2026 MLB first-half grades: Ranking all 30 teams at the All-Star break

We’ve officially reached the 2026 MLB All-Star break, and while every team has played more than 81 games, this is the unofficial halfway point of the season. 

The first half has delivered breakout stars, surprising division races and several teams moving in directions few could have predicted before Opening Day.

2026 MLB first-half grades for all 30 teams

There’s been a lot of good, a lot of bad and a lot of “yeah, that’s to be expected” all across baseball. With SeatGeek serving as the Official Ticket Marketplace of MLB, we’ve kept close eyes on all 30 teams, and we’ve issued grades for each squad for the first half of 2026.

American League

AL East

Tampa Bay Rays: A

The Rays have looked like the AL’s most complete team for much of 2026. The offensive trio of Jonathan Aranda, Yandy Diaz and especially Junior Caminero is elite. Nick Martinez has been an amazing pickup – maybe the best of the 2025-26 offseason – Shane McClanahan has been great in his return after missing two full seasons and Drew Rasmussen is the best of the bunch as an All-Star again. They look like the Rays of old. 

New York Yankees: B-

The Yankees have, at times, looked like the best team in the American League by far, but the Aaron Judge injury and inconsistency have plagued them. Ben Rice has been a breakout star but has cooled off, and even with Judge, the lineup is top-heavy. The rotation is a saving grace that should get better with Gerrit Cole back starting to find his form while Max Fried should return soon. Cam Schlittler has been the best arm in the AL this season and at least makes the Yankees must-see TV every five games. The last few weeks haven’t been pretty, though.

Boston Red Sox: C

I was fading the Red Sox in a major way after a lackluster offseason, but I didn’t think they’d be one of baseball’s worst teams for the majority of this season. They’re starting to finally look like a playoff-caliber team after winning nine of their last 10 entering the break. Boston has an elite pitching staff, but the offense has largely struggled this year outside of Willson Contreras. The Sox have the ability to make some noise in the second half – especially with how wide open the American League is – but I still have some reservations. 

Toronto Blue Jays: C-

Injuries have really hurt the Blue Jays, but the lineup has been a disaster regardless. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is among the more disappointing players in baseball this season and the lineup has no real juice at this stage. Pitching is keeping them competitive enough to potentially make noise in the second half thanks largely to Dylan Cease, but things need to improve fast to take Toronto seriously the rest of the way. 

Baltimore Orioles: C

I didn’t buy the Orioles before the season, and this is basically what I expected of this squad. The lineup has some juice with Alonso, Henderson and a revitalized Adley Rutschman, but the pitching staff was and still is suspect. The O’s are in a strange place after making the playoffs in 2023 and 2024 as the young core has largely underwhelmed. This looks like a team that finishes .500 at its absolute best this year. 

AL Central

Chicago White Sox: A

This is the best story in baseball this year – the plucky young White Sox are looking like a playoff team. I thought they’d start to fall off when rookie sensation Munetaka Murakami got hurt, but Colson Montgomery, Miguel Vargas and Co. have carried the load while Sean Burke and Davis Martin have been two of the more unsung heroes on the mound this year. No team has overperformed more than Chicago, which lost 100+ games each of the last three seasons. 

Cleveland Guardians: C+

The Guardians are still in the thick of things and are tied atop the AL Central as they have at least some semblance of their usual mojo. It’s not hard to find things to worry about, though. The offense is usually fairly below average even with Jose Ramirez in the mix, but he’s hurt and there’s just not enough going on there to help make up for his absence. Cleveland is 28th in runs scored, as getting runners across the plate has been and remains a problem. The rotation is still very good with Parker Messick, Gavin Williams and Joey Cantillo leading the way, and more unknown heroes are emerging out of the bullpen. This is about what you’d expect from a Cleveland team in 2026.

