This is not the exact time for specific predictions about the upcoming postseason. I’ll get into that just after the regular season. But I will say as I watch so many starting pitchers struggle day after day — see Gerrit Cole, Kyle Bradish or anybody starting a game for the White Sox — that we are witnessing an unprecedented time in baseball history.
Starting pitchers are simply fatigued. So many have had Tommy John surgery recently, or they simply have elbow or shoulder issues from a season of uber stress on their arms because of the modern max-effort style of pitching.
So as we approach the time to make some sense of this, look for two things on the staffs of the teams that make it into the big dance: Look for teams that have some fresh arms, and look for teams that have deep, deep bullpens.
I’ll give you one example — the Los Angeles Dodgers. They recently added Tarik Skubal in a trade, but while the 2026 version is still solid, we’ll pump the brakes on spectacular. But they also have added two fresh starters in Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell, both of whom elevate their chances. But the flip side of that is that three other key pitchers — Shohei Ohtani, Roki Sasaki and Justin Wrobleski — are doubtful to add anything on the mound in the postseason.
Edwin Díaz, the Dodgers’ big offseason addition to the bullpen, missed a large portion of this season and is back on the IL. Last season, the Dodgers won in large part because of the depth of a bullpen that included Tanner Scott, Blake Treinen, Brusdar Graterol, Alex Vesia, Will Klein and Michael Kopech. That depth is not really there this year for the Dodgers.
With starting pitchers throughout the industry compromised like never before, it will be rare to see starters pitch in the postseason beyond four or five innings. We’ll dig into this with more specifics once we make predictions for the postseason.
Here are my latest MLB power rankings.
1. Milwaukee Brewers (93-57, No. 1 last week): The Brewers have a good shot to win 100 games. With it looking like they will have home-field advantage throughout the postseason, it doesn’t hurt that they are 52-26 at American Family Field.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers (90-59, No. 2): You talk about pressure. Kyle Tucker, who is having a really, really down season, is in Year 1 of a four-year, $240 million contract. The Dodgers need him to step up and earn his keep.
3. Tampa Bay Rays (90-59, No. 3): I am shocked to be admitting this on 9/14/2026, but the Rays are far and away the team most likely to make it to World Series from the American League.
4. Atlanta Braves (88-62, No. 4): Tyler Mahle has a 1.25 ERA in seven starts with the Braves. Robert Suárez, out since June 19 with right elbow inflammation, may return from the 60-day injured list to bolster the depth of the bullpen. Ronald Acuña Jr. has been red hot of late.
5. New York Yankees (86-63, No. 7): Now 36 and coming off of Tommy John surgery, Gerrit Cole isn’t going to be the Gerrit Cole the Yankees are paying the big bucks. But with the postseason right around the corner, Cole appears to be limping toward October. He has totaled 22.2 innings in his last four starts, recording a 5.96 ERA and allowing eight homers. He may have hit a critical mass of innings that won’t allow a real fix this year.
6. Boston Red Sox (82-68, No. 6): This is a dangerous team with a rotation that features Sonny Gray, Ranger Suárez and Payton Tolle and a bullpen that features Aroldis Chapman, Garrett Whitlock and maybe a guy named Garrett Crochet.
7. Philadelphia Phillies (83-67, No. 8): Jesús Luzardo has become the ace of the rotation, but Cristopher Sánchez and Zack Wheeler have been strong as well. The key to their postseason chances, though, might be the revivified right arm of Aaron Nola, who had a 5.82 ERA in late July. In his last nine starts, he has resembled the old Aaron Nola with a 2.38 ERA and a respectable WHIP of 1.20. He’s still giving up too many long balls.
8. Chicago Cubs (83-67, No. 5): The Padres are just 11-14 in their last 25 games. Not exactly the way you wanted to script this going into the postseason — especially when you go just 2-5 recently against the Brewers, who you wanted to make a statement against.
9. San Diego Padres (81-68, No. 12): It has not been consistent, but the trio of Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill could all drive in close to 90 runs this year. The back-end duo of Adrián Morejón and Mason Miller is dynamite at nailing down leads.
10. Houston Astros (75-75, No. 10): I guess with his postseason pedigree (18 homers and 63 RBIs), getting Carlos Correa back is a good thing, but is having him play second base a good idea?
11. Arizona Diamondbacks (79-71, No. 11)
12. Chicago White Sox (76-73, No. 9)
13. Cleveland Guardians (76-74, No. 13)
14. Texas Rangers (74-76, No. 15)
15. Toronto Blue Jays (75-75, No. 14)
16. Pittsburgh Pirates (75-75, No. 19)
17. Baltimore Orioles (72-78, No. 22)
18. Minnesota Twins (70-79, No. 18)
19. St. Louis Cardinals (74-76, No. 17)
20. Miami Marlins (74-76, No. 16)
21. Detroit Tigers (70-79, No. 23)
22. New York Mets (69-80, No. 25)
23. Seattle Mariners (70-80, No. 21)
24. Cincinnati Reds (70-79, No. 20)
25. Washington Nationals (70-81, No. 24)
26. Kansas City Royals (66-84, No. 26)
27. San Francisco Giants (62-88, No. 27)
28. Athletics (61-89, No. 29)
29. Los Angeles Angels (56-93, No. 30)
30. Colorado Rockies (55-94, No. 28)