The 2026 All-Star Break has arrived. It’s referred to as “midseason,” despite coming closer to the 60% point of the 162-game season. Another one of baseball’s silly quirks. Let’s take a look at where things stand as we break from the grind of the season and come ever closer to the August 3 trading deadline.
Where things stand
2026 MLB Standings as of July 14, 2026: All-Star Break
Team | Record | Games Back in Division | Run Differential (Runs Scored – Runs Allowed)
AL East:
- Tampa Bay Rays | 56-38 | – | +32
- New York Yankees | 54-42 | 3.0 GB | +91
- Boston Red Sox | 46-48 | 10.0 GB | +27
- Baltimore Orioles | 46-51 | 11.5 GB | -19
- Toronto Blue Jays | 45-51 | 12.0 GB | -35
AL Central:
- Chicago White Sox | 50-45 | – | +35
- Cleveland Guardians | 51-46 | – | -2
- Minnesota Twins | 48-49 | 3.0 GB | -14
- Detroit Tigers | 44-52 | 6.5 GB | +24
- Kansas City Royals | 38-59 | 13.0 GB | -88
AL West:
- Texas Rangers | 49-47 | – | -15
- Seattle Mariners | 48-49 | 1.5 GB | +16
- Houston Astros | 47-51 | 3.0 GB | -47
- Athletics | 41-55 | 8.0 GB | -106
- Los Angeles Angels | 38-59 | 11.5 GB | -55
NL East:
- Atlanta Braves | 55-40 | – | +92
- Philadelphia Phillies | 54-43 | 2.0 GB | -10
- Miami Marlins | 52-45 | 4.0 GB | +24
- Washington Nationals | 48-49 | 8.0 GB | +7
- New York Mets | 40-57 | 16.0 GB | -65
NL Central:
- Milwaukee Brewers | 59-37 | – | +126
- Chicago Cubs | 54-42 | 5.0 GB | +52
- St. Louis Cardinals | 50-45 | 8.5 GB | +6
- Pittsburgh Pirates | 50-47 | 9.5 GB | +44
- Cincinnati Reds | 43-52 | 15.5 GB | -60
NL West:
- Los Angeles Dodgers | 61-36 | – | +149
- Arizona Diamondbacks | 49-47 | 11.5 GB | -13
- San Diego Padres | 48-48 | 12.5 GB | -43
- San Francisco Giants | 41-55 | 19.5 GB | -64
- Colorado Rockies | 39-59 | 22.5 GB | -89
Playoff Picture as of July 14, 2026: All-Star Break
American League (Playoff Seed: Team):
- *Division Leader: Tampa Bay Rays
- *Division Leader: Chicago White Sox
- Division Leader: Texas Rangers
- Wildcard: New York Yankees
- Wildcard: Cleveland Guardians
- Wildcard: Seattle Mariners
National League (Playoff Seed | Team):
- *Division Leader: Los Angeles Dodgers
- *Division Leader: Milwaukee Brewers
- Division Leader: Atlanta Braves
- Wildcard: Chicago Cubs
- Wildcard: Philadelphia Phillies
- Wildcard: Miami Marlins
*The top 2 seeds in the AL and the NL receive first-round byes
The league’s biggest storylines
Jacob Misiorowski’s categoric leap to NL Cy Young favorite
Almost exactly a year ago on July 15, I wrote about a young Brewers pitcher with electrifying stuff that earned an All-Star nod after just 5 career starts. I thought the nomination was premature, but I didn’t doubt the pitcher. I called him baseball’s next must-watch ace. Jacob Misiorowski is proving my point 365 days later.
The 24-year-old is seen as the Cy Young favorite in the NL in just his second season. His 1.62 ERA, 2.09 FIP, 0.757 WHIP, 4.6 H/9 (hits allowed per nine innings), and 167 strikeouts all lead baseball.
His average fastball velocity sits at 100.5 miles per hour. Triple digits on average. A drawback of all the velocity was his lack of control. Everyone knew that. Despite striking out 32% of hitters last season, he walked 11%, just 11th percentile in baseball. This year? Well, the strikeout rate has risen to 39.6% and the walk rate… 6.4%, good for 81st percentile. That’s been the difference. The usual electric stuff is now being bolstered by increased control, turning him into a virtually unhittable arm.
Whether it was his 105.5 mph fastball he threw against the Cubs or his historic 0.23 ERA month of May, the Miz has been a showman for Milwaukee, helping them to first place in the division.
Miami Marlins: $80 Million Contender?
