Power Rankings: Who's the best team in baseball right now?

There was a lot of movement ahead of last week's MLB trade deadline, and we've now had a week of game play to see how teams' new acquisitions are settling in, as well as the impact they might provide.

Despite not making any huge splashes at the deadline, the Brewers keep rolling and sit at No. 1 for the third consecutive week. Meanwhile, the Yankees, who made a number of moves and were deemed a deadline winner, have dropped five straight games since July 31 and fallen to their lowest ranking of the season at No. 12.

Boston was another team that didn't see a lot of action around the deadline, but the Red Sox have won seven of their last eight games and jumped back into our top 10 for the first time since Week 5. And don't look now but ... could the Marlins, who have risen to No. 20 on our list, have a hot streak in them to make a playoff push?

Our expert panel has ranked 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 Buster Olney, David Schoenfield and Bradford Doolittle to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.

Week 18 | Second-half preview | Preseason rankings

1. Milwaukee Brewers

Record: 70-44
Previous ranking: 1

The Brewers continue to roll: 16-9 in June, 17-7 in July and 6-0 in their first six games in August, including blowout wins of 16-9 and 14-3 over the Nationals over the weekend. Brandon Woodruff continues to look great in his return (2.22 ERA in five starts) and All-Star Freddy Peralta is having his best season, but another key has been the emergence of Quinn Priester, acquired in early April from the Red Sox. He's now 11-2 with a 3.15 ERA, has won five starts and 10 decisions in a row, and has a 2.45 ERA since joining the rotation on June 10. -- Schoenfield

2. Philadelphia Phillies

Record: 65-49
Previous ranking: 6

Kyle Schwarber might not win the National League MVP Award, given how difficult it is for DHs not named Shohei Ohtani to win the honor. Schwarber currently ranks eighth in the NL in WAR, behind multidimensional players like Pete Crow-Armstrong, Ohtani, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Kyle Tucker. But Schwarber is going to make big money in free agency in the fall, no matter where he lands. Some friends of his in the game wonder if he'd prefer to play closer to his Midwest roots. -- Olney

3. Chicago Cubs

Record: 66-48
Previous ranking: 2

The Cubs' lack of impact moves at the trade deadline was widely criticized, and now it looks even worse as Michael Soroka pitched two innings in his debut for them, left the game and landed on the injured list with shoulder discomfort. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said the Cubs were aware of Soroka's declining velocity over the past month with the Nationals but took the risk in acquiring him anyway. Ben Brown could rejoin the rotation, although the Cubs have off days on Thursday and Monday before then playing for 13 days in a row (including a doubleheader against Milwaukee on Aug. 18). -- Schoenfield

4. Los Angeles Dodgers

Record: 66-49
Previous ranking: 3

There are some great players with Teflon confidence who seem to assume they'll thrive. Derek Jeter was like this, and Shohei Ohtani is like this now. Mookie Betts, however, has never been like that. "A perfectionist," said one staffer, who has coached in the past. When Betts struggles, this staffer said, it gnaws at him and he beats himself up, feeling as if he's letting down others. Betts has never posted an OPS below .800 in any season in his career, but that figure currently sits at .669. Since May 23, his batting average is hovering around .200 and he's slugging below .300. -- Olney

5. Detroit Tigers

Record: 66-50
Previous ranking: 7

The Tigers appeared to have weathered the worst of their slump. They still haven't regained the torrid form that lifted them to a huge lead in the AL Central, but they have cleared a prolonged rough section of the schedule and are entering a much friendlier neighborhood. The offense has picked things up after a brutal stretch, with Kerry Carpenter, Dillon Dingler and Wenceel Perez all catching fire. After all that, the Tigers still hold a commanding lead in the division. -- Doolittle

6. Toronto Blue Jays

Record: 68-48
Previous ranking: 4

Jays skipper John Schneider told reporters that Shane Bieber will need a couple more tuneup outings before joining Toronto after his rehab stint. When Bieber debuts in Blue Jay powder blue, he'll become the 12th former Cy Young winner to pitch for the franchise, joining new rotation mate Max Scherzer. Four of the 12 won the award with Toronto: Pat Hentgen, Robbie Ray, Roy Halladay and Roger Clemens (twice). Joining Bieber and Scherzer on the list of Cy Young Jays who won for other teams are Mike Flanagan, David Cone, Pete Vuckovich, R.A. Dickey, Chris Carpenter and Dave Price. -- Doolittle

