MLB teams played their 81st games this week, meaning we've reached the official halfway point of the 2026 season. While in most years we'd have a good idea of the trade deadline buyers and sellers by the midway point, this year is an exception. Outside of teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers and New York Yankees, are there any good teams?
Well, this week's MLB Power Rankings highlight teams like the Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago Cubs, both of whom are playing well right now. Just how good are they relative to their peers, though? Let's take a look at the full power rankings.
30. Colorado Rockies
- Last week's ranking: 30
This Colorado Rockies team is just fun. A prime example of that came this week, when they rallied back against Aroldis Chapman, a closer who had been nothing short of dominant this season, and walked him off on a Jake McCarthy three-run triple. McCarthy almost willed them back in Friday's game, too, with a ninth-inning home run. The Rockies remain the worst team in the league, but at least they play a competitive and inspiring brand of baseball that we just didn't see much of in 2025.
29. Los Angeles Angels
- Last week's ranking: 29
Firing Perry Minasian was probably a good thing, but anyone thinking things will change under John Mozeliak in Anaheim is kidding themselves. Arte Moreno remains the owner, and under his watch, it's hard to envision the Halos ever entering a full-blown rebuild, even when they so obviously should. If anything, there's a pretty good chance Minasian was fired because he wanted to sell off pieces that Moreno insists on keeping. Mike Trout isn't even healthy anymore. Angels fans deserve so much better.
28. New York Mets
- Last week's ranking: 23
After weeks of the New York Mets essentially playing .500 baseball, trying to stay alive in the postseason race, they collapsed, essentially ending their season. They were swept in a four-game series at home against the Cubs, committing a whopping six errors in one of those games and showing little to no signs of life in any of them. They then fired Carlos Mendoza on Friday in a move that can only be characterized as too little too late. They've already traded David Peterson, and with how they're playing, more veterans are likely to be on the move by August's trade deadline. At least Francisco Lindor is back.
27. Kansas City Royals
- Last week's ranking: 26
Vibes were as high as they had been in Kansas City for much of the season after they took the first two games of a four-game series in Tampa Bay despite their injuries, but they lost the final two games of that Rays series and then suffered a humiliating 22-1 loss in Chicago. The Royals have Bobby Witt Jr. back, and it's been encouraging watching young guys like Jac Caglianone and Carter Jensen get going offensively, but the Royals have little else going for them right now.
26. San Francisco Giants
- Last week's ranking: 27
The San Francisco Giants won a series against the A's and Rafael Devers didn't have any embarrassing moments after refusing to be pinch-run for on Sunday, but Buster Posey trying to deflect attention away from the team's Pride Night fiasco, was awkward at best and the team still stinks. All fans can do is wait and see who they trade away at the deadline. The Giants are clear-cut sellers at this point.
25. Cincinnati Reds
- Last week's ranking: 20
Whatever momentum the Cincinnati Reds garnered from their series win in the Bronx last weekend quickly vanished when they were swept on their home field by the Brewers. That series sweep ended any chance Cincinnati had at making things interesting in the NL Central, and while the Reds are still technically in the Wild Card race, they haven't played well enough to make up any ground for quite some time. Elly De La Cruz being back helps, but he alone can't guide this team to contention. The Reds will need others to step up who haven't.
24. Boston Red Sox
- Last week's ranking: 28
Winning a series against the New York Yankees is always a good thing for the Boston Red Sox, but how much does that mean when earlier in the week they lost a series in Colorado? Payton Tolle rocks, but the Red Sox continue to be infuriating, as they've pitched well but cannot hit, and with Roman Anthony still without a timetable for a return, it's hard to believe in this team ever turning things around. Fortunately, they have some attractive pieces to sell, so their trade deadline should be interesting.
23. Minnesota Twins
- Last week's ranking: 22
The Minnesota Twins were playing well, only to begin this week by getting swept by the Dodgers and nearly blowing the series opener against the Rockies. I really don't know what to make of this team. There are weeks when they play well, and weeks when they look completely overmatched. There's obvious talent, but there are clearer holes. It'll be interesting to see if Minnesota pursues a postseason berth thanks to an impossibly weak American League, or if they finally decide to trade Joe Ryan, Byron Buxton (if he lets them), and a few others to complete their teardown.
22. Baltimore Orioles
- Last week's ranking: 24
The Baltimore Orioles had what felt like a season-turning series win at Dodger Stadium last weekend, only to immediately lose a three-game series in Anaheim, blowing two late leads in the rubber game of that set. Much like the Twins, the O's have a good amount of talent, yet have shown no consistency this season whatsoever. Mike Elias says they're planning on buying at the deadline, it'll be interesting to see if that is actually what ends up taking place.
21. Detroit Tigers
- Last week's ranking: 25
It looked like the Detroit Tigers were making a push after sweeping the White Sox last weekend, only to lose two of three (and lose games with Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal pitching) against the Yankees, and fail to win a series against the Astros. Injuries continue to hurt them, and the bullpen remains a major issue. They're still in fourth place in the AL Central, and while their Wild Card hopes remain alive, the clock is ticking. The Tigers can't justify holding onto Tarik Skubal with a record as poor as the one they have now.
