The All-Star break is behind us, the Trade Deadline is less than three weeks away and everybody has enjoyed some rest and relaxation to fortify themselves for the stretch run. The second “half” is here.
In this week’s Power Rankings, we take a look at the expectations each team has for the rest of the season. Do they expect to win the whole thing? Do they just want to get in the postseason? Is it all about building for the future? Here’s what each team can reasonably hope for going forward.
These rankings, as always, are compiled from MLB.com contributors whose names you can find at the bottom of this (and every) piece, but the words are mine. If you dislike the rankings, yell at all of us. But if you dislike the words, feel free to yell at me.
1. Dodgers (previously: 1)
The Dodgers are, of course, the two-time defending World Series champions. The only goal, this year and really moving forward, is to get out there and win another one. No team has won three in a row since the 1998-2000 Yankees. That’s a legacy these Dodgers would very much love to match.
2. Brewers (previously: 2)
The Brewers look well on their way to their fourth straight NL Central title, but the way things are going for this team, especially with those aces atop their rotation, it may be time to dream a little bigger. This might be the best chance for these Brewers to finally break through and reach their first World Series since 1982.
3. Rays (previously: 3)
The Rays went from three games behind the Yankees in the AL East to leading the division by three at the break over a span of less than three weeks. Now they need to make sure they stay there. If they can do so -- winning their first AL East title since 2021 and their fifth ever -- they will likely have home-field advantage in the AL postseason.
4. Braves (previously: 4)
After some snake-bitten seasons, the Braves’ first half was an unqualified success, even as their division lead in the NL East began to slowly dwindle in June and July. It’s now down to just two games. At the very least, they need Ronald Acuña Jr. to return … and get back in the playoffs. For what it’s worth: They haven’t won a playoff series since that 2021 championship run.
5. Phillies (previously: 5)
The goal for this veteran Phillies team is to win a World Series title before everybody gets too old to reasonably make another run. Since Don Mattingly took over as interim manager in late April, the Phillies have been one of the best teams in baseball. So that World Series win they want so badly is very much on the table.
6. Yankees (previously: 6)
It’s always World Series or bust, every year, for the Yankees until they get that first title since 2009. (And it probably still will be even after they do.) They’ll of course need to get Aaron Judge back and healthy if this is going to be the year.
7. Cubs (previously: 7)
It has been a topsy-turvy season for the Cubs, to say the least, but they’ve ended up balancing out around where you might have expected them to be heading into the second half. Catching the Brewers might be tough, but even allowing for their pitching injuries, this needs to be a playoff team.
8. Marlins (previously: 11)
The Marlins have been baseball’s best team in July, surging into Wild Card position and inserting themselves into the NL East race. Can they keep it up in the second half? Even if they don’t make the playoffs -- and they very well might -- the progress they’ve seen gives one a lot of faith in how this organization is set up for the next few years.
9. White Sox (previously: 8)
They were the biggest surprise of the first half. Heading into the season, you just hoped they could end their streak of 100-loss seasons. That’s not gonna be a problem. Now, can they hold on and win the division? At this point, why not keep the party going?
10. Cardinals (previously: 10)
Another huge surprise from the first half, the Cardinals seem unlikely to trade away any future prospects for short-term gains. Whether they make the postseason or not, they’re looking for continued improvement from young players such as Jordan Walker, Iván Herrera and JJ Wetherholt … and hey, if that comes with a Wild Card spot as well, all the better.
11. Guardians (previously: 12)
The White Sox have taken everyone aback, and the Guardians have just tried to keep pace with them while dealing with injuries to almost all of their major contributors, including the great José Ramírez. This is still a team that is built to defend its AL Central championship. The expectation should be that they should do so.
12. Rangers (previously: 13)
The AL West is chaos this year, and the Rangers find themselves improbably atop the division heading into the break. Someone has to emerge from this scrum, so it might as well be them.
13. Pirates (previously: 15)
The Pirates were a sleeper playoff team heading into the year. Can they live up to that status? It helps that their offense has been surprisingly robust (tied for first in MLB in runs), but this team needs more from Paul Skenes, whose 3.57 ERA is disappointing by his lofty standards; somehow, the Pirates are just 8-12 in his starts.
