MLB power rankings: Going about to get really tough

A 4-5 road trip is hardly a season-killer. The Padres, at 39-27, remain two games above .500 and a half-game out of a wild-card spot, but they've been spinning their wheels against the softer underbelly of the schedule.

Up next?

The majors top two teams - the Braves and the Dodgers - come to Petco Park. Then the Padres visit Wrigley Field and Dodger Stadium to get into July. After that, the Diamondbacks and defending AL champions come to San Diego to close out the unofficial first half.

In other words, it's well past the time for Manny Machado to stop sporting the majors' worst batting average, for Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill start slugging with regularity, for Xander Bogaerts returns to being at least a league-average bat, for Michael King and Randy Vásquez to get back on track and for Lucas Giolito and Griffin Canning get a hold of the their command.

The season is at a crossroads if the Padres want the hopeful return of Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove to even matter.

The top-10 …

• 1 | Los Angeles Dodgers (49-29; Last week: 2)
• 2 | Atlanta Braves (48-28; LW: 1)
• 3 | Milwaukee Brewers (46-29; LW: 3)
• 4 | New York Yankees (46-30; LW: 4)
• 5 | Tampa Bay Rays (43-31; LW: 5)
• 6 | St. Louis Cardinals (41-34; LW: 6)
• 7 | Philadelphia Phillies (42-35; LW: 9)
• 8 | Chicago Cubs (40-37; LW: 11)
• 9 | Washington Nationals (40-38; LW: 10)
• 10 | Cleveland Guardians (41-37; LW: 8)

… and the rest

• 11 | Miami Marlins (40-38; LW: 15)
• 12 | Chicago White Sox (39-37; LW: 7)
• 13 | Seattle Mariners (40-39; LW: 13)
• 14 | Pittsburgh Pirates (39-39; LW: 14)
• 15 | SAN DIEGO PADRES (39-37; LW: 12)
• 16 | Arizona Diamondbacks (39-38; LW: 16)
• 17 | Toronto Blue Jays (38-39; LW: 19)
• 18 | Texas Rangers (37-40; LW: 17)
• 19 | Minnesota Twins (38-41; LW: 24)
• 20 | Sacramento Athletics (38-40; LW: 18)
• 21 | Cincinnati Reds (37-39; LW: 21)
• 22 | Baltimore Orioles (37-42; LW: 20)
• 23 | Houston Astros (37-42; LW: 23)
• 24 | New York Mets (34-43; LW: 22)
• 25 | Detroit Tigers (33-44; LW: 26)
• 26 | Boston Red Sox (31-44; LW: 25)
• 27 | Kansas City Royals (32-46; LW: 29)
• 28 | Los Angeles Angels (32-47; LW: 27)
• 29 | San Francisco Giants (31-46; LW: 28)
• 30 | Colorado Rockies (30-48; LW: 30)

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This story was originally published June 22, 2026 at 9:07 AM.