When we reach the All-Star break in just a week’s time, every front office will be taking the time off to take stock and go a long way toward deciding what their trade deadline path is going to look like. That means that every game right now holds outsized sway — and for several would-be contenders around the league, things are trending in the wrong direction.
The New York Yankees will never not be buyers, but their current free-fall certainly complicates what Brian Cashman might do in the lead up to Aug. 3. Will the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles even be buyers at all as their frustrating seasons continue? The top four in the NL is crystal clear, but will anyone outside of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies be willing to try and make a run at a pennant?
The past week featured all sorts of drama that could go a long way toward deciding how this year’s deadline — and, therefore, this year’s pennant chase — could look. Let’s run through a fresh batch of FanSided’s MLB power rankings to see where every team stands at this critical juncture, and what their path could be moving forward.
30. Kansas City Royals
Kansas City just keeps finding new ways to make the 2026 season one to forget, with eight losses in their last 10 to fall into sole possession of the worst record in the AL. At this point, anybody not named Bobby Witt Jr., Maikel Garcia, Jac Caglianone and Vinnie Pasquantino should probably be available.
–Chris Landers, FanSided.com
29. Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies spent the week at Coors Field and reaped the offensive benefits, scoring 14 runs on Thursday and another 15 on Friday. Of course, they also allowed their share of runs, including a 14-run Marlins outburst on Tuesday. Hunter Goodman is a superstar, and it’s encouraging to see Mickey Moniak get going again, making the Rockies fun to watch. Their pitching, though, especially with Chase Dollander out for the year, makes them comfortably the worst team in the league, even if they’re miles better than they were in 2025.
–Zach Rotman, FanSided.com
28. New York Mets
Anyone who thought firing Carlos Mendoza would change things was clearly mistaken, as the Mets have been just as bad without him as they were with him — if not even worse. New York continues to get lackluster starting pitching, struggles to make routine plays in the field and can’t find a way to get the big hit with men in scoring position. Rookies Nolan McLean, AJ Ewing and Carson Benge continue to give fans reason to tune in, but there just isn’t much else to like.
–ZR
27. Los Angeles Angels
Does Perry Minasian’s ouster signal that Los Angeles might finally be willing to engage in an honest-to-god rebuild? Fans can only hope so, though with Arte Moreno still around and John Mozeliak navigating the deadline on an interim basis, who the heck knows? The Halos could net quite a haul if they play their cards right with pieces like Reid Detmers, Jo Adell and Jorge Soler, but that’s never really been this organization’s style. Halfway through another lost season, maybe it should be.
–CL
26. San Francisco Giants
Even the bright spots on the San Francisco Giants are now struggling. Both Logan Webb and Landen Roupp were lit up in their starts this week, and Bryce Eldridge, even with an absolute moonshot in Colorado, hasn’t been great of late either. Luis Arraez continues to produce, and Rafael Devers has been swinging a better bat, but if any fan base is eager to sim until the trade deadline, it’s probably this one.
–ZR
25. Detroit Tigers
The Tigers stopped the bleeding after a miserable June swoon, but they remain mired behind most of the AL in the Wild Card chase, and they’re running out of time to convince Scott Harris that he shouldn’t pull the plug and deal Tarik Skubal before the trade deadline rather than lose him for nothing this winter. Detroit may well decide to go down with the ship if they’re even within sniffing distance of a playoff spot, but the longer this team remains double-digit games below .500, the tougher that argument gets. Just settling into something OK won’t cut it given the hole they’ve dug themselves.
–CL
24. Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds continue to struggle, as they dropped five of seven this week and Emilio Pagan came dangerously close to making it six of seven. Any hope Reds fans had that Hunter Greene’s return would salvage their season quickly vanished when he struggled in his first start back, and this lineup continues to have more bad games than good. It’s getting late early for a team that is comfortably at the bottom of the NL Central.
–ZR
23. Athletics
The A’s just aren’t quite there yet. The pitching staff just isn’t very good, and injuries to the lineup erased what little margin for error this team had to begin with. Top pitching prospect Gage Jump potentially needing Tommy John surgery puts a dent in their prospects for 2027, too, though help will be on the way in the form of stud shortstop Leo De Vries and lefty Jamie Arnold. If John Fisher shells out for another starter or two, we could have something here.
–CL
22. Boston Red Sox
Have we buried Boston prematurely? A four-game sweep of the flailing Yankees and a series win over the Angels offer some reason to believe the answer is yes, though that’s hardly the stiffest competition right now. Still, Boston’s offense is slowly but surely creeping toward respectability, and with the way this pitching staff is clicking right now, respectable is more than good enough to get back into this Wild Card race. The Red Sox likely won’t be huge buyers, but if they stand pat and get Garrett Crochet and Roman Anthony back, look out.
