A few elite teams look set to battle in the race for World Series glory this season after dominating the divisions they compete in. There are still four weeks remaining on the schedule, with a few important races to be on the lookout for, but the best teams are already planning their way to the postseason. These are the five teams that are in the top five of the MLB power rankings right now:
San Francisco Giants
The Giants clinched the series with the Dodgers with a hard-fought 4-4 win over the Dodgers over the weekend. They currently are two wins clear from Los Angeles at the top of the NL West, with the best record in the league this year. The Giants aren't considered to be an outsider for their place in the World Series - you can find shorter odds on five different teams - but San Francisco has delighted in making a mockery of projections during the course of their season. It's hard to think of any method that would have had the Giants winning more than 85 games this year and yet they've broken through the barrier with only four weeks remaining. A majority of their remaining games are in opposition to NL West rivals, and they boast one of MLB's best intradivisional records this season, so they'll be able to secure the West.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers may be trailing the Giants by two victories in the top spot in the NL West, but they still have the best record in the league this year. They fell in three of their games to the Giants in the last weekend game and would be 2-1 had it not for a bases-loaded throw mistake by the hapless Trea Turner. Walker Buehler is one of the NL frontrunners for the Cy Young, while Max Scherzer has proven to be a smart purchase. The Dodgers are perennial contenders for glory, and every sportsbook makes Los Angeles the favorite to claim another successive World Series title this year.
Tampa Bay Rays
The reigning AL champion is sure to make playoffs for the third straight year, which has never happened before. The Rays are also holding the franchise record of the 97-win mark to look forward to and have posted an 88-52 record thus far. The 11-10 win over the Red Sox was exhilarating, and now they have 11 wins from the fifteen games in the last. The Rays are gaining momentum and many fans believe the Rays are in the midst of a golden era in the history of the franchise.
Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers are in a position to be victorious in the NL Central after opening up an advantage of 12 games over the Reds. Star duo Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff are both serious Cy Young contenders, and Adrian Houser was phenomenal in a complete game shutout against the Cardinals this past week. No team will want to play Milwaukee during the postseason. Yet the franchise is still worrying about the condition of Willy Adames. The Brewers boast a MLB-best record of 63-32 since Adames made his debut and he's got the talent to be a shining light in the postseason.
Houston Astros
The betting sites make the Astros the second favorites to win this year's World Series this year, in spite of the effects of a recent slide. They are now just five wins ahead over those of the Mariners and six ahead from the Athletics on top of the AL West, so that division could come down to the wire. Yet the Astros have a 14-game stretch with their rivals the Angels, Rangers and Diamondbacks to look forward to which may allow them to gain some breathing space. The recent results have not been spectacular, but the Astros are still stacked with talent and they could be an AL contender. AL.