Last week, we took a look at the candidates for Major League Baseball’s 100 wins, with the Houston Astros since joining the triple-digit Los Angeles Dodgers.
At the bottom of the league, up to five teams could end the season with at least 100 losses. Entering Monday with 99 losses, the Washington Nationals should be the first club to do so, with the Pittsburgh Pirates (56-97) and Oakland Athletics (56-97) not far behind.
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There is still a chance for the Cincinnati Reds (60-93) and Detroit Tigers (60-92) to finish with 100 losses, but the Reds would only have to finish 3-6 and the Tigers 3- 7 to avoid crossing the “cap”. .”
Four teams finished with 100 losses last season — the Pirates (101), Arizona Diamondbacks (110), Baltimore Orioles (110) and Texas Rangers (102).
Here’s how USA TODAY Sports’ eight-person panel voted this week:
Ranking (movement since last week)
1. Los Angeles Dodgers (–)
- Dustin May hits IL with a tight back but could be back in the playoffs.
2. Houston Astros (–)
- The Astros reach 100 wins for the fourth time in five full seasons.
3. Mets de New York (+1)
- Jacob deGrom has allowed 11 earned runs in his last three starts – a 6.60 ERA.
4. Yankees de New York (+1)
- After a rocky summer, the Yankees are hot at the right time, winning 14 of 18 games from Sept. 3-24.
5. Braves d’Atlanta (-2)
- Spencer Strider will miss the rest of the regular season with an oblique injury
6. Cardinals of St. Louis (–)
7. Blue Jays de Toronto (–)
- Starting Monday with a 1.5 game home advantage in the Wild Card Series.
8. Cleveland Guardians (+4)
- Won AL Central on a seven-game winning streak – as second-placed White Sox have lost six in a row.
9. Tampa Bay Rays (-1)
- Tyler Glasnow will return to the Rays rotation this week following Tommy John surgery in August 2021.
10. San Diego Padres (+1)
- Juan Soto is 11-for-26 (.423) with two home runs and five RBIs in his last seven games.
11. Philadelphia Phillies (-1)
- Kyle Schwarber’s 42 home runs are a career high.
12. Marins de Seattle (-3)
- Acquired at the trade deadline, Luis Castillo gets a five-year, $108 million extension.
13. Milwaukee Brewers (–)
- Four straight wins, entering Monday 1½ games behind the NL’s third-place wildcard.
14. Orioles de Baltimore (+1)
- Mathematically alive! A playoff berth is unlikely, but the final weeks should be fun.
15. White Sox de Chicago (-1)
16. Minnesota Twins (–)
- Batting .366 in September, Carlos Correa is preparing (again) to secure the sack if he retires.
17. San Francisco Giants (+1)
- What the Giants do with Evan Longoria’s contract option is something to watch.
18. Red Sox de Boston (-1)
- Shoutout Alex Verdugo, hitting .314 in 223 at-bats since the All-Star break.
19. Arizona Diamonds (–)
20. Angels of Los Angeles (–)
- Another listless season of the Angels is finally coming to an end.
21. Cubs de Chicago (+2)
- This could actually be Willson Contreras’ last homestand at Wrigley Field.
22. Colorado Rockies (-1)
- Kris Bryant played 42 games in the first season of his $182 million contract.
23. Texas Rangers (-1)
- Josh Jung had six extra hits in his first 15 major league games.
24. Miami Marlins (–)
- Manager Don Mattingly announces he will not return in 2023.
25. Cincinnati Reds (–)
26. Royals at Kansas City (–)
27. Detroit Tigers (–)
- The weekend sweep in Chicago eliminated the White Sox from the AL Central race.
28. Oakland Athletics (+1)
- Oakland scored five points against Jacob deGrom on Saturday.
29. Pirates de Pittsburgh (-1)
- Pittsburgh claimed 2018 Rookie of the Year finalist Miguel Andujar from Yankees waivers.
30. Washington Nationals (–)
- With 99 losses through Sunday, it will be the Nationals’ first 100-loss season since 2009.
