Each week, the California Post will power rank MLB’s 30 teams and check in on one intriguing awards race. Records as of Saturday morning.

1) Dodgers (69-41)

The Dodgers are already the best team in baseball. Now, the rest of the sport is waiting to see if they will add Tarik Skubal to their collection of star talent, too. Even if they don’t, of course, the defending two-time champions will be clear-cut favorites for a third straight title. Even with Shohei Ohtani still battling his knee injury, Edwin Díaz and Kiké Hernández are back, with Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Will Smith not far behind. (Last week: 1st)

2) Brewers (68-41)

Another player in the Skubal sweepstakes, the Brewers certainly have more of a need for the two-time Cy Young winner. While Jacob Misiorowski has bounced back from his All-Star-break arm fatigue, the rest of their rotation remains banged up. It has slowed their roll for now. But without many big stars in the lineup, the more star pitching they can get, the better. (Last week: 2nd)

3) Rays (64-45)

The Skubal contenders keep on coming. Like the Brewers, the Rays could use another ace-caliber pitcher to bolster their World Series chances. But, like the Brewers, they are a small-market team typically opposed to mortgaging the future on rental players. Unlike the Brewers, at least, the Dodgers aren’t standing in the way of them at least reaching the World Series. (Last week: 3rd)

4) Braves (65-45)

Did we mention that Skubal is a coveted commodity? The Braves could be a dark horse in the bidding, too, thanks to their depth of young pitching and need for another front-line option to pair with Chris Sale in the rotation. The good news for them for now, at least, is that the fading Phillies have fallen eight games behind them in the NL East standings. (Last week: 4th)

5) Cubs (62-48)

How about one last Skubal contender to round out the top five? The Cubs have the most glaring hole of the group at the top of their rotation. But they’ve also practiced extreme caution in recent years at trade deadlines, and this summer they might prefer a controllable starting pitcher. Either way, they have finally found some extended consistency lately, going 30-20 over June and July. (Last week: 5th)

6) Yankees (62-48)

Finally, we’ve reached a team that likely won’t make a strong push for Skubal. But that doesn’t mean the scuffling Yankees don’t need help. Most of it will have to come internally, of course, with the club now playing without Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger after his hamstring injury. But a catcher and reliever remain on their wish list. (Last week: 6th)

7) Red Sox (58-51)

Curtis Mead might be done for the year. Jarren Duran is hurting his trade stock on and off the field. And yet, the Red Sox keep on rolling, having won back-to-back series, plus a series opener over the Dodgers on Friday, since their 15-game win streak was snapped. A strong deadline could make them a serious World Series threat. (Last week: 8th)

8) White Sox (58-51)

The first-place White Sox have the highest-scoring offense in the American League. Now, they are looking for pitching, pitching and more pitching to go along with it, with everyone from Reid Detmers to Eric Lauer linked to them as potential targets. (Last week: 10th)

9) Diamondbacks (58-52)

If this isn’t the season for the Dbacks to return to the playoffs for the first time since their surprise World Series run in 2023, then when? The club has moved into the second NL wild-card spot with a 13-5 surge and should have some late-season pitching help (including Corbin Burnes) coming back — if they can add enough at the deadline to get there while still in contention. (Last week: 9th)

10) Phillies (57-53)

Bryce Harper’s comment about Philadelphia needing help might have been a veiled shot at top executive Dave Dombrowski. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t spot on. The once red-hot Phillies have gone ice cold once again, losing eight of their last nine. And while adding someone like Skubal would fit Dombrowski’s aggressive MO, there are too many other holes in the lineup they’ll likely have to address first. (Last week: 7th)

11) Astros (56-55)

For the first time since the first week of April, the Astros are over .500 — and in first place in the AL West. It once seemed unlikely that they would get here, given the disastrous way their season started. But now, they can look to shore up their roster and give their veteran core perhaps one last shot at a postseason run. (Last week: 16th)

12) Guardians (56-55)

It’s shaping up to be another unremarkable deadline for the Guardians, which would be fitting for what has been a largely unremarkable — though still potentially playoff-bound — season. Their main concern now is getting José Ramírez going again, after a quiet first week in his return from the injured list. (Last week: 11th)

13) Padres (56-54)

The Padres might not be dead after all, winning six of seven to give what has been a quiet deadline thus far just what it needs: an unpredictable A.J. Preller. Will he still trade one of his top relievers? Will he find a way to land another top starter? Anything feels possible, with the Padres just 1 ½ games out of the wild card again. (Last week: 17th)

14) Pirates (55-56)

Right about now would be a good time for Paul Skenes to get going again. In what was already a strange season for the reigning Cy Young winner, Skenes has now allowed five runs in back-to-back outings, pushing his ERA to 3.90. Pittsburgh remains in the playoff hunt and figures to add at the deadline. But any October push will depend on Skenes rediscovering his typical form. (Last week: 12th)

15) Rangers (55-55)

The Rangers gave up almost nothing in a trade with the Angels this week. But leading up to Monday, they’ll have get a little bit more in future deals than a middle reliever and Triple-A catcher, too. (Last week: 14th)

