MLB Power Rankings as Surging Red Sox, Slumping Mariners Streak Into All-Star Break

Kerry MillerJul 13, 2026

Less than three weeks ago, the Boston Red Sox were a broken down car, clearly on the way to being sold for parts. After losing a series in Colorado, they were 14 games below .500, dead last in the American League and a seemingly sure thing to put a few intriguing names on the trade block.

Lo and behold, they closed out the first half by winning 14 of their last 16 games—including six in a row in the past week—skyrocketing to within half a game of a wild card spot.

(If that sounds eerily familiar, the Red Sox also won 13 of their final 15 games before last year's All-Star Break, ultimately securing the AL's No. 5 seed in the postseason.)

Apropos of their nine-game winning streak, they jumped nine spots in this week's power rankings, passing Seattle, Houston and Washington like ships in the night as those teams plummeted into the bottom half.

In case you missed it, B/R's MLB Power Rankings from last week and every fresh power rankings throughout the season can be found at the new MLB Power Rankings hub.

Nos. 30-28

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Jacob Wilson

30. Athletics (41-55)

Previous Rank: No. 25
Last Week: 0-3 @ DET, 0-3 @ CHW

There are teams with slightly worse overall records than the A's, but no one enters the All-Star break looking as hopelessly broken as this squad does, suddenly unable to hit the broad side of a barn. The A's have lost 17 of their last 20 games, plummeting from ".500 team that might win its division" to "trade-deadline seller with little to offer." Losing Nick Kurtz (thumb sprain) to the IL this past week was quite the cherry on what has been an awful sundae.

29. Kansas City Royals (38-59)

Previous Rank: No. 29
Last Week: 1-0 vs. PHI, 1-2 @ NYM, 0-3 @ BAL

The Royals opened the week with a rare pair of offensive explosions, ending their Phillies series with a 15-1 win before outlasting the Mets 16-12 in that opener—a stretch in which Tyler Tolbert tied an MLB record with hits in 12 consecutive at-bats. But they proceeded to score a combined total of 11 runs in losing each of their next five games, including dropping the "Battle of Who Could Care Less" series in Queens.

28. New York Mets (40-57)

Previous Rank: No. 30
Last Week: 1-0 @ ATL, 2-1 vs. KCR, 0-3 vs. BOS

Got to bump the Mets ahead of the Royals because of that head-to-head result. However, they lost Mark Vientos to a broken hand in his first (only) plate appearance of that series before getting swept by the Red Sox for yet another losing week. Worse yet, Freddy Peralta failed to make it out of the fifth inning for a second and third consecutive start this week, as New York's most coveted trade chip continues his decline to probably not even a top five pitcher on the block.

Nos. 27-25

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Gabriel Hughes

27. Los Angeles Angels (38-59)

Previous Rank: No. 27
Last Week: 1-2 @ TEX, 1-2 @ MIN

The good news is Mike Trout is back, belting a 438-foot home run in his first game off the IL. But in what has been classic Angels fashion for more than a decade at this point, they continued to struggle despite having one of the greatest players of this generation at their disposal, rivaling the Royals and Rockies for the worst record in baseball. We're all waiting to see if they're going to put José Soriano and Reid Detmers up for grabs, each with two years of arbitration eligibility remaining.

26. Colorado Rockies (39-59)

Previous Rank: No. 26
Last Week: 1-2 @ LAD, 1-3 @ SFG

Colorado's first-round pick in the 2022 draft, Gabriel Hughes, made his MLB debut on July 3 with a three-inning save. This past week, in the first start of his career, he logged a quality start against the Dodgers. That is something to keep an eye on in the second half. Maybe he can help keep them from losing 100 games?

25. San Francisco Giants (41-55)

Previous Rank: No. 28
Last Week: 1-2 vs. TOR, 3-1 vs. COL

There has been a lot of talk about Luis Arraez and Robbie Ray as top trade candidates, but could Tyler Mahle be entering the mix, too? Also a free agent to be, Mahle has a 3.38 ERA in his four starts since returning from the IL, including a seven-inning, one-run outing against the Rockies on Saturday. And depending upon how San Francisco lines up its rotation coming out of the break, his final three appearances before the deadline could come against the Royals, Angels and Padres.

