MLB power rankings: Brewers take No. 1 spot ahead of Braves and Dodgers in all-NL top 3; Rays and Phillies round out top 5

And down the stretch we go. 

September is here, which means one more month of the regular season to whittle the field of 30 teams down to the 12 that will compete in the postseason. A little more than half of MLB’s teams still have a realistic chance of playing in October, while the rest will be using the remaining 25 or so games to deploy their rosters with an eye toward the future. 

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Whether a team is pushing for home-field advantage or the final wild-card spot or easing off the gas to preserve health and perhaps draft lottery positioning, these final four weeks of games can be valuable. In this latest edition of our power rankings, we’ll suggest a realistic goal and/or organizational focus for each team over the final month of the regular season.

Jump to a team by clicking on the links below:

1. Milwaukee Brewers (85-53)

Identify the postseason rotation. Jacob Misiorowski has established himself as one of the best pitchers on the planet. Logan Henderson has emerged as a worthy No. 2, posting a 2.36 ERA across nine starts since he was activated from the injured list on July 9. But then what? Who will get the ball in Games 3 and 4 in October? Kyle Harrison’s August featured three gems against losing teams (Pirates, Mariners, Mets) and two complete disasters against quality ballclubs (Padres, Cubs). Shane Drohan and Robert Gasser have shown flashes but are rookies. Dustin May has been frustratingly inconsistent since arriving at the deadline. Milwaukee needs to spend September sorting through these arms and getting at least two on track before the postseason.

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2. Atlanta Braves (82-56)

Secure a top-two seed. The Braves have some questions to answer at a few positions (shortstop, left field) and in the rotation behind Chris Sale. But their chances of going on a deep run in October will increase exponentially if they can avoid playing in the wild-card series and rest up before giving Sale the ball in NLDS Game 1 (for his long-awaited first postseason start as a Brave), rather than burning Sale in the opening round. Seizing the tiebreaker over the Dodgers with a statement sweep in Atlanta last week was a great first step, but there’s more work to be done for the Braves to finish ahead in the standings.

3. Los Angeles Dodgers (82-55)

Find some offensive momentum. For close to two months now, scoring runs has been a slog for the reigning champs. Since their 12-run outburst against San Diego on July 2, the Dodgers are hitting .241/.309/.380 across 49 games, amounting to a 90 wRC+ that ranks 24th in MLB over that span. That’s hardly the production of a juggernaut lineup like the one that existed for the first 88 games of the season, when L.A. collectively hit .267/.349/.445, good for a 120 wRC+ that was tops league-wide by a mile.

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Whatever the reasons behind the recent fall-off, the L.A. bats have a real opportunity to build some confidence over the final month against the easiest remaining schedule in the National League. Whether that will sufficiently prepare them for the gauntlet of arms that await in October is another question entirely, but it would be good for L.A. to put a few more crooked numbers on the scoreboard before their pursuit of a three-peat begins in earnest.

4. Tampa Bay Rays (82-55)

Clinch the top seed. The Rays have built a nice cushion atop the American League, thanks to their consistency and propensity to dominate series; taking all three from San Diego over the weekend marked Tampa Bay’s MLB-leading 14th sweep of the year. They’ve also been excellent at Tropicana Field, heightening the incentive to claim home-field advantage throughout the bracket. As such, Tampa Bay should be motivated to rack up enough wins to secure the AL’s No. 1 seed, ideally before they head out on the road for four games at the Yankees and three games at the Phillies in the final week of the regular season.

5. Philadelphia Phillies (78-60)

Clinch the top wild-card spot. The Phillies enter September four games back of Atlanta with seven games against the rival Braves left on the schedule, so perhaps Philadelphia still has a division crown in its sights. But if I’m offering a more realistic objective — especially with the Braves having won five of six against the Phillies so far this season, thus needing just two more wins to claim the tiebreaker — the focus should be on ensuring a wild-card series takes place at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies have caught up to the Cubs atop the NL wild-card standings, so it’ll be a race to earn hosting rights between the two clubs.