Minnesota Twins: C+

The Twins sold hard at last year’s deadline and could be a major factor again if they take calls on one or both of Byron Buxton and Joe Ryan, both of whom made the All-Star Game this year. Outside of Buxton’s home run barrage and another strong campaign from Ryan, it’s been a pretty uneventful year in the Twin Cities. Minnesota had a good, not great start to 2026 and are technically in the playoff picture at a game under .500, but the Twins don’t seem like a team to monitor too closely the rest of the season.

Detroit Tigers: D+

The Tigers were my preseason pick to win the AL Central, but it’s been a rough showing in the Motor City. They can pitch, as we know, but Tarik Skubal missed considerable time after undergoing elbow surgery and offseason addition Framber Valdez has been closer to good than elite like he has been in the past. Detroit’s main issue is offensively, as few bats outside of rookie Kevin McGonigle, Riley Greene and Dillon Dingler are doing much of note. A disastrous month of May likely ruined any chance of the Tigers contending in 2026, though they were one of the better teams in baseball to close out the first half. All eyes now look at Skubal ahead of the trade deadline. 

Kansas City Royals: F

What a disaster it’s been in Kansas City. The Royals were a team I thought would make the postseason in a wide-open American League thanks to steady veterans atop the rotation and a dangerous lineup. That lineup is in the bottom half of baseball in runs scored with many key players taking steps backwards while the pitching staff is among the worst the game has to offer, coming in at 28th in team ERA. The Royals have some exciting young pieces to make up a core that can be good for years to come, but things have not come together at all in 2026.

AL West

Texas Rangers: C+

The Rangers have played much better of late and have taken a decent step forward offensively after a really poor showing in 2025. The pitching staff has been more good than great like it was last year, but with how poor the AL West has been in 2026, that could very well be enough to win the division as it is at least good enough to lead the AL West heading into the break. Texas will need more from the offense as well as prized offseason pitching addition MacKenzie Gore in the second half.

Seattle Mariners: C-

The Mariners have severely underperformed after an ALCS berth last year. Injuries have been a big problem, but even with some big bats in the lineup, the offense has really fallen off a cliff over the last five to six weeks. The Mariners are, top to bottom, the AL West’s most talented and complete team, but they haven’t looked like a premier contender just yet after coming this close to a World Series berth last year. I still think they’ll overtake the Rangers for the AL West crown at some point, but that was a dreadful first half – especially the last few weeks – for a team that entered the year with World Series aspirations.

Houston Astros: C-

The Astros have the MVP frontrunner in Yordan Alvarez, who’s chasing a Triple Crown, but an abysmal start to the year on the hill has Houston in a tough spot entering the second half. The Astros have played better over the last few weeks and are still absolutely in the thick of things in the AL West, but the team needs to be better overall on the mound in order to stay in the race. The offense has largely been tremendous, so even fringe-average pitching could carry the ‘Stros to a division title. 

Athletics: C

The Athletics were a fun story early in the year as they took control of a lackluster AL West, but the wheels have started to fall off the proverbial wagon, so to speak, over the last month or so. The A’s have a dynamic hitting duo in Nick Kurtz and Shea Langeliers, but the team has been lacking consistent bats behind those two. The pitching staff is a major problem and is the biggest obstacle in terms of the A’s actually being a serious contender both in 2026 and beyond. 

Los Angeles Angels: F

The Angels have been stuck in neutral from an organizational philosophy standpoint despite sagging in the standings for years now. The Angels will promote their top prospects faster than any other team, but they won’t commit to a long-term rebuild to help replenish a lackluster farm system. The team fired GM Perry Minasian, so it will be interesting how aggressive they are with selling off valuable assets this trade deadline season – Mike Trout to a contender, anyone? 

National League

NL East

Atlanta Braves: A-

From baseball’s most underwhelming division to perhaps the most overperforming. We’ll start with the first-place Braves, who have absolutely rebounded from a poor 2025 showing to take control of the division. Atlanta has cooled off after starting the year as baseball’s top and most balanced squad, but there’s still a lot to love with this team, especially if Ronald Acuna Jr. and/or Austin Riley return to form. The Braves have the makings of a very complete team as they’re fifth in ERA and ninth in runs scored.

