MLB Power Rankings: Where Do All 30 Teams Stand In Mid-August? (2026)

August 19, 2026

RotoBaller's MLB power rankings for all 30 teams in mid-August. Where does each MLB team stand in our latest power rankings for the 2026 season?

After another crazy week in baseball, the playoff races continue to be clear in one aspect and muddy in the other. For the most part, the division races have clear leaders in all but one division. The Astros and Rangers are really the only ones in a tight divisional race.

But the wild card races? That's a whole different story. As of Sunday morning, there were six teams within one game of each other in the AL wild card race, all of them chasing the Rangers. Most surprisingly, one of them happens to be the Blue Jays, who looked like they had no shot prior to the deadline.

How real is their run? Who's going to prevail in the American League? And did the Brewers hold onto our top spot? Find out in this week's rankings. Note: Stats and rankings reflect games played through Sunday, August 16.

No. 30 - Athletics

In the bottom spot for the first time this season, the A's don't look like they want any part of this season any longer. They're just 7-20 since the All-Star break and can't stop any batter that steps into the box against them.

Their staff holds a 6.48 ERA since the break, easily the worst in the league. The offense has been subpar, but no lineup in the league is overcoming that ERA. Injuries to the lineup have influenced their sharp drop, but either way, it makes them our bottom seed for the first time this season.

No. 29 - Los Angeles Angels

Playing just slightly better than the A's, the Angels haven't fared much better in the second half. The lineup is mainly to blame here, especially with a 74 wRC+ since the break.

The pitching has actually held its own, throwing to a 3.57 ERA. Reid Detmers and Walbert Urena have been really solid on the mound in Anaheim, helping to keep that second-half ERA that low. The pitching's been solid, but it's otherwise been low-scoring affairs for Angels fans.

No. 28 - Colorado Rockies

The Rockies pulled off a bit of a surprise early last week, winning a series against the DBacks in Arizona. They hadn't won a series against them on the road since July 2022. Sure, it doesn't mean much to the Rockies in the standings right now, but that may build some confidence down the line for their young roster.

One young player getting another chance is Zac Veen. The 24-year-old hit a homer in back-to-back games right after getting called up from Triple-A. While the wins aren't there, the Rockies at least have quite a bit of intriguing offensive talent to look forward to.

No. 27 - Kansas City Royals

Speaking of intriguing offensive talent, have you seen how hot Jac Caglianone has been as of late? He's had at least one hit in every game in August, adding up to a 1.246 OPS in the month prior to Sunday's action against the Angels.

That's helping to keep the Royals interesting in the second half. Same with Noah Cameron, who threw a complete-game, one-hit shutout on Sunday. Both lefties are intriguing players to watch on the Royals in an otherwise underwhelming season.

Noah Cameron strikes out Mike Trout to finish off the 1-hit shutout 😤 pic.twitter.com/dlaoMxhJWr

— MLB (@MLB) August 16, 2026

No. 26 - San Francisco Giants

It hasn't quite been a good season for Giants fans thanks to a litany of injuries and an underachieving roster. The vets that remain on the roster have been underwhelming, but that's at least changed the focus to some of their younger players and their development.

Bryce Eldridge has been a very solid find for San Francisco, hitting for a 116 wRC+ on the season. He, Drew Gilbert, and Osleivis Basabe are going to provide some hope for Giants fans and their future as long as they keep producing.

No. 25 - New York Mets

Would you believe it if I told you that the Mets are one of the hottest teams in the league right now? They'd won seven of their last ten games heading into Sunday's action against the Nationals, making them one of the league's best teams in recent weeks.

Francisco Lindor, Bo Bichette, and Jared Young have been major offensive contributors over the last 14 days, each hitting for a 142 wRC+ or better. New York's finally stringing together some wins, but it's much too late to have any real impact.

No. 24 - Seattle Mariners

I've harped on Seattle quite a bit in these rankings this season, but that's because they've been so massively disappointing to me. Last season provided so much hope that they had something real, and they just have not been able to follow through with another strong season.

They came into Sunday night's action against Houston eight games under .500, well below their preseason expectations. Because the American League is so weak this year, they still have a chance at grabbing a wild card spot. But based on how they haven't been able to really get much going this season, snagging that spot is something I'm not counting on.

No. 23 - Washington Nationals

Washington's run at the final NL wild card spot was fun for a while, but things are starting to catch up to them. They had a rough week against the Cubs and Mets this week and are well behind in the wild card race.

It's not that they haven't had some solid offensive help, but it's always hard when you've got a guy like James Wood on the IL. At the very least, the Nationals know they can compete in future years based on how they started this season off. There's still work to be done, but a second-half slip-up isn't the worst development for Nats fans.

No. 22 - Cincinnati Reds

The Reds have actually started to kind of, sort of, find their way back into the NL wild card race. Are their chances at snagging a spot great? Not exactly. They're still six games back of the final spot, but they're 16-11 since the break.

There's a chance they could make things interesting down the stretch, but they'll need to tap into their early-season form. That was fraught with overachievements, though, so it's unlikely this turns into something real. But for the sake of a fun August and September, Reds fans are hoping for something along those lines.