20. Athletics
- Last week's ranking: 18
Gage Jump and JT Ginn continue to pitch well, while Nick Kurtz and Shea Langeliers continue to pace the offense, but the spare parts just aren't good enough. The lineup isn't as deep as we thought it'd be, whether it's been due to injuries (Zack Gelof, Jacob Wilson), underperforming players (Lawrence Butler, Jeff McNeil), or both (Brent Rooker), and the pitching is about as bad as expected, even with Jump and Ginn looking good. For the A's to win this division, they're going to need more consistency offensively and some pitching reinforcements.
19. Houston Astros
- Last week's ranking: 21
The Houston Astros continue to creep ever so close to .500 and a playoff spot. They haven't lost any of their last five series, thanks largely to the dynamic duo of Jeremy Pena and Yordan Alvarez leading the way offensively, the bullpen pitching extremely well, and even Tatsuya Imai showing signs of life. I'm still not sold that this is a playoff team, but Hunter Brown is back, the lineup is good, and if Dana Brown can get a pitcher or two, we might well have a team back on the rise in Houston.
18. Washington Nationals
- Last week's ranking: 14
I really want to believe in the Washington Nationals, but their pitching, particularly in the bullpen, makes it impossible to. The Nationals should've swept their four-game series against the Phillies, but they instead lost three of four thanks to three straight blown ninth-inning leads. They allowed 15 ninth-inning runs in those three games, an impossible number. The lineup continues to shine on most nights, but there's only so much they can do. The Nationals need reinforcements in the worst way.
17. Toronto Blue Jays
- Last week's ranking: 16
A statement win against Hunter Brown and the Astros on Monday means relatively nothing in hindsight, as Toronto proceeded to drop their next five games, all at home, after that. The Jays are as healthy as they've been all season, but their lineup continues to struggle, and they're a couple of arms short. They have as good a shot as any team to make the playoffs in a weak AL (they're bound to get going at some point, right?), but it's been frustrating.
16. Texas Rangers
- Last week's ranking: 19
The Texas Rangers lost a hard-fought series to a Marlins team that's been crushing everybody of late, but they bounced back to earn a series win on the road in Toronto, which was very encouraging. Their rotation remains mostly reliable (although Jack Leiter's injury hurts them greatly), the bullpen has been mostly great, and Wyatt Langford is doing his best to carry the lineup. They need more offensive help and could use an arm or two, but making the playoffs in this American League is very realistic. As long as Langford, Corey Seager and their three-headed rotation monster of Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi and MacKenzie Gore can simply stay on the field, it'll be hard to rule Texas out.
15. Arizona Diamondbacks
- Last week's ranking: 11
On one hand, it was encouraging seeing the Arizona Diamondbacks win a series against a winning team this week. On the other hand, it's hard to envision this lasting, given the state of their rotation. Zac Gallen had another clunker, Merrill Kelly hasn't been much better, and both Michael Soroka and Ryne Nelson are hurt. Corbin Burnes even had a recent setback. They'll always have a puncher's chance to win any given game with a lineup that consists of Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte and Geraldo Perdomo, but Mike Hazen will need to work his magic to get this team to the playoffs.
14. Pittsburgh Pirates
- Last week's ranking: 15
The Pittsburgh Pirates looked really good in a series win against the Mariners and watched Konnor Griffin hit a home run in his return from the IL, but Paul Skenes had another uneven outing, and they lost Spencer Horwitz to a hamstring strain. The ceiling remains high for this team, especially if they add to the bullpen, but they haven't played well consistently for a while. Saturday's bullpen implosion is a prime example of what's gone wrong in the Steel City.
13. St. Louis Cardinals
- Last week's ranking: 9
The St. Louis Cardinals began a grueling part of their schedule in frustrating fashion, dropping two of three to the Diamondbacks and dropping their first two against the Marlins. The Cardinals do not play a team that's currently under .500 until after the All-Star break, meaning they'll have to beat good teams consistently to remain in a Wild Card spot. They can do it — they've been proving doubters wrong all year — but this week wasn't a good start.
12. Seattle Mariners
- Last week's ranking: 8
The Seattle Mariners still look like one of the best teams in the sport on paper, but they have not played like it. Every time it looks like they're ready to go on a run, they drop a series in Pittsburgh and struggle to score runs. The talent is undeniable, and perhaps moving Cal Raleigh down in the order, as Dan Wilson did on Saturday, can wake his bat up, and I am glad they ditched the piggyback plan, at least for Logan Gilbert's start, but we need to see more consistency from this group. There's no excuse for them not having run away with the AL West by now.
