There are less than two months left in the 2024 MLB season — and not only does it seem as if no team will reach 100 wins on the year, but there is not a single club that’s playing .600 baseball at the moment.
All the hottest squads going into the All-Star break — the ones that have dominated our top five for most of the season — have petered off, making division races closer once again and wild-card races even more muddled than they already were.
This begs the questions: Who is the No. 1 team in baseball right now? Or is there even one at all? Four different clubs received first-place votes in our power rankings this week, making for a much tighter battle for the top spot on our list. Who won out?
Our expert panel has combined to rank every team based on a combination of what we’ve seen so far and what we already knew going into the 162-game marathon that is a full baseball season. We also asked ESPN MLB experts David Schoenfield, Bradford Doolittle, Jesse Rogers, Alden Gonzalez and Jorge Castillo to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.
Week 18 | Second-half preview | Preseason rankings
Record: 68-47
Previous ranking: 4
It turns out that the remedy for the Yankees’ alarmingly lengthy slide was a return to where it started: Fenway Park. New York went 10-23 after taking a series opener from the Red Sox in Boston on June 14. Six weeks later, the Yankees returned to Fenway for a brutal 9-7 loss before consecutive victories to close the series. Since that July 26 defeat, New York is 7-2 with a three-game series sweep of the Phillies along the way.
The Yankees’ slump was more than long enough to cause concern in their quest for the American League East title, but the Orioles didn’t capitalize — and the Yankees appear to be back on track with a favorable schedule for the remainder of the season. — Castillo
Record: 68-47
Previous ranking: 5
For all the Yankees’ summer struggles, the Orioles weren’t much better during their rivals’ six-week funk. Baltimore went just 16-18 in that stretch, climbing from 3½ games behind New York to just two games ahead. Sensing the need to improve the roster, general manager Mike Elias made seven moves in the final days ahead of the trade deadline. Elias plugged holes, most notably improving the rotation with Zach Eflin and Trevor Rogers, but the club’s biggest recent addition might have come from within the organization: Jackson Holliday is back in the majors and he’s performing every bit like the sport’s top prospect. — Castillo
Record: 68-46
Previous ranking: 1
Nobody sums up the Phillies’ struggles of late — they had lost six straight series before taking two of three against the Dodgers — better than Bryce Harper. He went 2-for-38 over a nine-game stretch, finally breaking out of it with a 3-for-4 game on Sunday in Seattle, including a home run late in the game that blew it open. Trea Turner went 10-for-65 over 15 games, seeing his average drop from .347 to .306. Alec Bohm has one home run and eight RBIs over 27 games. — Schoenfield
Record: 67-47
Previous ranking: 2
An overlooked aspect of Cleveland’s success has been the defense, led by the up-the-middle combo of second baseman Andres Gimenez and shortstop Brayan Rocchio. Gimenez won the Platinum Glove last season as the best overall defender in the AL and he could be on his way to another one as he leads all AL defenders with plus-15 defensive runs saved (DRS). Rocchio leads AL shortstops (and ranks second in MLB) with plus-10 DRS. Overall, the Guardians lead the majors at plus-71 DRS. — Schoenfield
Record: 66-49
Previous ranking: 3
The Dodgers welcomed Brusdar Graterol back on Monday, after he had spent the entire season rehabbing a shoulder injury, but then promptly placed fellow reliever Blake Treinen on the injured list with hip discomfort. The following day, on his eighth pitch of the year, Graterol suffered a hamstring strain that might end his season. The Dodgers’ roster has been in flux for quite a while, and it is most evident in their bullpen. Two key injured relievers — Treinen and Ryan Brasier — are expected to rejoin the staff in the next week or two. But the Dodgers have struggled to get any continuity late in games and don’t currently have a defined closer. Since the All-Star break, their relievers have posted a 4.59 ERA, 19th in the majors. — Gonzalez
Record: 64-49
Previous ranking: 6
Until further notice — meaning someone challenging them within the National League Central — Milwaukee can start to think about its playoff rotation after Freddy Peralta. Colin Rea has clearly established himself as the No. 2, unless newcomer Frankie Montas moves up a notch. Montas was OK in his first start as a Brewer, giving up nine hits but no walks and just three runs over five innings. Not great, but he kept his team in the game, which is what Milwaukee is going to need as it hits the postseason. Rookie Tobias Myers is in the mix, too, pitching well for the first-place Brewers.
