6/23/26
The Major League Baseball season is approaching its halfway point, and the picture across the league is beginning to come into focus.
Some teams have emerged as legitimate World Series contenders, while others have fallen well short of expectations. A few clubs have become baseball’s biggest surprises, and several franchises are already facing difficult questions about their future. From breakout stars and disappointing offenses to rebuilding success stories and championship aspirations, every team has a storyline that defines its season so far.
With that in mind, here’s a look at the biggest storyline for each of the 30 Major League Baseball teams, along with my latest power rankings based on how every club has performed to this point in the season. As always, these rankings aren’t just about records—they take into account recent play, overall performance, and where each team appears to be heading as the second half of the season approaches.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers (50-29): Can anyone stop the threepeat?
Anyone with a brain knows that the Los Angeles Dodgers are the heavy favorites to win a third consecutive World Series this season. They dominated in 2024 and had to dig deep to fend off Toronto in a seven-game thriller last season. Unlike in life, money can buy happiness in baseball and the Dodgers are prime examples of that. They have the best record in the sport and really haven’t turned it on yet. The Dodgers do not care about the regular season. All that they worry about is October and beyond and they have a roster that has the same mentality. Shohei Ohtani got bored of winning MVPs so it looks like the greatest player to ever live is going to try to win his first Cy Young. Injuries have taken out pieces here and there, but nobody has as much depth as the Dodgers do. They are playing a video game on easy mode with no salary cap and are one of the biggest reasons that there will be a lockout after this season. Are fans of other teams mad or jealous?
2. Atlanta Braves (48-29): Last year was the fluke
One year ago there was talk about if Ronald Acuña Jr. would be a trade chip for the Atlanta Braves as they suffered through their worst season of the decade. Now, it is clear that 2025 was a fluke and that the real Atlanta Braves have returned. The pitching staff is one of the very best in baseball and the lineup is deeper than any other in the sport outside of the Dodgers. They are hoping to get Spencer Strider back very late in the season but if they don’t they could just go out and acquire a rental starter for depth. The return of Drake Baldwin gave them another jolt along with Matt Olson having an incredible season. Now they could really use Austin Riley getting back to the form he was in when they won the World Series in 2021. But what we have seen is that the Braves are World Series threats and that they have flushed the 2025 nightmare.
3. Milwaukee Brewers (47-29): Nobody should be surprised
There are a couple of franchises that are just so well run that they will make magic no matter what cards they are dealt. The Milwaukee Brewers are one of those franchises. They are written off every couple of years but the machine just keeps on rolling along and then fans and experts are stunned that they find success. Why? It should surprise absolutely nobody at this point that the Brewers can trade their ace and not see any decline in their production on the mound. In fact, their team ERA is better this year than it was last year when they won an MLB-leading 97 games despite trading Freddy Peralta who led the team in ERA in 2025. Everything they touch turns to gold and it starts from the top down as the front office has confidence in their coaching staff who has confidence in the roster. It is like a big, happy family and the only way it can get better is if they can start to see some postseason success as well.
4. New York Yankees (46-31): Déjà vu or is this year different?
When you have the history of success that the New York Yankees have, the expectations are always to win championships. Yes, the Yankees are a very good team once again and might have homefield advantage in the playoffs as they look to fend off Tampa Bay and win the AL East. However, this is a very similar situation that the Yankees were in last year and they saw Toronto steal the division and then got their teeth kicked in by those Blue Jays in the ALDS. So, the question is why will this year be any different? There are two answers and the first his Gerrit Cole. After missing all of 2025, Cole looked really good when he returned in May but has been shaky in June. The veteran will be fine come the postseason and the trio of Cole, Max Fried and Cam Schlittler is terrifying. The other big reason is the emergence of Ben Rice. He is four homers and 12 runs batted in away from his season totals last season and has forced his way into the lineup and the MVP conversation. Oh, and that Aaron Judge guy will come back eventually and make this lineup a real problem if they can all click at the same time.
