MLB Power Rankings as Braves Bully Dodgers and Yankees Roll Past Red Sox

With the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers squaring off for three games, followed by the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees going head-to-head for a four-game series, last week's MLB slate gave fans a taste of playoff atmosphere.

That said, there is still a lot to be sorted out between now and the end of the regular season, with the AL West, AL Central and multiple wild-card spots still very much up for grabs entering September.

Even for teams that have fallen out of the race, there is still the opportunity to assess young talent and play spoiler, and the Kansas City Royals did just that last week with a pair of series wins on the road over contenders.

With four weeks of regular-season baseball left on the schedule, let's take an updated look at the MLB landscape.

In case you missed it, B/R's MLB Power Rankings from last week and every fresh power rankings throughout the season can be found at the new MLB Power Rankings hub .

30. Los Angeles Angels (52-85) 29. Colorado Rockies (52-85) 28. Athletics (53-84) 27. San Francisco Giants (56-81) 26. New York Mets (61-76) 25. Cincinnati Reds (65-72) 24. Washington Nationals (65-74) 23. Kansas City Royals (62-76)

The Royals have won five straight series after taking two of three on the road against the Blue Jays and Guardians last week, and they are 13-3 during that stretch as one of the hottest teams in baseball. It's likely too little, too late in the playoff race, but with 18 of their final 24 games against contending teams, they are well-positioned to play spoiler.

The Angels are riding a seven-game losing streak, and with a .380 winning percentage they are on pace for the first 100-loss season in franchise history. The 2024 team currently stands as the worst with a 63-99 finish.

With seven strong innings on Saturday against the Astros, Mets right-hander Nolan McLean has now recorded four straight quality starts. He has a 0.72 ERA and just 10 hits allowed in 25 innings during that stretch, and he has become a legitimate candidate in the NL Rookie of the Year race.

22. Detroit Tigers (63-73) 21. Minnesota Twins (65-72) 20. St. Louis Cardinals (68-70) 19. Pittsburgh Pirates (67-71)

The Tigers and Twins went from playoff odds hovering around 20 percent one week ago to teetering on the edge of non-factor status after both teams suffered a pair of series losses. The two now go head-to-head for a three-game series starting on Monday.

The Cardinals also saw their faint playoff hopes take a hit with two series losses at home, and a three-game series at Dodger Stadium starting Tuesday could be the final blow. On a positive note, Jordan Walker is hitting .305/.348/.505 with five home runs and 18 RBI in August, as his breakout season continues.

With their weekend series win over the Cardinals, the Pirates are 22-21 against the rest of the NL Central. Regardless of how their remaining nine games with the division foes play out, they have already improved on last year's 19-33 showing.

18. Miami Marlins (69-68) 17. Seattle Mariners (64-73) 16. Toronto Blue Jays (68-70) 15. Baltimore Orioles (68-69)

With series losses to the Red Sox and Nationals last week, the Marlins have fallen to seventh in the NL wild-card standings, and their playoff odds have dipped below the five percent mark. They also play baseball's fourth-toughest remaining schedule, according to Tankathon .

The Blue Jays swept a three-game series from the Mariners in a rematch of last year's ALCS thriller, and Toronto is now quietly just 1.5 games back in the AL wild-card race after selling at the trade deadline.

Speaking of trade deadline sellers out of the AL East, the Orioles went 5-1 last week on the road against the Cardinals and Athletics to move just one game out in the wild-card race. They lead the AL with 40 home runs in August, and Pete Alonso has supplied nine of those long balls.

14. Texas Rangers (67-70) 13. Cleveland Guardians (69-68) 12. Houston Astros (69-68) 11. San Diego Padres (72-65)

The Rangers are 8-12 in their last 20 games, and while they are still very much alive in the AL West race with a mere two-game gap to the division-leading Astros, momentum is not on their side. They host the Rays for a big four-game series this coming weekend.

Despite being a combined two games over .500 and carrying negative run differentials, the Guardians and Astros would both be part of the playoff field if the postseason started today. The Astros improved their outlook significantly with series wins over the Yankees and Mets on the road, but their next 13 games are all against teams with a winning record.

After tossing five innings in his latest rehab start on Thursday, Joe Musgrove looks poised to finally make his 2026 debut for the Padres sometime this coming week. The former All-Star last appeared in a big league game on Oct. 2, 2024 in Game 2 of the NL Wild Card series.

