.png?w=2560 "MLB Power Rankings")
MLB Power Rankings as Guardians, Rangers Rise, Blue Jays, Astros Fade Entering Final Week
We have arrived at the final week of the 2026 MLB regular season, and there is still a lot to be sorted out before the postseason field is set.
Six teams have clinched a playoff berth and three division titles have been secured, but that still leaves six more teams and three more divisions to be decided in the coming days.
In the National League, all three division champions are locked, and the three wild-card teams have a four-game cushion to the next contender. It's just a matter of the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies sorting out who hosts a Wild Card Series, who faces that host and who likely faces the Atlanta Braves, while the Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers wait in the NLDS.
On the American League side, the Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox have all clinched, and the Rays' six-game lead in the division makes the AL East title imminent. That leaves the Cleveland Guardians and Chicago White Sox fighting it out in the AL Central, the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers in the AL West and some combination of those teams and the Toronto Blue Jays for the No. 3 wild card spot.
Buckle up, it's going to be a busy week.
In case you missed it,ย B/R's MLB Power Rankingsย from last weekย and every fresh power rankings throughout the season can be found at the new MLB Power Rankingsย hub.
30-26: Race to the Bottom
1 of 10
30. Colorado Rockies (57-99)
29. Kansas City Royals (67-89)
28. Athletics (61-95)
27. Los Angeles Angels (60-96)
26. San Francisco Giants (64-92)
Notes
-The Rockies have the most compelling final week schedule of any of the bottom-tier teams, as they face the D-backs and White Sox, two teams fighting for their playoff lives. The season finale against the White Sox will be at Coors Field, where they have been a more competitive 32-46 on the year.
-The Angels need to go at least 3-3 over the final week to avoid the first 100-loss season in franchise history, while the Athletics need just one more victory to improve on last year's 61-94 finish.
-With 22 players on the injured list right, the Giants come down the home stretch with Jung Hoo Lee as the only everyday player left standing from their Opening Day starting lineup.
25-21: Losing Record Clinched
2 of 10
25. Cincinnati Reds (72-84)
24. New York Mets (71-85)
23. Minnesota Twins (73-83)
22. Washington Nationals (73-83)
21. Seattle Mariners (73-83)
Notes
-The Reds and Mariners were playoff teams a year ago with reasonable expectations to return, the Nationals and Twins both looked like viable contenders at some point in 2026 and the Mets have a payroll north of $300 million. This is perhaps the most disappointing group in the rankings.
-With an .804 OPS, 32 home runs and 110 RBI, Sal Stewart is the front-runner for NL Rookie of the Year honors. He would be the first Reds player to take home the hardware since Jonathan India in 2021, and it goes all the way back to Scott Williamson in 1999 before him.
-The Mets and Twins each have three games left against the Rangers, who enter play on Monday with a one-game lead atop the AL West standings. A Jacob deGrom vs. Joe Ryan matchup is currently slated for Saturday's matchup in Minnesota.
20-16: Best of the Rest
3 of 10
20. St. Louis Cardinals (76-80)
19. Detroit Tigers (73-83)
18. Baltimore Orioles (75-81)
17. Miami Marlins (76-80)
16. Pittsburgh Pirates (79-77)
Notes
-Despite a more competitive season than expected in a rebuilding year, the Cardinals still did a good job giving their young talent a long runway to audition for the future. Joshua Bรกez, Leo Bernal, Thomas Saggese and Quinn Mathews all looked like potential long-term pieces during the second half of the season.
-Marlins shortstop Otto Lopez (.305 BA) is chasing Luis Arraez (.313 BA) and Gabriel Moreno (.307 BA) for the NL batting title. He also leads the majors with 185 hits in 152 games, to go along with 32 doubles, 11 home runs, 71 RBI and 32 steals.
-The Pirates are 12-6 in September, and now have the opportunity to finish with a winning record for the first time since 2018 when they went 82-79 and also checked in fourth in the NL Central standings.
15-11: Playoff Bubble
4 of 10
15. Toronto Blue Jays (77-79)
14. Houston Astros (77-79)
13. Chicago White Sox (80-76)
12. Arizona Diamondbacks (82-74)
11. Texas Rangers (78-78)
Notes
-The Blue Jays' playoff hopes were dealt a crushing blow with series losses to the Tigers and Rangers last week, while the same could be said of the Astros after they were swept by the Braves over the weekend. Both teams sit three games back for the No. 3 AL wild-card spot with six games to play.
-The White Sox held at least a share of the AL Central division lead every day during the second half of the season before falling to second in the standings last Wednesday when they dropped the rubber game of a three-game series in Cleveland. They still have a three-game cushion for a wild-card berth, but are undoubtedly stumbling down the stretch.
-A .500 record is enough for the Rangers to have a one-game lead over the Astros in the AL West standings, and with a 6-2 record over their last eight games they are pushing hard to punch their ticket. Ace Jacob deGrom made his 30th start of the season on Sunday, reaching that mark in back-to-back seasons after a long, winding road of injuries.
Nos. 10-9
5 of 10
10. Boston Red Sox (84-72)
Previous Rank:ย No. 8
Last Week:ย 1-2 @ TEX, 1-2 @ TB
The Red Sox have lost five of their last seven series, but still played roughly .500 baseball during that stretch thanks to a four-game sweep of the Orioles. It was always unlikely they were going to overtake the Yankees or be passed by the No. 3 AL wild-card, and they remain on track for a Wild Card Series showdown at Yankee Stadium.