5. Tampa Bay Rays (43-32): Best run organization in the sport?
Everything we just talked about with the Milwaukee Brewers can also be said of the Tampa Bay Rays. There are some more bad seasons with the Rays than with the Brewers, but even when they seem to not have much, they make it work. First of all, no team should ever trade with the Rays as they turn throwaway prospects into top tier talents like Randy Arozarena, Tyler Glasnow, Shane Baz, and Isaac Paredes. Shane McClanahan looks very good since injuries kept him out for the last two seasons. They even converted Griffin Jax to a starting role and have one of the most underrated lineups I have ever seen, headlined by Junior Caminero who could be the face of the franchise for the next decade. They have the best home record in baseball with their return to The Trop this year and while they won’t make a big splash at the deadline, any small get for the Rays will likely turn into much much more because that is what the Rays do.
6. Philadelphia Phillies (42-36): It wasn’t Rob Thompson’s fault
Things were not good to start the season for the Phillies and that cost Rob Thompson his job as their manager. Yes, things have turned around since Don Mattingly took over but it was never Rob Thompson’s fault that the team was slow out of the gates. They were 9-19 with Thompson and have gone 33-17 under Mattingly. But, players have simply played better since Thompson was relieved of his duties. Seeing a manager that was very well respected and liked in the clubhouse cane light a spark under a team so a change was necessary. This aging team just simply got going and it is a shame that someone had to lose their job to wake them up. Was it a panic move? Absolutely. Has it worked? Obviously yes. Now can the Phillies use that to take them back to the World Series with an aging core? Time will tell.
7. Cleveland Guardians (41-38): Can they overcome J-Ram’s struggles?
Like the Rays and Brewers, the Cleveland Guardians just seem to make it work and find themselves playing in October more often than not. Strong pitching has always been the backbone of the Guardians and that is the case again this year, although the bullpen hasn’t been as strong but when a team is rocked with a scandal like the Emmanuel Clase news, that is understandable. They have also always been able to rely on the criminally underrated José Ramírez to be the offense that they need. This year is different. J-Ram has dealt with some issues at the plate and is putting together his worst season since becoming and everyday starter back in 2016. Lacking a run producer, Cleveland doesn’t seem as dangerous as they have but they are one J-Ram hot stretch away from running away with the AL Central. Now, if that doesn’t come, the White Sox will look to do what the Tigers failed to last season and that is bury the kings of the division.
8. St. Louis Cardinals (42-34): Where did this come from and is it sustainable?
I don’t think many people are noticing what is going on in St. Louis. One of the most consistent teams of the 2010s, the Red Birds had to reset and move on from veterans like Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, and Willson Contreras in recent years and gone with a younger approach. Somehow, it was worked rapidly as the Cardinals look poised to make the postseason after missing three consecutive years. The weird part is that they don’t really do anything well. They are average across the board from offense, to pitching, to defense. The good news is, they are solid across the board which is why they are having success. Young stars like JJ Wetherholt and Masyn Winn are becoming stars while Jordan Walker has finally broken out after years of not living up to the hype. Is it sustainable? Maybe not but as long as they just stay steady, they will be in the Wild Card mix all season long.
9. San Diego Padres (40-37): Are they moving backwards?
If you are a fan of the San Diego Padres, it has to be infuriating to see what is going on with the team now. After a promising COVID season in 2020 where they fell to the Dodgers in the NLDS, it seemed as though the Padres had turned the corner. They had a GM willing to make moves with A.J. Preller and an ownership group led by the late Peter Seidler that was willing to spend money to build a winning team. They brought in Manny Machado, Yu Darvish, and Juan Soto and have developed homegrown talent like Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill. However, they just can’t seem to get over the hump. After knocking the Dodgers out of the playoffs in 2022, they looked to have passed their rivals when they were up 2-1 in the NLDS against LA. Since then, the Padres have stepped backwards. They were eliminated in the Wild Card round by the Chicago Cubs last year and are once again playing second fiddle to the Dodgers in the NL West. They might not even be in second with Arizona on their tail. It is a head scratcher for sure but it feels like this franchise is slowly becoming content with being good but never great.
