MLB Power Rankings For Productive Padres and Yankees as Ice-Cold White Sox Slide
Two weeks.
That's all that remains of a 162-game regular season that started all the way back on March 25, but there is still a lot to be decided in the coming days.
The Brewers and Rays have officially clinched a playoff spot, while the Braves, Dodgers, Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs and Phillies all have at least 97 percent odds of joining them in the postseason field, according to FanGraphs.
That leaves four spots up for grabs, with the AL Central and AL West titles, along with the No. 3 wild-card spot in both leagues still unsettled, and seven teams realistically in the mix for those playoff berths.
Buckle up, it's going to be an exciting finish, rolling right into another thrilling October of playoff baseball.
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. 30-23: Running Out the Clock
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30. Colorado Rockies (55-94)
29. Los Angeles Angels (56-93)
28. Kansas City Royals (66-84)
27. San Francisco Giants (62-88)
26. Athletics (61-89)
25. Cincinnati Reds (70-79)
24. Washington Nationals (70-81)
23. New York Mets (69-80)
Notes
-A tip of the cap to the Athletics on flawless execution in the role of spoiler last week as they took two of three from the Blue Jays and Mariners—two teams legitimately fighting for their playoff lives on the fringe of the AL wild-card bubble.
-The Reds had the toughest draw of any team in baseball last week, facing the Dodgers and Brewers on the road. They finished 1-5 and were outscored by a staggering 59-19 margin across six games, snapping a five-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory on Sunday.
-Nationals left-hander Andrew Alvarez tossed seven shutout innings of one-hit ball against the Angels on Saturday to continue what has been a quietly excellent rookie campaign. The 27-year-old has a 2.44 ERA in 44.1 innings since making a full-time move into the starting rotation at the beginning of August, allowing three or fewer earned runs in all eight of his starts during that stretch.
Nos. 22-19: Not Very Good, But Technically Still Alive Thanks to the AL
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22. Minnesota Twins (70-79)
21. Detroit Tigers (70-79)
20. Baltimore Orioles (72-78)
19. Seattle Mariners (70-80)
Notes
-The Rays, Yankees and Red Sox are all essentially locks to make the playoffs, but the other three AL spots are up for grabs thanks to the middling nature of both the AL Central and AL West. Despite their records, all four of these teams are 5.5 games or less out of a playoff spot entering play on Monday.
-The Orioles have the worst record in baseball in September at 3-9, though they did manage to pick up a series win against the Guardians at home last week while snapping a six-game losing streak.
-The Tigers went 5-1 last week, including a series win over the Twins, but it's Minnesota who has the easiest path forward. After a three-game series at home against the Yankees starting on Monday, they close out the season with the Angels, Giants and Rangers.
Nos. 18-16: Closer to Good, But Technically Cooked Thanks to the NL
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18. Pittsburgh Pirates (75-75)
17. St. Louis Cardinals (74-76)
16. Miami Marlins (74-76)
Notes
-All three of these teams are superior to the four AL squads in the previous tier, but because the NL playoff race is more competitive, their chances of playing in October are essentially zero. To that point, they are all six or more games out of a postseason berth entering play on Monday.
-With their weekend series win against the Dodgers, the Marlins improved to 45-33 at home this season, giving them the sixth-highest home win total of any team in baseball. It's that pesky 29-43 showing on the road that keeps them out of the postseason conversation.
-Cardinals catcher Leo Bernal is making a compelling case for a starting gig in 2027 since debuting on Sept. 1 when rosters expanded. The 22-year-old has an .867 OPS with two doubles, three home runs and 13 RBI in 12 games, and he has settled into a spot in the middle of the batting order.
Nos. 15-11: More Than One of These Teams Will Make the Playoffs. Seriously.
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15. Chicago White Sox (76-73)
14. Texas Rangers (74-76)
13. Houston Astros (75-75)
12. Toronto Blue Jays (75-75)
11. Cleveland Guardians (76-74)
Notes
-These five teams went a combined 12-18 last week, as the AL Central, AL West and No. 3 AL wild-card spot continue to be a who's who of middling contenders trying to hang on long enough to punch their ticket to October.
-The Guardians and White Sox face off for a three-game series in Cleveland starting Monday, and with just a half-game separating them in the standings, it's one of the most consequential series of the entire season. The South Siders currently lead the season series 6-4, but they have stumbled to a 4-10 record in their last 14 games.
-The Blue Jays and Rangers will also meet for three games in Texas this coming weekend, while the Astros play host to the Braves for a three-game set, so a lot could be decided here ahead of the final week of the regular season.
Nos. 10-9
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10. Arizona Diamondbacks (79-71)
Previous Rank: No. 9
Last Week: 2-1 @ KC, 1-2 vs. TEX
No team has been hurt more by the Padres' recent surge than the D-backs, as their playoff odds plummeted from 54.1 percent a week ago to 26.8 percent following Sunday's action, according to FanGraphs. They face the Marlins and Yankees at home next week, and if they can keep things close in the wild-card race, that season-ending three-game series in San Diego could be huge.
