Are Dodgers done? Will Astros join Rangers in ALCS? Where every division series stands
The six remaining division series teams take the field on Wednesday, so it’s a perfect time to take stock of what we’ve seen so far — and where the 2023 MLB playoffs could go from here.
In the National League, the Los Angeles Dodgers are on the brink of elimination after the No. 6-seeded Arizona Diamondbacks defied odds by sweeping the Milwaukee Brewers in the wild-card round, then claiming the first two games against a Dodgers team making its 11th consecutive postseason appearance. The Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves, meanwhile, are locked in a 1-1 battle after Atlanta pulled off a thrilling comeback win in Game 2.
In the American League, the Minnesota Twins also could see their October run come to an end, as the Houston Astros look to ride the momentum from their dominant Game 3 victory all the way to their seventh straight AL Championship Series. The Baltimore Orioles became the first team eliminated from the division series on Tuesday night after being swept by the red-hot Texas Rangers.
What will Day 5 of the division series bring? ESPN MLB experts Bradford Doolittle, Buster Olney and David Schoenfield break down some of the biggest questions moving forward.
Key links: Everything you need to know | Full postseason schedule | Picks
Dodgers-Diamondbacks
Arizona leads 2-0
Are the Dodgers … done?
Doolittle: Done? No. They aren’t the favorites to win the series any longer, but that’s just the math that goes with needing to win three straight games. The math is less severe here than it is for other teams in the 0-2 hole, because whatever happens in the series, the Dodgers are the superior team in talent and experience. They just need to get a starter out of the first couple of innings. Lance Lynn can do that. Chase Field is no longer a homer-friendly park, and maybe that will play to Lynn’s fly ball tendencies, which have become even more extreme since he joined the Dodgers.
Olney: Nah. Their offense is too good. And even in defeat, they created a lot of opportunities. The Dodgers will be hard-pressed to come back from down 0-2 and win the World Series, but they will put runners on base against Brandon Pfaadt. They will have chances. This is a team that scored more runs than anybody but the Braves during the regular season. The Dodgers have more than a puncher’s chance.
Schoenfield: Well, as Earl Weaver famously said, “Momentum is the next day’s starting pitcher.” Unfortunately for the Dodgers, that starting pitcher is Lynn, who led the majors with 44 home runs allowed. Thanks to that powerful offense, he did go 7-2 in his 11 starts with the Dodgers. But manager Dave Roberts certainly will have a quick hook and rely heavily on his bullpen once again — and hope for a lot of runs scored. And if the Dodgers win one, they’re back in the series, even if they’ll have to beat Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen in Games 4 and 5.
If the Diamondbacks do advance, what shot do you give them against the Phillies or Braves in the NLCS?
Doolittle: The Diamondbacks would be decided underdogs, but that doesn’t mean they can’t win. Moment by moment, they’ve won virtually every possible tipping-point situation they’ve encountered so far in October. The belief is there, and their bullpen is rolling. Nevertheless, the Phillies and Braves are better teams, and there is a sizable gap between them and the still-forming Diamondbacks. If you want to put a number on it, I’d give both the Phillies and Braves around a 65% shot at beating Arizona.
Olney: The Braves and Phillies are in a different universe right now than all of the other teams in the postseason. And with the exception of the experienced Astros, it’s hard to imagine anyone beating the Phillies-Braves winner.
Schoenfield: The Diamondbacks held a decent chance at beating L.A. in large part because the three potential off days (yes, it’s silly and stupid to have three off days in a five-game series) meant they could start Kelly and Gallen in four of the five games. In a seven-game NLCS, they’ll have to dig much deeper into their rotation, and that’s a big problem. They’ll be about as big of an underdog as we’ve ever seen in a championship series no matter which team they might play.
Phillies-Braves
Series tied 1-1
The Braves finally stole back some momentum at the end of Game 2. What do they need to do to keep it heading to a raucous Citizens Bank Park in Philly?
Doolittle: They need to forget about those momentum-building moments. They were amazing, producing the best action we’ve seen so far in the postseason. But in the end, all they did was square a series between two comparable teams — and the Phillies still left Atlanta having swiped home-field advantage in the series. That game is done. The Braves need their as-of-now-unnamed Game 3 starter to put up a couple of early zeros and build from there.