10. Chicago Cubs (40-37): GET PITCHING NOW!!!
2016 was such a special memory on the north side of Chicago as the Cubs ended their 108-year World Series drought in dramatic fashion. That was now a decade ago and while the memory lives on, fans are ready to relive it again. Chicago has built a very strong roster with a face of the franchise in Pete Crow-Armstrong who signed a six-year extension back in March. The offense has not been the issue in recent years however with guys like Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ leading the charge. Pitching has been and continues to be the issue. Now, it is not just the fault of the front office. They have put talented pitchers on this roster but injuries have decimated the staff. Justin Steele hasn’t pitched since April of last year and Cade Horton had Tommy John surgery in April. They have since added four more starters to the IL along with closer Daniel Palencia. They seem to be a Wild Card contender rather than a threat to the Brewers in the Central, but the shopping list at the deadline is quite obvious for President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer. They need pitching and they should be in on top guys like Tarik Skubal, Joe Ryan, and Sandy Alcantara
11. Chicago White Sox (40-37): Patience is a virtue
Nobody would have believed that the Chicago White Sox would be atop the AL Central in June in 2026. That statement would have drawn laughs and ridicule and yet here we are. Passing teams that looked to have promising futures like Detroit and Kansas City, the White Sox have somehow catapulted up the standings. It was a miserable three-year stretch after the Southsiders looked to have built a championship-caliber roster. After an agonizing reset, the Sox are way ahead of schedule thanks to starters Davis Martin and Sean Burke along with Munetaka Murakami absolutely destroying baseballs after coming over from Japan. Now, much like the Cardinals, they don’t do anything really great. However, they will be in the playoff race the entire way in a weak AL Central. Patience has paid off and for White Sox fans they did not have to wait nearly as long as many had anticipated.
12. Seattle Mariners (40-39): Is there a hot stretch coming or is this it?
In 2025, the Seattle Mariners got as close to a World Series as the franchise had ever gotten. They were seven outs away until George Springer and the Blue Jays crushed Mariners fans hearts across the PNW. However, there was plenty of optimism exiting last season and coming into 2026. The favorites in the American League behind a young core headlined by Julio Rodríguez and Cal Raleigh, along with one of the best pitching staffs in baseball, it seemed like this was likely going to be the year for the M’s. However, so far they have been just average in 2026. It seemed like an eight-game winning streak at the end of May and into June would get them going, but injuries have started to pile up. Raleigh and Randy Arozarena have spent time on the IL but young players like Cole Young and Colt Emerson have slid in nicely. Now in a mediocre AL West, the M’s might already be playing well enough to win the West for a second consecutive season. But if they want to finally reach the World Series, the Mariners have to take things to another level, which they are known for doing after the All-Star Break.
13. Arizona Diamondbacks (39-39): Can the rotation stay healthy?
2023 was such a crazy postseason and the Arizona Diamondbacks took advantage of that to make it to the World Series for the first time since 2001. While they lost that World Series to Texas, the D-Backs seemed to have a new generation of great snakes, headlined by Corbin Carroll as the face of the franchise. They have yet to reach the playoffs again since despite trying to solidify their rotation. They brought in former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes along with veterans Eduardo Rodriguez and Michael Soroka. Injuries have ripped apart that rotation as Burnes hasn’t pitched since June 1st of last year while Ryne Nelson and Michael Soroka are both on the IL. They have a talented and balanced lineup but they need some reliable arms to stay on the mound and remain healthy. Sometimes you need a little luck which is what the Snakes need with their pitching staff.