In a league where large-market clubs are spending $250-300 million (or more) on their team payrolls, the Miami Marlins have a payroll of about $81 million, close to $100 million below league average (according to Spotrac’s Team Salary Payroll Tracker). Upon hearing that, one wouldn’t expect them to hold a record of 52-45 and an NL wildcard playoff spot. But they do.
Thanks to an MLB-best 20-6 record in the month of June, the Fish have a 26-11 record in the last 2 calendar months. While there are many players stepping up for Miami on this run, a couple players stand out.
Shortstop Otto Lopez is breaking out in his age-27 season, leading MLB in hits (127), doubles (26) and batting average (.334) and earning 4.7 WAR on his way to his first All-Star appearance. He hadn’t previously eclipsed 3.6 WAR in any season prior to this one. His Baseball Savant page shows he’s hitting the ball harder, and defensively, his move to shortstop (from second base) last year seems to have been a good move on the part of the Marlins coaching staff.
Starting pitcher Max Meyer, the 2020 draft’s third overall pick, holds a 2.58 ERA through 19 starts, leading to a 9-1 record in games he’s earned a decision. He’s already set a career-high in games started (19) and innings pitched (108) after injuries feasted on the young Meyer’s career. With a 5-pitch mix, a healthy body and, in turn, a confident mindset, Meyer is fronting this Marlins rotation that is poised to help their squad to the playoffs.
The Marlins have been a fun team to watch. They’ve been pesky. They’ve nipped and they’ve clawed. Now, they’re winning with their talent that’s proving its quality each and every game. They will be a team to follow coming out of the All-Star break.
There are some big potential trade pieces at the deadline
In such an underperforming American League, all it takes is one good stretch of baseball to climb back into playoff contention. That leaves a decision for a lot of AL teams to make as we approach August 3: should they sell off their assets of value or try to push for a playoff spot this season? In the NL, the decision has seemingly already been made for a number of clubs.
The biggest potential trade piece of this season would be Tarik Skubal, the Tigers’ ace starter and back-to-back reigning AL Cy Young Award winner. I say “would be” because the Tigers have had a good stretch of baseball recently, putting themselves back into the AL playoff picture. On top of that, Skubal’s price tag could potentially be too high for teams to pay.
While the Tigers remain undecided, teams that are almost certainly going to sell are the Mets, Reds, Giants, Rockies, Royals, Athletics and Angels. There are a lot of enticing trade chips on expiring contracts or out of their team’s future plans that buyers should be interested in.
If Skubal is off the market, there are plenty of pitching options whose prices will go up as demand for pitching never wavers. On the offensive side, names like Mickey Moniak, Luis Arraez, and Ryan Jeffers should garner significant outside interest.
Without getting too in the weeds, just know that this deadline hinges on the Skubal domino. The decision the Tigers make on him will change the shape of the rest of the league’s moves.
3 things to watch for going forward
The All-Star Game: Tonight, MLB will play its annual All-Star Game, featuring the biggest stars of the first half of the 2026 season. Philadelphia is the host city, sure to bring its unique energy to the Midsummer Classic. The starting pitchers facing off are Dylan Cease (Blue Jays) for the AL and Cristopher Sánchez (Phillies) for the NL. In what is a long, arduous, mentally-taxing baseball season filled with a roller coaster of emotions and many, many hours of intense fandom, the All-Star Game provides a spectacle meant purely for the appreciation of the game and the best players within that game. If you find yourself needing a nighttime watch, consider throwing on the All-Star Game at 8pm on FOX.
Can the Braves hold their lead?: The Atlanta Braves hold first place in an NL East division that features four competitive teams. With a rotation plagued by the injury-bug, the Braves surprised most baseball fans when they got out to a scorching 40-20 start through the end of May. The offense was there, as expected, but the pitching was keeping the team afloat with performances from unlikely contributors, leading to a rotation ERA of 3.26. Since June 1, the Braves’ starters have pitched to a 5.47 ERA and the team has faltered to a 15-20 record. Now at 55-40 and holding a two-game lead over the Phillies, Atlanta needs to figure out how to attack the second half of the season to avoid another swoon.
The Home Run Race: A fun race every year is the home run race. This year should be no different. Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies currently leads the way with 32 long balls, followed by Yordan Alvarez (who I just wrote a little something about) of the Astros with 31, Ben Rice of the Yankees with 29, Junior Caminero of the Rays with 28, and James Wood of the Nationals with 28. The list goes on with names like Hunter Goodman, Matt Olson, and Munetaka Murakami lurking in the shadows, poised to go on a torrid stretch. If you like home runs (and how could you not?), keep an eye on the sluggers I mentioned above to see who finishes on top in the second half.
Inner Half 