The final week of the MLB regular season is upon us, yet more than half of the league remains alive in the postseason race. This goes to show that we might not know the full playoff field until the final day of the regular season, which is certainly the ideal scenario for fans who love drama.
While 17 teams are still technically alive, not all of them are on even ground. Below, you'll get a glimpse of which teams should be taken seriously and which might be in for an early postseason exit, if they can even get in at all.
17. Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners, a team that ranked in the top six on FanSided's Opening Day power rankings, have already clinched a losing record and are on the verge of being eliminated from the postseason race entirely. Core players like Julio Rodriguez and Cal Raleigh never came close to meeting expectations, their rotation, which was previously otherworldly, underwhelmed, and their bullpen, still lacking that elusive high-leverage arm to pair alongside Andres Munoz late in games, wasn't great either. Dan Wilson is almost certainly going to be fired, and Jerry Dipoto has some serious work to do to get this team, which was one win away from a World Series berth in 2025, back in contention.
16. Baltimore Orioles
The Pete Alonso signing was a huge win for the Baltimore Orioles, but has anything else been encouraging when watching this team? The lineup, thanks largely to Gunnar Henderson's struggles, is middle-of-the-pack at best, even with Alonso leading the AL in RBI. The rotation is about as bad as expected, especially with Kyle Bradish having an uneven campaign. The bullpen lacks a defined closer. Baltimore has gone 30-49 against teams with a .500 record or better. If it weren't for a laughably bad American League, they'd have been eliminated a while ago.
15. Toronto Blue Jays
In a sense, the Toronto Blue Jays deserve credit for hanging around in the Wild Card race this long. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has had an abysmal season, their rotation has been banged up for much of the year, and veterans like Kevin Gausman and Daulton Varsho were traded at the deadline for prospects. With that being said, Dylan Cease was the latest Blue Jays starter to suffer an injury, and the Jays are second-to-last in the majors in runs scored. The fact that they've lost three of their last four series to teams with even or losing records says a lot about where the Jays are right now.
14. Texas Rangers
You'd think a Texas Rangers team led by the likes of Corey Seager, Jacob deGrom and Wyatt Langford would be sitting comfortably in postseason contention, especially in a weak AL, but they've been hovering around the .500 mark virtually all year. That's good enough to have them atop the AL West, but are they actually good? Seager and deGrom, while still good players, aren't exactly what they once were. Langford and Josh Jung have missed significant time due to injuries. Nathan Eovaldi is back healthy, but he's been just a reliever. Brandon Nimmo and MacKenzie Gore have underperformed. Evan Carter has been a complete non-factor. Breakouts from Ezequiel Duran and Jacob Latz have helped their cause, but the Rangers are a hard team to have faith in, even though they lead their division as of this writing.
13. Houston Astros
The Houston Astros have talent worth paying attention to. Yordan Alvarez still has an outside shot at a Triple Crown. Hunter Brown is an ace when healthy. Josh Hader is having arguably the best season of his career. The problem, though, is that the depth surrounding their stars is lacking. Alvarez hasn't been crushing the ball of late, and the offense has stagnated as a result. Brown hasn't given consistent length, and that impacts the rotation and bullpen. They have enough star power and experience to be feared if they can get to the postseason, but their depth could keep them out of the dance, even in a particularly weak AL West.
12. Arizona Diamondbacks
Ketel Marte has been at the center of all kinds of drama, Corbin Carroll and Geraldo Perdomo have had down years, Zac Gallen has been one of the worst pitchers in the sport when healthy and Corbin Burnes has made just three starts, yet the Arizona Diamondbacks are still eight games over .500. Guys like Eduardo Rodriguez (sub-3.00 ERA), Nolan Arenado (27 home runs) and Gabriel Moreno (5.1 fWAR) are reasons why they've been playing so well even with so many great players underperforming. Burnes not looking like himself upon his return and Gallen pitching his way to the bullpen are reasons why Arizona probably won't make the playoffs, but they're better than at least one AL team that will.
11. Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a great story, but the ending might not be as happy as previously anticipated. They've gone from a team that seemed prime to not only win the AL Central but also earn a first-round bye, to a team that is barely holding onto the third Wild Card spot. Munetaka Murakami has really slowed down offensively, and their rotation is probably the worst of any team still in contention. There's enough offensive talent to put them 11th, but their stock has been dipping rapidly.
10. Cleveland Guardians
As is the case seemingly every year, the Cleveland Guardians are getting hot at the right time. They've pulled into first place in the AL Central, and they're inching closer towards earning a first-round bye as well. The strength of this team, as it always is, is its pitching. Gavin Williams is the best ace you've never heard of, Parker Messick deserves more Rookie of the Year consideration than he's getting, and Cade Smith is one of the best closers in the sport. The reason why I can't place them any higher is because of their lineup. Jose Ramirez isn't having a Jose Ramirez-esque season, and I have doubts that they'll have enough power elsewhere in their lineup to go on a deep run in October.
