MLB Power Rankings: A Red Sox revival shakes up the AL as we hit the All-Star break

Remember less than a month ago, when the Boston Red Sox were seemingly playing out the string of a lost season? A third straight loss to the Toronto Blue Jays — and their eighth out of 10 overall — back on June 18 dropped the team to 29-43, having already dumped their Opening Day manager and much of the coaching staff on the side of the road. Now, though, the Sox seem like they might never lose again, the best team in baseball since June 25 and right back into the AL Wild Card hunt.

That's how quickly things can change, and Boston's transformation from cellar-dweller to potential contender throws just one more wrench into what's already shaping up to be a completely chaotic trade deadline. Sunday marked the final day of baseball's unofficial first half, as all 30 teams regroup over the All-Star break to get ready for the second half — and figure out just whether they'll be buying or selling ahead of Aug. 3.

We now know which of those categories the Red Sox fall into. But what about teams that are fading at the wrong time, like the Atlanta Braves or Seattle Mariners? As we get set for the Midsummer Classic, let's take stock of the landscape around the league in our latest MLB power rankings.

30. Los Angeles Angels

• Last week's ranking: 27

The Angels remain in free fall, with an interim lead executive in John Mozeliak moonlighting for the trade deadline – as baffling an arrangement as we can remember. Mike Trout and Zach Neto aren’t going anywhere, but arguably everybody else should. At least using a first-round pick on tantalizing two-way prospect Jared Grindlinger offers a glimmer of hope.

–Chris Landers, FanSided.com sports editor

29. Kansas City Royals

• Last week's ranking: 30

I'm not sure what the Royals front office is up to. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense. The Royals have one of baseball's brightest young stars in Bobby Witt Jr. Yet, he's wasting away on a team well out of contention. The Royals are one of MLB's most obvious sellers. Per Bob Nightengale, they don't want to trade Michael Wacha, who has emerged as a clubhouse leader. Wacha is a leader on a bad team, and could fetch a lot in return. KC also selected Zion Rose, who wasn't in the top-20 on most draft boards, with the No. 6 overall pick. This organization needs some direction, and they're not getting it with JJ Piccolo and Cullen Maxey.

–Mark Powell, FanSided.com MLB director

28. Colorado Rockies

• Last week's ranking: 29

Oh how I wish the Rockies were a good baseball team. Sadly, they are not. The Rockies aren't as bad as last year, which deserves a small round of applause. Colorado has a few building blocks, including catcher Hunter Goodwin, who trails only Kyle Schwarber in home runs in the National League. Closer Antonio Senzatela will likely be moved for a haul of prospects. In the meantime, the Rockies can look forward to a future than includes Ethan Holliday and 2026 first-round pick Tyler Bell.

–MP

27. New York Mets

• Last week's ranking: 28

On the field, the Mets remain brutal, so much so that they appear to be triggering existential crises from their broadcast booth on a nightly basis. If you’re looking for silver linings, though, New York might be in position to control this trade deadline. Seriously: How many other teams are clear sellers, and of that group – really just the Mets, Angels, Royals, A’s, Rockies, Giants and Reds – who has more pieces of interest than David Stearns? With any luck, New York can get a jump start on building for 2027.

–CL

26. San Francisco Giants

• Last week's ranking: 26

The Giants were the NL West darlings before the season. Buster Posey went out and hired Tony Vitello. They were less than a year removed from trading for Rafael Devers. Willy Adames and Jung-Ho Lee should've made an immediate impact. The key word in all of these phrases is should. What actually happened is far from that reality. The Giants are a bad team, and few stars other than Logan Webb have lived up the the hype. Vitello could even leave to go back to the college ranks, for all we know. What a disaster Posey has created by the bay.

–MP

25. Athletics

• Last week's ranking: 23

The A’s have quietly become a complete and total mess, losers of nine in a row and 13 of 14 while allowing a whopping 87 runs over that span. The pitching staff is hardly closer to competence, and the young offense maybe isn’t as close to contention as we previously thought. There remains a foundation to build on, but things are going to have to change drastically if this team wants to be taken seriously as it moves to Las Vegas.