Olney: They need to pick the right guy to open on the mound for them in Game 3 — and it’s not really about whether it’s a starter or a reliever. It’s about someone who can be calm in that wild atmosphere in Philadelphia. It’s incredible how many runs have been posted in the first inning in this postseason — 18% of all runs as compared to 12% in the regular season — and the Braves need to avoid giving up that big, crooked number in the first inning. They just need to make sure they get out of the gates nicely in Game 3.
Schoenfield: Get to Aaron Nola early, and force Phillies manager Rob Thomson to make some tough decisions with his bullpen. Nola had long ball issues this season, surrendering 32 in his 32 starts in the regular season — although he has been better down the stretch in that department, and he pitched seven scoreless innings against the Miami Marlins in the wild-card series. Nola was pretty solid against the Braves this season, allowing seven runs and three home runs across 18 innings in three starts. He had similar numbers last season and also allowed just one unearned run in beating Atlanta in the playoffs. So, the Braves haven’t exactly figured him out.
In a series full of stars, which one player will most decide which team moves on from here?
Doolittle: It’s going to be a reliever, right? That’s playoff baseball, circa 2023. Austin Riley‘s clutch homer came off Jeff Hoffman. And Hoffman has been terrific this season. But that was the biggest moment of the playoffs to that point, and it involved a guy who was released in spring training. So which reliever? Let’s say Craig Kimbrel. Despite Game 2, I’m still high on Thomson’s bullpen, but Kimbrel at the back is the guy I worry about most. I don’t know if it will be the Phillies or the Braves whom Kimbrel will boost, but he’ll be involved one way or another.
Olney: I mean, there’s no wrong pick, right? There are so many candidates — but I’ll be Captain Obvious and go with Bryce Harper. He is competing with Carlos Correa and Yordan Alvarez for The Guy Most Locked In this October.
Schoenfield: I think we’re going five games, so that would set up a Game 2 rematch between Zack Wheeler and Max Fried. (Oh, those off days.) I think Wheeler dominates again — except this time, Thomson doesn’t leave him in a couple of batters too long, and the Phillies’ bullpen hangs on.
Twins-Astros
Houston leads 2-1
How much has Houston’s playoff experience vs. Minnesota’s relative lack of it factored into the series?
Doolittle: I don’t really think experience has much to do with it in this case. The Astros as a group have a ton of postseason experience because they are talented, confident and completely unflappable. So they end up winning in the postseason every year. Those qualities represent who they have always been, not who they have become. The Twins are a good team, but they won 87 games in baseball’s worst division. They just weren’t on the same level as the Astros.
Olney: It’s not that the Twins are inexperienced. It’s just that the Astros are that good and have emerged from their regular-season slumber. It’s worth repeating: These Astros, trying to become the first team since the Yankees from 1998 to 2000 to win back-to-back titles, remind me a lot of those New York clubs in that they are much closer to their true selves once the postseason begins. The Astros need that playoff and World Series adrenaline, just as those Yankees’ teams started to need in it in 1999 and 2000. As former Yankees pitcher and current Astros broadcaster Mike Stanton said in a conversation recently, it’s human nature.
Schoenfield: I’m going with nonfactor. The Twins led the majors in strikeouts as a pitching staff; that was a good sign heading into the playoffs. But their hitters also led the majors in strikeouts; that was the bad sign. Sonny Gray also got rocked in Game 3, and he’s one of the Twins with postseason experience (including a good start against the Toronto Blue Jays in the wild-card round).
If the Astros go to a seventh straight ALCS, how impressive of a feat is that?
Doolittle: Tremendous. An all-timer. The counterpoint to their consistent October success is the Dodgers. L.A. does everything right and is so consistent you can write their name on the NL bracket in spring training and use ink to do it. The Dodgers have made some runs; they have won pennants and a title during this era. But they aren’t a constant like the Astros. You just should not be able to manifest your excellence in one short series after another as the Astros have done for so long now. Truly remarkable.
Olney: In the recent PBS documentary about the franchise, former Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said Houston has a dynasty. I’m not sure about that; you need at least one more title to qualify, I think. But a seventh straight AL Championship Series would be remarkable because of the consistency required, and the Astros have been doing that through a ton of turnover, from Luhnow to a change in managers to losing George Springer and Correa.
