Dodgers Drop to No. 3 in Latest MLB Power Rankings After Rough August

The Los Angeles Dodgers are still one of baseball’s best teams.

The latest MLB Power Rankings, however, suggest they are no longer being viewed as the clear National League favorite.

Los Angeles fell one spot from No. 2 to No. 3 in MLB’s newest weekly rankings released Monday, with the Milwaukee Brewers holding the top position and the Atlanta Braves climbing from fourth to second.

For a Dodgers team coming off its only losing month of the season, the drop feels understandable.

But does No. 3 accurately represent where Los Angeles really stands entering September?

That question is much more interesting than the ranking itself.

MLB’s Top Three Has a Very October-Like Feel

The current top three:

1. Milwaukee Brewers — previously No. 1
2. Atlanta Braves — previously No. 4
3. Los Angeles Dodgers — previously No. 2

Milwaukee has earned its position after putting together one of the strongest seasons in baseball, while Atlanta’s surge — including its recent sweep of Los Angeles — helped propel the Braves two spots up the rankings.

The Dodgers moved only one spot.

That distinction matters.

This is not MLB suddenly declaring Los Angeles a deeply flawed contender or dropping the Dodgers halfway down the list.

They remain third in all of baseball.

But after spending much of the season operating with the expectations of a superteam, seeing two National League clubs sitting above them is another reminder that the road through October may be considerably tougher than anticipated.

Ohtani’s Recent Slump Caught MLB’s Attention

Interestingly, MLB’s explanation for placing the Dodgers third centered heavily on Shohei Ohtani.

Ohtani’s pitching progression has been delayed again, creating uncertainty about whether and in what capacity he will return to the mound before the postseason.

There is also an offensive concern.

MLB noted that Ohtani was just 5-for-40 over his previous 10 games entering the new week.

For virtually any other hitter, a 10-game slump would be a relatively minor storyline.

For Ohtani, it matters more because so much of the Dodgers’ offense runs through him.

And there is another layer to the situation.

The Dodgers have spent months trying to determine whether Ohtani can become a meaningful part of their October pitching plan. His latest physical issues have made that timeline uncertain again.

Manager Dave Roberts confirmed over the weekend that Ohtani was not physically at 100 percent, citing previously known soreness involving his left knee, right biceps and overall body. His planned pitching appearance in Detroit was scrapped.

That leaves Los Angeles facing an unusual September question.

Would the Dodgers be better served focusing entirely on getting Ohtani back to his dominant offensive form rather than continuing to push his pitching buildup?

The answer could have a major impact on the postseason.

The Bigger Concern Is Bigger Than Ohtani

Ohtani’s slump may have been MLB’s primary talking point, but the Dodgers’ difficult August was not about one player.

Los Angeles finished the month 13-14, its only losing month of the season.

The Dodgers went just 2-4 on their most recent road trip, getting swept in Atlanta before recovering to take two of three in Detroit.

Roberts described August as “very forgettable.”

That feels like the better explanation for why Los Angeles has slipped slightly in the public perception of baseball’s elite.

There were stretches where the offense struggled to produce.

There were too many one-run games.

There were injuries.

And there were games against top competition where the Dodgers simply did not look like the best team on the field.

The Atlanta series was the clearest example.

The Braves swept three games from Los Angeles and secured the head-to-head tiebreaker in the process.

That does not prove Atlanta is definitively better.

But if a weekly ranking is designed to capture how teams look right now, it is difficult to argue against Atlanta moving ahead immediately after sweeping the Dodgers.

There Is Another Side to the Dodgers Story

The Power Rankings also do not fully capture how dangerous Los Angeles could become.

Look at the starting rotation.

Tyler Glasnow just delivered seven innings of one-run baseball Sunday in only his second start since returning from a long injured-list stint.

Blake Snell has looked excellent since returning from elbow surgery.

Tarik Skubal gives the Dodgers another frontline starter capable of dominating postseason lineups.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto remains one of the best starters in the National League and was ranked sixth in MLB’s latest Starting Pitcher Power Rankings.

That is an imposing collection of arms.

If the Dodgers reach October with those pitchers healthy and performing near their ceilings, there may not be many teams eager to face them in a short series.

That is why Los Angeles remains difficult to evaluate.

