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

August 12, 2026

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

With just seven weeks left in the regular season, we're about to start witnessing some really important stretches of baseball. Teams that made big deadline deals did it for just this reason. The races take tons of twists and turns, and this season will be no exception.

The AL West looks to be the tightest divisional race left, with three teams within a few games of each other. The wild-card races in each league are going to be highly contested, with each league having at least five teams within five games of the last spot.

All that and the previously immortal Dodgers are now looking incredibly normal after a seven-game losing streak. Do we have a new top seed in our rankings? Read on and find out. Note: Stats and rankings reflect games played through Sunday, August 9.

No. 30 - Los Angeles Angels

This season's been long over for the Angels, but their fans would appreciate maybe a bit more excitement at the plate. Over the last 14 days, they've hit for just a 61 wRC+, the lowest mark in the league. That's never going to add up to wins, but let's at least get something fun to watch when they're up to bat.

Wade Meckler is doing everything he can, though. He's hit for a 155 wRC+ in this span, easily leading the Angels. He's someone to watch going forward on a roster that's simply waiting for 2027.

No. 29 - Athletics

It's been a harsh fall for the A's this season. Long gone are the days of being the surprise leader of the AL West, thanks to a bevy of issues. That's due to Shea Langeliers being lost for the season, Nick Kurtz hitting the 10-day IL with a thumb strain, an incredibly inactive trade deadline, and a rather ineffective pitching staff.

There's not much to get excited about in Sacramento. They have just three wins in their last 15 games, somehow all coming against the league's hottest team in Boston. Some upset potential is always present with the A's, but they aren't looking like a feisty underdog anymore.

No. 28 - Colorado Rockies

Things feel a bit different in Colorado than they do for the AL West cellar dwellers. Eyebrows were raised after the Rockies decided not to trade Mickey Moniak at the trade deadline, but that's mostly because he signed a two-year extension with Colorado. At the very least, it makes not trading him make more sense.

In the meantime, Rockies fans are pushing for TJ Rumfield and Cole Carrigg to get more love in the NL Rookie of the Year race. Both are hitting for a 120 wRC+ or higher this season, putting them at fourth and seventh among rookies who have stepped to the plate at least 100 times this season. The record's not pretty, but things are feeling somewhat positive for the first time in forever for Rockies fans.

COLE. CARRIGG.

Off 101.9 mph 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/d2LLDaWhxf

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) July 26, 2026

No. 27 - Kansas City Royals

After injuries pretty much destroyed Kansas City's season, there hasn't been much to root for this season outside of the development of the younger guys. You can only hope things go well in these situations, and it's safe to say it's going well for Jac Caglianone.

The 23-year-old had a night to remember on Saturday night, going 4-for-4 with two homers, two doubles, and four RBI. He's now at 20 homers on the season and looks like a force to be reckoned with in future seasons. With not much else going right for the Royals, Caglianone remains a bright spot.

No. 26 - San Francisco Giants

The new-look Giants were active at the deadline this year, shipping out both Luis Arraez and Robbie Ray. Those moves were expected, but their shipping out Heliot Ramos as well was a bit of a shock. With openings on the middle infield, they called up Osleivis Basabe from Triple-A Sacramento to fill the void.

He's gotten off to a solid start for the Giants, hitting for a 159 wRC+ in nine games coming into Sunday. With a lost season on hand, development from younger players like him will be paramount to San Francisco fans. They'll simply hope that his current production becomes more of a new standard that they can look forward to in 2027.

No. 25 - New York Mets

Speaking of seasons that have been over for quite some time, let's talk about the Mets. Their underwhelming season got worse a couple of weeks ago when Juan Soto hit the injured list with a Grade 2 calf strain. He's expected to be out until late August or early September. But with a lost season, it may not be a shock if New York holds him out for the remainder of the year.

That means that, as Mets fans, you need to turn your focus onto your younger players. Carson Benge is one young player who's turning heads lately, hitting for a 182 wRC+ over the last 14 days, fueled by a .366 BA. If nothing else in Queens, he should provide some hope for the future.

No. 24 - Toronto Blue Jays

I'm still a bit confused by the Jays' trade-deadline plans. They sold on their key pieces with Kevin Gausman and Daulton Varsho, but at the same time added one of the league's biggest pitching trade chips in Jose Soriano. This wasn't a clear sell, even though they were painted clearly as sellers at the deadline.

