Believe it or not, there are now just two weeks remaining in the 2026 regular season — two weeks from Sunday, we'll know exactly which teams will be advancing to October and who will be facing off in the Wild Card round at the end of September. Which means that if you want to stamp yourself as a World Series contender, you better start looking like it fast.
The Los Angeles Dodgers appear to have gotten that memo, calling up top prospect Josue de Paula and promptly catching fire after a few weeks in the wilderness. Then again, so have the Milwaukee Brewers and Atlanta Braves atop the NL, and yet one of those powers will get stuck in a best-of-three Wild Card series. The AL, meanwhile ... well, what it might lack in top-end quality it more than makes up for in sheer quantity of chaos.
Which teams are rising and falling with precious time remaining? Our latest MLB power rankings reset the landscape of the league.
30. Colorado Rockies
Look, the Rockies are the Rockies. While I appreciate the steps the franchise is trying to make to course correct, there is no denying they still have a long way to go when it comes to the big-league product. Colorado has some intriguing building blocks, including Hunter Goodman, but that is not enough. The Rockies were historically-bad last season at every level. I applaud the current front office for taking this on, but it's going to take awhile.
-Mark Powell, FanSided.com MLB director
29. Los Angeles Angels
With Reid Detmers, Walbert Urena and Grayson Rodriguez rolling, the Angels suddenly have a pretty solid rotation – one that’s ranked in the top 10 in starter ERA this month. The offense is a mess as Mike Trout struggles at the plate, but hey, that’s something … at least until Detmers gets dealt this offseason. At least Arte Moreno is no longer your problem, though?
–Chris Landers, FanSided.com editor
28. Athletics
The A’s are back to respectability, at least, as some young hitters take steps forward toward the end of a lost season. Shea Langeliers is now back from the IL, too, as he looks to build some momentum ahead of a winter in which he should reestablish himself as one of the league’s best catchers. We’re going to need to see this team add pitching before we start taking it seriously, though.Â
–CL
27. San Francisco Giants
Rafael Devers has emerged as the face of the Giants franchise, just like he was supposed to be all along. Unfortunately, that coincided with what could be a brutal injury that keeps him out for the rest of the season. Still, Buster Posey and Tony Vitello have something to build around. It only took the Giants 140 games to figure that out, but at least it's something.
-MP
26. Kansas City Royals
Kansas City is on the verge of officially falling short of the postseason for the second year in a row, an outcome that’s been all but confirmed for months now. The Royals don’t seem any closer to putting a functional offense around Bobby Witt Jr., and there are questions to answer in this aging rotation even with Noah Cameron turning into a star down the stretch. You’d like to use this time for young players to start claiming jobs next season, but the pipeline doesn’t appear forthcoming right now.
–CL
25. Washington Nationals
These Nationals really should be a lot better, but the National League is tough. James Wood and CJ Abrams are a pair to build around. Cade Cavalli has some talent in the rotation as well. The Nats embarked on a long rebuild a few years ago, and have finally made some progress. It's time for chairman Mark Lerner to do his part, and invest in some veterans who can actually make a difference. He promised a top-10 payroll, after all.
-MP
24. Cincinnati Reds
Oh, the Reds. Cincinnati made the playoffs just a year ago, but has done little to build off that success. The Reds are quite clearly the worst team in a crowded NL Central, having been surpassed by the Pittsburgh Pirates convincingly. Hunter Greene is out for the year (and more) which doesn't make this any easier. Cincinnati's owner is among the poorest in baseball. This organization has to do something. Even that would be greater than their trade deadline effort.
-MP
23. Minnesota Twins
Minnesota has slowly but surely fallen to the fringes of the Central and Wild Card races, which is a tough look after the team made some rather rash buying moves at the deadline that simply haven’t panned out. (Giving up real value for Dean Kremer wasn’t a viable strategy in 2026; who knew?) Now the question becomes: Which veterans will be here in 2027? Is it finally time to cut bait with Joe Ryan? Can they bite down hard and try to convince Byron Buxton to waive his no-trade clause after yet another hip issue ended his season early? It’ll be a fascinating offseason to monitor, which makes the vacuum in the front office loom all the larger.
–CL
22. Detroit Tigers
Detroit responded to a nightmare series in Cleveland by beating up on Minnesota and Colorado, which is a pretty tidy encapsulation of this season for a team that had enough talent to win the Central but simply couldn’t get its act together for an extended period of time. The rotation has some young pieces to get excited about, and Kevin McGonigle and Riley Greene are keepers. Beyond that, though, Scott Harris has some work to do to figure out his offense and finally build a functional bullpen.