9. Philadelphia Phillies (83-67)
Previous Rank: No. 7
Last Week: 1-0 vs. ATL, 1-2 vs. HOU, 1-2 @ ATL
A six-game winning streak that carried into September pulled the Phillies within three games of the Braves in the NL East standings, but a 4-7 record in their last 11 games has widened the gap back to five games. They are close to a playoff lock, but can't afford to look ahead with the Brewers and Rays still looming in the season's final week.
Nos. 8-7
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8. Boston Red Sox (82-68)
Previous Rank: No. 8
Last Week: 1-2 vs. LAA, 2-1 vs. KC
The Red Sox are 4.5 games behind the Yankees for the right to host what is shaping up to be a head-to-head matchup in the AL Wild Card Round for the second year in a row. First baseman Willson Contreras returned on Sunday after missing 12 games with a hamstring injury, and promptly went 2-for-3 out of his cleanup spot in the lineup.
7. San Diego Padres (81-68)
Previous Rank: No. 10
Last Week: 3-0 vs. WAS, 3-0 @ SF
The Padres have vaulted from 40.7 percent playoff odds on Sept. 5 to 77.1 percent following Sunday's victory over the Giants to run their winning streak to seven straight. Fernando Tatis Jr. (11 G, 1.190 OPS, 17 H, 4 HR) and Jackson Merrill (11 G, 1.046 OPS, 14 H, 3 HR) have both caught fire at the plate this month to lead the charge.
Nos. 6-5
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6. Chicago Cubs (83-67)
Previous Rank: No. 5
Last Week: 0-3 @ MIL, 2-1 vs. PIT
The Cubs are now 10 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central standings after getting swept in Milwaukee last week, but a slumping Phillies team still gives them a good chance of hosting the NL Wild Card Series. With a 4.78 ERA in September that ranks 20th in the majors, questions about the pitching staff continue to hang over their October outlook, but the offense and defense are elite.
5. New York Yankees (86-63)
Previous Rank: No. 6
Last Week: 3-0 vs. COL, 2-1 vs. NYM
With four games against the Rays at Yankee Stadium starting Sept. 22 and a four-game deficit to Tampa Bay in the AL East standings, the Yankees still have an outside shot at the division title. Meanwhile, two more terrific starts from Cam Schlittler against the Rockies (7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 10 K) and Mets (6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 8 K) last week might have locked up AL Cy Young honors.
Nos. 4-3
8 of 10
4. Los Angeles Dodgers (90-59)
Previous Rank: No. 3
Last Week: 3-0 vs. CIN, 1-2 @ MIA
The Dodgers have reached 90 wins for the sixth straight season, and with four more victories they will surpass last year's win total. Top prospect Josue De Paula made his MLB debut on Sept. 11 filling the DH void with Shohei Ohtani on the injured list, and he went 2-for-7 with a double, a home run and four walks in his first three games.
3. Atlanta Braves (88-62)
Previous Rank: No. 2
Last Week: 0-1 @ PHI, 1-2 vs. TB, 2-1 vs. PHI
The Braves' lead in the NL East standings has swelled to five games following a series win over the Phillies, but a tough week awaits as they hit the road to take on the Cubs and Astros. Tyler Mahle has likely secured the No. 2 spot in the playoff rotation behind ace Chris Sale, but the next two weeks might decide who takes the ball behind them, with Grant Holmes the leading candidate for Game 3.
Nos. 2-1
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2. Tampa Bay Rays (90-59)
Previous Rank: No. 4
Last Week: 2-1 @ ATL, 3-0 vs. HOU
The Rays took a meaningful step toward securing their first AL East title since 2021 and just the fifth in franchise history with a pair of series wins over playoff contenders last week, but the job is not finished. Outfielder Victor Mesa Jr. is hitting .300/.347/.609 with eight home runs in 119 plate appearances since the All-Star break, and his emergence has given a top-heavy lineup another legitimate weapon.
1. Milwaukee Brewers (93-57)
Previous Rank: No. 1
Last Week: 3-0 vs. CHC, 2-1 vs. CIN
The Brewers became the first team in MLB history with multiple shutout victories in which they scored at least 20 runs in the same season with a 20-0 win over the Reds. They currently rank second in the majors in runs scored (778) and team ERA (3.57), and that balance is exactly why they have now spent six straight weeks in the No. 1 spot.
The Dodgers might still be the team to beat in October, but this is the best team in baseball in 2026.
Complete Rankings
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Complete Rankings
1. Milwaukee Brewers
2. Tampa Bay Rays
3. Atlanta Braves
4. Los Angeles Dodgers
5. New York Yankees
6. Chicago Cubs
7. San Diego Padres
8. Boston Red Sox
9. Philadelphia Phillies
10. Arizona Diamondbacks
11. Cleveland Guardians
12. Toronto Blue Jays
13. Houston Astros
14. Texas Rangers
15. Chicago White Sox
16. Miami Marlins
17. St. Louis Cardinals
18. Pittsburgh Pirates
19. Seattle Mariners
20. Baltimore Orioles
21. Detroit Tigers
22. Minnesota Twins
23. New York Mets
24. Washington Nationals
25. Cincinnati Reds
26. Athletics
27. San Francisco Giants
28. Kansas City Royals
29. Los Angeles Angels
30. Colorado Rockies
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