–CL
21. Baltimore Orioles
Bob Nightengale reported on Sunday that Mike Elias was telling teams he was willing to deal prospects in order to supplement the MAjor League roster, although I can’t for the life of me figure out why. Yes, the AL is anyone’s to win, but the O’s continue to offer very little reason to hope that they’re capable of seizing this opportunity. The offense has been a bit better, but still not nearly good enough to cover for a pitching staff that’s simply not ready for prime time. Same as it ever was, and unless the homegrown stars start living up to their billing, Baltimore remains stuck in neutral.
–CL
20. Toronto Blue Jays
No matter how many starters they send to the All-Star Game, it’s looking like this just might not be the year for Toronto. They remain very much alive for a Wild Card spot, but that says more about the AL than anything, as this team has gone 13-16 since the start of June thanks to an underwhelming offense and a rotation that can’t seem to get Trey Yesavage, Kevin Gausman and Shane Bieber healthy and clicking at the same time behind Dylan Cease. Injuries have made it almost impossible to get into a rhythm, and while Toronto always wants to get aggressive at the deadline, it’ll be hard to justify right now.
–CL
19. San Diego Padres
It’s time to panic. The warning signs surrounding this Padres team have been clear all year, and this week might’ve done them in, as they were swept in embarrassing fashion in Chicago and are on the verge of the same result in Los Angeles. All of a sudden, San Diego is two games under .500 and 5.0 games back of the third Wild Card spot with several teams ahead of them. It’s not in AJ Preller’s nature to wave the white flag, but does he have a choice?
–ZR
18. Minnesota Twins
Who said anything about the Twins selling? If a Byron Buxton deal wasn’t off the table already – and it almost certainly was, given all the available evidence – it is now after the star center fielder reaggravated his nagging hip issue over the weekend. But even setting injuries aside, Minnesota is tantalizingly close to a playoff spot, and there doesn’t seem to be a ton of appetite to move someone like Joe Ryan as a result. Is that the most prudent course of action? Probably not. Then again, they can always revisit that deal in the winter, and it’s not like the Rangers or Guardians are overly imposing.
–CL
17. Houston Astros
Left for dead months ago, the Astros now find themselves very much alive in both the AL West and AL Wild Card races. The pitching still doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence, but with Tatsuya Imai’s recent improvement, you can at least talk yourself into some upside there – or at least something mediocre, which would represent a huge upgrade from where Houston was earlier this season. This offense is scary when it’s rolling, and that’ll be even truer if Dana Brown is able to pick up a lefty outfield bat at the deadline.
–CL
16. Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks got to face the Giants this week, which is always good, and they even took a game against the Brewers, an encouraging sign for a team that has struggled mightily against winning opposition this year. It’s still hard to take this group seriously, though, with Zac Gallen struggling as mightily as he has. Gallen took a loss against San Francisco, and has the highest ERA by far among all qualified pitchers.
–ZR
15. Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ offense continues to rake while the starting pitching is falling short of expectations. Just how we drew it up, right? This lineup rocks, especially with Konnor Griffin now healthy, but the pitching robbed them of a chance to win a series in Philadelphia. While it’s safe to assume that Paul Skenes is going to turn things around eventually, his struggles are starting to get concerning. He has not had a Skenes-esque start in quite a while.
–ZR
14. Texas Rangers
Just when we were about ready to bury the Rangers, they find their way back to .500 – and in this year’s AL, .500 might be good enough to give yourselves a fighting chance. After all, who will want to face Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi and MacKenzie Gore in a short playoff series? The offense is a much bigger question mark, with health concerns around Corey Seager, Wyatt Langford, Brandon Nimmo and Josh Jung, but that can be solved at the deadline with a little creativity on the part of Chris Young. This isn’t a great team, but it could still be a dangerous one.
–CL
13. Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals scored eight or more runs three times this week, and also allowed six or more runs three times. In other words, this week was like just about every other one this season for the Nats, as they continue to rake — led by the best month that nobody is talking about from Luis Garcia. But pitching is … an issue, to be polite. They’ll continue to hover around the .500 mark until they add arms.
–ZR
12. Chicago White Sox
This young White Sox team showed some major grit over the weekend, responding to a pair of gut-punch losses in Cleveland with back-to-back wins to salvage a split and regain the top spot in the AL Central. It was proof positive that, in a weak division, this team can absolutely find its way to the playoffs, especially with some fortifications at the trade deadline. Obviously Chris Getz isn’t about to mortgage the future years ahead of schedule, but there are ways to add pitching without kneecapping this promising farm system. This is a fan base starved for October baseball, and that sort of experience could be invaluable moving forward.
–CL
11. Seattle Mariners
The wait for the Mariners to finally put it all together continues apace, though following a sweep of the Angels with an 11-0 pasting of the Blue Jays on Saturday offers evidence of this team’s ceiling. Jerry DiPoto is never the type to push his chips in at the trade deadline, but with a rotation of George Kirby, Logan Gilbert, Bryan Woo, Emerson Hancock and Bryce Miller and a lineup of Julio Rodriguez, Cal Raleigh, Randy Arozarena, Josh Naylor and Colt Emerson, he might not have to. Of course, those names have looked way better on paper than in practice so far this season, so who knows.