Schoenfield: Given the nature of the modern MLB playoffs, with so many rounds and the inherent random nature of short series, it would be an unbelievably impressive accomplishment to get there seven years in a row. And given that four of those Astros squads won more than 100 games, this team is hardly the best of the group, but it keeps finding ways — first to make the playoffs, then to pull out the division title on the season’s final day and now perhaps to beat the Twins. I wouldn’t bet against the Astros.
Orioles-Rangers
Texas wins series 3-0
How do you see the Rangers faring in the ALCS?
Doolittle: This is so hard for me to wrap my head around. The Rangers look very much like a team for which the light has come on. But if they end up facing Houston — well, I was at those games in which they were outscored 39-10 over three days at Globe Life Field in early September. I don’t expect that kind of rout to happen again, but let’s just say I’ll like the Rangers’ chances a lot better if the Twins are able to come back against Houston in the other series.
Olney: If the Braves-Phillies are Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier, then the Rangers-Astros could be Marvin Hagler-Thomas Hearns. Two strong offensive teams from different parts of Texas, tons of experience on both sides — and the Rangers would be underdogs, because the Astros have a little better pitching, especially with Cristian Javier emerging. But Texas would be favorites against the Twins.
Schoenfield: It’s hard to believe this was the lineup that just over a week ago blew the division title in the final series of the season by losing three of four at the Seattle Mariners and getting shut out twice in the process. Corey Seager is absolutely locked in, rookie Evan Carter has been so hot that manager Bruce Bochy has moved him to fifth in the order and there is plenty of right-handed power with the likes of Adolis Garcia, Marcus Semien and Josh Jung. The biggest key, however: After returning from an injury and struggling in September, Nathan Eovaldi has delivered back-to-back strong outings in the postseason. I’m still not completely sold on the bullpen, but I see it as a coin flip against the Astros and have the Rangers as favorites over the Twins too.
Despite sending three teams to the playoffs, the AL East didn’t manage a single victory in the postseason. Is the division overrated?
Doolittle: Sure. It always is. Now it’s not the worst division, by any stretch. That’s the AL Central or the NL Central, but it’s a Central of some sort. The AL East had four winning teams and a last-place team that won 78 games — and its members did occupy half the AL bracket. But when the East is good, we start seeing speculations about “best divisions ever” and such. It’s a good division, and the teams in it are not at fault for the hype-based expectations that surround some of its members.
Olney: I think the division is just down, in an outlier year. The Yankees were huge disappointments; the Boston Red Sox were who we thought they were; and the Blue Jays haven’t taken advantage of their window yet. I’d bet that with the maturation of the Orioles, a healthier Yankees team and a more determined Boston franchise, the division will quickly rebound.
Schoenfield: It’s playoff baseball. The first rule of playoff baseball: Don’t read too much into what happened. It was still the best division in the regular season: The only non-East AL team with a winning record against the East was the Rangers. Meanwhile, the AL East was 48 games over .500 against the AL Central, 18 games over .500 against the AL West and 22 games over .500 in interleague action. The Orioles, Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays just all stunk it up in October.
Here comes the American League!
The Detroit Tigers have retaken the No. 1 spot and are one of four AL teams in the top 10 in Week 10 alongside the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros — who cracked the top 10 for the first time this season.
The National League is still well-represented at the top of our list, with the usual powerhouses battling Detroit for first place.
Meanwhile, a number of clubs have continued their fall down our rankings this week, including the Boston Red Sox dropping to No. 22 and the Arizona Diamondbacks to No. 19, with each at its lowest ranking of 2025. Will they be able to overcome their struggles and bounce back?
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, Bradford Doolittle and David Schoenfield to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.
