playESPNMultiple AuthorsSep 17, 2026, 07:00 AM ETOpen Extended ReactionsWith 11 days remaining in the 2026 MLB regular season, there are eight playoff spots left to fill as four teams clinched postseason berths over the past week.The Rays secured the season’s first postseason spot and were followed later that night by the Brewers, who have been the first team to clinch the past two seasons. They are also the only club to have clinched the division so far. The Dodgers and Yankees joined Tampa Bay and Milwaukee a few days later.Now, we wait to see who’s next.It’s just a matter of time before additional clubs lock up berths — such as the Braves and Phillies — but others still have a lot to play for. We’ve seen in the past how runs in the final weeks of the season can totally shift a playoff picture.
Will that happen again in 2026?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 Bradford Doolittle, Alden Gonzalez and David Schoenfield to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.Week 24 | Second-half preview | Preseason rankings1. Milwaukee BrewersRecord: 95-57 Previous ranking: 1The NL Central was formed in 1994. Before the Brewers wrapped up the division with a victory over the Pirates on Tuesday night — behind an electric Jacob Misiorowski, fittingly — no team had ever won it four consecutive times.
The Brewers haven’t just claimed four straight division titles, they’ve won five of the past six. They hold the best record in baseball and haven’t given up their perch atop their division since May. They are a dominant team, even if they’re not a popular or expensive one. As usual, Brewers manager Pat Murphy said it best amid the champagne celebration.
“This ’26 club, there hasn’t been a spot where you say, ‘Wow, we’re really special. But it’s starting to grow on me.” — Gonzalez2. Los Angeles DodgersRecord: 92-60 Previous ranking: 2The Dodgers locked up their 14th consecutive postseason appearance this week, tying Atlanta for the all-time record, and are on their way to clinching their 13th division title. They’re also cruising toward a first-round bye, but that doesn’t mean they are without concerns.
Among them: the back end of the bullpen. Edwin Diaz has looked so bad in his rehab assignment that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts threw out the possibility of him not cracking the playoff roster. And Edgardo Henriquez, an overpowering right-hander who has had a great year, has landed on the injured list with back discomfort. The Dodgers’ bullpen concerns might not be as big as they were at this time last year, but they’re a concern, nonetheless. — Gonzalez3.
Tampa Bay RaysRecord: 92-59 Previous ranking: 3Junior Caminero, in his age-22 season, has reached 40 home runs for the second consecutive season. He joins Eddie Mathews as the only players with two 40-homer seasons through age 22 (Mathews holds the age-21 record with 47 with Caminero second with 45). Caminero is also just the ninth player to reach 40 home runs in his age-22 season — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Fernando Tatis Jr. were the last to do it, in 2021, although neither has reached those heights since. — Schoenfield4. New York YankeesRecord: 88-64 Previous ranking: 5Ben Rice has been leading off this month against right-handed pitchers as manager Aaron Boone looks to fix a seasonlong lack of production in that spot.
Rice got some action there earlier in the season before Boone gave Trent Grisham a long run. But Grisham hit .199 with a .303 OBP in 358 PAs there, so it’s back to Rice, with Paul Goldschmidt in the leadoff spot against lefties. The ultimate goal: Get somebody on base in front of Aaron Judge now that he’s back and hitting second against lefties and third against righties. — Schoenfield5. Atlanta BravesRecord: 89-64 Previous ranking: 4The Braves still need to put the finishing touches on winning their seventh NL East title in the past nine seasons, and the odds are heavily in their favor.
There’s more drama in the quest to figure out Atlanta’s postseason pitching staff, and it’s possible what happens between now and the end of the regular season will inform that. The rotation will be headed by Chris Sale and likely followed by red-hot Tyler Mahle. But what about Nos. 3 and 4? In the bullpen, Robert Suarez is nearing his return from the IL, but will he be ready to hold down the second-highest leverage role after Raisel Iglesias?
Stay tuned. — Doolittle6. Chicago CubsRecord: 85-68 Previous ranking: 7The Cubs acquired Edward Cabrera over the offseason believing he could be a difference-maker for them atop their rotation. But he put up a 5.68 ERA in 15 starts, while working around blister issues and adductor and hamstring strains. When the Cubs activated him off the IL on Saturday, they put him in the bullpen, hoping he could be a weapon late in games similar to the way Roki Sasaki was for the Dodgers last October.
But Cabrera proceeded to serve up a two-run homer in the ninth inning of the Cubs’ loss to the Braves on Tuesday night. Chicago’s bullpen remains an area of concern going into the playoffs, especially with Jacob Webb’s recent struggles. — Gonzalez7. Philadelphia PhilliesRecord: 84-68 Previous ranking: 6The Phillies’ playoff seed could end up from anywhere from two to six. The seeds involving an NL East title are a long shot at this point — although crazy things can happen down the stretch — so that leaves the Phillies jockeying for one of the three wild-card slots among four deserving teams.
With starter Jesus Luzardo landing on the IL with a sore shoulder, the question becomes who will fill his slot for what will be two or three vital outings? He hasn’t been ruled out for the playoffs, but the Phillies have to get there first. — Doolittle8. San Diego PadresRecord: 83-69 Previous ranking: 9San Diego had its seasonlong eight-game winning streak snapped in Colorado on Tuesday. It had to end at some point.Before it did, the Padres showed just how dangerous they can be with Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill running as hot as they’ve been lately, and with Manny Machado, Ty France and Luis Campusano contributing as well.
A lack of offensive production kept the Padres down for most of the first half, but since the All-Star break, they boast the second-highest OPS in the majors. Combine that with a dominant back end of the bullpen and a much deeper starting rotation, and you have a dangerous playoff opponent — if they get there. — Gonzalez9. Boston Red SoxRecord: 82-70 Previous ranking: 8Adley Rutschman got the headlines at the trade deadline following the blockbuster deal that sent him from Baltimore to Boston, but while he hasn’t really made much of an impact, two players in lesser deals have been key pickups. Lefty reliever Erik Miller, acquired from the Giants, has become a key setup pitcher, adding depth to a bullpen that needed it.
Jahmai Jones, acquired from the Tigers, has been a right-handed DH and pinch hitter and has raked in his opportunities. These depth players — including a player such as Mickey Gasper, claimed off waivers from the Nationals in February — have been vital to Boston’s success. — Schoenfield10. Arizona DiamondbacksRecord: 80-73 Previous ranking: 10The Padres went on a roll of late, but the D-backs remain within striking distance, doing their best to set up a winner-take-all series in San Diego on the last weekend of the regular season. Before that, though, they have to keep holding their own.
And they will face a big test starting Friday, when they begin a three-game series against a Yankees team still vying for a division title. The Diamondbacks are hopeful Jesus Sanchez will help. Sanchez, the 28-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder, was plucked off waivers Monday to help Arizona with its .683 OPS against right-handed pitching, second worst in the majors. — Gonzalez11.
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