11. Cleveland Guardians
- Last week's ranking: 7
Is it time to be worried about the Cleveland Guardians? The Guardians have been struggling offensively for a while now, and while injuries to Jose Ramirez and Chase DeLauter hasn't helped matters, Ramirez isn't due back for a while, and DeLauter wasn't at his best before his injury anyway. This remains as talented a lineup as Cleveland has had around Ramirez in recent years, but this stretch without him shows that what they have is not good enough. A series loss in Chicago should inspire the Guardians to begin to see what they can get in terms of offensive reinforcements.
10. Miami Marlins
- Last week's ranking: 17
The Miami Marlins are the hottest team in the majors, as they've lost just one series in June and are showing no signs of slowing down. Max Meyer continues to win every time he takes the mound, Sandy Alcantara is pitching well, and the offense is perking up as well, with Kyle Stowers looking like the All-Star he was last year. I don't know how sustainable this level of winning is, but the Marlins got Eury Perez back this week, and it would not be surprising to see them hang around the Wild Card race.
9. Chicago White Sox
- Last week's ranking: 12
The good vibes continue to roll on the South Side, as the White Sox won a key home series against Cleveland and then scored 22 runs in a game against the Royals. This team is fun and is finding ways to win even with Munetaka Murakami out. It'll be fascinating to see how they navigate the trade deadline, knowing they can easily win the AL Central by making some win-now moves, but are also exceeding expectations and have seen so many of their prospects flourish.
8. San Diego Padres
- Last week's ranking: 13
While Jackson Merrill continues to struggle, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado showed signs of life, guys like Ty France and Samad Taylor have continued to play well, and their pitching was mostly good. The result of these mostly good things was a good week, as they swept the Braves and watched Walker Buehler beat his former team, the Dodgers, in a rout. What could've been a week that buried them turned out to have the opposite effect, and that could lead to San Diego taking off, at long last.
7. Tampa Bay Rays
- Last week's ranking: 5
The Tampa Bay Rays continue to be inconsistent. There will be good days, particularly when the trio of Junior Caminero, Yandy Diaz and Jonathan Aranda gets any sort of offensive help, but it's hard to rely on that with any sort of consistency with the personnel the Rays have, and their rotation has had its share of ups and downs, too. The Rays can be a force if the front office is willing to have a big trade deadline, but that's not usually how they operate.
6. Chicago Cubs
- Last week's ranking: 10
Are the Chicago Cubs back? They handily swept the Mets at Citi Field, and then after getting Miz'd on Friday night, they beat the Brewers on the back of David Peterson, who had his longest start in nearly a full year in his debut with the team. Peterson is not a savior by himself, but he's a stabilizer for a rotation desperately in need of one, and with how well PCA is playing, the Cubs are hard to stop offensively. Even Dansby Swanson broke out in New York. The Cubs need more pitching help, but this week was a very encouraging one.
5. Philadelphia Phillies
- Last week's ranking: 6
The Philadelphia Phillies continue to roll, as they stole three games in Washington that they had absolutely no business winning. Derek Hill then robbed what would've been a game-defining home run in a series-opening win at Citi Field - Philadelphia's first win in Queens since 2024. I still have my share of questions about this lineup beyond the trio of Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Brandon Marsh, but it's clear that this is one of the best teams in the NL.
4. New York Yankees
- Last week's ranking: 3
The New York Yankees were able to win a hard-fought series in Detroit, beating Tarik Skubal in the series finale, only to lose a series in Boston against the lowly Red Sox. The offense went cold, the starting pitching wasn't good, and even the defense was brutal in the first game of that series. These struggles have resulted in Yankees fans forgetting the lollipop "controversy," which is a good thing, and they're still clearly the team to beat in the AL, but any series loss in Boston, particularly against a Red Sox team this bad, will leave the fan base with a sour taste in its mouth.
3. Atlanta Braves
- Last week's ranking: 2
Can the Braves just stop going to San Diego? That's certainly something the fan base would like, given the team's recent history at that ballpark. Atlanta was swept in San Diego, adding to a stretch of mostly poor baseball played by the team. The offense continues to struggle, particularly in the power department, and all of a sudden, the NL East is competitive with the Phillies on the rise. The Braves are still really good, and it was encouraging to see Hurston Waldrep return on Friday, but they're no longer the best or even the second-best team in the NL, at least right now.
2. Milwaukee Brewers
- Last week's ranking: 4
After a rare blip last weekend in Atlanta, the Milwaukee Brewers swept the Reds on the road and then watched Jacob Misiorowski do his thing in the series opener against the Cubs. The lack of power this team has is cause for concern, but the Brewers got Brandon Woodruff back from the IL, and Kyle Harrison is having an All-Star-caliber year, so The Miz is not acting alone in the rotation.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
- Last week's ranking: 1
You'd think a Kyle Tucker injury scare and more Dalton Rushing ill-advised controversy would impact the Los Angeles Dodgers, but nope — they remain the class of the league. Tucker having a brutal year while making $60 million and Rushing struggling as the team's starter with Will Smith on the IL, does not matter as Los Angeles finds ways to win games. Until someone finds a way to beat them, the Dodgers will continue being World Series favorites, and with the trade deadline just a month away, there's every reason to believe they'll get even scarier.
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