Nos. 24-22

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Tyler O'Neill

24. Cincinnati Reds (43-52)

Previous Rank: No. 24
Last Week: 1-2 vs. PHI, 1-2 vs. CHC

It was a solid week for several individual Reds, including another three home runs from JJ Bleday and Hunter Greene going seven shutout innings with 12 strikeouts in a win over the Cubs. Yet, Cincinnati lost two more series, falling even further out of the postseason hunt while continuing to search for its first three-game winning streak since Memorial Day weekend. Barring an unlikely surge in the second half of July, they'll be sending the likes of Tyler Stephenson, Caleb Ferguson and Brady Singer to the highest bidder at the deadline.

23. Baltimore Orioles (46-51)

Previous Rank: No. 23
Last Week: 1-2 vs. CHC, 3-0 vs. KCR

Through the end of June, Tyler O'Neill had homered in just two of his 156 plate appearances. But he has four solo shots already in just 19 trips to the plate in July. Jackson Holliday also had a big week at the dish, going 5-for-12 with four walks. And thanks to a sweep of the Royals fueled by quality pitching, the O's are just two games back in the AL wild card picture. Are things finally coming together for this ~$220M roster?

22. Toronto Blue Jays (45-51)

Previous Rank: No. 21
Last Week: 2-1 @ SFG, 1-2 @ SDP

Dylan Cease's near no-hitter against the Giants was the headliner of Toronto's West Coast trip, but how about Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homering twice in the span of three games? It was the first time all season that he homered twice in the same fortnight, and something that Blue Jays fans have been desperately waiting to see. If he can carry that momentum through the All-Star Break and start carrying this offense like he has in years past, it could be just the jolt this team needs to get over the hump.

Nos. 21-19

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Troy Melton

21. Detroit Tigers (45-51)

Previous Rank: No. 20
Last Week: 3-0 vs. ATH, 1-2 vs. PHI

The six-game winning streak came to an end on Saturday, but the Tigers still ended the first half with a flourish, winning nine of their final 12 games to catapult back into the postseason conversation. They're still on the fringe of said conversation, but 3.5 GB for a wild card spot and 6.5 GB in the AL Central is a whole heck of a lot better than when they entered June with the worst record in baseball. Troy Melton remains the best story that no one is talking about, now with a 1.82 ERA across his eight starts this season.

20. San Diego Padres (48-48)

Previous Rank: No. 19
Last Week: 2-2 vs. ARI, 2-1 vs. TOR

They stopped the bleeding a bit this week, but the Padres ended the first half with losses in 11 of their last 16 games—and with speculations of a possible Mason Miller trade beginning to spread like wildfire. That's probably not going to happen, even if they also lose 11 of their next 16. But it has been quite the eight-week-long fall from grace from a team that had the third-best record in the majors in mid-May.

19. Houston Astros (47-51)

Previous Rank: No. 13
Last Week: 1-2 @ WAS, 1-2 @ TEX

It looked as though Houston had turned a corner, going 10-4 in the second half of June to vault back onto the brink of the postseason picture. But the Astros blew a golden opportunity to enter the driver's seat in the AL West, twice collapsing late against the Rangers to instead lose some ground in that race. Upgrading the bullpen ahead of the deadline is growing more imperative by the day.

Nos. 18-16

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James Wood

18. Seattle Mariners (48-49)

Previous Rank: No. 11

Last Week: 0-3 @ MIA, 1-2 @ TBR

The Mariners' karma swung hard this week, as a 5-1 homestand against the Angels and Blue Jays gave way to an equal but opposite 1-5 road trip against the Marlins and Rays. Adding injury to insult, Emerson Hancock was pulled in the second inning of Sunday's start after taking a 107 MPH comebacker off his pitching hand in the first inning. With any luck, though, opening the second half at home against the Giants and Reds will cure what ails them.

17. Washington Nationals (48-49)

Previous Rank: No. 12

Last Week: 2-1 vs. HOU, 0-3 vs. NYY

James Wood set a franchise record this week, clubbing his eighth, ninth and 10th leadoff home runs of the season. But as was also the case with leadoff dingers No. 6 and 7 last week, the Nationals still lost all of those games thanks to a bullpen that has blown a staggering 27 saves this season. That's eight more than the next-worst team, on pace to demolish MLB's single-season record of 36. And it's the reason that MLB's highest-scoring offense is free-falling out of the postseason picture.

16. Minnesota Twins (48-49)

Previous Rank: No. 17

Last Week: 2-1 vs. CLE, 2-1 vs. LAA

On Thursday, Bailey Ober made his first appearance since May, tossing five innings of one-run ball. Ryan Jeffers made his return from the IL the following day after missing nearly two months with a broken hamate. The hope is that Byron Buxton will return from his hip injury right after the All-Star Break. And at that point, it's full steam ahead on this unexpected quest for a playoff spot, as the Twins won their final five series of the first half.

