Welcome to the final regular-season edition of our MLB power rankings. And thanks to MLB for working so well with our schedule, finishing the regular season last night with an always-exciting Game 163, and starting the postseason tonight with the first of two wild card games.

Two-thirds of these teams won’t be listed next week, so say your good-byes now. It’s only playoff teams from here on out.

First 4

1. (½/2/6/5/7/6/2/1/1/3/9/2/3/5/15) A’s: Sticking with Oakland in the top spot. The odds are against them, but we feel a World Series appearance is coming.

2. (¾/5/5/7/9/11/4/2/2/4/3/1/1/1/1) Cardinals: The only bad part about St. Louis clinching the best record in the National League with a 6-game winning streak to finish the season is that the Central teams will have a virtual playoff. Otherwise we would have predicted an NL Central NLCS.

3. (5/3/10/11/11/13/5/7/9/11/6/13/17/27/12/7) Indians: An unbelievable 10-win streak to finish the regular season and clinch a wild-card outright. But they still came up one win short of the Tigers. That’s right, Cleveland finished just one game behind Detroit in the AL Central. And now it can be over in one game.

4. (7/5/6/8/8/6/4/6/¾/1/¼/6/6/9) Pirates: They could be out of it tonight, but we’re placing them high because they finished strong, host the wild-card game and the just-swept Reds are the opponent. We believe.

Middle of the majors 

5. (4/7/8/4/2/3/2/5/5/6/9/7/9/10/11/5) Tigers: Having a no-hitter thrown against them might have hurt more if their starters were playing and they hadn’t already clinched. 

6. (2/1/1/7/10/5/8/9/4/5/5/8/7/7/7/12) Red Sox: Didn’t finish on the highest note, and we feel they’re vulnerable to either wild card team, but they’ve been proving us wrong all year.

7. (6/8/7/2/3/1/3/8/11/12/10/11/5/2/4/4) Braves: Not really challenged in the NL East all season, it will be interesting to see how they react when the intensity rises a notch.

8. (9/10/14/10/6/11/9/1/6/7/11/19/18/14/13/17) Rays: “Be yourself and run the ball out.” Joe Maddon’s words to live by.

9. (10/9/4/3/½/1/3/12/13/24/24/23/20/27/25) Dodgers: Did they peak too early? Signs point to yes. They are 9-11 in their last 20 and 15-15 over the last 30. A far cry from 42-8.

10. (8/6/3/9/9/10/12/11/10/9/8/2/3/5/3/2) Reds: It seems fairly easy to predict that their losing streak will hit 6 in Pittsburgh, but a win in the wild card game could get them going.

11. (12/14/9/¼/4/7/12/7/3/2/4/8/4/2/3) Rangers: Won all of the games they needed to down the stretch to force Game 163. But the slow September start kept them on the outside looking in.

12. (11/11/13/14/13/8/10/14/21/17/18/17/12/19/26/23) Royals: Finished ahead of one-time rival the Yankees. Made the right call keeping the team together, and the meaningful games in 2013 might help them get over the hump in 2014.

13. (14/15/16/17/20/22/19/18/15/15/15/21/19/17/19/14) Nationals: World Series or bust didn’t really work out in Washington.

14. (13/13/12/13/14/16/14/13/14/8/13/12/13/9/14/6) Yankees: Every season is World Series or bust in New York.

15. (15/12/11/12/12/12/13/10/8/10/7/6/6/11/8/13) Orioles: Took a step back with a losing record over their last 30 games. That’s more like the O’s of old than the 2012 wild card team.

16. (16/16/15/15/16/19/17/16/13/16/14/10/11/8/9/10) Diamondbacks: Finishing at .500 is just another disappointment for a team that had much higher hopes just a few months ago.

17. (17/18/22/23/25/25/22/26/30/30/17/16/15/18/17/18) Padres: Finished 76-86, but had winning records over their last 20 and 30. Maybe they can make a move next year.

18. (18/19/25/25/27/27/27/28/24/24/20/14/16/12/15/11) Giants: Dodged last place, but that’s really not saying much for the defending World Series champions. It says, “Congrats, you aren’t the 1998 Florida Marlins.”

19. (22/21/17/18/17/17/24/19/17/18/12/5/10/13/16/20) Blue Jays: It will be interesting to see what kind of moves they make this offseason.

20. (21/23/23/24/21/21/25/21/23/23/26/28/29/29/25/24) Mets: Terry Collins gets a 2-year extension for not living in a world with Marlins and Astros. “It’s time to put some wins on the board.” Doubt there will be more than 81.

21. (20/22/19/20/18/18/18/24/22/14/19/23/24/24/23/21) Angels: Had a chance to impact the postseason and folded.

22. (19/17/18/19/23/26/28/27/16/20/21/20/20/16/18/19) Phillies: Probably not the finish they hoped for, but next year will be interesting to see with Ryne Sandberg there from the start.

23. (25/25/24/21/22/24/23/25/25/26/28/27/26/25/28/26) Brewers: Actually had a winning record over their last 10, 20 and 30 games.

24. (23/20/26/22/24/20/26/23/18/19/16/15/14/15/10/8) Rockies: Well, at least Todd Helton made a memorable exit from Coors Field.

25. (24/24/20/16/15/14/15/15/20/21/22/18/22/22/22/22) Mariners:  A 6-14 finish made them the happiest of any team that the AL West is no longer a 4-team division.

26. (26/26/21/26/19/15/16/20/27/25/23/22/21/21/20/30) Twins: Can’t fault Ron Gardenhire. And they didn’t. Good for the Twins.

Final 4

27. (27/27/27/28/26/23/21/17/19/22/25/25/25/23/24/27) Cubs: After witnessing two celebrations on their home field, went to St. Louis and saw another one. Dale Sveum won’t be around if the Cubs ever have one of their own during the Theo Epstein era.

28. (28/29/29/27/28/29/30/29/28/29/30/29/28/26/21/16) White Sox: At  63-99, just completed their worst season since 1970. Also finished in last place for the first time since 1989.

29. (29/28/28/29/29/28/20/22/26/27/27/30/30/30/30/29) Marlins: Finished the year on a 4-game winning streak, but it came too late to avoid 100 losses.

30. (30/30/30/30/30/30/29/30/29/28/29/26/27/28/29/28) Astros: A 15-game losing streak caps a 51-111 season. Houston definitely lived up to expectations in their first year in the American League.