–CL

24. Cincinnati Reds

• Last week's ranking: 24

If there's one outlier in the NL Central, it is the Cincinnati Reds. Terry Francona's group is trending steady towards becoming a trade deadline seller, which is sad given they made the playoffs in 2025 as the final NL Wild Card spot and have plenty of talent on the current roster. Elly De La Cruz is still here! However, the Reds front office operates as an arm of ownership, which means they won't add if they don't have to. Nothing about this Reds team, currently flirting with 10 games under .500, suggests they are a contender.

–MP

23. Baltimore Orioles

• Last week's ranking: 21

While just about everybody is still in the playoff hunt in the AL, the Orioles now find themselves stuck in the division cellar, without a ton of cause for optimism that things will turn around. (No, series wins over the Reds and Royals don’t count.) Baltimore certainly isn’t going to do anything drastic – Adley Rutschman isn’t going anywhere any time soon – but it’ll also be hard for Mike Elias to justify buying aggressively given just how many teams sit between the O’s and a Wild Card spot at the moment. And not selling could cost them a chance to get a head start on contention in 2027. 

–CL

22. Toronto Blue Jays

• Last week's ranking: 20

Toronto’s bats finally busted out a bit as the week went on, and the reality is that they’re still well within striking distance of a Wild Card spot despite everything that’s gone wrong so far this year. You can talk yourself into this pitching staff on paper, but it won’t matter much unless Trey Yesavage, Kevin Gausman and Shane Bieber can find more consistency and the offense that was the league’s best with a bullet last year can recapture some of that magic. We’ve been waiting on the Jays for a while, but at some point they’re going to run out of time.

–CL

21. Detroit Tigers

• Last week's ranking: 25

The Tigers have the best record in the American League since June 1. They also have the best trade asset in baseball in Tarik Skubal, who is on an expiring contract. Detroit is set to lose their final series to the Phillies heading into the All-Star break, which highlights a major issue for this team. Did the Tigers dig themselves too big of a hole to overcome with a disastrous May? Despite their impressive run in June and early July, the Tigers have to overcome five teams for the final AL Wild Card spot and are six games back in the AL Central. That doesn't scream playoffs.

–MP

20. Seattle Mariners

• Last week's ranking: 11

Seattle finally snapped a five-game losing streak with a win over the Rays to close their first half on Sunday, but this has still been one of the season’s biggest disappointments so far. The good news is that, on paper, there remains a lot to work with, and it’s not like anyone is running away and hiding with the AL West or any of the Wild Card spots. The bad news is that we’ve been saying those things all year long, to no avail – and Emerson Hancock leaving Sunday’s game with a hand injury might make it tougher for the Mariners to deal from pitching depth to acquire a righty bat.

–CL

19. Minnesota Twins

• Last week's ranking: 18

The Twins are hanging in the AL Wild Card race, ahead of teams like the Tigers and Red Sox. Minnesota was though to be a trade deadline seller willing to deal Joe Ryan, Byron Buxton and Ryan Jeffers, but that may not be the case if a postseason run is on the horizon. With the All-Star break officially here, the Twins can at the very least play tough to get with some of their established stars despite ownership's eagerness to acquire cheap, young talent.

–MP

18. San Diego Padres

• Last week's ranking: 19

I don't know what to make of the Padres. Their lineup should be legitimate, as it features the likes of Fernando Tatis Jr and Manny Machado. Yet, neither of those players has performed up to par this season. Tatis Jr. leads the team in fWAR with just 1.9. Let's not pretend like that's a lot. Recent rumblings suggest the Padres could trade Mason Miller just a year after acquiring him for a haul. Miller is the best relief pitcher in baseball, and I don't think it's particularly close. In the meantime, the Padres are barely competing for an NL Wild Card spot.

–MP

17. Houston Astros

• Last week's ranking: 17

Houston managed to climb out of its early hole and give itself a real chance of making the playoffs as we get set to begin the second half. The pitching is still awfully suspect, though, and getting over the hump will be another project entirely. The Astros don’t have a ton from which to work when it comes to acquiring arms between now and Aug. 3, but Dana Brown has never been one to shy away from mortgaging the future. Given the wide-open state of things right now and how good this lineup looks when it’s clicking, it’s hard to blame him.

