MLB standings since the trade deadline reveal the real winners and losers

Since the MLB trade deadline on Aug. 3, much has changed in the standings. We've seen the Philadelphia Phillies tear through August, only to hit a speed bump in September. We've seen the Cleveland Guardians gain ground on the Chicago White Sox. We've seen the Tampa Bay Rays, Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers all clinch their postseason berths.

While many trades won't be "won" or "lost" until years down the road, we can at least use the standings as a barometer for immediate success. Some teams went all-in and flopped. Some teams, it would seem, benefitted from addition by subtraction.

AL East standings since the trade deadline

The Yankees made a semi-controversial move to acquire Luis García Jr., a left-handed hitting first baseman who did not address an overt positional need. And yet, a bat is a bat, and García was huge in helping New York weather a storm of injuries in August. García has an .839 OPS with seven homers since joining the Yankees, so you won't hear their fans complaining.

Tampa Bay — on track to claim the No. 1 overall seed in the American League — also made an impactful trade, acquiring second-year catcher Liam Hicks, who's up to an .864 OPS since the move.

The Blue Jays opted to tread water, effectively swapping out Kevin Gausman for José Soriano as their No. 2 starter and dumping unproductive expiring contracts, a la Daulton Varsho. Not going full sell was probably smart, as Toronto's talent led them to a World Series, and now the Blue Jays are red hot and within striking distance of the postseason.

AL Central standings since the trade deadline

The Royals quietly put together a nine-game win streak in August, but the postseason was already far out of a reach at that point. Kansas City has since come back down to earth. While Bobby Witt Jr. is a superstar and should probably finish top-3 in MVP voting despite the Royals' poor record, Kansas City is entirely focused on building toward 2027 at this point.

The real storyline here is the race between Chicago and Cleveland. The White Sox won the first game in their final regular season series on Monday, a huge boon for the struggling Southsiders. Chicago's rotation has been a mess all season, but their lineup more than made up for it. The past month or so, however, has seen the White Sox bats disappear. Watching Tristan Peters work an 18-pitch AB against Gavin Williams — helping Chicago drop six runs in the sixth inning Monday night — would hopefully a sign of a turning tide.

The Guardians remain right on Chicago's heels, however. Their deadline additions of Jo Adell and Nathaniel Lowe have both panned out, while the Guardians' pitching staff — anchored by Cy Young and Rookie of the Year candidate Parker Messick — puts the White Sox rotation to shame.

AL West standings since the trade deadline

The Rangers were two games below .500 on Aug. 4 and remain two games below .500 now, so it's hard to call them a deadline "winner." Texas effectively held the line, largely because Jacob deGrom rebuffed a blockbuster trade to Atlanta for Spencer Strider. Corey Seager has come alive down the stretch, however, and first-place Houston refuses to put the Rangers away. So anything is possible.

More notable, perhaps, is just how bad the Mariners are. Two walk-off losses to the A's in Sacramento did nothing to raise spirits, as this team has consistently found ways to undermine its own talent and fumble winnable games. Cal Raleigh has come alive these past few weeks, but even that feels hollow when it has not meaningfully changed the on-field product. The Mariners were aggressive at the deadline, too. Taylor Ward was a prized rental, but he promptly became the worst qualified hitter in MLB as soon as he touched down in Seattle. After last season's swing and miss on Eugenio Suárez at the deadline, perhaps the Mariners need to rethink their strategies.

NL East standings since the trade deadline

The Phillies were the best team in baseball in August, then promptly forgot how to hit again in September. There are plenty of red flags with Philadelphia, from fatigued pitchers to a woefully inconsistent back half of the lineup. Then again, not many teams can throw Jesús Luzardo, Zack Wheeler and Cristopher Sánchez at their opponents come October. Bryce Harper has blossomed in recent weeks and Kyle Schwarber is going to lead MLB in home runs. So the Phillies are still a team to fear, even if their margin for error is zilch. Credit where credit is due: the Luis Arráez trade definitely paid off.

The Mets, slowly but surely, are starting to look more like the team we expected coming into the year. New York's postseason dreams are long dead, but there's plenty to look forward to in 2027 with a dynamic young pitching staff and a healthy Juan Soto. Bo Bichette, should he return, looks more like the Bo Bichette we know and love. The Mets are also positioned to spend in free agency, as always.

As for the Braves, a recent series win over Philadelphia all but guaranteed a division crown. Atlanta's offense has quietly fallen off in recent weeks, with Matt Olson in an uncharacteristic slump, but the real concern come October will be their rotation depth behind Chris Sale. It's not great. The Tyler Mahle trade was worked like a charm, but Atlanta fans wish their front office did more at the deadline.

NL Central standings since the trade deadline

Milwaukee mostly fiddled on the margins at the deadline and their splashiest move (the Dustin May trade) has not yielded much value in return. Still, the Brewers are a regular season juggernaut at this point, much too disciplined and precise in their execution across the board. Whether it means anything come October remains to be seen, but Jacob Misiorowski is an advantage Milwaukee did not have last autumn.

Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Chicago are all jockeying for second-place in these post-deadline standings. The Cubs are left with the most to play for, attempting to stave off Philadelphia to claim the top Wild Card spot — and thus host a first-round series at Wrigley Field. The Cubs can hit, this much we know. Whether or not their deadline additions of Clay Holmes and Kevin Gausman were enough to salvage a patchwork rotation, however, remains to be seen.

NL West standings since the trade deadline

The Padres are rolling, with Fernando Tatis Jr. looking the part of an MVP candidate after a brutal, months-long homerless streak to begin the season. San Diego's deadline additions have been a mixed bag; Casey Mize and Robbie Ray have both struggled to sustain their previous success on the mound. Still, the Padres' rotation is more formidable now, with a lineup that's finally carrying its weight.

The Dodgers dealt for a little-known pitcher by the name of Tarik Skubal, which has gone pretty well for them. Los Angeles has the deepest and most talented rotation on paper, even with Shohei Ohtani currently on ice. With top prospect Josue De Paula up from the minors and already hitting tanks, the Dodgers are not wanting for talent.

Arizona probably could've done more at the deadline — not addressing a paper-thin rotation was unforgivable in the moment — but the Diamondbacks continue to battle for that sixth and final seed in the National League playoffs. The D'backs are hoping the recent return of Corbin Burnes can serve as their "deadline addition."

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