2026 MLB power rankings: Where all 30 teams stand after the trade deadline

August got off to a bang with the MLB trade deadline on Monday, Aug. 3. We saw some huge names change teams, including some very notable surprises, and we also saw a few fringe playoff contenders decide to look toward the future. 

The dust has now settled, and every team has now finished at least one series since the trade deadline wrapped up. What better time to get a lay of the land and dish out some MLB power rankings? 

Power rankings for every MLB team after the trade deadline

With SeatGeek serving as the Official Ticket Marketplace of MLB, we keep a close eye on all 30 of MLB’s teams. With the dust of the MLB trade deadline now settled, it’s time to rank all 30 teams now that we have less than two months to go. 

As always, these rankings have a few factors that come into play. Overall record is one factor, as is recent play, long-term projections and, for this month’s installment, what moves the team did or didn’t make at the trade deadline. Numbers next to each team are their current record followed by where they ranked 1-30 in last month’s power rankings. 

1. Los Angeles Dodgers – (69-46, 1)

The Dodgers haven’t played their best baseball of late, having lost eight of 10 and six in a row, but they still get the No. 1 spot in my rankings. The roster is loaded and only got better at the deadline with the addition of Tarik Skubal, a two-time Cy Young winner. Skubal and Yoshinobu Yamamoto create a devastating 1-2 punch, and the rotation has even more upside if Shohei Ohtani returns to starting on a full-time basis and Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow get healthy. L.A. has the best roster in baseball, and the team now has the best pitcher in baseball. The Dodgers were already tough, but they’re going to be very hard to beat in a shortened postseason series. It’s only a matter of time before things start clicking again.

2. Milwaukee Brewers – (72-43, 2)

The Brewers have baseball’s best record, but I still have to put them a hair below the Dodgers. The Brewers were expected to be more aggressive at the deadline, and while adding Dustin May to the rotation and JoJo Romero and Antonio Senzatela help the team, there was no big splash as expected. Milwaukee is in good shape to make the postseason and make some noise, but I do have a bit of concern with the rotation after Jacob Misiorowski. Heck, there’s even some reason to worry about “The Mis” given his workload this year and that he already had to miss some time around the All-Star Break due to fatigue. The Brewers are really darn good, but I still don’t think they’re Dodgers-level good.

3. Tampa Bay Rays – (68-46, 5)

The best team in the American League is in Tampa Bay, and the Rays had a really strong deadline to boot. They filled a need with Freddy Peralta, and he’s a high-ceiling pitcher who could really shine these last two months for the Rays. Liam Hicks gives the team a better offensive catcher than they’ve had in years, and he comes with club control to boot. Add in underrated reliever Tyler Wells and the Rays filled key holes in cost effective moves. They’re playing great and added notable pieces to an already very good roster. I was hoping there’d be a big splash move, but honestly, the Rays are in great shape moving forward. 

4. Atlanta Braves – (70-45, 4)

I’m still very high on the Braves, who have played really well after an ugly June appeared to expose some cracks in the armor. I think if Ronald Acuna Jr. can stay healthy and get in a groove and Austin Riley gets hot, you’re looking at the top competition to the Dodgers in the National League, even above the Brewers. But their deadline was lackluster. The Braves really needed to land a No. 2 starter to pitch behind Chris Sale, but adding Tyler Mahle doesn’t really move the needle. This is still a great Atlanta roster, and the Braves are starting to separate themselves once again from the Phillies in the NL East, but it would have been nice to see them be more aggressive at the deadline. This team and roster deserved more. But still, they’re in a good spot and have been playing great ball since July 1. 

5. Chicago Cubs – (67-49, 7)

For better and for worse, the Cubs have been streaky this year. They’re entering Friday on a four-game winning streak, which included a three-game sweep of the Dodgers. Chicago did exactly what it needed to do at the deadline, adding two veteran starters to the rotation in Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes, both of whom are expected to make their Cubs debut very soon. A stronger rotation is really all Chicago needed, especially as the lineup is as dangerous as ever. In case you haven’t been paying attention, Pete Crow-Armstrong is baseball’s hottest hitter of late, and he may very well give Ohtani a run for his money in the NL MVP race, especially after picking up six hits and two homers against L.A. earlier this week. 