No. 21 - Pittsburgh Pirates

While Reds fans may be intrigued by their second half, Pirates fans absolutely aren't. Their promising start has fizzled out over the past couple of months. They now face the same uphill climb that the Reds do, only the expectations are massively different.

If Pittsburgh is going to find its way back into the wild card race, it's going to need to get firing on all cylinders. Oneil Cruz could return from injury as soon as this week, but the Pirates are going to need more than just him to make up this gap they now find themselves in.

No. 20 - Minnesota Twins

Heading into Sunday, there were six teams within a game of the final AL wild card spot. One of them is the Twins, who find themselves in a spot they didn't exactly envision themselves being in at the beginning of the season.

Bell with a BLAST!!!@mountaindew pic.twitter.com/aC3teQyDdF

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) August 19, 2026

Royce Lewis, Luke Keaschall, and Josh Bell have been providing a ton of offensive success for Minnesota over the past couple of weeks, each hitting for a 174 wRC+ or better. They've been crushing and helping make the Twins one of the more surprising teams in the AL wild card hunt.

No. 19 - Cleveland Guardians

Dropping down to the 19th spot is the Guardians. At one point, it looked like they were going to be in the running for the AL Central title for the second straight season, but they've fallen off quite a bit and now are just hoping for a wild card spot.

They're one of the six teams in the AL that are within a game of the final wild card spot. So there's still plenty of hope left for Cleveland, but they need to get on a dominant run. Late last season was when they really turned it on, and Guardians fans are hoping there's a repeat here in 2026.

No. 18 - Toronto Blue Jays

Don't look now, but the Blue Jays are still very much in the thick of things. Prior to the deadline, they didn't look like they had much of a shot. Vibes were at their lowest point in the season, and it seemed like they were going to be forced to play for 2027.

But a 10-5 run in August has them right back in the thick of things. Newly acquired Jose Soriano has back-to-back starts for the Blue Jays with just one earned run allowed in each. Toronto approached the deadline like they still thought they had a chance, and Soriano's success on the mound will help them stay in the race.

No. 17 - Baltimore Orioles

Not to be overlooked, the Orioles are one of the six in the mix. They just pulled off maybe their most impressive series of the season, sweeping the Rays on the road. That's certainly going to open up some eyes for anyone who hasn't been paying close attention to Baltimore in recent weeks.

Pete Alonso was brought in this offseason to be a leader for the Orioles, and he's been doing just that as of late. Over the last 14 days, he's hitting for a 225 wRC+ with a .400 batting average and four homers. He's doing it all as the Orioles are starting to make their move.

No. 16 - Detroit Tigers

Another in the mix of six, the Tigers find themselves in a similar storyline to the Blue Jays. They, too, looked like they wanted to capitalize on value at the trade deadline, shipping out both Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize. Yet they still very much have a solid chance at the wild card.

That's what makes this past weekend a little more difficult for Tigers fans. They could be in possession of that final AL wild card spot, but after getting swept by the White Sox over the weekend, it looks like a massive missed opportunity. They need to take advantage this week with the Pirates and Royals on deck.

No. 15 - Texas Rangers

The last of the six in the mix, the Rangers entered Sunday just barely holding onto that final AL wild card spot. Barely may not even be the right word to use there, especially since they had lost five of their last seven games before facing the A's Sunday afternoon.

To make matters worse, Jacob deGrom was removed early from his start on Thursday with triceps fatigue. He's likely to miss his next start as well. With Texas on the downswing, there could be no worse time for them to be dealing with even more injuries than they've already endured.

No. 14 - St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals find themselves still with a fighting chance for the NL wild card. A recent downswing really hurt their chances, but they have reasons to keep their heads up. They took the series this weekend from the Cubs and made quite a bit of noise in doing so.

In the midst of that series win, Joshua Baez absolutely burst onto the scene. He made his MLB debut on Saturday and hit three homers in his first three ABs. The Cardinals are riding high after this weekend as they chase that final NL wild card spot.

3 home runs in his first 3 Major League at-bats 😤

Did Joshua Báez put on the best MLB debut EVER?! pic.twitter.com/P43Qi4d4cn

— MLB (@MLB) August 15, 2026

No. 13 - Miami Marlins

The Marlins come in just ahead of the Cardinals, facing the same deficit in the NL wild card race. They've broken out of their July slump and have been playing some really competitive ball as of late, rattling off six wins in their last eight games.

Griffin Conine has been a huge contributor to Miami's offense, crushing for a 142 wRC+ over the last 14 days. His 20.8% barrel rate in that span leads the Marlins' lineup as they aim to snag that final NL wild card spot.

No. 12 - Houston Astros

The Astros lead the AL West because in that division, someone technically has to. Still, they've made quite the turnaround after a miserable start. The pitching is starting to get healthier, and that's been pretty key.

Peter Lambert has also been a godsend for the Astros' rotation. He's having a career year, posting a 3.11 ERA with an 8-6 record. The AL West is weak, but Houston's taking advantage.