Previous Rank: No. 10 Last Week: 2-1 vs. CHC, 2-2 @ SF

The D-backs are in a solid position to make just their second playoff berth in the last nine years, but it will be a tough week ahead with the Phillies and Astros on the schedule. Outfielder Lars Nootbaar went 6-for-18 with two doubles and two home runs last week, and he has settled into the leadoff spot in the batting order.

Previous Rank: No. 11 Last Week: 2-1 vs. TEX, 2-1 @ MIN

Once their upcoming four-game series against the Astros wraps up, the White Sox will play just three of their final 22 games against opponents with a winning record. A year after losing 102 games, there's a good chance they will get a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the ALDS.

Previous Rank: No. 7 Last Week: 2-1 @ MIA, 1-3 @ NYY

Dropping three of four to the Yankees took some of the wind out of the Red Sox sails, but they are still 16-12 in August and sitting on a six-game cushion for one of the AL wild-card spots. Roman Anthony and Trevor Story both made their long-awaited return from the injured list on Sunday.

Previous Rank: No. 4 Last Week: 1-2 @ ARI, 1-2 vs. CIN

The Cubs lead the majors in runs scored (161) and home runs (53) in August, but they are just 15-12 overall this month after a pair of series losses. A pair of blown saves last week shined a light on the team's shaky relief corps, and they will need to find a way to tighten things up in the coming weeks.

Previous Rank: No. 5 Last Week: 1-2 @ SEA, 3-0 @ LAA

The Phillies have baseball's best record in August with an impressive 20-7 mark, but they also have the second-toughest remaining schedule of any team. They will go head-to-head in Atlanta for a four-game series this weekend, and facing a five-game deficit in the standings, they have an opportunity to make things very interesting heading into September.

Previous Rank: No. 3 Last Week: 1-2 vs. HOU, 3-1 vs. BOS

The Yankees snagged some significant momentum by taking three of four from the Red Sox over the weekend, including a 16-1 shellacking on Sunday. Deadline pickup Luis García Jr. is hitting .306/.355/.529 with five home runs and 12 RBI in 23 games since joining the Yankees, providing exactly the type of spark the offense needed.

Previous Rank: No. 6 Last Week: 2-1 @ DET, 3-0 vs. SD

The Rays are 18-9 in August and have extended their lead in the AL East standings from 2.5 to 4.5 games over the Yankees along the way. They improved to 46-23 at Tropicana Field with their three-game sweep of the Padres, so securing the AL's best record and home-field advantage will carry extra importance.

Previous Rank: No. 2 Last Week: 0-3 @ ATL, 2-1 @ DET

The Dodgers have quietly been swept three times in their last nine series after dropping three straight to the Braves last week, and they are now the No. 3 seed in the NL playoff picture. Will any of that matter in October? Tarik Skubal tossed six innings of four-hit, one-run ball in his return to Detroit on Friday, and he now has a 3.00 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 30 innings over six starts in a Dodgers uniform.

Previous Rank: No. 8 Last Week: 3-0 vs. LAD, 3-0 vs. COL

The Braves made a statement with their three-game sweep of the Dodgers last week, punctuated by Chris Sale's five-hit shutout on Thursday. He now sports a 2.06 ERA and 177 strikeouts in 144 innings, and could still be a factor in the NL Cy Young race. The follow-up sweep of the Rockies gives them baseball's longest active winning streak at seven games.

Previous Rank: No. 1 Last Week: 2-1 @ NYM, 2-1 vs. TEX

Now in their fourth consecutive week at No. 1 in these rankings, the Brewers have won eight of their last nine series and have settled in as baseball's most consistent team. They play seven of their next 10 games against the Cubs, including a four-game series at Wrigley Field starting Monday.

1. Milwaukee Brewers 2. Atlanta Braves 3. Los Angeles Dodgers 4. Tampa Bay Rays 5. New York Yankees 6. Philadelphia Phillies 7. Chicago Cubs 8. Boston Red Sox 9. Chicago White Sox 10. Arizona Diamondbacks 11. San Diego Padres 12. Houston Astros 13. Cleveland Guardians 14. Texas Rangers 15. Baltimore Orioles 16. Toronto Blue Jays 17. Seattle Mariners 18. Miami Marlins 19. Pittsburgh Pirates 20. St. Louis Cardinals 21. Minnesota Twins 22. Detroit Tigers 23. Kansas City Royals 24. Washington Nationals 25. Cincinnati Reds 26. New York Mets 27. San Francisco Giants 28. Athletics 29. Colorado Rockies 30. Los Angeles Angels