6. New York Yankees – (64-51, 3)

The Yankees made a solid move for Nationals slugger Luis Garcia Jr. while adding a fourth outfield type in Heliot Ramos, but that was it. The Yankees certainly could have at least used one more impact reliever, but instead they sold Camilo Doval after a disappointing New York tenure. The Bronx Bombers are still well equipped to make a run, mind you. Aaron Judge should return soon, and the team expects Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton back. Garcia is also a very nice addition who is in the midst of a breakout season. But with how open the AL is, the Yankees had a pretty weak deadline, all things considered. Even still, they have the ability to make a run at the AL East title, but they need to start scoring more runs after two really poor showings in June and July.

7. Boston Red Sox – (63-51, 23)

It’s crazy the difference a month or so can make. The Red Sox looked left for dead and playing out the motions in June under an interim manager. But Boston has gone 26-4 since the start of July, far and away the best record in baseball. They’re also winners of eight straight. The Sox have always been able to pitch this year, but the lineup was lagging far behind. That unit now looks very potent, and suddenly, there’s a case to be made that the Red Sox are the most dangerous team in the American League. Their big addition was stealing Baltimore catcher Adley Rutschman, who was an All-Star this year. The switch-hitting backstop is on the IL right now, but is expected back soon. He’s a pro hitter with a great approach who will instantly improve the lineup, especially given how the team has gotten very little offensive output from that spot in 2026.

8. Philadelphia Phillies – (62-54, 6)

Look, I’m still very much a Philly believer, but it hasn’t been pretty since the start of July as the NL East powerhouse went 9-15 last month. They’re off to a better start in August at 5-1, and the team made a very intriguing deadline addition in three-time batting champ Luis Arraez. He’s the game’s premier contact king, and that’s something this Phillies team doesn’t always do at a high level. He’s already had some great moments for his new team at the plate. The big question is how Philly will handle its defense long term with Arraez in the mix, but there’s no denying the lineup got a lot better with that move. The team’s rotation also remains elite at the top, and I still contend this is going to be a very tough team to bounce in a shortened playoff series this October should they qualify. 

9. Chicago White Sox – (59-55, 9)

Chicago has still been a great story in 2026, but the White Sox went 13-12 in both June and July after an 18-10 month of May, and they’re just 1-4 to start August. The team made an intriguing deadline move in adding veteran right-hander Luis Castillo to the rotation from Seattle. Even though he’s having a down year, he should help anchor a young rotation, and he’s been excellent in three separate postseason trips. The White Sox have been able to take advantage of slipups by the Guardians, and even when things haven’t gone great, Chicago has largely been able to stay afloat and avoid too lengthy of cold spells. That shows this young Sox team is ready to step up as one of the AL’s best teams. 

10. Arizona Diamondbacks (61-54, 16)

Really, the Diamondbacks have had one bad month, going 12-15 in June. They recovered to go 15-10 in July, and they’re 3-3 so far in August. The Diamondbacks are pretty average in the pitching department, but they’re a fringe-top-10 offense. That lineup will play in October, but they need more help on the pitching side. Arizona wasn’t able to add a notable starting pitcher at the deadline, with the team’s biggest move being outfielder Lars Nootbaar from St. Louis. Will that be enough to sneak into the Wild Card? I’m not sure. The biggest thing to watch are reports about Corbin Burnes, as the former Cy Young winner is expected back at some point in the next month. 

11. San Diego Padres – (59-56, 13)

I’m still not quite sure what to make of the Padres, as outside of an 18-7 month of April, they’ve been an average-at-best team. The lineup has started to turn things around after a dreadful start, and they can thank Ty France’s surprise contributions for that. The Padres added two notable starters in Robbie Ray and Casey Mize ahead of the deadline, giving up a lot in the process. San Diego has a 26-man roster that certainly is talented enough to make the postseason and win a series or two, but the team still has a lot of room to grow. 