14. Mariners (previously: 9)
Why haven’t the Mariners taken over in the AL West like they were supposed to? Injuries have been a problem, of course, but you can say that about a lot of teams. It’s fair to say that if Seattle can’t find a way to win this division, 2026 will go down as a massive letdown after last year’s ALCS run.
15. Red Sox (previously: 23)
Just a couple of weeks ago, the goal might have looked a lot more modest. But after winning 14 of 16 and nine straight (all on the road) going into the break? Now it’s fair to say that a playoff spot is looking mighty realistic.
16. Nationals (previously: 14)
They have gotten huge strides from some of their young players, from James Wood to CJ Abrams to Luis García Jr. to Rookie of the Year candidate Foster Griffin. They haven’t won more than 71 games since their World Series-winning season. They are well on their way now.
17. Diamondbacks (previously: 16)
Someone in the National League is going to get that last Wild Card spot, and the D-backs are the sort of somewhat-veteran team that should probably try to make sure it’s them while they can.
18. Padres (previously: 17)
It turned fast on the Padres, and you wonder what the future of this getting-very-old team is going to be. Can they pull it together for another October run?
19. Blue Jays (previously: 18)
They came oh so close to winning the World Series last year, but now they’re just trying to get back to .500, mired in a 6-12 stretch to end the first half. The good news is that the American League has conspired to keep them in the race. If they don’t take advantage, it’ll be a nightmarish result.
20. Twins (previously: 21)
Somehow, they’re right in the thick of the Wild Card race and just three games out in the AL Central. This looked like it might be a rebuilding year, but now that they’re here, the goal has to be to capitalize.
21. Tigers (previously: 24)
By almost any measure, the Tigers should be out of the playoff chase and focusing solely on what they’re going to do with Tarik Skubal before the Deadline. And yet, here they are, still hanging around. An AL-best 22-14 record since June 1 has given them a shot; the next week or so will determine the final direction.
22. Astros (previously: 19)
It sure looks like Yordan Alvarez is having an MVP season. Can he be enough, seemingly by himself, to make the Astros the team that somehow emerges from the AL West morass?
23. Orioles (previously: 22)
This was supposed to be the year the Orioles put it all together, and that has not happened. They have to make the playoffs, or there are going to be some tough questions to answer, for everyone from the front office down to the players.
24. Reds (previously: 25)
The Reds’ hot start has been completely forgotten in the past few months. Can they at least get Elly De La Cruz back to playing like the future MVP candidate we all thought he was?
25. A’s (previously: 20)
Nick Kurtz is on the IL, the good vibes from early in the year have dissipated and the A’s look extremely wobbly again. The postseason is probably too much to ask, but it would be good to see this team’s exciting young players finish strong heading into 2027.
26. Mets (previously: 26)
OK, maybe this is the most disappointing team in baseball? It’s probably too late at this point for the Mets to right the ship, so now the task becomes making the most of the Trade Deadline and figuring out which young players should be in the plans for 2027.
27. Giants (previously: 27)
It’s fair to say that just about everything that could wrong has gone wrong in the first year of manager Tony Vitello’s tenure. If there’s going to be a second year, the second half cannot go like the first.
28. Royals (previously: 28)
The Royals are another disappointing team -- despite another MVP-caliber season from Bobby Witt Jr. -- though injuries have been a factor here. They need those young hitters we were all excited about to get back on track to give Witt some support.
29. Rockies (previously: 30)
All told, this year has been a small step forward for the Rockies: They currently have their best winning percentage since 2022. Can they avoid losing 100-plus games for the fourth straight year?
30. Angels (previously: 29)
The Angels may finally have a new direction under interim (??) general manager John Mozeliak. This goal is to get this, at last, back on the right track. And for Mike Trout to finish out the season healthy.
Voters: Jason Catania, Dan Cichalski, Theo Derosa, Daniel Feldman, Jason Foster, Rick Gold Jr., Jared Greenspan, Will Leitch, Brent Maguire, Travis Miller, Brian Murphy, Arturo Pardavila, Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru, Andrew Simon, David Venn, Zac Vierra.