14. Washington Nationals (41-38): The future looks bright
When the Washington Nationals traded Juan Soto back in August of 2022, it signaled the commitment to the rebuild for the Nats just three years after winning their first World Series. Looking back at the trade, there is a very strong argument that the Nationals actually won the trade, acquiring All-Stars CJ Abrams and James Wood, plus MacKenzie Gore who has since been traded to Texas. Juan Soto has since moved on to play for both New York teams but the Nationals offense is showing what this team can be. No team in the sport has scored more runs than Washington, including the Dodgers and it is all coming from the young stars of the future. James Wood is one of the best power hitters in the league and CJ Abrams just continues to evolve and get better and better. This is not the season that the Nationals are supposed to contend and even if they miss the playoffs, the future is clearly bright in the nation’s capital.
15. Pittsburgh Pirates (39-39): Pitching and lineup can’t get on the same page
Paul Skenes was enough to get the fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates excited and begging management to make some moves to try to contend. With other young pitching prospects like Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler, it was all about committing to the offense, which is exactly what they did last offseason. They gave the highest paid contract to a position player in franchise history when they signed Ryan O’Hearn and also nailed the Brandon Lowe trade, which also brought over Jake Mangum, and also got Marcell Ozuna. Now, they can’t seem to figure things out at the same time offensively and defensively. When the pitching is good, they aren’t hitting. When they are piling up runs, they are allowing just as many. That can be expected with young players so experience will level them out quite a bit. It is just nice to see fans once again getting excited about baseball in a city with so much baseball history.
16. Athletics (38-40): The next 5-10 years will be fascinating
You can’t help but feel bad for Oakland fans who watched their team leave the city and then start finding success. Sure, playing in the hitters friendly Sutter Health Park helps, but this young core is no joke. Nick Kurtz is going to be one of the best hitters in the next decade and he has plenty of support around him with Shea Langeliers, Jacob Wilson, Max Muncy and so many more. Now they also have the lingering issue of the new stadium being built in Las Vegas, which seems to be the target for when they go from dark horse to contender. They do need to see some more development from their pitching prospects but if things click this could be the team to beat in the American League for a long time. Right now it is about waiting and watching and it will be hard to take your eyes off the A’s for the next decade regardless of if it is a success or a train wreck.
17. Toronto Blue Jays (39-39): World Series hangover
Toronto was two outs away from winning the World Series last November before everything collapsed and they watched the Dodgers celebrate on their own field. That somberness has seemingly carried over into 2026 as the Blue Jays have not been able to get out of first gear. Yes, losing Bo Bichette was quite the blow but with the emergence of Ernie Clement and Addison Barger, it should not have affected them for very long. Injuries have not made things any easier for the Jays who have seen a bulk of their roster spend time on the IL. Kazuma Okamoto has provided some pop, but Vladimir Guerrero Jr. must improve on his .358 slugging percentage. World Series hangovers are real, especially for the losing team and the Blue Jays are going to need to fight for a Wild Card spot if they want to avoid being the latest victim of that.
18. Texas Rangers (38-40): How is this not working?
2023 was a dream come true for fans of the Texas Rangers. They went all in bringing in Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, made the right moves at the deadline, and took home the first World Series title in franchise history…only to not make the playoffs since. Not much has changed other than the fact that their pitching staff is much better now but the offense has completely vanished before our very eyes. Semien is gone along with Adolis García but the youth movement with Josh Jung, Evan Carter, and Wyatt Langford was supposed to balance those losses out. But it has just been complete mediocrity for three years in a row now. There is no clear blame that can be placed, but the offense just can’t seem to figure things out. They seemingly did everything right, but that just shows how hard this game is. Sometimes the right moves still don’t work out.
19. Miami Marlins (40-39): Commitment issues
A team that had Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich, Marcell Ozuna, and J.T. Realmuto got rid of all of those guys but can’t seem to fully commit to a rebuild in the nine years since moving on from those guys. It makes no sense that a team would trade away 24 All-Star appearances, two MVPs, ten Silver Sluggers, and four Gold Gloves but refused to trade an injured, diminishing starter in Sandy Alcantara. This team is not going to contend this year or next. They have great young players like Xavier Edwards, Kyle Stowers, and Otto Lopez, but they are not built to win yet. They must commit to being average to a bit below if it means getting the right pieces for a push in a couple of years. They won’t go get any big pieces that show they are in win-now mode but they won’t trade away guys that will help bring in pieces to win in the near future. They are stuck in the middle and can’t decide what they want to do which is why they will be around .500 until ultimately falling short of the postseason.