Record: 41-22
Previous ranking: 2
After serving up four home runs to the Rangers on May 10 and seeing his ERA rise to 4.61, Jack Flaherty has reeled off a 2.22 ERA over his past four starts. He is looking much more like the pitcher the Tigers had in the first half of 2024 before they traded him to the Dodgers then re-signed him as a free agent over the winter. In three of those four recent games, Flaherty threw his fastball just over 50% of the time, which he hadn’t done in any of his first eight starts. The Tigers also received consecutive scoreless starts from Keider Montero filling in for the injured Reese Olson. This rotation isn’t just Tarik Skubal. — Schoenfield
Record: 37-25
Previous ranking: 3
The Dodgers’ offense has kept L.A. in its familiar first-place perch despite widespread pitching struggles. The attack might be getting even more potent thanks to the sudden resurgence of Max Muncy, perhaps baseball’s hottest hitter. Muncy capped a seven-game stretch in which he hit .409/.500/1.227 with a game-tying homer in Tuesday’s dramatic extra-inning win over the Mets. It was Muncy’s sixth long ball of that stretch, during which he lifted his season OPS from .653 to .781. For the season, Muncy has a .945 OPS at Dodger Stadium, but an anemic .593 mark on the road. — Doolittle
Record: 39-23
Previous ranking: 6
Ronny Mauricio is back in the big leagues. The former top prospect debuted with the Mets in September 2023, but he tore an ACL in winter ball then had a second surgery last summer, ultimately missing the entire 2024 season. After hitting .515 with three home runs in nine games in Triple-A this year, the Mets called him up to replace the injured Mark Vientos on the roster. He went 0-for-4 on Tuesday while playing third base. The switch-hitter could get time at third, second and DH, although the Mets do have Brett Baty, Jeff McNeil and Luisangel Acuña capable of playing the infield, as well. — Schoenfield
Record: 37-23
Previous ranking: 4
Take 2 for Devin Williams. The Yankees righty is back in his closing role after Luke Weaver went down with a hamstring injury that is expected to sideline him for four to six weeks. Will Williams be better this time around? The Yankees think so after he had a decent run as a middle man. He hadn’t given up a run in 10 of his previous 11 appearances before returning to the closer job. Just as important, Williams walked only one hitter during that time frame while striking out 15. His first test back at closer came on Tuesday. And while he passed — New York beat Cleveland 3-2 — he did give up a run in the ninth. So, stay tuned. — Rogers
Record: 37-24
Previous ranking: 1
After a hot stretch against the Pirates, Rockies, A’s and Braves that saw the Phillies win 11 of 12 games, Philadelphia got swept at home by the Brewers over the weekend, losing the three games by a combined score of 28-11. Jesus Luzardo allowed 12 hits and 12 runs in a 17-7 loss, seeing his ERA climb from 2.15 to 3.58. He became just the 12th pitcher in MLB history to allow as many as 12 runs while pitching 3⅓ innings or fewer. On the bright side, while Ranger Suarez allowed seven runs in his 2025 debut, he has since had three scoreless starts in five appearances (although he picked up a no-decision in a 5-2 loss to Milwaukee as the bullpen blew a 2-1 lead). — Schoenfield
Record: 38-23
Previous ranking: 5
The Cubs are managing just fine without Shota Imanaga (hamstring) and Justin Steele (elbow), but they probably will look to augment their staff via trade come July. Chicago got a huge outing from second-year player Ben Brown over the weekend when he threw six shutout innings against the Reds, giving up just one hit and one walk while striking out nine. It came after the team used lefty Drew Pomeranz as an opener. That trend could continue, as Brown is a two-pitch pitcher who has trouble going through a lineup three times and sometimes gets into first-inning trouble. An opener addresses both issues. — Rogers
Record: 35-25
Previous ranking: 7
As the Padres keep trying to patch up their hole-riddled lineup, Manny Machado continues to put up All-Star numbers in his 14th season. Machado has never hit .300 in a full season (he hit .304 in the shortened 2020 campaign), but he might get there this year as he suddenly has become a line-drive force. He is striking out less than at any time since 2021, yet his average exit velocity is the highest it’s been during that span. Machado is 32, but he shows every sign of graceful aging as he approaches the 2,000-hit milestone for his likely Hall-of-Fame career. — Doolittle
Record: 32-28
Previous ranking: 8
Seattle slipped behind Houston in the AL West since we last convened, but the news out of the Great Northwest is getting brighter. Starter Bryce Miller was activated from the injured list after a three-week stay. Even better, Logan Gilbert was slated for a second rehab start as his recovery from a balky elbow nears completion. If Gilbert is activated soon, the Mariners’ projected five-man rotation — Miller, Gilbert, George Kirby, Luis Castillo and Bryan Woo — will be intact for the first time all season. That Seattle spent so much time in first place despite that fact could portend a happy summer for Mariners fans. — Doolittle
