Chicago Cubs Power Rankings: North Siders inching closer to top five

4 of 7

SAN DIEGO, CA – AUGUST 19: Stephen Strasburg #37 of the Washington Nationals pitches the ball during the 2nd inning against the San Diego Padres at PETCO Park on August 19, 2017 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Kent Horner/Getty Images) /

MLB.com Power Rankings: 3) Washington Nationals

When Bryce Harper slipped on a wet first base a few weeks back, Nationals fans held their collective breath. Thankfully, he’s expected back this season and should be ready for the postseason.

Meanwhile, Washington continues to steamroll the rest of the National League East. No other team in the division is above .500 and the Nats have won seven of their last 10 games. The relief corps seems to be solid – at least for the time being – and the rotation is a monster.

Former Cubs skipper Dusty Baker is at the helm in D.C. and had this to say about his team overcoming challenges of-late.

"“They’re getting better. The main thing is that we pitched well, and if you pitch well, then you don’t need as much offense, which you’ve seen lately, we haven’t had the same kind of offense that we usually have but we’re finding a way to win the games. But it starts with the pitching and we’ve got good pitching every day, and so these guys are just trying to find a way to win.”"

Max Scherzer, Gio Gonzalez and Stephen Strasburg have all won more than 10 games. Injuries, similar to Houston, have dogged the Nationals all season. Still, they’re going to cruise into the postseason. The only question now is whether or not they can finally put it all together and make a deep October run.

Home/Chicago Cubs News