7. New York Mets

Record: 63-52
Previous ranking: 5

Their starting pitching is the primary reason why the Mets started off the year so strongly, but now, the rotation is the biggest question mark going forward. Frankie Montas, who signed to a two-year, $34 million deal in the winter, is going to get at least one more start, but the Mets cannot live with a 6.00-ERA-level performance much longer. Griffin Canning, whose contract might have been the best per-dollar value of last winter, is out for the year, and Clay Holmes has seen regression in his performance. -- Olney

8. San Diego Padres

Record: 64-51
Previous ranking: 10

Some other managers will be jealous of San Diego's Mike Shildt, in the aftermath of the Padres' trade for Mason Miller and the bolstering of what might be the deepest bullpen in the majors. In the team's first game post-trade deadline, Miller threw the eighth inning, in relief of Nick Pivetta, and was followed by Robert Suarez. Two days later, Shildt called upon Jason Adam to throw the sixth inning, then Jeremiah Estrada for the seventh and Suarez for the ninth. Miller has pitched just once for the Padres; the bullpen is deep enough that Shildt can properly rest all of his key relievers down the stretch. -- Olney

9. Boston Red Sox

Record: 64-52
Previous ranking: 13

Don't look now, Yankees fans, but that red flash that just zipped by you in the AL East standings was Boston. The Red Sox have been smoldering on both sides of the ball for weeks now, and suddenly, the range of possibilities for a hoped-for playoff seed includes a shot at No. 1. For all the consternation among pundits about Boston's tepid deadline, the disappointment does not seem to have filtered down to the clubhouse. It's a stunning turnaround for a team that was 43-45 on the morning of July 4. -- Doolittle

10. Houston Astros

Record: 64-51
Previous ranking: 8

After going 19-7 in June, the Astros had their worst month in July, going 12-15, and then began August by getting swept in Boston, a series in which they scored just five runs in three games. The pitching staff allowed a .259 average and .313 BABIP in July after entering the month with a .227 average and .277 BABIP. No doubt Jeremy Peña's absence for the entire month factored into those numbers as Mauricio Dubon and Zack Short filled in at shortstop. Peña returned Friday and went 3-for-5. Meanwhile, Carlos Correa, now playing third base in his return to Houston, went 6-for-21 in his first five games, including a home run. -- Schoenfield

11. Seattle Mariners

Record: 62-53
Previous ranking: 9

The Mariners won three of four against Texas over the weekend, with J.P. Crawford's two-run walk-off home run to give them a 4-3 victory on Friday the big highlight. Other post-deadline highlights: Eugenio Suarez hit his first home run since joining Seattle on Tuesday, his 37th overall; Cole Young bashed a 456-foot homer with an exit velo of 114 mph, suggesting he might have more power in his future; Bryan Woo has now pitched at least six innings in all 22 of his starts; and the Mariners acquired a sneaky stolen base threat in Josh Naylor, who swiped eight bases in his first 11 games with Seattle to give him 19 on the season (not bad for a guy who ranks in the third percentile of all players in top running speed). -- Schoenfield

12. New York Yankees

Record: 61-54
Previous ranking: 11

Aaron Judge is back after a mercifully brief IL stint with an elbow injury. His return is the only good news for a Yankees team that is quickly approaching free fall status. The bullpen has flailed, even after the Yankees' aggressive pursuit of relief help at the deadline, and the Judge-less offense was just so-so. More concerning has been a string of baserunning and defensive lapses that would have made Billy Martin lose his mind. Judge has handled it more stoically, at least in public. -- Doolittle

13. Texas Rangers

Record: 60-56
Previous ranking: 12

With eight scoreless, one-hit innings in Tuesday's 2-0 win over the Yankees, Nathan Eovaldi has now allowed one run or fewer in 13 of his past 14 starts, lowering his season ERA to a microscopic 1.38. He has pitched 111 innings, so remains a few innings short of qualifying for the ERA title but does have a chance of getting to 162 innings by season's end. The lowest ERAs for a qualifying starter in the live ball era (since 1920 and skipping 2020): Bob Gibson, 1.12 in 1968; Dwight Gooden, 1.53 in 1985; Greg Maddux, 1.56 in 1994; Luis Tiant, 1.60 in 1968; Maddux, 1.63 in 1995. -- Schoenfield

14. Cincinnati Reds

Record: 60-55
Previous ranking: 14

Zack Littell came up big in his first start since coming over to Cincinnati from the Tampa Bay Rays, allowing one run and three hits in seven innings in a 5-1 victory over the Cubs on Tuesday. Littell induced a season-high 15 swing-and-misses, relying on a splitter he said was as good as he's ever had. The Reds needed a lengthy outing after Nick Lodolo left Monday's game in the second inning with a blister (and landed on the IL, hopefully for a short stay) and Sunday's rain-delayed game in Tennessee necessitated a bullpen game as well. -- Schoenfield