–CL
21. Seattle Mariners
Well, Saturday’s 19-1 drubbing of the A’s was at least cathartic if nothing else. But that’s about all that Seattle is playing for at this point, with simply too much ground to make up and too many teams to pass to have much faith in a playoff push. Now the question becomes: How much of this season was a fluke, and how many changes are needed? The starting rotation has started to come back around after a disastrous stretch in late summer, at least, but if Julio Rodriguez and Cal Raleigh aren’t hitting, it’s tough to know what the future holds for this team.
–CL
20. New York Mets
The Mets invested poorly. That has been the theme of their season. Steve Cohen may have the most money in baseball, but David Stearns doesn't know how to spend it. Instead, Stearns thrives in a Brewers approach, which does not involve asking Cohen to sign Bo Bichette at the last minute. Who knew? The Mets are still absurdly talented, but don't be surprised if they shed some payroll before the lockout.
-MP
19. Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore held serve during a crucial week that featured series against both of the teams above them in the Wild Card standings. But they need to be making up ground, not holding serve, and while the offense has begun to show signs of life of late, it likely won’t matter for much unless a rotation that just put Kyle Bradish on the IL can find some consistency down the stretch.
–CL
18. Miami Marlins
The Marlins have the cheapest owner in MLB, so I give them credit for doing basically anything. It's true, check our front office rankings. Miami opted against trading Sandy Alcantara, even though they had every reason to do so from a pure financial perspective. The Marlins are not a playoff team, but they hung in the toughest division in MLB for longer than expected. Perhaps there is hope after all.
-MP
17. St. Louis Cardinals
In the spirit of the NFL season, the Cardinals have outkicked their coverage. St. Louis was expected to take a huge step back in 2026. Instead, they were in the midst of the NL Wild Card race until mid-September, and our MLB Power Rankings reflect that. The Cards have an impressive young core to build around. There is still a lot of work to do for Chaim Bloom and Co.
-MP
16. Texas Rangers
Texas is not playing like a team that wants to make the playoffs, largely thanks to a bullpen that has devolved into one of the shakiest in baseball of late. The nature of the AL is such that the Rangers are still very much alive in the West and the Wild Card race, and there’s plenty of potential in this team as it starts to warm up at the plate. But there’s just not enough pitching depth here, and the arrow is pointing in the wrong direction after tough series in Seattle and Arizona this week.
–CL
15. Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates remain alive in the NL Wild Card race, which is saying something given where they were just a few weeks ago. Pittsburgh is 7-3 in their last 10 games and .500 on the season. Should they play well enough down the stretch, perhaps Ben Cherington will keep his job after all, much to the chagrin of Pirates fans. Pittsburgh's reinforcements, which include Konnor Griffin and Ryan O'Hearn, could make things interesting in the season's final weeks.
-MP
14. Cleveland Guardians
The three walk-off wins against the Tigers were fun, but otherwise it’s been a bumpy ride for Cleveland of late, which has seen its starting rotation fall apart a bit just as its offense was beginning to catch a rhythm with some key players back from injury. There are still some awfully enticing pieces here in a short series, but you have to get there first, and they’re going to need some serious Guards Ball magic in close games unless they can find more reliable options behind Gavin Williams and Parker Messick.
–CL
13. Toronto Blue Jays
The Jays have shown real grit in clawing their way back toward the final AL Wild Card spot. Now, can they find enough consistency to actually get over the line, or will they keep finding ways to alternate wins and losses? Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the offense seem to blow hot and cold, while injuries continue to devastate a starting rotation that should be pretty fearsome at full health. It feels like Toronto will need to wait until 2027 to make a real run, but anything is possible in this American League, and the closing schedule is pretty friendly.
–CL
12. Chicago White Sox
Chicago has done tremendous work to put themselves in position to win the division with just weeks to go in the regular season, but a young and thin team is finally showing signs of being a bit in over its head. Randal Grichuk snatched victory from the jaws of defeat on Saturday night, but the White Sox have a losing record in September so far and show no signs of pulling out of this funk. The offense has been leaking oil for a bit now as guys like Munetaka Murakami come back to Earth, and Chris Getz didn’t do enough to give this pitching staff the help it desperately needs. But hey: They still have the edge in the AL Central, and this is all a learning experience.