Record: 34-28
Previous ranking: 9
The Giants have slid in the standings and the win-loss column of late, as their robust pitching staff hasn’t been able to carry an increasingly foundering offense. With Wilmer Flores, Mike Yastrzemski and Jung Hoo Lee all slowing after good starts, first-year general manager Buster Posey has started to shuffle the roster, most notably designating LaMonte Wade Jr. for assignment. In the minors, top prospect Bryce Eldridge was moved from Double-A to Triple-A, so perhaps he could help later in the season. For all the shuffling, the key remains free-agent splash Willy Adames, who continues to labor with a sub-80 OPS+. — Doolittle
Record: 33-28
Previous ranking: 12
The Astros returned to the top of the AL West for the first time since the initial few days of the campaign. They accomplished this despite an ongoing plague of pitching injuries and the lingering unavailability of star slugger Yordan Alvarez. Perhaps the biggest reason for the Astros’ ability to remain afloat has been shortstop Jeremy Peña‘s emergence into a top-10 overall player in the AL. The 27-year-old has morphed from a high-strikeout, low-walk power threat to a complete package at the dish. Peña has slashed his whiff rate to elite levels, losing no power in the process while continuing to shine on defense. — Doolittle
Record: 33-27
Previous ranking: 10
The Cardinals are holding steady in the NL wild-card race despite an up-and-down week. But the question continues to linger in St. Louis: Can the Cardinals stay in the race long enough to convince the front office not to trade away their pending free agents? Inside the clubhouse, undoubtedly that answer is yes. It might get to the point that outgoing top decision-maker John Mozeliak decides to add. Why not take one more kick at the can? — Rogers
Record: 34-27
Previous ranking: 11
Chris Paddack is turning into one of the pleasant surprises of 2025. After the Twins acquired him from the Padres in 2022, he underwent Tommy John surgery after just five starts, wiping out nearly two full seasons. He had a 4.99 ERA last year in 17 starts, allowing a .283 average. He allowed nine runs in his first start this year, but he has posted a 2.47 ERA since then. He then enjoyed his best outing of the season on Sunday in Seattle, allowing one run in eight innings with 10 strikeouts while throwing 110 pitches (although he came away with a no-decision in a 2-1 loss). — Schoenfield
Record: 34-29
Previous ranking: 20
Finally. The Brewers are showing some life. An eight-game win streak that ended Tuesday night vaulted them into the playoff picture. Their offensive surge has been led by Christian Yelich — who hit .414 with a 1.1313 OPS during the win streak — but he’s not the only one doing damage. Jackson Chourio and Sal Frelick also had big weeks, contributing to a sweep in Philadelphia for the team’s signature series win so far this season. — Rogers
Record: 33-27
Previous ranking: 14
Jose Ramirez has been on extended hot streak. He had a 21-game hitting streak in May that included 11 multihit outings. After a hitless game on Friday, he followed with three straight two-hit games, raising his average to .330. Ramirez last hit .300 back in 2017, and his current OPS+ would be the second highest of his career, behind only the shortened 2020 season. He might not approach a 40/40 season like last year, when he fell one home run short, but he could be headed for a third 30/30 campaign. He should be the easy All-Star starter at third base for his fourth start in the Midsummer Classic and seventh selection. — Schoenfield
Record: 30-29
Previous ranking: 16
Junior Caminero is heating up, hitting .400 over a 10-game stretch that ended Tuesday. He hit five home runs and drove in a whopping 17 runs during that span, including a two-homer game against Houston over the weekend. He added another blast in Tuesday’s victory over Texas. He has been all over fastballs lately, hitting .292 on the season against them. His bat has helped push the Rays past .500 and back into the AL playoff race. — Rogers
Record: 27-33
Previous ranking: 15
Ronald Acuña Jr. has been terrific in his return from knee surgery, hitting .341/.413/.610 with three home runs in his first 11 games back. But the Braves also need a lift from Spencer Strider — and he hasn’t delivered it just yet. Strider made one start in April in his return from Tommy John surgery, but a hamstring injury caused him to miss a month. In three starts since coming off the IL, he has allowed 10 runs in 14 innings while walking seven batters and hitting three. He also served up three home runs in a loss to Arizona on Tuesday. It hasn’t helped that the lineup continues to scuffle, scoring just one run in each of two losses to the Red Sox. — Schoenfield
