At the All-Star break, the league’s middle is crowded enough to make just about everybody squint at the standings and see a path. That’s the reality behind the hope right now: only seven teams are out of contention, and a long list of clubs are hanging around within a few games of the last wild-card spot.
That group includes Houston, Boston, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Phoenix, St. Louis, San Diego, Detroit, Seattle, Washington and Baltimore. Expanded playoffs have turned that kind of position into a yearly industry, and the Orioles are right in the thick of it, stuck in a mosh pit of eight teams chasing two wild-card spots.
The math is simple for Baltimore and everybody else in that scrum: win more than the teams around you, and you’ve got a shot. That’s the daily message Craig Albernaz keeps hammering home, and while it may sound corny, it’s the truth. The Orioles have won four straight for the first time in 2026, but they’re still on the outside looking in as the break arrives.
There’s no shortage of teams riding a wave, either. The Red Sox have won nine in a row.
The Tigers are 9-3 over their last 12, and the Twins are 8-4 over that same stretch. Nobody knows where this ends, but plenty of clubs are still believing.
Here’s how the rankings stack up at the break:
- Los Angeles Dodgers (61-36, No. 1 last week): The Dodgers were swept at home by the Diamondbacks, which is a surprise, but they still own an 11.5-game cushion over Arizona. Even with that kind of lead, they’re expected to add pitching help, and Tarik Skubal is the big name to watch.
- Milwaukee Brewers (59-37, No.
2): Speed matters, and the Brewers have it in a different way. They don’t have a true burner, but 10 players have at least five steals.
Among the top 10 teams, only the Marlins, Yankees, Guardians, Rays and Brewers are really piling up stolen bases.
- Tampa Bay Rays (56-38, No.
3): Ian Seymour has worked his way from reliever to near-regular starter, and the recent stretch has been eye-catching. Over his last four starts plus a bulk relief outing, he’s thrown 26.1 innings with 34 strikeouts, 21 hits allowed, four homers and five walks.
His ERA in that span was 4.10.
- Philadelphia Phillies (54-42, No.
4): It’s a big week in Philadelphia, with Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber in the Home Run Derby - on Netflix this year - and Cristopher Sánchez set to start the All-Star Game. The other question is how aggressive Dave Dombrowski gets in trying to find a right fielder.
- New York Yankees (54-42, No.
6): The Yankees had a good week, splitting with the Rays in St. Petersburg and then sweeping the Nationals in Washington.
They open the second half against the Dodgers, which feels like a pretty good measuring stick.
- Atlanta Braves (55-40, No.
5): Mauricio Dubón has only played shortstop in 37 games, with most of his time coming in left field. That has left shortstop to Jorge Mateo, Jim Jarvis and Ha-Seong Kim, who is on the injured list.
The Braves could use a true shortstop, and Austin Riley’s line at third base - .207/.288/.329 with 113 strikeouts and 32 walks - is hard to ignore, especially with his contract running through 2032.
- Chicago Cubs (54-42, No.
8): The Cubs are five games back of Milwaukee in the NL Central despite major pitching injuries and a mostly underwhelming season from Alex Bregman. Even so, Craig Counsell has them a half-game ahead of the Phillies for the top wild-card spot.
The need is obvious: healthy arms, and more of them.
- Miami Marlins (52-45, No.
7): Miami sits two games behind Philadelphia in the NL East, and while catching both the Phillies and Braves still looks like a tall order, the Marlins had gone 26-8 in their previous 34 before being swept at Hard Rock this weekend. That kind of run keeps them in the conversation.
- Cleveland Guardians (51-46, No.
12): The Guardians got a clean sweep in Miami and finished the week 4-2. They’re tied with the White Sox in winning percentage at .526, but they’re still waiting on José Ramírez, who is three or four weeks away after fracturing his hamate bone.
Getting the real Steven Kwan back would help, too.
- St.
Louis Cardinals (50-45, No. 10): Chaim Bloom has a fascinating deadline ahead.
The Cardinals are one game behind the Marlins for the third and final NL wild-card spot, but they’ve gone just 19-19 over their last 38. They probably won’t wave the white flag this close, though they’re also only one game ahead of Pittsburgh, 1.5 ahead of Arizona, 2.5 ahead of San Diego and three ahead of Washington.
A smart executive might decide this is the time to punt on ’26 and build for a longer runway.
- Chicago White Sox (50-45, No. 9)
- Texas Rangers (49-47, No. 14)
- Pittsburgh Pirates (50-47, No. 16)
- Seattle Mariners (48-49, No. 11)
- Boston Red Sox (46-48, No. 25)
- Arizona Diamondbacks (49-47, No. 18)
- San Diego Padres (48-48, No. 15)
- Detroit Tigers (44-52, No. 22)
- Minnesota Twins (48-49, No. 17)
- Washington Nationals (48-49, No. 13)
- Houston Astros (47-51, No. 19)
- Baltimore Orioles (46-51, No. 20)
- Toronto Blue Jays (45-51, No. 21)
- Cincinnati Reds (43-52, No. 24)
- Athletics (41-55, No. 23)
- San Francisco Giants (41-55, No. 27)
- Los Angeles Angels (38-59, No. 28)
- Colorado Rockies (39-59, No. 26)
- New York Mets (40-57, No. 30)
- Kansas City Royals (38-59, No. 29)
In Other News...
Orioles Make Troubling Pitching Move As Keegan Akin Situation Deepens
The Orioles added another arm to the organization on Monday, acquiring right-hander Cam Sanders from the Pirates for cash considerations and sending him to Triple-A Norfolk. Sanders had been designated for assignment by Pittsburgh, and Baltimore is giving itself a little extra depth in the system at a time when the pitching staff is getting stretched.
The more pressing issue is Keegan Akin, who was moved to the 60-day injured list because of an elbow injury. He is scheduled for a medical evaluation that will help determine the next step, and for an Orioles club already trying to manage its pitching depth, the situation adds another layer of uncertainty to a bullpen that could use some stability. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Writer Just Put A Stunning Timeline On Samuel Basallo
Samuel Basallo has given the Orioles plenty to dream on already, and the appeal is obvious every time the 21-year-old catcher gets into one of his power swings. He has 16 home runs in 301 plate appearances, and his advanced power numbers back up what the eye test says: when he connects, the ball leaves in a hurry. Basallo has also talked openly about wanting to become an All-Star someday, which fits the way the organization has started to view him as more than just a promising bat.
The next step is less about raw talent than about the everyday grind that comes with becoming a lineup fixture. Basallo is still working through pitch selection and the defensive side of the position, but the trust around him is growing as he keeps showing he can handle bigger moments. Baltimore does not need to decide his ceiling right now, only whether his recent surge is the start of something much larger, and that is where the intrigue really begins. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Fans Have Seen This Mike Elias Pattern Far Too Often
For Orioles fans, the frustration is starting to feel familiar in a way that is hard to ignore. Since Mike Elias took over in 2019, Baltimore has too often been stuck in the same place at the same point on the calendar, rarely above .500 by the 95-game mark and usually hanging near the bottom of the AL East while the rest of the division pulls away.
The larger concern is not just where this season sits now, but how closely it fits the pattern that has followed Elias from the start. Baltimore has not finished a year with more than 78 wins under his watch, and even with the organization trying to build around a young core, the margin for error keeps shrinking as injuries pile up and the standings tighten. [Read more 🡒]