–CL

16. Boston Red Sox

• Last week's ranking: 22

Granted, series against the Angels and Mets will be good for what ails any team. But ever since that four-game sweep of the Yankees at Fenway last month, Boston has been a whole new ballclub, with the lights-out pitching we expected at the beginning of the season and a suddenly resurgent offense giving them just enough run support. All of a sudden, the Sox are banging on the door of a Wild Card spot and show no sign of slowing down, presenting Craig Breslow with a golden opportunity at the deadline to find another bat and keep the good times rolling.

–CL

15. Washington Nationals

• Last week's ranking: 13

Washington is ending the first half on something of a down note with a series loss to the Yankees, but what a first half it was overall. The Nationals still lead all of baseball in runs scored, and while the pitching staff clearly isn’t ready for prime time, they’ve got building blocks in place in Cade Cavalli and Foster Griffin. Paul Toboni got his answer about whether he’d be better off trading CJ Abrams – this team’s timeline has been accelerated enough to render that moot. Now it’s about putting the pieces in place for 2027 and 2028.

–CL

14. Arizona Diamondbacks

• Last week's ranking: 16

The Diamondbacks could very well be an NL Wild Card threat when all is said and done. For now, they are flirting with a possible Ketel Marte trade. The former All-Star infielder has made an enemy in the D'Backs front office, and created some drama in the clubhouse. However, his 10-and-5 rights give Marte a no-trade clause, which should work in Arizona's favor as they chase a postseason spot in the second half.

–MP

13. Texas Rangers

• Last week's ranking: 14

Can a team win its division by default? Texas has been mediocre in just about every way so far this season, with a record hovering around .500 and a negative run differential thanks in large part to an anemic offense.And yet, there they are all the same, somehow entering the break with a leg up on both the Mariners and Astros. This feels like a team in need of a reset, but how can Chris Young push that button given the circumstances? And how aggressive is he willing to get at the deadline for a team that in any other year would be stuck in the middle?

–CL

12. Cleveland Guardians

• Last week's ranking: 10

The Guardians are AL Central favorites for a reason despite their -5 run differential. Cleveland is a thorn in the side of every team they play. Every Guardians hitter is a tough out, none more prevalent then Jose Ramirez. Cleveland lost two out of three to the Central-leading White Sox, but followed that up by taking series against the Twins and White Sox, solidifying their standing in the AL Wild Card race. This is a playoff team, no matter how annoying they may be.

–CL

11. Pittsburgh Pirates

• Last week's ranking: 15

The Pirates seem like a good baseball team. They swept a doubleheader against the Brewers heading into Sunday, and had Paul Skenes on the mound for that game. Thus, the Pirates are in a pretty good spot, despite all their injuries. Yes Konnor Griffin is out long term. Yes their bullpen stinks. They also have a top-three lineup in all of baseball and a starting rotation that should strike fear in opponents. The weakness is obvious, and one Cherington should address at the MLB trade deadline. Acquiring Brandon Eisert isn't enough.

–MP

10. Chicago White Sox

• Last week's ranking: 12

The return of Munetaka Murakami would be the story of the week for the Chicago White Sox were it not for the selection of Roch Cholowsky with the No. 1 overall pick in the MLB Draft. The White Sox are ahead of schedule and thriving. The question remains whether they can maintain this level of, well, surprise in the second half, especially with the Guardians, Twins and Tigers bearing down on them. 

–MP

9. St. Louis Cardinals

• Last week's ranking: 8

The Cardinals are a fun story. The question remains whether Chaim Bloom is willing to mortgage St. Louis' future, and thus his grand plan, for a playoff appearance. It'd be a shock if the Cardinals make a World Series run. They'd have to get hot at the right time, and this team is lacking rotation depth. Sonny Gray would help, but the Cardinals traded him to the Boston Red Sox before the season began. Ditto with Willson Contreras. Bloom forfeited the Cards' postseason hopes before watching them play, which is classic Chaim, rebuild artist. St. Louis is a long-term project. They are starting to play like it, and that'll continue if they don't get reinforcements soon.