6. Chicago Cubs (78-60)

Clinch the top wild-card spot. See above. The Cubs occupy a similar space as the Phillies, with an even smaller chance of chasing down the division-leading Brewers but in strong position to guarantee some postseason home games. Chicago’s resurgence over the past two years has helped remind everyone how special Wrigley Field can be when the games matter, and Pete Crow-Armstrong’s push for NL MVP has added a new layer of excitement for the home crowd. If the Cubs want to give that special crowd a chance to shine in October, beating the Phillies for the top wild-card spot is the priority.

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7. New York Yankees (78-60)

Get Aaron Judge back in the lineup — and in the outfield — ASAP. The Yankees have treaded water just fine without their captain, but their ceiling in October is largely predicated on Judge’s availability and impact. And getting Judge back from his rib injury isn’t just about rejuvenating the lineup with a three-time MVP; it’s also about assessing how the entire offense takes shape around him, especially if he needs days at DH as he eases back into action. Even if Giancarlo Stanton is out of the picture due to injury, Luis Garcia Jr., Ben Rice and Paul Goldschmidt make for a crowded 1B/DH depth chart, meaning Judge will need to resume right-field duties quickly to ensure the position-player group can function against both lefties and righties.

8. Boston Red Sox (75-63)

Get fully healthy on offense. Just as Roman Anthony and Trevor Story returned to the lineup after missing multiple months, Willson Contreras — by far the Sox’s best hitter this season — landed on the injured list due to hamstring tightness. While that ailment isn’t considered serious, it’s frustrating that we’ve yet to see this lineup at full strength. That includes deadline additions Adley Rutschman, who is still looking to find his footing in Boston, and Curtis Mead, who is working his way back after suffering a fractured wrist in his first game with the Sox. What does this offense look like with everyone available? Hopefully we find out before October. 

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9. San Diego Padres (73-65)

Clinch a wild-card spot. If the Padres qualify for the postseason, it would be their fifth trip to October in the past seven seasons — the same number of playoff appearances the franchise made from its inception in 1969 to 2019. It would also mark the first time in franchise history that they reached the postseason in three consecutive years. The expanded playoff field has a lot to do with these fun facts, of course, but it’s still a reminder of what general manager AJ Preller and former owner Peter Seidler built — and why new owners Kwanza Jones and Jose E. Feliciano are so enthusiastic about getting involved. A return to October is not guaranteed, however. The division rival D-backs will have something to say, and the Padres will have to earn it.

10. Chicago White Sox (72-65)

Win the AL Central. Two years ago, the White Sox arrived in September having already lost 106 games. Last season, Chicago had the worst record in the American League by more than 10 games going into the final month. And look at them now. Already one of the great glow-ups in recent memory, this remarkable story is far from finished. The White Sox have a real shot at not only a division crown but also a first-round bye that would ensure a week of rest and a pair of home games to open the ALDS. What a world.

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11. Arizona Diamondbacks (73-66)

Clinch a wild-card spot. As the Ketel Marte saga lingers, the Snakes remain entranched in a heated wild-card race. If Arizona can keep pace with San Diego in September, as it has for much of the summer, it could lead to the juiciest series of the regular season’s final weekend: D-backs at Padres for three games at Petco Park, potentially to determine the final NL wild-card spot. That would be fun!

12. Houston Astros (70-68)

Win the AL West. It sure hasn’t been pretty — just ask fired general manager Dana Brown — but a clear opportunity remains for the Astros to reclaim the AL West crown after last year’s postseason miss. In fact, a path still exists to a first-round bye if Houston can find some momentum. The Astros made meaningful progress in that effort by taking the series opener on Monday against the White Sox, their top competition for the No. 2 seed in the AL bracket.

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13. Cleveland Guardians (69-68)

Ride a José Ramirez hot streak to a postseason berth. It took 31 games for Ramirez to hit a home run after coming back from his broken hamate bone on July 22, but the star third baseman might be heating up just in time to propel Cleveland to a playoff berth for the third consecutive year. To this point, it has been the rookies — Parker Messick, Chase DeLauter, Travis Bazzana — fueling the Guardians, but now it’s time for the future Hall of Famer to say, “Get in losers – we’re going back to October.”