12. Cleveland Guardians – (57-59, 11)

The Guardians are 23-31 since the start of June, and while their pitching staff has been more than serviceable over that stretch, runs have been hard to come by. That’s also the case for really most of this season, and I like what the Guardians did at the deadline to help with this. Former Angels outfielder Jo Adell is a streaky bat, but he hit 37 homers last year and gives the team a lot more upside, especially if he gets hot. They also added first baseman Nathaniel Lowe from Cincinnati, and the veteran is a consistent run producer who will help raise the lineup’s floor. On the pitching side, the addition of All-Star Foster Griffin gives Cleveland a potent rotation trio along with Parker Messick and Gavin Williams. Things haven’t been great for the Guardians, who are struggling to keep pace with the White Sox, but there’s a lot to like moving forward, especially in a very weak AL Wild Card race. 

13. Houston Astros – (59-57, 17)

Since nobody wants to win the AL West, apparently, the Astros have taken control of the division – or at least, they are the only team over .500, even if they enter Friday with a minus-25 run differential. Still, Houston is 47-37 since June 1 after a 12-20 start to the year, and armed with MVP frontrunner Yordan Alvarez and a bunch of veteran playoff contributors around him, the Astros could very well win this division. They’re in the driver’s seat for it, and they’re hoping to unlock new outfielder Daulton Varsho’s bat after the team acquired him from Toronto in its only notable deadline move. In a weak West, Houston stands tall for the time being. 

14. Miami Marlins – (58-58, 8)

The Marlins have rebounded well enough after a 12-game losing streak late in July, but the damage was done as that drastically hurt Miami’s playoff chances. They’re still within arm’s reach of a playoff spot, but Miami is reeling a bit with Max Meyer hurt and is coming off a series sweep by the Braves. Additionally, the team traded a big bat in Liam Hicks to Tampa Bay. The Marlins kept big names in Sandy Alcantara, Otto Lopez and Kyle Stowers after all three appeared in trade rumors, so even without Hicks, the club is largely intact and could easily make another run considering what we saw during a ridiculous 20-5 showing in June. I like Arizona, San Diego, Philadelphia and even Pittsburgh more than Miami to occupy the final two Wild Card spots after Chicago, but I also don’t expect the Marlins to go away quietly. 

15. Pittsburgh Pirates – (57-60, 10)

The Pirates should be better than they are. Their 57-60 record is last in the NL Central, but they’re plus-24 in run differential on the season. The pieces are there, especially with a much improved lineup. The pitching has lagged behind, though, especially with Paul Skenes looking mortal amid a notable drop in velocity on the year. The Pirates are starting to slip out of the Wild Card picture, though I still have some belief they can get rolling in the right direction. I’d take their roster and team over some other squads currently ahead of them in the standings. 

16. Detroit Tigers – (56-59, 24)

After trading ace Tarik Skubal to L.A. and 2025 All-Star Case Mize to San Diego, you could have argued the Tigers were waving the white flag on their 2026 campaign. But over the last few weeks, few teams have been as good as Detroit, especially at the plate. Everything appears to be clicking for the Tigers’ lineup, be it rookie Kevin McGonigle or breakout catcher Dillon Dingler and his incredible power streak. Whether this is just a hot streak or something more remains to be seen, but this Tigers team still looks awfully competitive. The lineup can’t sustain this level of excellence forever, so the next big test is how the rotation looks over multiple turns without Skubal and Mize. Regardless, at least for the time being, Detroit is very much in the Wild Card picture. Fun fact: The Tigers are third – yes, third – in the AL in run differential for the entirety of 2026. 

17. Minnesota Twins – (57-59, 21)

The Twins are a half-game out of a playoff spot, and while that’s worth celebrating, it’s largely the result of how bad the American League has been this season as the team is under .500 right now. But still, Minnesota is in the hunt, and unlike many teams around them in the standings, the Twins largely have played well of late, going 15-9 in July, though they’re 1-4 in August. Minnesota held on to Joe Ryan, and their biggest bat, Byron Buxton, is on the IL. Minnesota was aggressive in landing bullpen help at the deadline, and given how the AL Wild Card picture looks right now, there’s a strong case to be made the Twins are one of the two or three top contenders for that third and final Wild Card spot. A stronger bullpen will only help their chances.