9. Philadelphia Phillies (86-70)
Previous Rank:ย No. 9
Last Week:ย 1-1 @ WAS, 2-2 @ NYM
With Jesรบs Luzardo and Jonathan Bowlan both dealing with injuries and Orion Kerkering optioned to the minors, the Phillies pitching staff is dealing with some uncertainty at a less-than-ideal time. Luckily, Aaron Nola has turned things on with a 2.78 ERA in 71.1 innings over 12 starts since the All-Star break, so he can slot in behind Cristopher Sรกnchez and Zack Wheeler if Luzardo is limited to begin the playoffs.
Nos. 8-7
6 of 10
8. Cleveland Guardians (81-75)
Previous Rank:ย No. 11
Last Week:ย 2-1 vs. CWS, 3-0 vs. ATH
On Wednesday, the Guardians claimed their first outright AL Central division lead since July 3 while finishing off a series victory over the White Sox team they have been chasing for much of the year. A 12-7 record in September has put them in the driver's seat, and the one-two punch of Gavin Williams (31 GS, 3.63 ERA, 244 K, 181.0 IP) and Parker Messick (30 GS, 2.57 ERA, 186 K, 178.1 IP) could do some real damage in October.
7. San Diego Padres (87-69)
Previous Rank:ย No. 7
Last Week:ย 3-1 @ COL, 3-0 vs. MIA
With a 13-1 record in their last 14 games, the Padres are the hottest team in baseball, and they have gone from trailing the D-backs and outside the projected playoff field to vying for the No. 1 wild-card spot thanks to that surge. The September contributions of Samad Taylor (54 PA, .354 BA, .939 OPS) and Dustin Harris (56 PA, .314 BA, .788 OPS) have helped shore up the corner outfield spots.
Nos. 6-5
7 of 10
6. Chicago Cubs (87-69)
Previous Rank:ย No. 6
Last Week:ย 2-1 vs. ATL, 2-1 @ CIN
The Cubs still have a chance to host a Wild Card Series or play on the road against the Phillies, Padres or Braves, depending on where they ultimately slot into the wild-card hierarchy. With an inconsistent bullpen and a rotation that ranks 20th in the majors with a 4.34 ERA, they will go as far as their high-powered offense and slick-fielding defense can carry them.
5. New York Yankees (89-66)
Previous Rank:ย No. 5
Last Week:ย 2-1 @ MIN, 1-2 @ ARI
Aaron Judge made it seven games before a calf strain landed him back on the injured list, and while details have been sparse, he told reporters that he's planning to be back for the start of the playoffs. The Yankees are 41-25 (.621) in games he has played this season, compared to 48-41 (.539) without him, but a terrific starting rotation pitching up to its potential will still be the key to a deep October run.
Nos. 4-3
8 of 10
4. Atlanta Braves (92-64)
Previous Rank:ย No. 3
Last Week:ย 1-2 @ CHC, 3-0 @ HOU
With another quality start on Friday, Tyler Mahle (8 GS, 1.28 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 49.1 IP) continues to look like the single best addition any team made at this year's trade deadline, and the clear No. 2 on the Atlanta staff now behind Chris Sale. The Braves have already won 16 more games than they did a year ago, and they clinched the NL East title on Sunday while completing a sweep of the Astros.
3. Los Angeles Dodgers (96-60)
Previous Rank:ย No. 4
Last Week:ย 3-1 @ CIN, 3-0 vs. SF
The Dodgers are expected to activate Andy Pages and Roki Sasaki from the injured list on Tuesday and Shohei Ohtani on Wednesday, and that will be some roster decisions. The most notable will be what they do with Josue De Paula, who has gone 8-for-28 with three doubles, one home run and 10 walks in 10 games filling in as the primary designated hitter. They enter the week two games behind the Brewers for the best record in baseball.
Nos. 2-1
9 of 10
2. Tampa Bay Rays (95-60)
Previous Rank:ย No. 2
Last Week:ย 3-0 vs. ATH, 2-1 vs. BOS
The Rays have not won a playoff game since 2021, and they have not won a playoff series since their run to the World Series in 2020, but their magic number stands at two to lock up the best record in the American League. Expect them to get creative with how they deploy their pitching staff in October, but Freddy Peralta (9 GS, 3.60 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 50.0 IP) has pitched his way into what should be a prominent role since coming over at the deadline.
1. Milwaukee Brewers (98-58)
Previous Rank:ย No. 1
Last Week:ย 2-1 @ PIT, 3-0 @ BAL
With a 3-0 victory on Sunday, the Brewers run differential now stands at an MLB-best plus-202 on the year, and that is also a single-season franchise record. They have not lost more than two consecutive games since Aug. 12, and will roll into October as the best team in baseball during the 2026 regular season. That's not always the team that goes on to win the World Series, but it's a nice start.
Complete Rankings
10 of 10
Complete Rankings
1. Milwaukee Brewers
2. Tampa Bay Rays
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
4. Atlanta Braves
5. New York Yankees
6. Chicago Cubs
7. San Diego Padres
8. Cleveland Guardians
9. Philadelphia Phillies
10. Boston Red Sox
11. Texas Rangers
12. Arizona Diamondbacks
13. Chicago White Sox
14. Houston Astros
15. Toronto Blue Jays
16. Pittsburgh Pirates
17. Miami Marlins
18. Baltimore Orioles
19. Detroit Tigers
20. St. Louis Cardinals
21. Seattle Mariners
22. Washington Nationals
23. Minnesota Twins
24. New York Mets
25. Cincinnati Reds
26. San Francisco Giants
27. Los Angeles Angels
28. Athletics
29. Kansas City Royals
30. Colorado Rockies
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