16) Twins (56-55)

We have been down on the Twins in these rankings all year. We implored them to be sellers earlier this month. And yet, they continue to march forward, entering Saturday above .500 and tied for the final AL wild-card spot. As one of the few clubs to declare themselves as buyers and already adding pieces to their bullpen, they get an overdue jump this week. (Last week: 22nd)

17) Marlins (56-55)

The Marlins are one of many teams on the deadline fence, after finally snapping out of their 12-game losing streak and remaining just 1 ½ games out of a wild card. They have pieces they could move. But also, do they want to punt a real postseason chance? (Last week: 20th)

18) Nationals (55-56)

The Curtis Mead-for-Connelly Early trade might be a sign of things to come for the Nationals. It wasn’t quite a buy. It wasn’t quite a sell. Instead, it keeps them relevant for now (assuming Early can return from injury and contribute down the stretch) while also giving them a piece for the future. (Last week: 19th)

19) Orioles (54-56)

Want to know how strange this year’s deadline is? The Orioles pulled off a stirring comeback against the Phillies on Friday to move within 1 ½ games of a wild-card spot –– then traded Dean Kremer to the Twins. It was a good example of how even teams in the mix are struggling to decide whether to buy or sell. (Last week: 21st)

20) Cardinals (54-56)

A feel-good story for so much of the first half, the Cardinals have wound up where everyone originally expected: likely to be deadline sellers, with their playoff chances dwindling amid a 3-11 skid. (Last week: 13th)

21) Mariners (53-58)

Congratulations to the Mariners, who are the worst team on this list still expected to add at the deadline. They will have to, as their disappointing season has taken an even darker turn with losses in eight of 10 games. At least their division is so bad, they are still only three games back. (Last week: 15th)

22) Tigers (52-58)

The Tigers are actually going to trade Skubal … right? While that has become the industry expectation in recent days, thanks in no small part to the team blowing a 7-0 lead in what might have been his final start with the team, Detroit is reportedly continuing to slow-play his trade talks. That should change in the coming days. Until then, the rest of the sport waits. (Last week: 18th)

23) Reds (52-57)

While much attention has been on Skubal, Reds ace Hunter Greene has been in the deadline rumor mill, as well. That doesn’t mean he’s likely to be dealt. But could he be an unexpected fallback for a team that misses out elsewhere? (Last week: 23rd)

24) Blue Jays (51-59)

Here’s a stat almost impossible to believe: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has zero (0!) home runs at home this season. Yet another reminder of why the Blue Jays find themselves as sellers after last year’s World Series run. (Last week: 24th)

25) Giants (47-63)

Good news: The Giants shed some payroll this week. Bad news: It’s because they stopped paying Harrison Bader after his late-night scooter accident ended his season. Can this year get any worse in the Bay? (Last week: 26th)

26) Mets (47-64)

David Stearns has a lot of players to move. But until he starts lowering the asking price on some — most notably, Freddy Peralta — the Mets will be one of the teams holding up more profound action on the trade market. (Last week: 28th)

27) Royals (46-65)

The next eight months will be critical for Kansas City. Because if they can’t retool their Bobby Witt Jr.-led roster back into a contender by next year, it’s fair to wonder if they ever will. (Last week: 27th)

28) Athletics (45-65)

Not that they were going anywhere anyway, but the wheels have completely fallen off in Sacramento. Another lost season in nomadic anonymity. (Last week: 25th)

29) Rockies (43-67)

Under past regimes, the Rockies have usually not even tried all that hard to sell what few valuable pieces they’ve had at trade deadlines. We’ll see if that changes this week under new exec Paul DePodesta. (Last week: 29th)

30) Angels (42-68)

Speaking of teams seemingly set to change their trade deadline approach, interim Angels GM John Mozeliak could be a key character to watch this weekend. He has plenty of sellable pieces and an apparent desire to kick-start a real rebuild in Anaheim. (Last week: 30th)

Award Tracker: AL MVP

1) Yordan Alvarez, Astros (.324 average, 35 home runs, 82 RBIs, 1.077 OPS)

Here’s an unexpected development. Alvarez now appears to be more of a shoo-in for MVP than even Shohei Ohtani. The real question will be whether he can complete the Triple Crown, currently holding healthy leads in all three categories.

2) Bobby Witt Jr., Royals (.279 average, 13 home runs, 39 RBIs, .800 OPS)

The standout shortstop remains a WAR machine, trailing only Alvarez in the AL at 4.9. Too bad that hasn’t translated into more actual wins for the Royals, who are set to miss the playoffs for the fourth time in his five seasons.

3) Junior Caminero, Rays (.282 average, 30 home runs, 66 RBIs)

It was fair to wonder how much of Caminero’s breakout performance last year was from playing in the band-box of Steinbrenner Field. So much for that. On pace for another 40-plus homer season, Caminero trails only Kyle Schwarber and Ohtain for most long balls in the majors the last two years.