Record: 32-29
Previous ranking: 17
After tearing through Double-A and Triple-A, hitting .322 with 15 home runs in 50 games, Jac Caglianone made his highly anticipated MLB debut on Tuesday, going 0-for-5 in a 10-7 win over St. Louis. He hit sixth and served as the DH (after beginning to see some outfield reps in the minors). Despite the hitless outing, Caglianone showed off his potential, as he had four hard-hit balls of 95-plus mph. Three of those were groundouts, and one was a drive into right-center in his first at-bat that Cardinals center fielder Victor Scott II made a fine running catch on. — Schoenfield
Record: 32-29
Previous ranking: 22
Toronto’s offense came to play against the A’s during a four-game sweep last week. The Blue Jays totaled 39 runs, led by Addison Barger, Bo Bichette and George Springer. Each had three home runs during Toronto’s five-game win streak, which ended on Tuesday in a loss to the Phillies. Thanks to the series against the pitching-challenged A’s, Toronto boasted the highest OPS of any team last week. The question is whether it can continue against better opponents. That hasn’t always been the case this season for the Jays; see Tuesday’s 8-3 loss to the Phillies as evidence. — Rogers
Record: 30-31
Previous ranking: 13
The Diamondbacks appeared to be most likely to challenge the Dodgers in the NL West. That could still happen. But for now, Arizona might challenge L.A. for the title of most disappointing starting rotation, at least among expected contenders. Arizona’s 23rd-ranked rotation ERA is bad enough. Then came this zinger: Ace Corbin Burnes, he of the $210 million contract, is on the IL with an elbow problem, the specific diagnosis of which has initially proved to be elusive. Not great. — Doolittle
Record: 29-33
Previous ranking: 21
The Rangers’ up-and-down start to the season has left them almost precisely mediocre, which isn’t exactly what they were shooting for. It has felt like every positive development that’s happened for Texas since Opening Day has been accompanied by an equivalent gut punch. The pattern continued last week, when Marcus Semien showed signs of catching fire after foundering the first two months as one of baseball’s least productive hitters. Alas, ace Nathan Eovaldi hit the IL with triceps fatigue, weakening a rotation big three (Eovaldi, Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle) that has kept Texas in the realm of contention. And so on it goes. — Doolittle
Record: 30-33
Previous ranking: 19
TJ Friedl has given the Reds a needed boost at the plate, collecting 10 multihit games since May 19. The 29-year-old outfielder is having a resurgent season after seeing his OPS drop below .700 last year. This year, he has hit more in line with his 2023 campaign, when he smacked 18 home runs and compiled a .352 on-base percentage. He is showing a little less power than two years ago, but his on-base has shot up over .380, and he is hitting over .360 off fastballs. — Rogers
Record: 30-34
Previous ranking: 18
The Red Sox’s offense looks pedestrian without Alex Bregman, who’s been out with a right quad injury since late last month. The team ranks in the bottom third in run scoring during that time frame. Wilyer Abreu and Trevor Story have struggled the most, striking out about six times more than they’ve walked over the past half-month. That’s a recipe for some ugly at-bats. Fortunately, Rafael Devers has picked up the slack, averaging more than an RBI per game during Bregman’s absence. But Boston needs someone else to step up, as Bregman is going to be out for a while. Boston’s record as of late reflects its struggles. — Rogers
Record: 29-32
Previous ranking: 24
The Nationals had a nice road trip, winning two of three in Seattle and in Phoenix as the offense exploded for at least nine runs in four consecutive games. The highlights included a seven-run 10th inning against the Mariners and a 10-run first inning against the Diamondbacks in which the first 11 batters all reached base and five doubles were tallied. During the latter contest, the Nats scored nine runs before an out was recorded, the second most in a first inning since 1961. (The Red Sox scored 10 against the Marlins in 2003.) Luis Garcia had eight hits and six RBIs over the four outings, while the red-hot James Wood homered twice and drove in seven runs. — Schoenfield
Record: 28-33
Previous ranking: 23
The Angels have played the most road games in the majors, which has made their roller-coaster (but encouraging) start that much more impressive. Even better, they’ve played well away from Anaheim, generally remaining on the happy side of .500. The upside of such a road-heavy slate is that, by definition, the rest of their schedule will be MLB’s most home-heavy. For the Angels to take advantage, though, they need to actually start holding down the fort at the Big A, where they’ve gone 10-15. The hitters rank 5th in scoring on the road but 30th at home. That needs to change — Doolittle