Their recent results have not always looked like those of baseball’s most dominant club.

Their potential October roster still might.

Will Smith’s Return Could Change the Lineup

The Dodgers also expect to receive an important offensive reinforcement almost immediately.

Will Smith is expected to return as September begins after missing nearly three months because of his neck injury.

That is potentially significant for an offense searching for more consistency.

Smith gives the Dodgers another quality hitter in the middle of the order while also restoring their primary catcher.

Roster expansion could bring another left-handed bat as well.

The Dodgers have been discussing several possibilities for that spot, including James Tibbs III, Ryan Ward, Hyeseong Kim and Alex Freeland, although no Tibbs promotion had been officially announced as of Monday.

So the lineup MLB ranked third today may not be exactly the lineup Los Angeles is using a week from now.

Milwaukee Has Earned the Top Spot

There is also no need to manufacture outrage over the Dodgers being behind Milwaukee.

The Brewers have earned the No. 1 ranking.

MLB kept Milwaukee in the top spot this week and described the club as rolling toward the stretch run.

More importantly for Los Angeles, Milwaukee has already proven itself directly against the Dodgers.

The Brewers secured the season-series tiebreaker against L.A., which could become extremely important in postseason seeding.

That gives Los Angeles two separate challenges.

It needs to catch Milwaukee in the standings.

And because Milwaukee owns the tiebreaker, simply finishing even may not be enough.

That reality makes the No. 1 ranking more than cosmetic.

Milwaukee currently represents one of the biggest obstacles between the Dodgers and the easiest possible route through the National League playoffs.

Atlanta Is the More Interesting Debate

The No. 2 position creates more controversy.

Are the Braves actually better than the Dodgers?

There are arguments in both directions.

Atlanta just swept Los Angeles.

The Braves own the season-series tiebreaker.

They have been trending upward strongly enough to jump from fourth to second in one week.

Those are compelling reasons to place Atlanta ahead today.

The counterargument is that power rankings are snapshots, while postseason strength depends heavily on roster construction and health.

Los Angeles can still put Skubal, Yamamoto, Snell and Glasnow on the mound.

Ohtani remains capable of changing a game instantly.

Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman have extensive postseason experience.

Will Smith is coming back.

If the Dodgers’ lineup recovers and the rotation stays healthy, their ceiling remains exceptionally high.

The rankings are essentially asking which matters more right now:

Atlanta’s current momentum or Los Angeles’ potential?

MLB chose Atlanta’s momentum.

That is a reasonable position.

It is not necessarily a permanent one.

No. 3 Is a Warning, Not a Crisis

Dodgers fans probably do not need to be overly concerned about falling one position in an editorial ranking.

The Dodgers remain No. 3 out of 30 teams.

That is hardly a sign of collapse.

But the ranking does reflect something real.

Los Angeles has not played consistently enough over the past month to automatically be treated as baseball’s best team.

The Dodgers now have to prove that August was an interruption rather than a preview of what is coming.

September gives them that opportunity.

Los Angeles opens a nine-game homestand against St. Louis, Washington and Cincinnati, providing a favorable stretch to rebuild momentum.

Smith should return.

The roster will expand.

Glasnow is healthy again.

Snell is pitching well.

The rotation looks formidable.

The offense has a chance to reset.

There are plenty of reasons to believe the Dodgers could quickly climb back to No. 2 — or even No. 1.

But those reasons are based largely on what Los Angeles can be.

Milwaukee and Atlanta have recently provided stronger evidence of what they are right now.

That is the distinction the newest rankings appear to reflect.

Where Do the Dodgers Really Belong?

This is ultimately what makes the rankings useful as a discussion rather than a definitive judgment.

If the playoffs started today, would you rather have Milwaukee’s roster?

Atlanta’s?

Or Los Angeles’?

There is no obvious answer.

And that alone is a major change from the expectation surrounding the Dodgers earlier in the season.

Los Angeles still has championship talent.

It also has legitimate questions.

The offense needs to become more consistent.

Ohtani needs to rediscover his usual production.

His pitching future needs clarity.

The returning players need to stay healthy.

And the Dodgers need to start beating other elite National League teams if they want to be considered the team to beat.

No. 3 is not disrespectful.

Given August, it might be exactly where the Dodgers belong today.

The more important question is whether they are still there when September ends.