Nos. 15-13

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Brandon Pfaadt

15. Arizona Diamondbacks (49-47)

Previous Rank: No. 18
Last Week: 2-2 @ SDP, 3-0 @ LAD

Welcome back, Brandon Pfaadt. He had a 5.92 ERA and had been serving in a relief role for more than a month when he was sent down to Triple-A Reno in early June. But in three starts since his return late last month, he has gone 3-0 with a 1.72 ERA, including out-dueling Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Saturday. Merrill Kelly also had a seven-inning gem this week as he looks to bounce back from a brutal June. There's no way they'll chase down the Dodgers for the NL West crown, but there might still be postseason life in the desert after all.

14. Texas Rangers (49-47)

Previous Rank: No. 14
Last Week: 2-1 vs. LAA, 2-1 vs. HOU

It was quite the "better late than never" week for the Rangers offense. In each of their four wins, the game was tied heading into the eighth inning—resulting in one four-run eighth, one five-run eighth and a pair of ninth inning walk-offs. They are now 17-10 in one-run games, leading the AL West in spite of a minus-15 run differential. And don't look now, but Jordan Montgomery is nearing a return to the big leagues, five starts into his rehab assignment.

13. Boston Red Sox (46-48)

Previous Rank: No. 22
Last Week: 3-0 @ CHW, 3-0 @ NYM

While they didn't quite match last year's feat of entering the All-Star Break on a 10-game winning streak, no one has been hotter than the Red Sox, winners of nine in a row and 14 out of 16. Losing Ranger Suárez (groin) to the IL could have been a huge blow, but at least it came right as Patrick Sandoval was about to make his 2026 debut. Jake Bennett reeling off four consecutive quality starts has also provided an unforeseeable boost. Can they get healthy in the second half and complete the improbable comeback from a 32-46 start?

Nos. 12-10

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Milwaukee Brewers v St. Louis Cardinals - Game One

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Jordan Walker

12. Cleveland Guardians (51-46)

Previous Rank: No. 15
Last Week: 1-2 @ MIN, 3-0 @ MIA

We noted in last week's power rankings that the Guardians had gone six consecutive weeks with a .500 or worse record. Well, they finally got off that schneid by sweeping what had been a scorching hot Marlins team, ending the first half on a four-game winning streak. The offense was still lacking, scoring five or fewer runs in all six games this week. But the starting rotation was on point, especially Joey Cantillo making two starts with a combined 16 strikeouts and just one earned run allowed.

11. Pittsburgh Pirates (50-47)

Previous Rank: No. 16
Last Week: 1-2 vs. ATL, 3-0 vs. MIL

The Pirates were dealt a major blow this week with rookie Konnor Griffin suffering a torn tendon in his ring finger. They've already placed him on the 60-day IL, so the earliest he would be eligible to return is roughly Labor Day. But a different rookie, Esmerlyn Valdéz, had one heck of a week with four home runs to ensure Pittsburgh entered the All-Star Break with a winning record for the first time since 2016. He now has a 1.084 OPS in 28 games played and could be a massive piece of their puzzle the rest of the way.

10. St. Louis Cardinals (50-45)

Previous Rank: No. 10
Last Week: 1-4 vs. MIL, 2-1 vs. ATL

Though it was a losing week, going 3-5 while playing eight games in seven days against a pair of division leaders was a respectable showing from the Cardinals. All-Star Jordan Walker went 9-for-28 with a pair of home runs and seven runs driven in, ending the first half as MLB's RBI leader (74). Going to go out on a limb and guess that not a single person made that prediction in the preseason.

Nos. 9-7

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Ben Rice

9. Chicago White Sox (50-45)

Previous Rank: No. 8
Last Week: 0-3 vs. BOS, 3-0 vs. ATH

The White Sox ended up stuck in the middle of two teams heading in polar opposite directions, contributing to both the nine-game winning streak of the Red Sox and the nine-game losing streak of the Athletics. Though he didn't homer, Munetaka Murakami returned for the latter, more encouraging series, which began with a 14-1 win fueled by Tristan Peters hitting for the cycle. If you've been waiting for this team to fade, here's hoping you haven't been holding your breath.

