ClutchPoints 2026 MLB Power Rankings, Vol. 27: Rays pulling away from Yankees

It is time for our updated 2026 MLB Power Rankings ! The regular season may be winding down, but many postseason races are heating up. Both the American League and National League still have multiple teams competing for the final Wild Card spots. Meanwhile, multiple division races are far from decided. One team that is pulling away from the New York Yankees and the rest of the American League are the Tampa Bay Rays, who clinched a postseason spot last week .

The Rays are among the ball clubs who climbed our MLB Power Rankings this week.

The 93-57 Brewers continue to lead the way. The 90-59 Los Angeles Dodgers are still competing for the best record in baseball, but this Brewers ball club is currently the best team in the game.

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LA is poised for another deep postseason run. Regardless of whether or not they surpass the Brewers for the best record, the Dodgers will enter the postseason with confidence. They are playing well and expect to reach the World Series for a third consecutive year.

The Rays are the first 90-win team in the American League this year. They hold a four-game lead over the New York Yankees for both the best record in the AL and the AL East standings. Superstar Junior Caminero and this Tampa Bay ball club have a clear path to reaching the World Series in 2026.

The Braves are just 5-5 over their past 10 games. Nevertheless, Atlanta holds a five-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East.

As mentioned, the Yankees are trailing the Rays in the AL East. New York has the second best record in the AL and the ball club leads the AL Wild Card race.

The Cubs and Phillies are tied for the NL Wild Card lead. For now, Chicago remains ahead of Philadelphia in our MLB Power Rankings, but things could look different next week.

This Phillies ball club is chasing the Braves for the NL East lead. They are poised to reach the postseason as an NL Wild Card team at the very least.

Boston holds the No. 2 spot in the AL Wild Card race. The Red Sox are hoping to get a number of players back from injury ahead of the postseason. They could be a sneaky team to watch in the playoffs.

The Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks have been going back and forth for the final NL Wild Card spot for weeks, but San Diego is beginning to pull away. The Padres are currently 2.5 games ahead of the Diamondbacks for the position. There is still work to do, but San Diego is in a good position. A seven-game winning streak has helped the Padres over the past week.

The Diamondbacks have dropped two consecutive contests while the Padres are continuing their aforementioned winning streak. Arizona still has time to get back on track, but the ball club needs to begin winning consistently while hoping that San Diego's winning streak comes to an end sooner rather than later.

The White Sox's lead over the Cleveland Guardians for first place in the AL Central is suddenly only a half-game. Cleveland happens to be hosting Chicago for a three-game series beginning on Monday. This series could go a long way toward determining the winner of the division.

The Guardians are 6-4 over their past 10 games and are close to surpassing the White Sox in the AL Central as mentioned. They need to get the job done at home this week in their three-game series against the White Sox.

The Astros' lead over the Texas Rangers in the AL West is just one game. Houston has dropped three consecutive contests, so this team needs to turn things around as soon as possible.

The Blue Jays remain only one game back in the AL Wild Card race. Toronto has won two consecutive games and will look to keep the momentum trending in the right direction this week.

The Pirates are climbing the MLB Power Rankings. The problem is that they play in the competitive National League. Pittsburgh is 6.5 games back of an NL Wild Card spot at the moment.

The Marlins have not had the best past couple of weeks, but this team continues to remain around the .500 mark. Miami has displayed potential despite its overall mediocre campaign.

The Cardinals are also hovering around the .500 mark. They will look to finish the 2026 season strong.

Texas is only one game behind Houston for the lead in the AL West. The Rangers have been close to surpassing the Astros for a while, but accomplishing the feat has been difficult for the ball club.

The Orioles are still technically in contention, but they are four games back of the final AL Wild Card spot. Baltimore is just 3-7 over its past 10 contests.

Elly De La Cruz has emerged as an NL MVP candidate. While he won't win the award given the presences of Pete Crow-Armstrong and Shohei Ohtani , De La Cruz's performance has been a bright spot in what has been an otherwise disappointing season for the Reds.

The Twins continue to fall out of contention. It was recently revealed that Byron Buxton will undergo hip surgery. He is hoping to be ready for 2027 spring training, which is encouraging.

The Nationals' strong offense hasn't been enough to keep them in contention this year. They are a few good pitchers away from becoming a contender, though.

It seems like I write the same thing in almost every MLB Power Rankings about the Mariners. They entered the season with lofty expectations but have been one of the biggest disappointments in the game. Nothing has changed for the 70-80 Mariners this week.

The Tigers have won four consecutive contests. They are not a contender at this point, but Detroit can still finish the season strong.

The Mets have played respectable baseball in recent weeks despite their overall underwhelming season. They are 7-3 over their past 10 games.

The Royals have failed to meet expectations in 2026. With that being said, their young core of players suggests they could compete as soon as next year.

The Giants need to figure out their franchise direction. Rebuilding may be their best decision.

The Athletics are similar to the Royals. They expected to play better this year but still feature a quality young core of players. The A's are another team that could compete next season.

The Angels, meanwhile, are similar to the Giants. They need to enter a rebuild, which, to their credit, they began at this year's MLB trade deadline. For now, they remain near the bottom of our MLB Power Rankings.

The Rockies are another team that simply needs to figure out a franchise direction. There isn't much reason to believe they will compete anytime soon despite their year of rebuilding.