With just seven weeks left of the regular season of 2026, there is still a lot to be resolved before we get to the postseason.
In the National League, all three division leaders — the Braves (+8.5), Brewers (+5.5) and Dodgers (+7.5) — have sizable leads. The Cubs have a six-game lead over the Phillies and Diamondbacks for the No. 1 wild-card spot. The Phillies and D-Backs are tied for the second and third spots. The Padres, having added Robbie Ray and Casey Mize to the rotation and Austin Hays to the outfield mix, are just two games out of the last wild-card spot. The Marlins are just three games out.
Meanwhile, the American League picture is much more uncertain. The Rays-who nobody still believes in, have a comfortable 5.5-game lead over the Yankees and 7.5 over the rampaging Red Sox. The weak AL Central sees the White Sox with a 3.5-game over the Tigers and a four-game lead over the Twins and Guardians. In the West, the Astros hold just a half-game lead over the Rangers.
The wild-card situation is incredibly muddled with so many teams still in the running for their spot in the dance.
If the season ended on Aug. 9, the Yankees and Red Sox would hold the Nos. 1 and 2 wild cards. The second-place team in the West would be the No. 3 wild card.
However, right now the distance between the loser of the West and four other teams — the Tigers, Twins, Guardians and Orioles — is just two games.
This is a fascinating race to the wire now. And anybody who claims they know how this will wind up, be careful listening to them. The next thing they’ll try and sell you is a bridge in New York City.
Here are this week’s MLB power rankings:
1. Milwaukee Brewers (74-44, No. 2 last week): With the Dodgers’ seven-game losing streak, the Brewers have been able to open up a four-game lead for the top seed in the NL. So where do the Brewers go this week for a four-game series? To Dodger Stadium. The baseball gods set it up this way.
2. Tampa Bay Rays (71-46, No. 3): The Rays’ amazing season continues. They went 0-4 after the break, but they have since gone 15-4 to open up 5.5-game lead over the Yankees. The question remains can they straighten out Freddy Peralta? If they do, they just might get to the World Series.
3. Los Angeles Dodgers (70-48, No. 1): Well, who saw this coming? It’s really quite stunning that this team has lost eight of their last nine. But they are getting Blake Snell back this week and Tyler Glasnow shortly after. Interesting human interest part of the Skubal trade, he now says he hopes to play the rest of his career with the Tigers. Wonder how that is going over in the Dodgers’ clubhouse?
4. Atlanta Braves (71-47, No. 4): The Braves are on a 16-7 run since the break. Ronald Acuña Jr.’s return could be the missing piece — if they have enough starting pitching. If Tyler Mahle can stay healthy for two months, they can be dangerous out in the playoffs.
5. Chicago Cubs (69-50, No. 6): A 15-8 record since the All-Star break has the Cubs firmly ensconced as the No. 1 wild card in the NL. Not impossible they could catch the Brewers, but not likely.
6. Boston Red Sox (64-53, No. 5): Until these last two losses to the Athletics, the Sox had been on an historic 35-8 run. That has them solidly in the No. 2 wild-card spot and right on the Yankees’ tail for No. 1.
7. New York Yankees (66-52, No. 7): The Yankees are just 12-10 since the break, but the return of Max Fried helps. Gerrit Cole is still damn good, but he isn’t quite what he was. These next two or three weeks before the return of Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger are critical to the Yankees’ chances of any real playoff run.
8. Arizona Diamondbacks (63-56, No. 8): This persistent team reflects well on Torey Lovullo as a manager. Not quite sure I thought I’d say this but a team in a pennant push is thrilled to have Mike Soroka back off the IL, but the D-backs desperately need him right now.
9. Philadelphia Phillies (63-56, No. 9): Time will tell, but I loved the Phillies’ pickup of Luis Arráez at the deadline. But with Aaron Nola pitching this poorly, the pressure is really on rookie pitcher Andrew Painter to deliver the goods. If he can, the Phillies can still make a strong run. If not, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski will be kicking himself for not adding a starter to the mix.
10. Chicago White Sox (61-56, No. 11): Due to the fades by Cleveland and Minnesota, the Sox have a 3.5-game lead in the Central despite 11-11 mark since the break. The bad news might be the second-place Skubal-less Tigers might be warming up. The Luis Castillo deadline pickup is White Sox GM Chris Getz’s first misstep in a while.
11. Houston Astros (60-59, No. 10)
12. San Diego Padres (62-57, No. 13)
13. Miami Marlins (60-59, No. 15)
14. Texas Rangers (59-59, No. 12)
15. Detroit Tigers (58-60, No. 22)
16. Minnesota Twins (58-61, No. 16)
17. Cleveland Guardians (58-61, No. 14)
18. Baltimore Orioles (57-61, No. 17)
19. Washington Nationals (59-61, No. 21)
20. Pittsburgh Pirates (58-62, No. 18)
21. St. Louis Cardinals (59-59, No. 20)
22. Seattle Mariners (56-63, No. 19)
23. Toronto Blue Jays (56-63, No. 23)
24. Cincinnati Reds (56-61, No. 24)
25. New York Mets (52-67, No. 27)
26. San Francisco Giants (49-69, No. 25)
27. Kansas City Royals (49-70, No. 28)
28. Athletics (47-71, No. 29)
29. Colorado Rockies (46-72, No. 26)
30. Los Angeles Angels (45-73, No. 30)