Outside of Peralta, though, they just don’t have the kind of shutdown starters needed for a long playoff run. Righty Aaron Civale isn’t the answer in that vein, and Montas might not be either — but both have the know-how and capabilities as backend guys for the postseason. The Brewers don’t have any other great options. — Rogers
Record: 63-50
Previous ranking: 8
Minnesota’s October aspirations will be determined first and foremost by health. When the club’s top hitters are healthy, the Twins boast one of the deepest lineups in baseball. Nobody embodies that identity better than Byron Buxton. The 30-year-old center fielder, who hasn’t played more than 92 games in a season since 2017, is slashing .351/.423/.784 in 28 games since June 23. His 1.207 OPS in that period ranks behind only Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Aaron Judge across the majors.
But Buxton was pulled from the Twins’ win Sunday with back stiffness after colliding with the outfield wall and missed the next two games. Meanwhile, All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa is on the injured list for the second time this season with plantar fasciitis. On the positive side, Royce Lewis, who has been limited to 35 games this season, is healthy. — Castillo
Record: 63-52
Previous ranking: 7
The Padres have won 13 of their 16 games since the All-Star break, scoring more than twice as many runs as they’ve allowed. They thrived while facing a brutal string of opponents in the second half of July and now have a noticeably easy schedule throughout August, which includes eight series against teams at or below .500. The Padres have put themselves in good standing within the NL wild-card race and are suddenly in position to give the Dodgers a run in the division. San Diego doesn’t know when it’ll get Fernando Tatis Jr. back, but Joe Musgrove is expected to return to the rotation in Miami this weekend. — Gonzalez
Record: 63-52
Previous ranking: 15
The D-backs — like the Padres — have been one of baseball’s hottest teams in the second half. And the biggest reason has been their offense, which has posted an .873 OPS since then and has scored five or more runs in 12 of 17 games.. Ketel Marte has continued his incredible season, slashing .328/.397/.791, but Josh Bell — a last-minute acquisition to replace an injured Christian Walker at first base — has provided a major boost, batting .313 with nine home runs in 16 games. One major negative, though: Their star catcher, Gabriel Moreno, is out with a groin injury. — Gonzalez
Record: 60-53
Previous ranking: 9
The offensive woes continued with back-to-back shutout losses to the Marlins on Sunday and the Brewers on Tuesday as the Braves recorded just six hits each game. Jorge Soler was the big acquisition and he had been hot for the Giants leading up to the trade deadline, but he has hit .154 with one RBI and one run in his first six games for Atlanta. He has been hitting leadoff and playing right field (after not playing the field all season with San Francisco) as the Braves look to get some offense from the leadoff spot, where Jarred Kelenic had struggled mightily in recent weeks. — Schoenfield
Record: 64-52
Previous ranking: 11
The Royals roared out of the break — playing a lot of games against the White Sox certainly did not hurt in that regard. The only thing you can do is beat the team you’re playing, though, and Kansas City has done just that to remain stubbornly in wild-card position for most of the season. But to finish that quest successfully, the Royals will have to beat good teams as their remaining slate is one of the toughest in MLB. Avoiding a series sweep to Boston with a win on Wednesday brought them to 28-33 against teams .500 or better. That’s not a tragic percentage, but it’s not going to get them into the postseason either. — Doolittle
Record: 61-52
Previous ranking: 12
The Red Sox have rebounded after stumbling out of the All-Star break with five straight losses to stay on the Royals’ heels for the final wild-card spot in the AL. Wilyer Abreu has been front and center in that turnaround. The outfielder is slashing .311/.396/.667 with four home runs in 16 games since the break to vault himself into AL Rookie of the Year contention. He clubbed two of those homers, including the first of his career against a left-hander, on Monday with a heavy heart after learning that his grandmother had died in Venezuela. Abreu, 25, is an example of the kind of contributor teams can unearth when dealing veterans at the trade deadline: The Astros sent him and Enmanuel Valdez to Boston for two months of Christian Vazquez two years ago. — Castillo
Record: 59-56
Previous ranking: 14
If the Mariners were only going to get one member of their standout rotation in the All-Star Game, it was debatable whether that hurler should have been Logan Gilbert or George Kirby. Gilbert got the nod, but Kirby has since been making a solid case that it should have been him. In four outings since the rosters were announced, Kirby has a 1.48 ERA, allowing four earned runs over 24⅓ innings, striking out 22 and walking just four. He hasn’t allowed a homer during that span. Gilbert has continued to impress as well, save for one seven-run clinker at Boston on July 29. — Doolittle
Record: 59-55
Previous ranking: 10