15. Cleveland Guardians

Record: 59-55
Previous ranking: 20

The Guardians are the defending AL Central champs and are a strong weekend away from right-now wild-card position. Their trade deadline basically consisted of trading the actual current Shane Bieber for a promising young hurler in Khal Stephen, who, if all goes well, might eventually turn out to be a solid facsimile of Bieber. Yet, if there is a candidate to follow last year's Tigers as a team that squeezes into the playoff bracket despite a lack of front office aggression, it might well be the Guardians -- at least if their pitching can catch up to a hot offense. -- Doolittle

16. San Francisco Giants

Record: 58-57
Previous ranking: 15

When Rafael Devers was at his best with the Red Sox, his swing was perfect for Fenway Park, where line drives and fly balls to left and left-center field would often find the Green Monster, or clear it. Oracle Park is very different, with its vast space in that part of the park. While it's way too soon to draw conclusions, Devers is slashing .160/.289/.280 in his new home park. -- Olney

17. Tampa Bay Rays

Record: 57-59
Previous ranking: 16

Tampa Bay's deadline approach defined easy classification. The Rays traded some vets, but added some vets and kept walk-year second baseman Brandon Lowe. They added some prospects but also traded some prospects. The addition of walk-year, stopgap starter Adrian Houser suggests the Rays still hope to make a run in 2025. Alas, they came out of the deadline still ice cold on the field until finally breaking loose Tuesday with a win over the Angels, a victory sparked by a Lowe home run. Guess it's a good thing the Rays kept him. -- Doolittle

18. Kansas City Royals

Record: 57-58
Previous ranking: 21

Until running into problems in Boston, where the AL's second-hottest team collided with its hottest team, the Royals were rolling on the strength of a resurgent offense. One driver of that was Royals-like: Since June 28, Kansas City has the third-best offensive strikeout rates in the majors. The other key was not too Royals-like: an eighth-ranked home run rate and No. 6 ranking in isolated power over that stretch. Leading the way have been Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez, who have combined for 18 dingers during that span. -- Doolittle

19. St. Louis Cardinals

Record: 58-58
Previous ranking: 17

Ivan Herrera has had an excellent offensive season, sandwiched around two separate stints on the IL. Herrera hasn't caught since returning from his second stay on the IL, however, and it's possible his days as a catcher are over after throwing out just four of 70 base stealers over the past two seasons. He had seen most of his action at DH but has now started three games in left field since late July. His top sprint speed ranks in the 25th percentile, so full-time outfield duty might be a stretch, but it would at least give him a little versatility. -- Schoenfield

20. Miami Marlins

Record: 56-57
Previous ranking: 22

The Marlins are now committed to Sandy Alcantara for the rest of this season, as they make a push to get over .500, and rival evaluators will be tracking his progress. Over back-to-back starts in late July, he allowed no earned runs in 12 innings against the Padres and Cardinals -- while on the flip side, he has surrendered five or more runs in four of his past eight outings. Alcantara might simply need more time to find consistency as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery. -- Olney

21. Arizona Diamondbacks

Record: 54-61
Previous ranking: 18

A week before the trade deadline, other teams had a sense that Zac Gallen might not be dealt with the other wave of D-backs who were moved because his value disintegrated this year. In the end, the Diamondbacks decided to leave themselves with the option to give Gallen a qualifying offer after this season -- about $22 million -- and get draft-pick compensation if he signs elsewhere, or perhaps retain him on a one-year deal in 2026 if he accepts the qualifying offer. -- Olney

22. Los Angeles Angels

Record: 55-60
Previous ranking: 23

Kenley Jansen has quietly had a solid season as the team's closer, going 20 for 21 in save chances with a 2.79 ERA. He had that one loss in early May, in which he allowed six runs, including three home runs, against the Tigers, but has otherwise been reliable. He's fourth on the all-time saves list, just 11 behind Lee Smith, so Jansen could pass Smith by season's end or early next year. Although you could argue that Jansen's last truly dominant season came back in 2017, he has been good enough to rack up 237 saves with an ERA around 3.14 since then, and that gives him a chance at the Hall of Fame down the road. -- Schoenfield