14. Miami Marlins (69-69)

Play well enough to give the final road trip real stakes. As the other fringe NL wild-card contenders have started to fade away, the Fightin’ Fish just won’t quit, staying at or above .500 for all of August. FanGraphs has Miami’s playoff odds fading fast (2.3%) entering the final month, but the schedule offers an intriguing opportunity if the Marlins can avoid falling further: Their final road trip Sept. 14-24 takes them to the D-backs, Padres and Cubs — three of the four teams ahead of them in the wild-card standings. That could be a fun stretch if the Marlins can win enough games before then.

15. Baltimore Orioles (69-69)

Clinch the final wild-card spot. Colton Cowser’s mind-blowing, game-ending home run robbery to get the Orioles back to .500 for the first time since they were 15-15 on April 30 almost felt like a sign from the baseball gods that this team needs to be taken seriously. That said, the road to October is daunting for Baltimore, and the Orioles’ six games remaining against Toronto will likely determine their fate. Still, considering the bleak state of affairs at the end of June, when the O’s were 39-48 and five games out of the wild-card picture, vibes are pretty good with 24 games to go.

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16. Toronto Blue Jays (68-70)

Clinch the final wild-card spot. The Blue Jays also entered the final month on a high note, with an emphatic sweep of Seattle. Now another marquee matchup in Cleveland awaits this week and will further clarify Toronto’s chances of returning to October. It’s hard to fully shake the letdown this season has been compared to the sky-high hopes coming in, but at this point, all the Blue Jays can do is make the most of the chances still ahead of them and push for another memorable October in this mediocre American League.

17. Texas Rangers (68-70)

Return to October for the first time since winning the World Series. Texas should not be discounted in the underwhelming AL standings, though losing the tiebreaker against the Astros makes a late push for the division unlikely. That said, the Rangers could sneak in via the wild-card with a strong September, and it’s safe to say no one would be excited to face Jacob deGrom in a best-of-three series. That’s to say nothing of October darling Joc Pederson, who hasn’t appeared in a postseason game since he won the World Series with Atlanta in 2021.

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18. Pittsburgh Pirates (67-71)

Finish above .500. Owners of the National League’s longest postseason drought (2015), the Pirates’ playoff odds per FanGraphs climbed as high as 62% at the start of June but have since plummeted toward zero, meaning another quiet October in Pittsburgh is in store. That’s an awfully tough pill to swallow for this long-suffering fan base, and this might not be much of a consolation, but there’s still a path for the Pirates to finish with a winning record, which they haven’t done since 2018. Whether that’d be enough to save general manager Ben Cherington’s job is unclear, but it would at least feel like progress. Also: If Paul Skenes can finish strong after an uncharacteristic midsummer dip in dominance, that would help lend optimism for 2027.

19. St. Louis Cardinals (68-70)

Finish strong enough to be taken seriously next year. As late as June 23, the Cardinals had the fourth-best record in the National League behind the Brewers, Braves and Dodgers. That strong first half suggested this wasn’t the transition year many expected from the Cardinals, but their middling play more recently indicates that St. Louis wasn’t quite ready for prime time. Can the Cards’ young players show enough in September to restore some hype entering next season?

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20. Minnesota Twins (65-72)

Let the kids play. This is the same goal I gave Minnesota in this exercise last year, but that was largely focused on the prospects acquired in their epic trade deadline sell-off. This year, another wave of young talent has arrived in the form of homegrown hitters such as Kaelen Culpepper and Walker Jenkins, with perhaps more on the way in Emmanuel Rodriguez, all of whom could anchor the Twins’ lineup for years to come.

21. Seattle Mariners (64-74)

Take advantage of the schedule to embark on a miracle run. Making a late push to seize the title of Most Disappointing Team from the Mets, the Mariners have been a miserable watch lately by any standard — and especially for a team with their lofty preseason expectations. But you couldn’t draw up a more favorable finish to the schedule, as Seattle plays 17 of its final 22 games against the three worst teams in baseball: seven against the Angels, seven against the A’s and three against the Rockies. Is that soft slate enough to save the Mariners? Considering the hole they’ve dug for themselves, we shouldn’t count on it.

