The Brewers have spent four straight weeks on top of Stan “The Fan” Charles’ MLB power rankings, and at this point they’re starting to look less like a nice story and more like a club that belongs there. Milwaukee sits at 85-52, and the big question hanging over the rest of the season is whether The Miz stays healthy and fresh enough to keep the Brewers rolling toward what would be the franchise’s first World Series visit since 1982.
The Dodgers, meanwhile, are no longer sitting in the driver’s seat after holding No. 1 for 15 weeks earlier in 2026. They’ve slipped to third at 82-55 and have gone 34-29 since Shohei Ohtani hurt his knee on June 11.
Ohtani has still produced 17 homers and 40 RBIs since then, but he is not stealing bases and is not pitching. Edwin Díaz has mostly been hurt, Kyle Tucker hasn’t delivered what the Dodgers expected, and Mookie Betts has missed time while not producing at the level he can.
The burden now falls on Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow to carry them in October.
Sitting between Milwaukee and Los Angeles are the Rays at No. 2, and Tampa Bay’s attack is doing plenty of the heavy lifting to go with the pitching reputation that always follows this team. Jonathan Aranda, Junior Caminero, Yandy Díaz and Liam Hicks are all in the middle of huge seasons, giving opposing staffs a brutal stretch to work through.
Atlanta jumped to No. 4 after a big home sweep of the Dodgers, capped by Chris Sale’s complete-game shutout. The schedule doesn’t let up from here, either.
After a makeup game at home against the Giants and two in Washington, the Braves still have six against the Phillies, three against the Rays, three against the Astros and three against the Cubs. That’s 15 straight against teams above .500.
The Yankees moved up to No. 5 after a solid week that ended with three wins in four games over the Red Sox. Now they head west for six games in Anaheim and San Diego, and two weeks from now they’ve got an unusual six-game trip to Minnesota and Arizona.
Chicago’s Cubs fell to No. 6, and while the Brewers now own an eight-game cushion in the NL Central, the teams still have seven games left against each other. Stan Charles doesn’t see the Cubs catching Milwaukee, but those games still matter for a club trying to lock down a playoff spot and build some confidence by handling the division leader.
Philadelphia checks in at No. 7 after grinding through a nine-game West Coast trip that finishes with three in Arizona. Then it’s home for four against the Braves and three against the Astros before another road stop in Atlanta for three more. The Phillies need to keep winning to stay ahead of the Padres and Diamondbacks.
Boston drops to No. 8 after going 10-10 since its excellent 40-game run. The Red Sox have 16 straight games coming against teams below .500, though seven of those will come against the Orioles and Rangers, both of whom are fighting for their postseason lives.
At No. 9, the White Sox are getting by, but the rotation picture has changed in a hurry. Davis Martin was 8-1 with a 2.00 ERA after his May 28 outing, but since then he’s posted a 7.06 ERA and a brutal 1.72 WHIP over his last 13 starts.
Sean Burke was excellent for a stretch, but he’s carrying a 4.74 ERA in August. Anthony Kay is now the team’s wins leader, and GM Chris Getz thought Luis Castillo was the answer.
Even so, Chicago is expected to hang on for the AL Central title and little else.
Houston rounds out the top 10 at 69-68, and the path ahead is a grind. The Astros hold a two-game lead over the Rangers in the AL West, and those clubs don’t meet again.
But the next two weeks are unforgiving: four at home against the White Sox, three at home against the Diamondbacks, three in Philadelphia and three in St. Petersburg.
That’s 13 straight against teams over .500.
The rest of the top 30 shakes out with the Diamondbacks at 11, the Guardians at 12, the Padres at 13, the Orioles at 14, the Blue Jays at 15 and the Rangers at 16. The Marlins sit 17th, followed by the Twins, Cardinals and Pirates.
The Tigers are 21st, then the Nationals, Mariners and Reds. The Royals are 25th, the Mets 26th, the Giants 27th, the Rockies 28th, the Angels 29th and the Athletics last at 30.
In Other News...
Orioles Just Took A Desperate Outfield Gamble For Their Playoff Push
The Orioles added another layer to their outfield search by claiming Luis Robert Jr. off waivers from the Mets, a move that speaks to how urgent the position has become down the stretch. Robert was once an All-Star center fielder and still brings the kind of power-speed mix teams covet, even if his recent seasons have been defined by uneven production and a long list of injury concerns.
For Baltimore, the appeal is obvious: the club needed more depth and more upside in the outfield after injuries and performance issues thinned the group. Robert gives the Orioles a player with real ceiling at a time when they are looking for any edge they can find, but the latest chapter of his career also leaves plenty of uncertainty about how much help he can provide and how quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Just Took A Costly Flier In The Wild Card Race
The Orioles made a surprising late-season move by claiming outfielder Luis Robert Jr. off waivers from the New York Mets, adding another layer of intrigue to a roster still trying to navigate the Wild Card chase. Baltimore is taking on the rest of Roberts salary and luxury tax obligations, a notable commitment for a team that has been cautious about its margins as the season tightens up.
Robert now has to be added to the 40-man roster, which means the Orioles will need a corresponding move before he can officially settle in. On the Mets side, his departure opens the door for outfielder Nick Morabito to be recalled from Triple-A Syracuse, but the bigger question in Baltimore is how much this waiver claim will matter in the standings and what it says about the clubs willingness to spend for a shot at October. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Roster Shakeup Puts Spotlight On Baltimores Newest Arrival
A fresh round of roster shuffling has put the Orioles newest addition squarely in the middle of the conversation. Baltimore designated infielder Luis Vzquez for assignment to create room for outfielder Luis Robert Jr., who was claimed off waivers, while also sending right-hander Anthony Nunez to Triple-A Norfolk and bringing back left-hander Cade Povich, who is lined up to start the next game.
For Vzquez, the move leaves his immediate future unsettled after a brief stay on the major league roster and only limited big league experience behind him. If he goes unclaimed, Baltimore could end up with another decision to make, but for now the attention shifts to Robert and how the Orioles plan to use him as they continue to tweak the roster around their latest wave of movement. [Read more 🡒]