildcard team.

The Phillies improved midfield with Brandon Marsh and then added David Robertson to the bullpen. Perhaps more importantly, Odubel Herrera and Jeurys Familia were designated for deployment as a result of these two moves. They also managed to catch Noah Syndergaard just before 6pm to improve the rotation.

Pretty soon, this team would have Bryce Harper back on the starting lineup. Jean Segura will also return from IL to give this offensive all the strength it needs. While they should have done more, further depletion of the farm system might have prepared them for a major outage. They already have a short stream in the pipeline. The right deals probably just weren’t out there for them.