MLB Power Rankings Week 24: AL contender rising in mid-September - ESPN

A third of the way through September, the 2026 playoff picture is taking shape.

No team has secured a postseason berth yet, or even clinched a division, although a number of contenders have more than a 99% chance of making the playoffs. But a couple of clubs that seemed all but out of October are making a push in the final month.

The Blue Jays, after taking the Dodgers all the way to Game 7 of last year's World Series, are just a game back of the final American League wild-card spot — and three spots up on our list — after looking like they wouldn't be returning to October for most of the season. Meanwhile, the Guardians are staying close to the White Sox in the AL Central, and the Rangers remain only two games behind the Astros in the AL West.

The National League appears to be a bit more set, with the closest division being the NL East with the Braves three games up on the Phillies after the pair split a four-game series over the weekend. The final wild-card berth is seemingly the one playoff spot still left up for grabs, with the Diamondbacks and Padres going back and forth for it.

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 Jesse Rogers, Alden Gonzalez and David Schoenfield to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.

Week 23 | Second-half preview | Preseason rankings

Record: 91-56
Previous ranking: 1

Jacob Misiorowski took back the Cy Young conversation after striking out nine over 6⅓ innings in his latest start Tuesday. His ERA dropped to 1.95 after giving up a first-inning run to the Cubs. He remains the only NL pitcher with an ERA under 2.00.