No. 11 - Chicago White Sox

The White Sox needed a big series win and got it over the weekend by sweeping the Tigers. Munetaka Murakami blasted two homers in the series, bringing his season total up to 28.

With a 5.5-game lead in the AL Central, Chicago sits very comfortably in a playoff position. Now they're going to need to prepare for the postseason and the expectations behind a playoff run. Regardless of what happens in October, it's been a great comeback year for Chicago.

No. 10 - San Diego Padres

Don't overlook the Padres. They've been on an absolute roll, winning eight of their last ten games. That streak includes a sweep of the Brewers over the past week.

Ty France has continued to be a prominent source of offense for San Diego. Over the past week, he's hit for over a .400 BA, helping the Padres to continue being tough outs all around. As long as they continue producing on the offensive end, they should be able to snag a wild card spot.

No. 9 - Arizona Diamondbacks

Just ahead of the Padres in our rankings is the DBacks, but maybe not for long. It's just that tight between the two NL West rivals. Arizona slacked early in the week with a series loss against the Rockies, but they made up for it by taking a series from the Braves.

Ketel Marte had an injury scare during Friday night's game, but he made it back into the lineup for Sunday's finale in Atlanta. His bat is going to be needed for Arizona to snag the final NL wild card spot.

No. 8 - Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies needed a big series win, and they got just that this weekend. They opened with a win over the Twins in the Field of Dreams game, which ultimately culminated in a sweep. With them just barely holding onto the final NL Wild Card spot and just a one-game lead over Arizona, that sweep was very much needed.

It's going to stay tough for Philly going forward. This week they face Miami and St. Louis, both chasing them for the final spot. Philly will have home-field advantage this week, but they're not going to be able to slack at any point.

No. 7 - Boston Red Sox

What happened to the Red Sox that just couldn't lose? They're just 2-7 over their last nine games after looking nearly invincible for a month. They've got plenty of breathing room in the wild-card race, so they shouldn't worry yet, but snapping out of this soon would be more than ideal.

At the very least, they get to return to Fenway as they host two NL West foes. They'll kick off the week against Arizona before San Francisco comes back over the weekend, marking Rafael Devers' first game back at Fenway since being traded to the Giants.

No. 6 - New York Yankees

For as good a team as the Yankees are, they really need to get their bats going. An extra-innings win against the Blue Jays helped them avoid getting swept, but prior to that, they had scored one run or fewer in five of six games.

That's just not going to cut it regardless of how good the pitching is. The Yankees will try to get their offense going against the Orioles this week before facing off again against the Blue Jays over the weekend.

No. 5 - Chicago Cubs

As long as Matthew Boyd doesn't have to face Joshua Baez again, then Cubs fans may have faith in their pitchers. It was a rough weekend against the Cardinals, but at least the Cubs have plenty of breathing room in the wild card race.

They may face some challenges going forward, though. Dansby Swanson is set to hit the IL with an oblique injury. That's going to hurt, but there's enough cushion for Chicago that they'll be able to absorb the blow, at least for now.

No. 4 - Atlanta Braves

The NL East title shouldn't be an issue for the Braves. They hold a 7.5-game lead over the Phillies, making it a rather easy title to clinch. But when it comes to the best record in the National League, they have a bit of work to do.

They're 2.5 games back of the Brewers for the best record. There's going to be a good chance for them to make up some ground over the weekend, as they visit the Brewers over the weekend before heading to Williamsport on Sunday for the Little League Classic.

No. 3 - Tampa Bay Rays

With a 5.5-game lead in the AL East, the Rays are in no trouble whatsoever. But their fans would prefer if they didn't slack as much as they have been. They're hosting the Orioles for a four-game set that ends on Monday, yet they haven't been able to snatch a single win over Baltimore.

That doesn't mean much as of now, but it could point towards potential issues in October. A series against a team like Baltimore shouldn't be an issue for Tampa, but not being able to scratch out a single win is concerning. Tampa needs to work out the kinks in the next couple of weeks before things start getting really serious.

No. 2- Los Angeles Dodgers

A weekend series against the Brewers seemed like a prime opportunity for the Dodgers to show that they're the best team in the National League. And come October, that may be the case, especially given their past. But as of now, after a series loss when they were hosting the Brewers, that just doesn't appear to be the case.

At the very least, the Dodgers would rather look towards the postseason rather than focus on regular season results. Tyler Glasnow is close to returning to LA's rotation after a back injury that's kept him out of action since early May. They're slacking right now, but the Dodgers have bigger sights on a three-peat in October.

No. 1 - Milwaukee Brewers

Taking our top seed again is the Brewers. They've been the league's best team for the last few weeks, and they look like they may be more formidable than they were in 2025.

A must-see every time he takes the mound https://t.co/2hQNRdQXaN pic.twitter.com/19lHEdCgZX

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) August 16, 2026

That's because their starting pitching has certainly improved. It was a weakness in the postseason last year, but this year their 3.53 ERA has helped them to become the best team in the league. If their rotation stays this strong, then they're going to be an absolute force in October.

Milwaukee retains our top seed in our rankings.

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