A discouraging update was shared Wednesday regarding Kyle Tucker’s progress in returning from a bruised shin. Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters that Tucker has been jogging but remains unable to sprint. While no firm timetable has been attached to his eventual return, it sure doesn’t sound as if it’s close. The formerly hot Astros have cooled off considerably in recent weeks and might face an uphill battle to get back into the playoffs if Tucker’s absence lingers too long. Houston has lost 36 runs off its 162-game offensive pace since the All-Star break. — Doolittle
Record: 60-54
Previous ranking: 13
Sean Manaea reeled off consecutive scoreless starts of seven innings, fanning 11 against the Twins and then 10 against the Cardinals. He became just the third Mets pitcher with consecutive starts of at least 7 innings, 0 runs and 10-plus strikeouts, joining Dwight Gooden (who did it twice) and Tom Seaver (who did it three times). It continues a great stretch for Manaea, who has a 2.28 ERA over his past 10 starts while holding batters to a .185 average. — Schoenfield
Record: 59-56
Previous ranking: 16
St. Louis got a boost after acquiring Tommy Pham at the deadline but then fell back down to Earth, losing three of four to the Cubs over the weekend. The Cardinals nearly got swept, if not for a gift rally in the eighth inning on Saturday. They continued some struggles this week against the Rays as their margin for error for making the playoffs continues to shrink. They just can’t have many missteps from here on out. For example, newly acquired pitcher Erick Fedde has to do a better job of keeping his team in the game than he did in his first start with St. Louis after he gave up five runs in the second inning of a loss. The Cardinals will probably need help to make the postseason, but they can’t give away any games either. — Rogers
Record: 58-58
Previous ranking: 21
The Giants famously decided not to trade Blake Snell before the trade deadline. In fact, according to rival executives, they barely seemed to entertain the concept. At this rate, though, all they’ll get for him is the compensation pick tied to a qualifying offer. Snell threw a no-hitter against the Reds on Friday, accentuating his recent run of dominance. In six starts since being reactivated off the IL, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner has allowed just five runs in 39 innings. Barring another rough stretch to end this season, Snell is all but certain to opt out of his $30 million player option for 2025. He’ll be a free agent, and the Giants, unless they re-sign him, will have missed an opportunity to get something meaningful back for him in July. — Gonzalez
Record: 56-57
Previous ranking: 17
Pittsburgh is entering Garrett Crochet territory as it decides how to use Paul Skenes down the stretch. Crochet is being used sparingly by the White Sox in the second half, but they’re also well out of the race. The Pirates have a chance at the wild card but probably can’t make it without using the ace rookie as much as possible. The team says there won’t be a pitch count that determines Skenes’ usage, it’ll be his recovery between starts — though, of course, that recovery might be determined by in-game usage. He has thrown 113 innings this season split between the minors and majors after throwing 122 last year for LSU. He’s in good shape, but the Pirates will undoubtedly tread carefully with a major part of their future. — Rogers
Record: 57-56
Previous ranking: 19
Tampa Bay ostensibly punted on the 2024 season by trading several veterans, including its only All-Star, in the final week before the trade deadline. But the postseason door hasn’t slammed shut just yet. The Rays are 5-5 since trading Randy Arozarena to the Mariners for two prospects late on July 25 to ignite their flurry of moves. A three-run loss to the Cardinals on Wednesday dropped the Rays to 5½ games out of a wild-card spot — sinking their playoff chances to 6.7%, according to FanGraphs — but there’s still a chance. — Castillo
Record: 54-61
Previous ranking: 18
If the Rangers never end up mounting the second-half run their fans have been waiting for all season, you won’t be able to blame Corey Seager for it. That’s no surprise of course, but his homer to break up a no-hit bid from Houston’s Framber Valdez with two outs in the ninth inning on Tuesday is just the latest reminder that Seager is the franchise star in Arlington. He’s on pace to play 144 games, which would be his second-highest total going back to 2017. He’s on track for 34 homers, which would establish a new career best. The homer off Valdez gave Seager five dingers in five games to start August, so he seems primed for a big finish. — Doolittle
Record: 55-59
Previous ranking: 20
The Elly De La Cruz show made headlines again last week, as the shortstop — one of the lone bright spots on offense for Cincinnati this year — shined in a series win over the Marlins. De La Cruz hit .381 with two home runs and three more stolen bases over the past seven days, upping his major league-leading stolen base total to 58. That’s over 20 more than second place. Overall, he has a top-20 season OPS — and he’s only 22 years old. If his growth is linear and he takes another step forward next year, watch out. De La Cruz might just be getting started. — Rogers
Record: 57-60
Previous ranking: 23
The Cubs have some interesting decisions heading into next season. They’ve seen massive growth out of rookie center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and rookie first baseman Michael Busch, meaning Cody Bellinger might be a man without a position. That’s where manager Craig Counsell has to step in and move Bellinger back to right while asking Seiya Suzuki to be the main DH for 2025. Suzuki has had a bad year on defense, while Bellinger is well above average. Crow-Armstrong is clearly the center fielder of the future, so it only makes sense that it’s Suzuki who becomes the odd man out. The Cubs improved their defense at third when they acquired Isaac Paredes from Tampa Bay. If they do the same in right field, run prevention could be a key phrase for them next season. — Rogers
