It would seem that the demise of the 2026 MLB season has been greatly exaggerated. After the Los Angeles Dodgers won the Tarik Skubal sweepstakes ahead of last week’s trade deadline, most fans outside of Southern California were about ready to sim to the end of the year. But a funny thing has happened since: L.A. lost its first five games with Skubal on the roster and seven in a row overall, with an offense stuck in neutral and a bullpen that can’t be trusted with a late lead.
And suddenly, the NL was flung wide open again. In fact, the Dodgers are no longer No. 1 in our weekly MLB power rankings — heck, they didn’t even crack the top two. As the dust settles from the deadline, we’re learning more and more about which teams put themselves in perfect position and which are wishing they’d done a little bit extra. Where does your team stand as the stretch run gets going? Let’s get to it.
13. Detroit Tigers
Trading Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize might’ve been Scott Harris waving the white flag, but don’t tell the Tigers’ roster that, as they continue to play well even without those two All-Star hurlers. Detroit went 3-2 in its first five games post-deadline, outscoring the opposition 31-9 in those contests. Are the Tigers worse without Skubal and Mize? Undoubtedly, but they just got Jackson Jobe (who excelled in his season debut) back and held onto Gleyber Torres and Kenley Jansen when they could’ve traded them for prospects. This team is still plenty talented in a weak AL (and weak AL Central, in particular), and it wouldn’t be a shock to see them make the playoffs even after selling. They’ve done it before, after all.
–ZR
12. Chicago White Sox
The White Sox had one of the most disappointing trade deadlines in the league, bypassing the opportunity to seriously improve their roster and instead going the cheap route (i.e., not trading high-end prospects) to upgrade their pitching staff. That rough deadline snowballed into this week of games, as they were swept in an ugly series in Boston and returned home only for Will Venable to commit one of the worst managerial blunders I have ever seen in a key loss to a Guardians team on their tails. The White Sox are still good, but they had a chance to really take charge in the AL Central. Refusing to do that could come back to haunt them.
–ZR
11. San Diego Padres
The Padres have snuck up on Arizona and Philadelphia in the NL Wild Card race, led by a resurgent Fernando Tatis Jr. and a newly fortified rotation. Casey Mize and Robbie Ray are still finding their footing on the mound, but San Diego suddenly has the rotation depth — and the deep, impenetrable bullpen — to support even a modestly successful lineup. We’ve seen this group threaten major noise in recent postseasons past. Ironically, this could end up being the year it all comes together.
–CK
10. Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona gave the Dodgers everything it could handle over the weekend and appears well-positioned in the NL Wild Card race. This Diamondbacks lineup has always stacked up nicely on paper. Now that Geraldo Perdomo has found his footing, there’s little preventing Arizona from mounting another out-of-nowhere run as heavy underdogs. That is, except for the abysmal rotation, which is basically on life support beyond Eduardo Rodriguez. The Zack Littell signing won’t move the needle, folks: Unless Corbin Burnes can play the hero in miraculous fashion, the D-backs will be a little too reliant on their bats, which might not translate to October.
–CK
9. Houston Astros
The AL West now feels like Houston’s to lose, with Yordan Alvarez’s historic tear continuing to pace a dangerous offense and the pitching … well, it’s still not “good,” but it’s at least been working its way toward “good enough”. Ronel Blanco, Cristian Javier and Hayden Wesneski are all finally back to provide much-needed depth, even if there are signs of rust after long layoffs. Houston is mixing and matching and hanging around, and when you’ve got the sort of offense firepower the Astros do — and the AL is as wide-open as it is — you’ve got a pretty good shot.
–CL
8. Philadelphia Phillies
Luis Arráez brought the positive vibes and he should feast in the cleanup spot, but five through nine in the Phillies’ lineup remains a huge problem. Don Mattingly has zero command on how to roll out this bullpen, while winning with Aaron Nola or Andrew Painter on the bump continues to prove elusive. Philly is still elite when Cristopher Sánchez, Zack Wheeler or Jesús Luzardo take the mound, but it’s hard to trust three aces to patch over all these holes come October — if the Phils can even get there.
–CK
7. Boston Red Sox
Boston finally cooled off a bit over the weekend, dropping two of three to the lowly A’s at home. But that should only momentarily dampen what’s been a truly historic tear over the last few weeks, with a resurgent offense finally offering support to what’s been a dynamite pitching staff even without Garrett Crochet. The Red Sox have now just about caught the Yankees in the standings, and while it remains to be seen whether Rutschman will be the offensive addition they still desperately need, it’s hard not to feel like this is a legit pennant contender.
–CL
6. New York Yankees
How lopsided can a team be and still contend for a division title? On the one hand, the Yankees’ offense has been mired in a months-long slump at this point, with scoring runs seemingly like an almost Herculean task some days. On the other, their rotation has been so overwhelmingly awesome that they’ve managed to stay afloat regardless. Cam Schlittler, Max Fried, Gerrit Cole and Ryan Weathers are all throwing the ball really, really well right now, and Carlos Rodon has begun a rehab assignment. Even if they can’t catch Tampa in the East, that pitching will play in the playoffs — and with any luck, Aaron Judge can get this lineup back on track.
–CL
5. Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays just keep on doing, scoring just enough to let their pitching and defense shine. That formula is looking increasingly rickety with injuries to both Shane McClanahan and Griffin Jax, but Tampa has defied the odds so far. Yandy Diaz, Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero are dynamite, as is this bullpen, and they’ve shown they can find ways to win games.
–CL
4. Chicago Cubs
The Cubs were as aggressive as any team at the deadline and they’ve seen immediate results. They went 6-1 this week, including a three-game sweep over the Dodgers at Wrigley. I’m not here to say Chicago is better than the Dodgers by any means, but if Kevin Gausman pitches as well as he did in his Cubs debut and Clay Holmes finds his footing, I would not be surprised to see them make things very interesting in a possible postseason series against Los Angeles.
–ZR
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers ended a seven-game losing streak on Saturday, but the vibes in Hollywood are more precarious than one might expect considering the two-time reigning champs just added Tarik Skubal, the consensus best pitcher in baseball, at the trade deadline. Nobody can question L.A.’s overall talent, but this is an older lineup that has not produced up to its reputation all season, while the strength of the rotation remains suppressed by injuries. The Dodgers snapped into form and bulldozed teams last October. Los Angeles will hope for a similar aligning of the stars this fall.
–CK
2. Atlanta Braves
The Yankees ended an eight-game Braves win streak, but Atlanta has cemented its claim as the best team in the NL East — and, quite possibly, Los Angeles’ top challenger in the National League. The Dodgers sure look beatable, and this lineup is stacked with enough pop for a deep run in October. It’s unclear if the rotation can hold up beyond Chris Sale, but Bryce Elder, Grant Holmes and a ragtag bunch keep on answering the call. Plus, the Braves’ bullpen is a total buzzsaw, which helps.
–CK
1. Milwaukee Brewers
Say what you want about the Brewers not being aggressive enough at the trade deadline, but in true Brewers fashion, they won their homestand immediately afterward. Dustin May pitched well in his Milwaukee debut, and Antonio Senzatela has two holds in his first three appearances with the team. I’m skeptical they did enough to overcome the Dodgers when it really counts, but for now, it’s hard to say much that isn’t nice about the Brewers when they keep winning regular season games.
–ZR
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