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Kim O'Reilly, CBS Sports

We only needed two days to complete every single three-game Wild Card Series, so it's onto the league divisional series we go. 

The series: 

While we wait another day until the action starts, let's dive into power rankings again. 

Now, this won't be like the regular-season power rankings, where I crush it nearly 30 times a year. No, these are only going eight deep with, obviously, the remaining playoff teams. More importantly, however, is that the rankings are only for the playoffs. Depth doesn't matter nearly as much as it does during the marathon of a regular season. The rotation doesn't need to be five deep and even a thin rotation behind an excellent 1-2 punch looks very good.

Remember the 2019 Nationals? They rode about 5-6 position players, mostly three starting pitchers and a few relievers to the title. There wasn't much depth at all at the big-league level, let alone organizationally. Let that be the guidepost for how the rankings can change here as opposed to the regular season. 

I'm sure this will be ignored by many -- it wouldn't truly be the power rankings if not -- but keep in mind these aren't predictions. I'm merely saying which teams look best constructed for the rounds ahead of us as of Friday afternoon. Upsets happen. We see them all the time in the playoffs. Just look at last year: yes, the 2022 Dodgers were still a better team than the 2022 Padres. The Padres just happened to win that series and advance. This is why they play the games.

Remaining Playoff Team Power Rankings
1
Braves
Despite the altered approach in ranking teams, this is still the easy one. It's the most powerful team we've seen in a long time, if not ever. For real, that isn't recency bias or hyperbole. The Braves became the first team in MLB history to slug over .500 as a team this year (.501). There are questions on the pitching side (Max Fried's blister? Spencer Strider's seasonal workload? Charlie Morton's health? Can the bullpen hold up?), but every team has questions. The Braves are the Final Boss this postseason.
2
Phillies
The Phillies ended the regular season in a three-way tie for the sixth-best record and I ranked them ninth in the final iteration of the power rankings. If you think I jumped them all the way up to second based upon two games against the worst playoff team, you might need to read the introduction. No, the Phillies are much better built for the playoffs than the regular season and we saw it play out that way last year when they went from the six seed in the NL to the World Series, becoming the only team to beat the Astros in the playoffs. Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola atop that rotation along with the capable Ranger Suarez in front of a bullpen of power arms and a loaded offense says this team could well win the World Series this time around. Of course, they have to deal with the best team in baseball in the NLDS first.
3
Orioles
Some people are worried about the Orioles' rotation and while there are questions, the way Kyle Bradish, Grayson Rodriguez and John Means look right now, I'm not quite as concerned. I love the consistency of this squad. They haven't been swept since the middle of May in 2022! The makeup is in the "just young enough and dumb enough" to not be spooked by the big moments. Gunnar Henderson is a bona fide star and Adley Rutschman is already a steady on-field leader. I love how this squad looks right now. 
4
Dodgers
Greatly talented as always, the Dodgers are more vulnerable than lots of previous years and they were bounced early in many of those as it was. The nature of the playoffs means the offense can be carried by the superstars (Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman) with a few others contributing, but how is that starting rotation going to piece together? Five-inning Clayton Kershaw followed by rookie Bobby Miller, inexperienced Ryan Pepiot and homer-friendly Lance Lynn?
5
Astros
This looks and feels too low, but I can't get past that 39-42 home record, especially when two of their last three home series were losses to the A's and Royals. The Royals series was a sweep when it looked like the Astros badly needed it just to avoid missing the playoffs. Can they just flip a switch and start winning big games at home now? Possibly, but I'll need to see it first. There's certainly more than enough firepower to win it all again.
6
Rangers
Before the season started, I said the Rangers' ceiling was winning the World Series and that remains the case. The floor is looking like one of the worst teams in baseball and they've done that, too. From Aug. 15-Sept. 8, they were 4-16. Then they won six in a row. Then they lost four straight to non-playoff teams. Then they won six in a row and took control of the AL West. Then they lost four of six and lost the division. Then they won two in Tampa Bay to advance to this round. Yeah, I don't know, either. The upside is amazing, though, especially now that it looks like Jordan Montgomery and Nathan Eovaldi can throw like a pair of aces in the playoffs. 
7
Twins
The players already showed they can step up against the weight of the losing streak and playoff series drought. They seemed loose throughout the Wild Card Series while the Jays looked uptight. Now, the Twins are free and easy. Very few people expect them to beat the Astros, so they can play the whole "no one believes in us" card without having any added pressure. Sonny Gray, Pablo López and the bullpen power arms go nicely with an offense that is reliant on the long ball. After a 42-29 second half and 2-0 playoff record so far, they aren't as bad as many people think. They do lag behind, albeit slightly, in talent among the AL teams. Again, though, that might not matter. They have a decent shot to take down the Astros.
8
Diamondbacks
I had the Diamondbacks winning last round and it's entirely possible it happens again this round. The Dodgers rotation is in shambles and the Diamondbacks can use Merrill Kelly in Game 1, Zac Gallen in Game 2 and then, thanks to the funky scheduling on the NL side, Kelly and Gallen can start Games 4 and 5, respectively, on regular rest. It really sets up nicely for a Diamondbacks team that'll have all kinds of confidence right now, not to mention the whole "no one thinks we can win" mindset. Do not count this team out. Having the worst team left in the playoffs doesn't mean "bad" and certainly doesn't mean they can't win. The 2021 Braves had the worst record of all playoff teams and still won it all.