Philadelphia Phillies: B+

The Phillies are an intriguing team to grade because on one hand, they had such a bad start to the season that they fired their manager, but on the other hand, they’ve been among MLB’s best teams since. Philly has played very inspired baseball under interim skipper Don Mattingly and is giving the Braves a fight for the NL East crown that few could have expected a month or so ago. A strong rotation duo of Zack Wheeler and Cristopher Sanchez is as dangerous as any 1-2 punch in the game, while Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper are carrying the load offensively. This is a team no one will want to face in October. 

Miami Marlins: A

Break out the Marlins, y’all. If the White Sox are the darlings of the American League, Miami fits the bill in the NL. Max Meyer finally looks like the guy who we expected to see when he was selected in the first round in 2020 while the duo of Otto Lopez and Xavier Edwards gives the Marlins arguably baseball’s best middle infield. Miami was red hot in June to get into contention, and while it’s a young team overall, there are enough intriguing pieces to make things interesting down the line. Regardless, the Marlins have been a great story thus far in 2026.

Washington Nationals: B+

The young Nationals finally are starting to gel – at least offensively. Washington is a team no one will want to face down the stretch as their young lineup is extremely dangerous, particularly with C.J. Abrams and James Wood each having monster seasons and helping the Nats lead the league in runs scored. The issue for Washington is on the pitching side as, outside of Cade Cavalli and Foster Griffin, there’s not much to write home about as the team is 26th in ERA. If Washington can be even close to average on the hill the rest of the year, the team could certainly make some noise down the stretch. 

New York Mets: F

There have been some incredibly disappointing teams in 2026, but none more than the Mets, who are a whopping 17 games under .500. New York’s offense is among the worst in the game as, outside of Juan Soto, few big bats have really clicked, including prized offseason addition Bo Bichette (though he’s hit better of late). The pitching has also been pretty average, especially with Freddy Peralta having the worst season of his career. Carlos Mendoza got the axe recently, and this is clearly a team that is looking forward to 2027 after such a disastrous 2026 campaign. 

NL Central

Milwaukee Brewers: A

The Brew Crew are buzzing. Milwaukee clearly has a secret sauce that just works, with elite pitching, standout bat-to-ball skills and dangerous baserunning. The Brewers are second in ERA and fourth in runs scored. Jacob Misiorowski is the Cy Young frontrunner in the National League, and Kyle Harrison has really broken out in his first year with the Brewers. Brice Turang has shined at the dish – and on the bases and at second base – and Jackson Chourio and Jake Bauers have added some much-needed thump to this lineup. There’s not much to complain about here – the Brewers are just really dang good. 

Chicago Cubs: B+

The Cubs have been one of baseball’s stranger teams this year. The word to know is “streaky.” The Cubbies had not one, but two 10-game win streaks in the first half and a 10-game losing streak. Chicago has a very high ceiling but also a pretty low floor. The Cubs are scoring a ton of runs thanks in large part to Pete Crow-Armstrong and Ian Happ, but the team’s pitching staff has lagged behind as the rotation in particular has been beat up bad. Look for the Cubs to be among the more aggressive teams at the deadline when it comes to adding starting pitching help. Chicago is 21st in team ERA thus far. 

St. Louis Cardinals: A

The Cardinals have long had some intriguing pieces, but it had yet to click the last few years. Things are really turning around in 2026, though, especially offensively with Jordan Walker finally looking like we all expected when he was one of the game’s top-ranked prospects and rookie JJ Wetherholt sitting in the driver’s seat for NL Rookie of the Year. St. Louis has also really gotten going in the pitching department this year, ranking 12th in ERA, headlined by Michael McGreevy’s breakout year, Andre Pallante and standout reliever Riley O’Brien. 