Record: 24-36
Previous ranking: 27
Could a weekend sweep of an AL opponent mean the Orioles are back? Not likely, when you consider it was the lowly White Sox who failed to win a game in Baltimore. Even in taking the trio of games, the O’s only scored nine runs; but at least they pitched well, something that has eluded them for most of the season. That carried over to a 5-1 win at Seattle on Tuesday. Charlie Morton also has had a couple of good outings in a row that have led to wins. Perhaps he can right the ship enough to get traded, since it’s still a huge long shot for Baltimore to get back into the playoff race. — Rogers
Record: 23-39
Previous ranking: 28
OK, time for that annual exercise: Who on the Pirates can be unloaded to help other teams come trade season? Veteran infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa comes to mind. Andrew McCutchen, Tommy Pham, Adam Frazier and Andrew Heaney too. In other words, just about anyone this side of Paul Skenes can be had. If the Pirates can acquire even one hitting prospect to pair with Oneil Cruz, it would help. Cruz is their top hitter right now, ranking 40th in OPS in MLB. The next Pirate on the list is the 38-year-old McCutchen, at 81st. — Rogers
Record: 23-37
Previous ranking: 26
The Marlins became the first team to lose a series against the Rockies this season — and then the first to be swept by Colorado after dropping the final game in Miami. Monday’s announced home attendance was 5,894, which was a generous assessment of the actual in-game crowd. Pictures of a nearly empty stadium at first pitch filled social media. The game ended with a 6-4 loss. The Marlins had plenty of scoring opportunities but went just 3-for-16 with runners in scoring position. — Schoenfield
Record: 23-40
Previous ranking: 25
After showing some early signs of respectability and even a possible fringe run at a wild-card slot, the Athletics collapsed like the construct of a Jenga player who’s had one too many. The culprit has been pitching, particularly in the rotation, an area the A’s had hoped would be solid. Since the A’s topped out at four games over .500 (20-16), the starters have gone 3-24 with an ERA around 7.00, which is, unsurprisingly, the worst mark in the majors over that span. Double-digit outputs by the opposition have become the norm — as in 10 times over the Athletics’ past 25 games. — Doolittle
Record: 19-43
Previous ranking: 29
Down on the farm, there have been mixed reviews of Chicago’s highly regarded top five prospects. Hagen Smith had pitched just 25 innings in seven starts with 20 walks (although 42 strikeouts) in Double-A before going on the IL with elbow soreness. Colson Montgomery is hitting .191 in Triple-A. Noah Schultz has a high WHIP in Double-A (47 hits and 28 walks in 46 IP). Kyle Teel has hit well in Triple-A (.287/.389/.483) but has 54 strikeouts in 49 games. Braden Montgomery did earn a promotion to High-A but is hitting .246 there after hitting .304 in Single-A. Teel is most likely to make his MLB debut this year, although there’s little need to rush him with Edgar Quero and Matt Thaiss sharing catching duties. — Schoenfield
Record: 12-50
Previous ranking: 30
When a team is on pace to shatter the all-time loss record, you don’t generally expect any facet of that team to actually be good. However, the Colorado bullpen — despite having precious few leads to protect — has been positively not entirely terrible. (It’s all relative, of course.) For the Rockies, this could be more than a moral victory during a tortuously lost season. As the trade deadline approaches, Colorado might be able to capitalize on the always-busy derby for in-season bullpen help. Sure to attract calls are Seth Halvorsen and Jake Bird. — Doolittle
Ohio State will host Navy in the 2029 season opener for both teams, the schools announced Wednesday.
The Sept. 1, 2029, game will be the first meeting between the teams since 2014 and the sixth overall in the series. The Buckeyes have won all five previous matchups.
The game was one of three changes Ohio State made to future nonconference schedules that will affect the 2029 and 2030 seasons. To add the Navy game, Ohio State and Nevada agreed to move their previously scheduled game on that date to Sept. 7, 2030.
Ohio State also added a nonconference game against Youngstown State, which will be played at Ohio Stadium on Sept. 15, 2029. The Buckeyes have one nonconference game to fill out their schedule over the next five years: the season opener on Aug. 31, 2030.
In the 2014 matchup, a 34-17 Ohio State win in Baltimore, Navy trailed 20-17 in the fourth quarter before Ezekiel Elliott scored on a 10-yard touchdown run to put the Buckeyes up 10 and Michael Thomas scored on a 9-yard touchdown pass from J.T. Barrett that put the game away.
Ohio State would go on to post a 14-1 record and defeat Oregon 42-20 in the Rose Bowl to win the College Football Playoff.
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