9. Philadelphia Phillies
A team with starting pitching as good as the Philadelphia Phillies' can beat anybody, and that's why they're able to squeak into the top 10, but there are red flags everywhere you turn, even in the rotation. Not only is Jesus Luzardo unlikely to come back from the IL as a starter (if he can pitch in the playoffs at all), but the lineup is extremely top-heavy and the bullpen beyond Jhoan Duran is an unmitigated disaster. If the Phillies aren't getting six or seven scoreless innings from their starters and a couple of Kyle Schwarber home runs, who are they beating on a nightly basis?
8. Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are the best offensive and defensive team in the sport, but both of those facts depend on Alex Bregman's availability. Pete Crow-Armstrong has stolen most of the headlines, and rightfully so, but Bregman actually has a higher wRC+ (167) than everybody not named Fernando Tatis Jr. in the second half (that includes PCA). Missing him would be a big deal, especially when their pitching staff is so iffy. Assuming Bregman can play, though, the Cubs will be a tough out, especially if guys like Clay Holmes, Kevin Gausman and Matthew Boyd perform to their capability.
7. Boston Red Sox
Concerns revolving around this team's inconsistent power are worth monitoring, especially with Willson Contreras still out, but the Boston Red Sox have been one of MLB's best teams since July, and their pitching can take them deep into October. Not only is a rotation featuring Payton Tolle, Sonny Gray, Ranger Suarez and Jake Bennett really good, but their bullpen, which could be adding Garrett Crochet, is incredibly deep and effective too. The Red Sox will need a healthy Contreras and Roman Anthony at his best for them to go on a deep run, especially if Adley Rutschman can't find his groove at the plate, but the pitching gives them a high floor regardless.
6. San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres would be the team among those in NL Wild Card spots that I'd fear the most, as it feels like everything is clicking at the right time. As mentioned above, Tatis has been on an absolute tear in the second half, and the rotation, especially with Nick Pivetta back healthy, is better now than it has been all year. Not to mention, the best closer in the game, Mason Miller, looms to close out any postseason contest. Sometimes it's about being hot at the right time, and the Padres are as hot as any team in the sport right now.
5. New York Yankees
I might regret placing the New York Yankees in the top five even with Aaron Judge likely to miss the Wild Card series (at least), but hear me out. A postseason rotation featuring Cam Schlittler, Max Fried, Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon is comfortably the best in the American League. The bullpen lacks depth, but David Bednar has been incredibly effective in the ninth inning of games. The lineup will miss Judge, but with Ben Rice, Cody Bellinger and Luis Garcia Jr. in the mix, they have enough to beat righties. Lefties will be tougher without Judge, but perhaps Heliot Ramos and/or Paul Goldschmidt can catch fire. Aaron Boone will have to push the right buttons, but a rotation as good as theirs gives them a chance to beat anybody. I mean anybody.
4. Atlanta Braves
I've said I've had concerns about the Atlanta Braves' pitching staff all year, yet they continue to defy expectations. Chris Sale is still one of the best in the game, Tyler Mahle has been a godsend since being acquired at the deadline, and the reliever duo of Didier Fuentes and Raisel Iglesias is tough to beat in the late innings. Not to mention, Robert Suarez could be back, too. As crazy as this is to say, the lineup could be what dictates this team's future. Ronald Acuña Jr. looking like his superstar self of late is a sight for sore eyes, but if guys like Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley can't hit, do the Braves have enough? They have enough question marks to keep them out of the top three, but they have enough talent to put them ahead of all but one AL club.
3. Tampa Bay Rays
That club is the Tampa Bay Rays, who are on the verge of not only clinching the AL East, but the AL's No. 1 seed, as of this writing. Even if Shane McClanahan isn't a factor, their rotation, thanks largely to Freddy Peralta's resurgence, is quite good. Their bullpen, led by Bryan Baker, perhaps the best closer in the AL this season, is tough, although injuries to Tyler Wells and Garrett Cleavinger do impact things. The reason why I have the Rays ranked so high is because of their improved lineup. Sure, it does feel like "Junior Caminero and friends" at times, but Liam Hicks' deadline addition and the emergence of Victor Mesa Jr. make the lineup deeper than it's been all year.
2. Milwaukee Brewers
Is it insulting to have a Milwaukee Brewers team likely to finish with the best record in the majors once again out of the top spot? Perhaps, but I just have concerns. Who, behind Jacob Misiorowski (who has thrown more innings this season than ever before), can the Brewers lean on in the starting rotation with Brandon Woodruff out and Kyle Harrison struggling mightily? Lineup-wise, the Brewers are good at manufacturing runs in the regular season, but runs have been hard to come by for them in October when they don't hit home runs. The 2026 Brewers have the fewest home runs in the National League. I'm going to need to see them score runs against elite pitching in October without hitting home runs before I can believe in them doing so enough to win the World Series.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers have not been the unbeatable force many assumed they'd be this season, and given that, it's fair to assume they won't win another World Series title. There're some red flags, like position players getting older, the bullpen lacking a lockdown closer and Shohei Ohtani being on the IL, but there're also some reasons to be afraid of L.A. Not only is Kyle Tucker looking more like himself of late, but Edwin Diaz looks rejuvenated off the IL. Plus, Ohtani should be back as a hitter in October, and a rotation led by Tarik Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell is probably the best in the league. We saw how far a dominant Dodgers rotation could take them in 2025, and until they're de-throned, I'm not ranking them any lower than No. 1 on a power ranking.
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