18. Texas Rangers – (57-58, 14)

The AL West is weird. First, the A’s were the best team. Then the Mariners retook control. Then the Rangers led the way. And now it’s the Astros atop the standings. Texas is 13-16 since July 1, and the Rangers had no answers for the Astros in a recent series. The Rangers kept things quiet at the deadline, not really dipping into the water as either a buyer or seller. Texas has an intriguing roster, headlined by a big-name pitching staff, and if you told me the Rangers are your pick to win the West, I wouldn’t blame you. And even if they don’t win the West, the Rangers could take a Wild Card spot at their current pace. But like the other top contenders in the division, I have plenty of question marks about this club, especially offensively with Corey Seager hurt and in poor form in 2026. 

19. Seattle Mariners – (56-60, 15)

There are a lot of teams that could be considered baseball’s most disappointing team, and the Mariners may just take the cake. They’ve now gone 25-31 since the start of June and have lost four of their last five series and six of their last eight. Seattle’s offense has been a problem all season long, and every big-name bat outside of Randy Arozarena has disappointed. The Mariners traded veteran pitcher Luis Castillo for payroll relief and added veteran outfielder Taylor Ward at the deadline, but that was basically it. The Mariners have the ability to go on a run, but that run many have expected just has not come yet. 

20. St. Louis Cardinals – (57-58, 12)

For most of 2026, I’d look at the standings and ask myself, “How are the Cardinals still doing this well?” St. Louis is just four games back of the third Wild Card spot right now, but they’re playing some rough ball after going 10-18 in July, and the team traded a few notable names in Dustin May, JoJo Romero and Lars Nootbaar. The Cardinals still look a year away from really contending overall, but it’s hard to argue against 2026 being a major success thus far. St. Louis will probably be a trendy Wild Card pick next year behind Jordan Walker and JJ Wetherholt, but for now, they just look like a young but talented team that’s not quite ready to take the next step. 

21. Baltimore Orioles – (56-59, 25)

The Orioles were aggressive sellers at the deadline despite being in the thick of a weak AL Wild Card race, and they traded All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman to rival Boston in one of the more surprising moves of the deadline. The O’s also traded outfielder Taylor Ward and reliever Tyler Wells. Those were probably the right moves considering this team doesn’t appear to be ready for a deep playoff run, but it’s still a bit disappointing considering where they are in the standings. The O’s have also played well since the start of July, going 17-11. But it’s clear there’s an eye toward 2027 in Baltimore, even if things are going fairly well on the diamond right now. 

22. Washington Nationals – (56-61, 18)

The good news for the Nationals is their 2027 outlook is still in decent shape after holding on to star shortstop CJ Abrams at the deadline after speculation he could be on the move. But there’s no denying the Nationals were aggressive sellers after going under .500 in three of the first four full months of the year. Washington parted with All-Star lefty Foster Griffin, first baseman Luis Garcia Jr., as well as Curtis Mead. The team was aggressive in adding pitching, making a nice addition in Boston lefty Connelly Early, and based on what we’ve seen in 2026, that’s exactly what the Nationals need in order to grow starting in 2027. The lineup should be very good moving forward, even after moving on from Garcia and Mead, but it’s that pesky pitching staff that’s holding Washington back. 

23. Cincinnati Reds – (56-58, 20)

The Reds have actually played well since July 1, going 17-13, including 4-1 in August thus far. Still, things got off the rails in May and June after a hot start to 2026, and the Reds have been looking up at the rest of the NL Central for most of the year. There’s an outside chance Cincy could have a hot stretch and surge up the standings, but it feels like this year has shown some of the growth that this young Reds team still needs. The team held on to its main core pieces at the deadline, trading away only rental veterans in Nathaniel Lowe and Caleb Ferguson. I still like a lot of the Reds’ long-term outlook, but the team being bottom five in runs scored is shocking, while being bottom 10 in team ERA is also not what I expected. 