–MP

8. New York Yankees

• Last week's ranking: 7

New York managed to at least stop the bleeding this week, salvaging two of four at the Trop (which had previously been a house of horrors) and taking two of three from a very game Nats team in D.C. That might not sound like much, but considering they went 5-15 over a 20-game stretch from June 18 to July 8, getting into the All-Star break on something resembling a high note has to feel like a blessing. Max Fried is set to begin a rehab assignment soon, and with any luck Aaron Judge won’t be too far behind him. If the Yankees can simply keep their head above water – and in the AL playoff picture right now, that’s not too high a bar – during this rough patch, they can emerge with their goals still right in front of them.

–CL

7. Miami Marlins

• Last week's ranking: 9

Well that went from “the Marlins might not sell after all” to “wait, are the Marlins buyers?” awfully quick, didn’t it? The Fish cooled off a bit over the weekend against the Guardians, but they’re still a whopping 26-10 since the start of June, with an athletic young offense and a pitching staff that needs some depth but has a great foundation in Eury Perez, Sandy Alcantara and Max Meyer. It’ll be fascinating to see how this team approaches the deadline, because while they might not be able to hang with the big boys, they’re clearly too good not to give it a go.

–CL

6. Atlanta Braves

• Last week's ranking: 3

An NL East race that looked done and dusted not all that long ago is now anybody’s game as we enter the second half, with the Phillies getting hot at almost exactly the same time the Braves began to spiral. The pitching has regressed in predictable ways, but the really alarming thing is the state of this offense – while Ronald Acuña Jr.’s injury hurts, it also doesn’t fully explain why guys like Michael Harris II, Austin Riley and Drake Baldwin have been underperforming. Atlanta still has the pieces to challenge the Dodgers, but Alex Anthopoulos’ task at the deadline just got much more urgent.

–CL

5. Philadelphia Phillies

• Last week's ranking: 4

Have the Phillies mostly climbed back into the NL East race by fattening up on underwhelming competition? Sure. Does that matter much? Not really, no – not when you can roll out Cristopher Sanchez, Zack Wheeler and Jesus Luzardo in a short playoff series and you have an executive in Dave Dombrowski who you know will do whatever it takes to supplement the big-league club (at the expense of the future, but hey, who knows if we’ll even be alive in 2027). Philly bounced back from a disappointing weekend in Kansas City with a pair of series wins, and while it’s hard to imagine this team outlasting L.A., don’t count them out.

–CL

4. Chicago Cubs

• Last week's ranking: 6

The Cubs have stabilized. Pete Crow-Armstrong is an NL MVP frontrunner. Chicago still lacks starting pitching, with Counsell all but admitting in a recent interview that Justin Steele will not return to the rotation this season. Sandy Alcantara is not available, but the Cubs performance over the next month-plus will determine just how in Jed Hoyer goes. What the Cubs lack most is starting pitching depth. If they're serious about winning a World Series without Steele, Cade Horton and Matthew Boyd, then they need to make a move.

–MP

3. Tampa Bay Rays

• Last week's ranking: 5

Dismiss them all you want, but Tampa managed a four-game split with the Yankees this week and then won a series against Seattle to cruise into the All-Star break with a solid grip on the AL East. The resume is looking a whole lot better after that nine-game win streak to close June and open July, and who else in the American League right now do you trust more? The Rays are reportedly set on being aggressive buyers at the deadline, and you can’t blame them – this team just knows how to win games, and the door is wide open.

–CL

2. Milwaukee Brewers

• Last week's ranking: 2

Will they or won't they? As the Los Angeles Dodgers run away with the NL West — and the best record in the National League in general — the question the Brewers must ask themselves over the next month-plus is how they overcome the behemoth Andrew Friedman has built. Matt Arnold is one of the best front office executives in baseball. The Brewers have a stable, yet not insurmountable, six-game lead over Craig Counsell's Chicago Cubs. Expect Milwaukee to settle into this position in the second half. They can rest Jacob Misiorowski, as they have the last few weeks, while also winning the Central and securing a first-round bye. Sounds good to me.

–MP

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

• Last week's ranking: 1

The Dodgers are the class of baseball once again, and no one should be surprised. The Dodgers have the highest payroll in the sport. They also have the best scouting department, and a future Hall-of-Fame manager in Dave Roberts. On all accounts, they are a great team, and one that will not be forgotten anytime soon. As the Dodgers chase a three-peat rarely achieved in American professional sports, it's important to remember the little achievements along the way. On paper, there's not much that can stop them from achieving their ultimate goal barring injury.

–MP

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