–CL
10. Cleveland Guardians
The 2026 Guardians are beginning to feel a lot like the 2025 Guardians, which felt a lot like the 2024 edition, and so on and so forth. Cleveland has a strong pitching staff, but the offense has fallen apart a bit with Jose Ramirez on the IL, and this front office doesn’t have the track record of trade deadline aggression to believe that problem will be solved any time soon. Unless there’s internal improvement – Chase DeLauter getting back on track, youngsters like Cooper Ingle and Ralphy Velazquez stepping up – it’s hard to see the ceiling here, though they might well win the division again anyway.
–CL
9. Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins started the month of July with back-to-back losses in Colorado, only to immediately look like their June selves by dominating the A’s on the road. This lineup, which just got Liam Hicks back, is red-hot, while Sandy Alcantara just had one of his best starts in over a year and Eury Perez is healthy now too. Whether they’ll continue to win as much as any team in baseball remains to be seen, but this Marlins squad has always had the talent necessary to hang around in the Wild Card race. And given how they continue to play, there’s no reason to believe they’ll fall out of contention anytime soon, taking Alcantara and others off the trade block.
–ZR
8. St. Louis Cardinals
Just when it looked like the St. Louis Cardinals were trending in the wrong direction, they won back-to-back series in Atlanta and Chicago. The state of the starting pitching is a concern, especially with Dustin May getting shelled in Atlanta, but the bullpen had a good week and JJ Wetherholt seems determined to prove the doubters wrong. His All-Star snub is as insane as anyone’s.
–ZR
7. New York Yankees
What’s below rock bottom? I’m asking for the Yankees, who have once again fallen into a midsummer swoon in which everything that can go wrong seemingly will. There are injuries, yes – Aaron Judge, Max Fried, Giancarlo Stanton, and on Sunday Jazz Chisholm Jr. – but that’s hardly a sufficient excuse given just how poorly the players who are healthy are performing right now. New York has now lost nine of 10, and while they built themselves quite a cushion in the Wild Card chase, Tampa is threatening to run away with the AL East. Brian Cashman has his work cut out for him ahead of the trade deadline if he doesn’t want to let this season slip away.
–CL
6. Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs won a game 23-3 on Thursday, only to lose not even 24 hours later by a 17-1 final. They swept the Padres, only to then narrowly avoid getting swept by the Cardinals with a win on Sunday. If that’s not indicative of the season that this team has had, I don’t know what is. The Cubs have played better baseball lately overall, but the inconsistency is maddening, and David Peterson’s struggles in his home debut at Wrigley Field only adds to their clear need for starting pitching.
–ZR
5. Tampa Bay Rays
Just when it seemed like Tampa had fully crashed back to Earth, the Rays rip off nine ways in a row, largely thanks to Junior Caminero going Super Saiyan at the plate. But the pitching has been largely excellent for Tampa during this stretch as well, and that’s the path forward if this team wants to make a real run at a World Series appearance – which should absolutely be the goal, considering how wide-open the AL is right now. It’ll be fascinating to see how a Rays team that always operates with one eye on maintaining a sustainable future will operate ahead of the deadline.
–CL
4. Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies cannot be stopped, as they had their way offensively against high-end starters like Paul Skenes, Braxton Ashcraft, Bubba Chandler and even Michael Wacha this week. Aaron Nola’s struggles are troublesome, especially with Andrew Painter still in the Minors, but Alan Rangel has stepped up in Painter’s place, and the rest of Philadelphia’s rotation is lights-out. This lineup putting together consistently strong performances should have Phillies fans excited, even if the need for at least one big right-handed bat remains abundantly clear.
–ZR
3. Atlanta Braves
It might’ve come against the hapless Mets, but the Atlanta Braves finally won their first series of their last four — and their second in nearly a month — and saw their bats get hot over the weekend as well. They also almost put together a ninth inning for the ages in the series finale against New York. They’re going to need to see those bats stay hot against tougher opponents before the All-Star break, but this series might’ve helped them turn the corner, which was must-needed considering how June went.
–ZR
2. Milwaukee Brewers
What was looking like a good week in Milwaukee instantly flipped when Brandon Woodruff suffered yet another injury, resulting in yet another IL stint. Woodruff continues to be productive when healthy, but he’s becoming much harder to trust to take the mound. The Brewers’ dynamic duo of Jacob Misiorowski and Kyle Harrison is as good as anyone’s, but those guys can’t do it all. This team is going to need more starting pitching help, and with guys like Quinn Priester and Logan Henderson also out, they’ll need that help quickly — even if they’re still an inner-circle title contender.
–ZR
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
Not only did the Dodgers have a strong week, but they might’ve buried the Padres by taking the first three games of their four-game series at Dodger Stadium a week after winning a series at Petco Park. It hasn’t always been the prettiest, but the Dodgers are showing why, even with all of their injuries, they’re the best team in baseball. Tommy Edman returning from the IL and raking only makes them scarier.
–ZR
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