Yet, they find themselves at 3.5 GB of the final AL wild-card spot. Maybe the additions they made were to keep this race in mind, especially with how weak the lower end of the AL is. Regardless of how poorly the season has gone for them, relative to their standards, they're going to have a realistic chance at that last wild card if the offense gets hot.

No. 23 - Seattle Mariners

Count me as someone who's really disappointed in how Seattle's shown out this season. The Mariners were flying high last season until Game 7 of the ALCS. Now, they find themselves slacking in both the AL West and the AL wild-card race.

Part of that is the downfall of Cal Raleigh. Maybe he overachieved in last season's breakout, but putting up just a 72 wRC+ is a massive letdown. The Mariners are just a few games out of the last wild-card spot, but they need Raleigh to regain his form to become a real threat in the AL again.

No. 22 - Baltimore Orioles

Avoiding a sweep on Sunday was very necessary for the Orioles. They kept themselves within two games of the final AL wild-card spot. Given that they found themselves in a bit of a seller's role at the deadline, this is a good sign that they'll stand a fighting chance for the rest of the season.

But if they want to snag that final spot, they're going to need to improve their hitting. They're posting just a 74 wRC+ over the last 14 days, third worst in the league. That's not the mark they're looking to achieve, and they'll be looking to change that as they fight for the final wild-card spot.

No. 21 - Cincinnati Reds

It's long felt like the season may be over for the Reds, but there actually may still be a slight chance in Cincinnati. They're still six games back in the wild-card race, which is a tall hill to climb, but it's a better scenario than they've found themselves in as of late.

They didn't sell many pieces at the deadline, which seemed a bit surprising. Now, they're going to have to either prove that wasn't a mistake by fighting their way back into the race, or they're going to need to prioritize young development over wins. Their upcoming schedule gets a bit rough, so this may end up being the closest Cincinnati gets to a playoff spot for the rest of the season.

No. 20 - Washington Nationals

You wouldn't think that the Nationals would stand much of a chance against many without Luis Garcia Jr. on the roster and James Wood on the IL. But they proved they still pack quite the punch after they swept the Reds this weekend.

That sweep helped them snap out of a bit of a funk that sunk them in the NL wild-card race. They're 4.5 GB of the final wild-card spot, which doesn't seem bad based on their preseason expectations. But a 4.5-game deficit is much different than where they were a few weeks ago. The hill is tall, but Washington has the offense to keep in it.

No. 19 - Pittsburgh Pirates

It might just be panic time for the Pirates. They're now 8-15 since the All-Star break and in a free fall in the standings. They're now 5.5 GB of the final NL wild-card spot. Unlike Cincinnati and Washington, Pittsburgh built up its expectations early in the season. That makes its current state all the more disappointing.

The hitting hasn't been overwhelming in the second half, but the pitching has slacked. Paul Skenes has a 5.91 ERA in four starts since the break, certainly not the standard that Pittsburgh expects out of the ace. A couple other starts have slacked just as much, all taking away from what once was an exciting start for the Pirates.

No. 18 - Detroit Tigers

Trade away Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize, your two best starters, and you certainly look like you're throwing in the towel. But that's not what's happening in Detroit. The Tigers have won seven of their last nine games and are just 1.0 GB of the final AL wild-card spot.

First career triple for Max Clark brings home another run ‼️🔥 pic.twitter.com/rQZiX3S0IF

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) August 9, 2026

Maybe the most intriguing part of the race is that of all the AL teams that aren't currently leading their division, Detroit has the best run differential at +87, even better than both the Yankees and Red Sox.

With everyone else posting a negative run differential, there's a chance that Detroit has some more positive regression coming. The playoffs may actually be a realistic scenario for the Tigers this year.

No. 17 - St. Louis Cardinals

It's been a bit of a rough patch for the Cardinals, especially after starting the season so well. They're still outperforming their preseason expectations, but being 3.5 GB of the final NL wild-card spot feels underwhelming after how well they performed early in the season.

One Cardinal who's started to really turn it around lately is Ivan Herrera. After going through a rut, he followed up a three-hit performance on Saturday with a four-hit performance on Sunday. If he and Jordan Walker can get their bats rolling again, then St. Louis could find itself snagging that final playoff spot sooner rather than later.

No. 16 - Minnesota Twins

One of the bigger surprises in the league still resides in Minnesota. Coming into the season, the Twins were a bit of an afterthought in the AL Central, expected to be at the bottom without much excitement. But they've been playing very well and are just 1.5 GB of the final AL wild-card spot.