Pittsburgh Pirates: B

Paul Skenes looks human after two incredible seasons to begin his career, and while the Pirates being in the bottom half in runs allowed would normally make you squirm, Pittsburgh has had one of baseball’s top lineups and is currently tied with Washington for the MLB lead in runs scored. The Pirates are banged up right now with Oneil Cruz and standout rookie Konnor Griffin on the IL, but new infielder Brandon Lowe has been a godsend and outfielder Bryan Reynolds has returned to his All-Star form. Keep a close eye on the Pirates in the second half, especially if Skenes and Co. get rolling on the mound. 

Cincinnati Reds: D+

There was a time when all five NL Central teams were over .500 and the Reds looked like a prime postseason contender after making the playoffs last year. That’s no longer the case. Cincy has a bottom 10 offense despite having some very notable names in the lineup, and they’re also bottom 10 in ERA even with Chase Burns’ incredible campaign. There are a lot of intriguing pieces, but outside of the first month-plus of 2026, it has hardly clicked in Cincinnati. The Reds are still a largely young team, so they’re still worth keeping an eye on down the stretch ahead of 2027. 

NL West

Dodgers: A

The Dodgers are doing Dodger things. They’re third in both runs scored and team ERA, the rotation is incredibly potent with Yoshinobu Yamamoto and a fully healthy Shohei Ohtani leading the way, and there are enough good pieces in the bullpen even with Edwin Diaz missing most of Year 1 in L.A. The lineup has big names top to bottom, and Ohtani is doing Ohtani things. Kyle Tucker’s first season with the Dodgers has been underwhelming, to say the least, but the Dodgers are still the top team in the game without him contributing. Just imagine if – or when – Tucker really gets back to form.

Arizona Diamondbacks: B

I still have a hard time buying the Diamondbacks as a true postseason team, but they’ve certainly been a better watch than the Padres this season. Arizona’s big issue is the starting rotation, though Eduardo Rodriguez has been an absolute stud this year as one of the more surprising stories in the game in 2026. Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly really have struggled, and all eyes are on if/when Corbin Burnes returns and how that could potentially impact the Wild Card race. That being said, Arizona’s pitching has been pretty average overall, sitting 15th overall in ERA. The offense (19th in runs scored) has actually lagged behind the pitching staff, which is a bit of a surprise. Ketel Marte, Corbin Carroll and Gabriel Moreno are having very nice seasons, but there are few other even average bats in this lineup. 

San Diego Padres: C-

In terms of big names and potential, the Padres are among the top teams the game has to offer. But the game isn’t played on paper, and San Diego has woefully underperformed this year. No team has scored fewer runs than the Padres. Top bats like Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill and Xander Bogaerts have struggled, and Fernando Tatis Jr. had a dreadful start to the season but has really turned things around of late. The Padres’ pitching staff has been better than the lineup, though the team still ranks in the bottom half of baseball. San Diego has an elite bullpen headlined by star closer Mason Miller, but the rotation is basically average and the lineup isn’t giving the team many leads to hold of late. 

San Francisco Giants: D

I didn’t think the Giants were going to be a World Series contender, by any means, but the team has enough veteran big names that you thought they’d at least be fighting for .500 or better. That’s hardly been the case. San Francisco has, at times, had the worst offense in baseball, and a pitching staff headlined by perennial All-Star Logan Webb and former Cy Young winner Robbie Ray has been a bottom-10 group in baseball in terms of team ERA. The decision to hire Tony Vitello from Tennessee despite him having no professional coaching experience only looks more strange after a horrific first half. 

Colorado Rockies: D

The Rockies are doing basically what they always do. They hit pretty well but just can’t find the arms to help on the other end. They’ve been one of baseball’s worst teams, but that was to be expected. There have been some promising signs at times, namely Hunter Goodman’s All-Star campaign and a solid year from former first-round pick Chase Dollander, but Colorado’s new-look front office still has a long way to go.