20. Baltimore Orioles (38-42): Is it time to blow this all up?
Much like the Rangers, the Baltimore Orioles seemed to have it all figured out with a young group of players leading this team to 101-win and 91-win seasons back-to-back. Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman were going to make this team a top dog in the AL for a long time with Colton Cowser and Coby Mayo adding depth. They struggled last year with a lack of pitching so decided to trade one of their young pitchers in injury-prone Grayson Rodriguez for Taylor Ward and also signed Pete Alonso to make the lineup even better. The only problem is they still can’t pitch. No, I do not think it is time to blow this thing up. There is way too much talent there but it might be time to stop making the big flashy moves and time to make the smaller moves to address the pitching staff if they don’t want to waste this window of talent.
21. Houston Astros (37-43): To rebuild or to retool?
The answer seems pretty obvious for Baltimore but for the Houston Astros it is a different story. The dominant force in the American League for a decade, Houston watched Seattle take the West last season and then missed the playoffs entirely. Things haven’t gone great for the Astros in 2026 either due to a multitude of injuries. Despite this, Yordan Alvarez is right towards the top of the MVP race and that has created the chatter about whether Houston should rebuild and sell while the stock is high. To be honest, I think that is quite ridiculous. Especially with this little run the Astros are on and with the AL West wide open, Houston should look more at a retool. Keep guys like Alvarez and Altuve while maybe selling players like Isaac Paredes for MLB-talent. You can’t decide to rebuild if you are in the AL West this year outside of the Angels, but there are some moves Houston can make to re-mold their team into a contender.
22. Cincinnati Reds (37-40): The only consistency is inconsistency
Barely sneaking their way into the playoffs last season thanks to the Mets meltdown, the Cincinnati Reds had the unenviable task of playing the Dodgers in the Wild Card round but still hoped to build upon their early exit. They have not been able to do so thanks to a miserable stretch as of late with a record of 8-17 in their last 25 games. Sal Stewart has been the only piece of consistency that the Reds have had in 2026 while Elly De La Cruz has been hurt and Eugenio Suárez hasn’t been able to follow up on his outstanding 2025. Hunter Greene has yet to pitch this season and it is always hard to win without your ace. It will be interesting to see what the Reds do at the deadline as they continue to ride waves of inconsistency year after year. Expect them to mostly stand pat.
23. Minnesota Twins (38-42): Joe Ryan is as good as gone
2026 had a complete different feel for the Minnesota Twins coming into the season. Last year, the Twins were viewed as strong contenders in the AL Central before falling apart and trading away most of their roster at the deadline. They were expected to be one of the worst teams in baseball this season but have remained competitive but that doesn’t change the entire outlook. Joe Ryan was nearly dealt last deadline and there is no way he is a Twin after this year’s deadline. He will net the Twins a large return with plenty of years ahead of him but it will signal that the Twins don’t anticipate competing for the rest of the 2020s. It is time for a rebuild and while the jury is out on if Byron Buxton gets moved, Joe Ryan is in his final couple of months in Minnesota.
24. New York Mets (34-43): Most disappointing team of the decade
When it comes to sports fans can always rest on the fact that some other fan base has it worse. The only fan base that might not be able to say that is the New York Mets. They spent big this offseason and ended up with one of the highest payrolls in the history of the sport. Bringing in Bo Bichette, Luis Robert Jr., Jorge Polanco, and Marcus Semien, the Mets were viewed as the threat to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now, they sit last place in the NL East behind teams like the Marlins and Nationals who aren’t really trying to win. Their meltdown in the second half of last season was abysmal and yet this season might be even worse. The only other team that could be lumped in with the Mets with their results falling mightily short of expectations is…the 1993 Mets. Check in on your friends if they are Mets fans cause they are going through it.