–CL
11. Houston Astros
Houston took some lumps this weekend, getting swept out of Tampa in a series in which its vaunted offense more or less failed to show up at all. The Astros’ rotation has been much better of late, but they haven’t been able to hit in the month of September, only starting to pull away in the AL West as the Rangers and Mariners implode around them. You have to think Yordan Alvarez and Co. will figure it out soon, especially with Carlos Correa nearing a return. But it would be exasperating for Houston to finally figure out the pitching situation only for the lineup to let it down.
–CL
10. Arizona Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks and Padres are fighting it out for the final NL Wild Card spot. That race likely won't be decided until the final week of the season, when these two NL West foes play against each other. Arizona should extend catcher Gabriel Moreno while they have the chance, and he could command the largest contract for a catcher in MLB history. For right now, though, the Diamondbacks have more important issues. San Diego is no easy out.
-MP
9. San Diego Padres
The Padres have won six straight games, which is why they have the edge on Arizona and are closing in on the Phillies for the second NL Wild Card spot, which would help them avoid the Braves and Dodgers entirely. Every season, the Padres are in the mix, and all too frequently they are the recipient of bad matchups. Avoiding LA, Atlanta and other division winners until the Divisional Round or NLCS could go a long way.
-MP
8. Philadelphia Phillies
Just a week ago, the Phillies had two series against the Braves lined up and a chance to steal the NL East out from under them. Then, Atlanta split a four-game series in Philly, and the Phils have since lost a series in the ATL. The Phillies have one of the most talented rosters in the NL from top to bottom. If they don't make a run in the postseason, it comes down to execution, period.
-MP
7. Boston Red Sox
Boston has righted the ship a bit after a wobbly start to September, though it likely won’t be enough to earn home-field in the Wild Card round. Getting Roman Anthony right will help, though, as will the looming return of Willson Contreras. If the Red Sox can build a functional lineup around Ranger Suarez, Sonny Gray, Payton Tolle and this pitching staff, they can go a long way in a wide-open AL, though it’s hard to trust them fully until we see them score runs consistently.
-CL
6. Chicago Cubs
The Cubs are hanging on for dear life in the NL Wild Card race. Sure, Chicago will make the playoffs either way, but their current standing helps Craig Counsell and Co. secure the No. 4 slot, which means they would host the NL Wild Card series. Considering the aura of Wrigley Field, do not discount the important of that for Chicago. The Cubs rotation is questionable and the bullpen has been downright bad. Homefield advantage is key.
-MP
5. New York Yankees
Aaron Judge is back, although whether New York’s offensive uptick this week had more to do with the reigning AL MVP or with playing the Rockies remains to be seen. More concerning for the Yankees at this point is the status of its much-ballyhooed starting rotation, as Max Fried doesn’t look totally comfortable after his second IL stint and Gerrit Cole got rocked by the Mets over the weekend. Unless Judge goes full supernova, New York is going to need to pitch its way through the playoffs, and Cam Schlittler can’t do it alone – especially not if they wind up in the Wild Card round.
–CL
4. Atlanta Braves
The Braves will win the NL East, which likely means they will face the third NL Wild Card team in the postseason. Atlanta matches up well with the Diamondbacks and Padres, as their rotation is a weak spot. Yet, the Braves boast a powerful lineup that can out-slug just about anyone when they get hot. Late-season series wins against the Phillies could speak volumes in October.
-MP
3. Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa punched its ticket to the playoffs the same way it’s ruled the AL all year long: with a flair for late-game dramatics. Junior Caminero’s walk-off homer against Houston was yet another iconic individual moment in a season full of them and also yet another remarkable Rays rally. Will it be sustainable come October? That’s the big question. But they’re still keeping the Yankees at arm’s length, and a first-round bye and home-field seems likely.
–CL
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers have lost their last two games but them remain 8-2 in their last 10. Los Angeles should secure the No. 2 seed in the National League, which means a bye is coming their way. That ought to be helpful for a roster as injury-prone as this one. Sure, Shohei Ohtani is unlikely to pitch in the postseason, but the rotation still features Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto as the unquestioned ace. The Dodgers are World Series favorites for a reason.
-MP
1. Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers clinched a postseason berth this past week. Jacob Misiorowski is the NL Cy Young favorite, and Milwaukee's lineup is as deep as they come. The Brewers do lack the star power of the Dodgers, Braves and Cubs. We'll see if that matters in the postseason, but until further notice, the Brewers are the best team in baseball.
-MP
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