Record: 55-60
Previous ranking: 22
The Tigers have clearly shifted their focus to next year and beyond. The big question now is when Spencer Torkelson might rejoin them. Torkelson, the No. 1 pick in 2020, struggled through a .201/.266/.330 slash line in 54 games and was sent to Triple-A to refine his mechanics. He has since been producing at a high level, though his strikeout rate remains high. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said: “He knows he’s got some work to do before he impacts this roster again. But step by step, we’re seeing some encouraging signs that he’s got his swing under control.” — Gonzalez
Record: 52-62
Previous ranking: 25
It’s been a hugely disappointing season for the Blue Jays, potentially disappointing enough to prompt major offseason changes in the front office and dugout, but Vladimir Guerrero Jr. keeps on hitting. The All-Star first baseman has a .399/.451/.811 slash line with 14 home runs in 37 games since June 23. His 1.262 OPS during the stretch leads the majors — yes, even ahead of Judge’s output. The problem for Toronto is that the eight spots in the batting order outside Guerrero’s three-hole have produced a sub-.700 OPS in that span, a bottom-five mark in all of baseball. — Castillo
Record: 52-63
Previous ranking: 24
There’s a feeling the Nationals are starting to turn the corner, but let’s not jump ahead here. They’re still in the bottom half of the NL in runs allowed and runs scored. Some of the young players who had strong first halves, such as CJ Abrams and MacKenzie Gore, have slowed down a bit of late. Top prospects Dylan Crews and Brady House have both reached Triple-A, but neither have put up great numbers in the minors. James Wood has been impressive, but this is a little odd/worrisome: He has yet to pull a fly ball in the air. Hard to make a living hitting only to the opposite field, although he has done it so far. — Schoenfield
Record: 48-68
Previous ranking: 26
The Athletics are better this season, which might be damning them with faint praise, but it’s better than getting worse. The offense has been a bonafide explosive unit in recent weeks, with Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler emerging as a potent one-two force at the plate. The A’s have won four games this season by 10 or more runs. Only the Yankees, Mets and Diamondbacks have done it more often, while the Dodgers also have four. — Doolittle
Record: 50-64
Previous ranking: 27
Now that we know Mike Trout’s season is over, we can get the full sense of a very discouraging year for him. He managed 10 homers and six steals during his 29 games, but his .220 average matched his career low, set during his first call-up in 2011 as a 19-year-old. While this season’s average was based on just 109 at-bats, it was enough to drop Trout’s career mark from .301 to .299. We’ve bemoaned Trout’s injury ills more times than we can count, but this has to be rock bottom, right? — Doolittle
Record: 43-72
Previous ranking: 28
Let’s give a shout-out to Xavier Edwards, the bright shining light in this dismal season for Miami. Injured at the start of the season, he didn’t play until June, got sent back down to Triple-A after three games, got called up on July 2 and has been a spark plug in the leadoff spot since then, hitting .386/.451/.474 in 31 games with 12 steals in 14 attempts. The switch-hitter has little power, so he uses a 1980s style of hitting, but it’s working — and he has also shown a very patient approach. Once pegged as a second baseman or utility player, he has held his own at shortstop as a stopgap there. Maybe second is still his long-term home, but the Marlins may have an answer in the leadoff spot at the plate. — Schoenfield
Record: 42-73
Previous ranking: 29
The Rockies, coming off the first 100-loss season of their history, have avoided a complete free fall of late, going 14-18 since the start of July. And the biggest bright spot might be Brenton Doyle, the 26-year-old center fielder who has slashed .289/.352/.684 with 12 home runs in 31 games in that stretch. Doyle is already among the best defensive center fielders in the majors. If he can continue to evolve as a hitter, as this season has shown, the Rockies will have another clear building block up the middle, alongside 23-year-old shortstop Ezequiel Tovar. They’ll take the positives where they can. — Gonzalez
Record: 28-89
Previous ranking: 30
Our national nightmare is over: The White Sox won a game, beating Oakland on Tuesday, after losing 21 straight. The bad news is that streak. The good news is the pitcher who helped break it: rookie Jonathan Cannon. The 23-year-old has quietly put together a nice year on a very bad team. He pitched six innings in the win, giving up just one run — which came after a solid month of July. In fact, he has thrown at least six innings in each of his past six starts, giving up a total of just 13 runs. Cannon gives hope for a moribund franchise that actually has churned out some pitchers lately — a group that includes Cannon, Drew Thorpe and No. 5 draft pick Hagen Smith. They could help the White Sox compete in the somewhat near future. — Rogers