25. Boston Red Sox (31-45): Who is really to blame?
Another team that came into 2026 with high expectations are the Boston Red Sox and just like the Mets, they have fallen well short. Unlike the Mets however, Boston is just entering this window of contention with a very young roster that is experiencing some growing pains. Losing ace Garrett Crochet hurt as well but the pitching has not been the problem. The offense ranks 29th in baseball in runs scored and they watched manager Alex Cora get fired back in April. Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow did not get along with Cora so that tension already created a rift internally and the players seemed to side with Cora. There is definitely still tension stemming all the way back from the Rafael Devers trade so they need to fix the locker room culture before they can truly get a fresh start.
26. Detroit Tigers (34-44): The Skubal era is over
The big fish at this year’s deadline will be Tarik Skubal. Winning back-to-back Cy Young awards, Skubal and the Tigers seemed poised to take another step in contention after winning another playoff series last season and going into the 15th inning of game 5 of the ALDS with Seattle before being eliminated. It felt like they had stepped up but now they have tumbled back down to the bottom of the mountain. Somehow they have watched Chicago and Minnesota pass them by and now are going to have to make a decision whether to get something for Skubal at the deadline or watch him walk for free. After seeing the ridicule thrown at the Angels for doing the same with Ohtani, expect the southpaw to be wearing a different uniform come August.
27. Kansas City Royals (33-46): Wasting Bobby Witt Jr.’s early prime
Another team from the AL Central, the Kansas City Royals also seemed to have everything in front of them. One of the best players in the sport is Bobby Witt Jr. and he is just entering his prime behind a mostly homegrown roster that tasted success when they reached the playoffs in 2024. They have lost that momentum thanks to bad pitching and inconsistent offense. Now the front office doesn’t deserve too much blame because it looked like that homegrown talent was good enough to build around for the future. That has not been the case and now five years of Bobby Witt Jr. have been squandered. Now is the time where the front office has to start making moves if they don’t want to completely waste the best shortstop of this generation.
28. San Francisco Giants (31-46): The Vitello experiment did not work
It was a fascinating decision when the San Francisco Giants brought in Tony Vitello to take over the manager role for a team that has had consistent success for over a decade. A coach jumping from college straight to the big leagues was quite the story and many were curious on how it would unfold. The results have shown that most teams will likely stay away from college coaches because it has been a brutal season in the Bay. With one of the worst records in the sport and guys like Rafael Devers and Luis Arraez likely to get moved at the deadline, the experiment has been a complete disaster. It would be shocking if this was anything more than just a one-year stint for Vitello because the Giants have gone from dark horse to bottom feeder at an alarming rate.
29. Los Angeles Angels (32-48): Will they finally commit to a rebuild?
Mike Trout has played three playoff games in his 16-year career. Shohei Ohtani never made it to the postseason with the Angels in his six years in Anaheim. That is two generational talents that have been completely wasted in SoCal. Yet, they continue to make buyers moves rather than hitting a complete reset. Sure, the AL West is wide open, but can they really jump those four other teams with clearly better rosters? The answer is no. They also have the #28 ranked farm system so there is not too much help on the way. It is time to completely tear this team apart down to the studs and that includes shipping Mike Trout elsewhere.
30. Colorado Rockies (31-48): 2029 Contenders?
Where to even begin with the Colorado Rockies. They took a massive swing when they brought in Kris Bryant but he has played just 170 games since signing before the 2022 season. They have some promising young talent like Hunter Goodman and TJ Rumfield along with the consistent Ezequiel Tovar. Pitching will always be a problem for Colorado because of the altitude at Coors Field so free agents won’t ever want to go there. They have continued to place piece-by-piece slowly however but there is so much talent in that division that they just aren’t close to competing. They have accepted that fact though and seem to be making strides but they definitely need to figure out how to bring in some pitching talent if they want to contend after this crop of NL West giants moves on.
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