24. Toronto Blue Jays – (54-62, 22)

Things just never clicked for the reigning AL champs this year due to injuries, dropoffs from established stars like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and other factors. As such, Toronto smartly traded veteran Kevin Gausman to Chicago, but they were able to add some nice pieces that can help the team next year. The Blue Jays got Jose Soriano from the Angels, who had an amazing start to 2026, as well as Spencer Arrighetti from Houston. Both can help this club’s rotation next year, especially Soriano. The Blue Jays smartly didn’t go full fire sale, and they’re now better equipped to contend next year than they were a week or two ago. That’s a bit of a consolation prize considering what the preseason expectations in Toronto were, but as far as 2026 as a whole, yeah, it hasn’t been pretty, especially on the mound since the start of June. 

25. New York Mets – (50-66, 26)

The Mets were as busy as any team this offseason, but yeah, that didn’t work. The lineup has been a mess, all the team’s shiny new toys fell well short of expectations, and now the team will be looking to hire a new manager this offseason. The deadline was also busy for the Mets, just not busy how the team expected to be. They traded away Freddy Peralta, Luke Weaver, Clay Holmes, Huascar Brazoban, A.J. Minter and Brooks Raley in a bit of a fire sale. Where do the Mets go from here? Fixing the lineup is of vital importance, but now the team has to rebuild basically its entire pitching staff after how this deadline went. 

26. San Francisco Giants – (48-67, 29)

There was some thought that the Giants would be aggressive sellers in trying to get out of expensive long-term deals this deadline. Instead, the team focused on getting rid of pending free agents like Robbie Ray and Luis Arraez. San Francisco, to the team’s credit, has been better since the start of June after looking completely lost in April and May, but the Giants have still been under .500 over that stretch. For a roster with so many established big names, it’s been borderline disastrous this season. It’s hard to envision things getting better next year, either, given how it’s looked in 2026.

27. Kansas City Royals – (48-68, 27)

Every time I look at the Royals, I grimace. This is a team I picked to get a Wild Card spot in the American League this year. Yet this is a team that is bottom five in both runs scored and runs allowed. Basically nothing has gone right. Kansas City didn’t sell off veteran arms like Seth Lugo or Michael Wacha at the deadline, and it remains to be seen whether that was the right call. There’s certainly a lot of talent on this club, but nothing has come to fruition in 2026. Bobby Witt Jr. and Co. will have a long offseason of reflection after how poorly this year has gone. 

28. Athletics – (45-70, 19)

The Athletics were a fun story early in the year. This young squad with intriguing bats got off to a good start, and thanks in large part to how poor the rest of the AL West was – and has been – the A’s actually sat atop the division for quite a while. But the A’s don’t have the arms to be competitive right now, and that’s amplified by playing their home games at such a hitter-friendly park where they have a team ERA of … 6.52. Ouch. Still, the Athletics’ long-term outlook is not bad by any means. But like the next team we’re going to talk about, they’ve got to figure out the pitching side of things. There’s a lot of potential with this club at the dish, but they’re going to struggle without better pitching. 

29. Colorado Rockies – (45-70, 30)

The Rockies still have a long way to go, but they’re not nearly as messy as the No. 30 team in our rankings. Colorado wasn’t as aggressive of a seller at the deadline as expected, and honestly, I don’t hate it. The Rockies didn’t get an offer they liked for All-Star catcher Hunter Goodman, and they decided to extend outfielder Mickey Moniak rather than deal him. There’s plenty to like with this offense moving forward, but to be fair, it feels like you’ve been able to say that for every Rockies team in the franchise’s existence. Until Colorado shows it can identify and develop pitchers who can upend the disadvantage that is Coors Field’s elevation, the Rockies are going to be near the bottom of these rankings for quite a while. 

30. Los Angeles Angels – (44-71, 28)

Look, the Angels are in a bad spot, and as a result, they were major sellers. They traded many key pieces like Jose Soriano and Jo Adell, but they surprisingly held onto Reid Detmers and Zach Neto. The team is nowhere close to competing in the near future, so it probably would have made more sense to fully lean into selling more than they did. Regardless, the team is a mess with few redeeming qualities at this moment, and they’ll finish as one of the worst teams in the league when it’s all said and done.