22. Detroit Tigers (63-74)

Finish strong on the mound. With the Tarik Skubal homecoming behind them — and the chances of rallying to a wild-card spot evaporating daily — it’s important for the Tigers to end this season on a positive note, pitching-wise, as they prepare for the post-Skubal era. Troy Melton has been one positive development this season, and it would be good to see more steadiness from veteran Framber Valdez, a meaningful step forward from 24-year-old Jackson Jobe and, perhaps most importantly, the Tigers debut of the top arm acquired in the Skubal trade, River Ryan. A proper send-off for Justin Verlander would also be nice. 

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23. Washington Nationals (66-74)

Don’t lose 90 games. The Nationals have made real strides this season under their new coaching staff and front office, but their poor form in recent weeks leaves them at risk of losing 90-plus games for a sixth consecutive season. Washington has the fewest games remaining of any ballclub, with 22 contests left, but that should be enough chances for them to notch the seven wins necessary to avoid the 90-loss mark.

24. Cincinnati Reds (64-73)

Get Sal Stewart his hardware. Only four franchises (Dodgers, Yankees, Braves, A’s) have produced more Rookies of the Year than the Reds, who have celebrated eight top-ranked rookies over the years and might have a ninth in Stewart, MLB’s RBI leader and home run leader among rookies. St. Louis’ JJ Wetherholt landing on the injured list clears the path somewhat for Stewart, but he’ll still need to beat the Mets’ duo of Nolan McLean and Carson Benge to clinch the award. Let’s see if he can turn his dream into reality. 

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25. New York Mets (62-76)

Play spoiler. This obviously was not the plan for September when the season began, but the Mets have played much better since deconstructing their pitching staff at the trade deadline and could make life difficult for a pair of rivals down the stretch. A three-game set at Yankee Stadium and a four-game home series against the Phillies represent golden opportunities for the Mets to sour the vibes for those postseason-bound clubs and perhaps even damage their position in the standings.

26. Kansas City Royals (62-76)

Enjoy a late push for MVP from Bobby Witt Jr. A sizable deficit in offensive production plus Kansas City’s lackluster showing in the standings has kept Witt somewhat on the outside of the AL MVP conversation. But it’s worth noting that Witt has a solid lead over Alvarez in WAR, thanks to his spectacular defense at shortstop, and a chance to lead the AL in stolen bases. Could a monster final month at the plate paired with a cold spell from Alvarez fuel Witt to MVP honors? It’s unlikely, based on Alvarez’s consistency, but it can’t be ruled out.

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27. San Francisco Giants (57-81)

Complete a (real) sweep. By beating the Braves in Monday’s makeup game, the Giants technically swept Atlanta in all three games of their two-part visit to Truist Park, having won the first two games back in June before the finale was rained out. But other than that, San Francisco has failed to sweep a continuous series this season, which is a rather astonishing and rare shortcoming, even for a bad team. Eight series remain for Tony Vitello and the Giants to change that.

28. Los Angeles Angels (53-85)

Don’t lose 100 games. The Angels narrowly avoided losing 100 games for the first time in franchise history two years ago, winning their 63rd game on Sept. 22. Can they find 10 more wins over their final 24 games to repeat the feat and duck the unique ignominy of triple-digit losses? We’ll see. It doesn’t help that 15 of their remaining contests are on the road. 

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29. Athletics (53-85)

Find a new head of baseball operations. By parting with longtime baseball ops head David Forst in early August, the A’s afforded themselves more time before the offseason to survey the front-office landscape and identify the best candidates to lead the organization as it prepares to move to Las Vegas in 2028. Whoever that individual turns out to be has a ton of work to do to get this franchise headed in the right direction after an injury-ravaged and non-competitive campaign, so the sooner they can take over, the better.

30. Colorado Rockies (52-86)

Don’t lose 100 games. Unlike the Angels, the Rockies have lost 100 games before — each of the past three seasons, after avoiding such a fate for the first 30 years of the franchise’s existence. Only four teams in MLB history have lost 100 games in four consecutive seasons. The Rockies need to notch 11 wins over their final 24 games to avoid becoming the fifth.