23. Minnesota Twins

Record: 54-60
Previous ranking: 19

Once their tears dry after a soul-killing deadline, Twins fans might notice a pretty interesting revamped starting rotation by season's end. Joe Ryan is somehow still around, and along with Pablo Lopez (hopefully back from a shoulder problem relatively soon) and Bailey Ober, the top three is familiar. Now exciting rookie Zebby Matthews could be joined by talented acquisitions Taj Bradley and Mick Abel. Also, infielder Luke Keaschall just returned after a three-plus month absence and, in his first plate appearance back, clubbed his first career homer against Detroit. It's not all bad! -- Doolittle

24. Baltimore Orioles

Record: 52-63
Previous ranking: 25

When each club's Heart & Hustle Award winners were announced by the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association on Tuesday, second-year Oriole Jackson Holliday was selected as Baltimore's winner. The selection, made by a committee of former players, is a nice nod to a young player who entered the majors with all kinds of hype but has battled through some growing pains. Holliday has shown solid improvement this season, and with a big finish, he could set himself up for a 2026 leap. For now, at least he's clearly approaching the game the right way. -- Doolittle

25. Atlanta Braves

Record: 47-66
Previous ranking: 24

In the end, the Braves did little at the trade deadline because they're in a strange spot: They have most of their core secured for years to come, while some of the guys headed into free agency in the fall have struggled this season. Maybe the biggest question going forward is whether they can find a long-term solution at shortstop. Nick Allen is a high-end defender, ranking second among all shortstops in Defensive Runs Saved, but his wRC+ is 60. Atlanta needs more from that spot. -- Olney

26. Athletics

Record: 50-66
Previous ranking: 27

Shea Langeliers had a game to remember when he was moved into the leadoff spot for the first time Tuesday. He hit three home runs in a 16-7 rout of the Nationals, becoming the second catcher to have a three-homer game while batting leadoff, matching Travis d'Arnaud. Perhaps more remarkably, he became just the fourth catcher to have two three-homer games in his career, matching Hall of Famers Johnny Bench and Gary Carter, plus d'Arnaud. Oh, by the way, Nick Kurtz finished July hitting .395/.480/.953 with 11 home runs and 27 RBIs -- one of the greatest months ever. The A's might be in last place in the division, but they're fun. -- Schoenfield

27. Pittsburgh Pirates

Record: 49-66
Previous ranking: 26

Paul Skenes was named NL Pitcher of the Month in July, the first time he has won that honor. He went 2-1 with an 0.67 ERA on the month, allowing just two runs in 27 innings with 36 strikeouts and three walks. (He did allow four runs against the Rockies in his first start in August.) With a 2.02 ERA, he could top Bob Veale's 2.05 ERA in 1968 as the lowest for a Pirates pitcher in the live ball era. The Pirates do continue to handle Skenes very conservatively. He has exceeded 100 pitches just once in his past 12 starts and hasn't pitched more than six innings since June 8. -- Schoenfield

28. Chicago White Sox

Record: 42-72
Previous ranking: 29

The White Sox have played winning baseball for over a month now, mostly on the strength of a potent, youth-infused offense. The outlook on the South Side could not be more different than it was at this time last season. Rookie Colson Montgomery has led the surge and has arguably already become Chicago's most dangerous hitter only a month and change after his big league debut. Consistency isn't there yet, but the quality of contact is eye-popping. Montgomery doesn't qualify for the Statcast leaderboard, but if he did, his xSLG would rank 14th in the majors. -- Doolittle

29. Washington Nationals

Record: 45-68
Previous ranking: 28

The payoff for the Nationals going young was that they were supposed to be set up for years to come with a strong young core of players. But that hasn't really happened as planned, and Keibert Ruiz is perhaps the embodiment of that. The 27-year-old is in his fourth full season in the big leagues, and he seems stuck in place offensively: He has two homers in 68 games this season, with a .277 on-base percentage. A centerpiece of the Nationals' trade of Trea Turner and Max Scherzer to the Dodgers, Ruiz is signed through the 2030 season, with club options for '31 and '32. -- Olney

30. Colorado Rockies

Record: 30-84
Previous ranking: 30

Seth Halvorsen might be a working example of why it's best to take advantage of reliever value when you have the chance. The 25-year-old, a seventh-round draft pick in 2023, established himself in the big leagues as a hard-throwing, potentially high-impact reliever, and rival execs wondered if the Rockies -- in the midst of a lost season -- would make him available for trade before the deadline. Colorado did not do so, and in the first days after the deadline, Halvorsen went down with what is an apparently serious elbow injury. -- Olney