8. Atlanta Braves (55-40)

Previous Rank: No. 7
Last Week: 0-1 vs. NYM, 2-1 @ PIT, 1-2 @ STL

Nobody needs the All-Star Break quite as desperately as Atlanta. Not only have the Braves lost 19 of their last 29 games, but what was a near-impenetrable bullpen through the first three months was clearly running on fumes over the past two weeks. The Braves ended the first half with 13 games in 13 days, and didn't have a starting pitcher last more than 5.1 IP in any of them. But maybe the respite helps this team lock back in.

7. New York Yankees (54-42)

Previous Rank: No. 9
Last Week: 2-2 @ TBR, 3-0 @ WAS

New York's series in the nation's capital was the baseball equivalent of the "They had us in the first half, not gonna lie" meme. In innings 1-7, the Yankees were outscored by a combined score of 8-4, trailing by either one or two runs in each game. But in innings 8-9, they smoked the Nationals' bullpen to the tune of a 10-0 advantage, winning each game in come-from-behind fashion. And for the week, Ben Rice went 11-for-26 with five home runs and the game-winning, two-run triple on Sunday. At least his bat has woken back up.

Nos. 6-4

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Griffin Jax

6. Miami Marlins (52-45)

Previous Rank: No. 4
Last Week: 3-0 vs. SEA, 0-3 vs. CLE

After going 26-8 from June 1 through July 9, the Marlins finally met their match this weekend. They were swept by the Guardians in a battle of MLB's two stingiest payrolls. They scored just five runs in that series, largely because Otto Lopez had an extremely rare no-show, going hitless in his 13 trips to the plate. Miami also lost Owen Caissie (calf) to the IL earlier in the week, right as he was finally starting to break through in a big way with a 1.179 OPS over his last 17 games. They're still in wild card position, though.

5. Chicago Cubs (54-42)

Previous Rank: No. 6
Last Week: 2-1 @ BAL, 2-1 @ CIN

After starting out 7-9, the Cubs won 20 of their next 23, lost 22 of their next 29 and then closed out the first half with wins in 20 of their last 28 games. Whether they'll be Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde in October remains to be seen. But for all the talk about the need to upgrade this pitching staff at the deadline, it's probably going to hinge on the offense. The Cubs have won 19 of the last 20 games in which they've scored at least five runs, including all four of their victories this week.

4. Tampa Bay Rays (56-38)

Previous Rank: No. 5
Last Week: 2-2 vs. NYY, 2-1 vs. SEA

When the Rays traded for Griffin Jax last summer, do you think they had any idea that set-up man would become an integral piece of their starting rotation? Since the reliever-to-starter conversion began in late April, Jax has made 14 starts with a 2.80 ERA, including going at least five innings in each of his last seven appearances. He struck out 10 Yankees on Monday before getting the win against the Mariners on Saturday.

Nos. 3-1

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Zack Wheeler

3. Philadelphia Phillies (54-43)

Previous Rank: No. 3

Last Week: 0-1 @ KCR, 2-1 @ CIN, 2-1 @ DET

As if Zack Wheeler needed any help being one of the best pitchers on the planet, the All-Star snub still lit a fire inside him, and he responded by throwing 13 innings with 24 strikeouts and one run allowed in his two starts this week. Poor Cincinnati and Detroit ran into an angry buzzsaw, hellbent on bringing Philadelphia to within two games of first place in the NL East while shoving crow in the mouths of those who deemed him unworthy of the All-Star Game.

2. Milwaukee Brewers (59-37)

Previous Rank: No. 2

Last Week: 4-1 @ STL, 0-3 @ PIT

The Brew Crew had a pretty fantastic five-game series in St. Louis, including Cooper Pratt breaking through for seven hits and the triumphant return of Logan Henderson from the IL. But they lost Kyle Harrison to the IL in that series before getting swept in Pittsburgh and having Jacob Misiorowski scratched from Sunday's start due to arm fatigue. Things could unravel in a hurry for Milwaukee if that dynamic duo is compromised for the second half.

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (61-36)

Previous Rank: No. 1

Last Week: 2-1 vs. COL, 0-3 vs. ARI

Shohei Ohtani hit four home runs this week, but Dodgers not named Ohtani combined for just one (by Andy Pages). That played a major role in them getting swept for the first time this season, but so did poor pitching that allowed 23 runs in that three-game set against the Diamondbacks. Are we starting to see some cracks in the foundation, or did they just check out for the All-Star Break a few days too early? Either way, it feels a bit dirty to have them at No. 1 fresh off a sweep. But No. 2 on the list also got swept, so it is what it is.