But things may start to turn the wrong way for the Twins soon. Both Byron Buxton and Joe Ryan are on the IL, two huge contributors for Minnesota. If they can overcome their absences, then they can hang on in the race. But it's going to be a really tough uphill climb without those two.

No. 15 - Cleveland Guardians

Also sitting at 1.5 GB of the final AL wild-card spot is the Guardians. While they've been in contention throughout the season, they find themselves in a 3-7 rut. That's allowed the White Sox to extend their AL Central lead to four games over Cleveland. That hasn't solely relegated it to the AL wild-card race, but it's a sad fall from where it was.

If there's a team that knows the race isn't over until it's over, though, it's the Guardians. Last season's incredible comeback makes a four-game deficit seem more than feasible, but they need to flip the script on a lot of what they're doing in order to win the AL Central in back-to-back seasons.

No. 14 - Miami Marlins

Miami's season is becoming defined by streaks. After an incredibly hot June, it followed that up with a 12-game losing streak. Then it won six of seven games, and then it lost another four games in a row. That makes a series win over the Angels this weekend extremely important.

There's enough here in Miami to be a formidable threat in the wild-card race, but the Marlins need to end some of this streakiness. At three games back in the NL wild-card race, they'll accept at least one more hot streak before deciding to find consistency.

No. 13 - Texas Rangers

Holding onto the last spot in the AL wild-card race, the Rangers find themselves leading a pack of very hungry teams. They've won four of their last five games. Every bit of that has been necessary, with Detroit just one game behind them.

Much of the success this week came on the mound as their staff allowed one or fewer runs in three straight games. You're going to win nearly every time the pitching is that effective. On deck is a four-game series against the Angels, followed by a weekend series against the A's. Rangers fans can smell a strong week coming on with a great chance to extend their wild-card lead.

No. 12 - San Diego Padres

The Padres were certainly aggressive at the deadline last Monday. They didn't hold back in making strong acquisitions to stabilize their pitching staff, adding Robbie Ray and Casey Mize. Both have made their Padres debuts, and both were underwhelming, but that should be an anomaly for both.

The other issue the Padres have is that they are chasing both Philadelphia and Arizona. The Phillies should be expected to keep it up, but the D-backs have been the surprising team. San Diego had a chance to gain ground on them this week but split its four-game series. It'll have a real test to start the week as it hosts the Brewers for a three-game set.

No. 11 - Houston Astros

The Astros are still holding the lead in the AL West, but it's a very slim margin right now with the Rangers hot on their heels. Houston's underwhelming week against the Padres and Blue Jays hasn't helped its cause, especially after having overcome so many injuries.

Newly acquired Daulton Varsho smashed a homer on Sunday night, his first as an Astro. But it came in a 7-2 loss to the Padres. With the Rangers having a relatively easy week on hand, Houston needs to take advantage of its three-game set in San Francisco this week.

No. 10 - Chicago White Sox

The hype has cooled off a bit around the White Sox, but one thing that's getting bigger is their AL Central lead. They're now holding a 3.5-game lead in the division, one of the largest leads they've had all year. That's even after a rather middling 5-5 record over their last 10 games.

Chicago was active with trades at the deadline, but one has to wonder how effective these moves are going to be. Acquiring Luis Castillo from the Mariners was the headliner, but his 5.30 ERA on the season isn't exactly inspiring. The White Sox are a great story, but there's going to be a real rush over the last seven weeks to hold onto their division lead.

No. 9 - Arizona Diamondbacks

If there's one thing the D-backs can hang their hat on, it's that they've won five of their last six games against the Dodgers. Maybe that can help explain why they are probably the most surprising team to hold a wild-card spot right now.

We think we've seen this film before, and we really liked the ending. pic.twitter.com/n2VDxYZj8W

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) August 11, 2026

A huge reason for their success has been the pitching staff. Over the last 30 days, it has posted a 3.82 ERA. It may be getting lucky, though, as that's paired with a 4.76 xFIP. So while the D-backs are on their way up, there's going to be a bit of work they need to do to hold onto their current wild-card lead.

No. 8 - Philadelphia Phillies

So, do we need to start worrying here in Philly? They had done so well after a really rough start, and it looked like the playoffs were nearly a guarantee. But a 9-13 record since the break has gotten them tied with Arizona for the final wild-card spot and just a one-game lead over the Padres.

Zack Wheeler also hasn't been himself as of late. Outside of a rain-shortened start in Baltimore, he's had two starts where he's given up four earned runs or more. That's unlike him and part of the reason that Philly hasn't looked quite as dominant. If he can string together a few Wheeler-esque starts, then that should help garner more confidence that the Phillies will win every game he takes the mound.

No. 7 - Boston Red Sox

Sunday marked the first time the Red Sox had lost a series since their July 1 game against the Nationals. The focus shouldn't be on the series loss to the A's, though. Instead, it should be that they have a 5.5-game cushion over Texas for the final AL wild-card spot.

Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela have been driving a lot of success in Boston's offense over the last two weeks, with both blasting five homers apiece. The lineup was a major factor that was holding it back earlier in the season, but they've done a complete 180 and are driving so much of Boston's success. It would appear that the playoffs are very much in Boston's future.

No. 6 - New York Yankees

The Yankees were once looking like a solid choice to win the AL East, but injuries and a hot Tampa Bay team have severely diminished those opportunities. New York is now 5.5 games back of the Rays. That doesn't destroy its AL East hopes, but it does make it a lot harder.

Offensively, the Yankees needed help with both Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger out with injuries. Luis Garcia Jr., one of their trade acquisitions this season, has been very good as a Yankee. He has a hit in three games, including a multi-hit game with a homer. He may not make a big regular-season difference, but his skills are going to help in the postseason.

No. 5 - Chicago Cubs

The Cubs were aggressive at this year's deadline as they saw a clear need to upgrade their pitching. They added Kevin Gausman from Toronto and Clay Holmes from New York. Gausman was solid in his Cubs debut, throwing seven innings of two-run ball in a 6-4 Cubs win. Holmes was a little less successful, giving up four runs in four innings in an eventual Cubs loss.

That's going to be fine with Chicago, though, as it has a large cushion in the wild-card race. It is likely not going to catch up with the Brewers in the NL Central, so it'll focus on preparing for the playoffs.

No. 4 - Tampa Bay Rays

After a perfect 6-0 week, the Rays are streaking. They had two tough games on the mound at Coors to start the week, but after that they limited their opponents to two or fewer runs in four straight games. That's absolute dominance that's going to net you wins nearly every time out there.

Drew Rasmussen has been very good in the Rays rotation. Over the last 30 days, he's posted a 0.72 ERA, amounting to a 4-0 record. He's an incredibly underrated piece of Tampa Bay's rotation. The Rays are dominating and will be a force in October.

No. 3 - Atlanta Braves

Our No. 3 team is the Braves. Atlanta made moves at this year's deadline, but none that were too flashy. That's going to be fine for the Braves as they have Ronald Acuna Jr. back healthy in their lineup. Spencer Schwellenbach, who's been out most of the year with an elbow injury, is working his way back as well.

Matt Olson is tied for the Major League lead with 35 homers! pic.twitter.com/6WRZYUakPQ

— MLB (@MLB) August 12, 2026

If Schwellenbach is back for the playoffs, then that's going to greatly help a Braves rotation that looks to be the only weak link on this roster. They've won nine of their last 11 games and are starting to look like the team that was a dominant force early this season. There's work to be done to be the best in the National League, but they're in a fantastic spot to simply get ready for October.

No. 2- Los Angeles Dodgers

Sliding out of our top seed into the two-hole is the Dodgers. You can't lose eight of your last nine games and expect to keep the top spot. We have high standards over here! When you factor in the trades that L.A. has made to bolster its roster, it looks even more disappointing.

And sure, those moves were more based on the idea of competing in October. Are they going to pan out? More than likely, and the baseball world won't be happy. But as far as what's happening in the regular season, it is underperforming and can't be our top seed any longer.

No. 1 - Milwaukee Brewers

Say hello to our new top seed, the Milwaukee Brewers! They've been on a roll, winning five of their last six games. They've also got a 2.5-game lead over the Rays for the best record in the majors. They've got Jacob Misiorowski on the roster, who is absolute must-watch TV, even if your team is facing him.

Brice Turang and Jackson Chourio are leading the offense, both hitting for a 126 wRC+ or better over the last 14 days. They're fine on the offensive end. Outside of Misiorowski, the pitching has been solid as well. Will it be enough in October? That's a whole different question. But as of now, they're the best team in the majors and are our top team.

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