Padres finish June on a roll
The San Diego Padres (49-38) closed June as the hottest team in baseball, going 8-2 over their final 10 games while extending their winning streak to five.
In most divisions, that type of surge would put a team within striking distance of first place. But sharing the NL West with the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers means San Diego still enters July five games back.
Mason Miller played a major role in the Padres’ surge. Over his last 10 appearances, the closer converted all seven of his save opportunities while posting a 0.96 ERA. His dominance earned him NL Pitcher of the Month honors for June.
Rays headed in the wrong direction
After earning the No. 3 seed in the 2026 AL playoffs, the Tampa Bay Rays have struggled to gain traction this season.
Tampa Bay enters July at 41-47, sitting 8½ games behind the first-place Yankees in the competitive AL East.
Pitching hasn’t been the problem. The Rays own a 3.52 team ERA, third-best in baseball behind Detroit (3.38) and Seattle (3.49).
The offense has been another story. Tampa Bay is batting .251 as a team, ranking 22nd in the majors, while its run production sits 28th. Unless the bats begin to produce, the Rays could have difficulty closing the gap in the second half.
Marlins take control of NL East
The Miami Marlins surged to the top of the NL East after going 15-12 in June, including winning five of six against the New York Mets.
At the same time, the Atlanta Braves stumbled to just 10 victories during the month, opening the door for Miami to take over first place. The Marlins will carry a three-game division lead into July.
One of the biggest reasons has been Kyle Stowers, who has emerged as a leading NL MVP candidate. The 29-year-old left fielder is batting .302 with 30 home runs and 76 RBIs.
Stowers ranks second in the majors in both home runs and RBIs, trailing Baltimore’s Pete Alonso, who has 33 homers and 80 RBIs.
Division Leaders Heading into July
| Division | Leader | Closest challengers |
|---|---|---|
| AL East | Yankees | Orioles (-3.0) |
| AL Central | Tigers | Guardians (-1.5) |
| AL West | Mariners | Astros (-3.0) |
| NL East | Marlins | Braves (-3.0) |
| NL Central | Brewers | Reds (-1.0), Cubs (-2.5) |
| NL West | Dodgers | Padres (-5.0) |
Alonso leads AL MVP race
Pete Alonso has established himself as the frontrunner in the American League MVP race. The Orioles slugger is batting .286 with an MLB-leading 33 home runs and 80 RBIs.
With 76 games remaining, Alonso is already within 10 home runs of the 43 he hit last season.
Yankees star Aaron Judge remains firmly in the conversation, batting .297 with 27 home runs and 62 RBIs, while Alonso’s teammate Gunnar Henderson (.318, 22 HR, 63 RBI) is also among the leading candidates.
Familiar names lead Cy Young races
Reigning AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal is once again among the league’s top pitchers. The Tigers ace enters July at 9-1 with a 3.22 ERA and 129 strikeouts, putting him ahead of Seattle’s Bryan Woo (10-4, 3.26 ERA, 124 SO) in the early race.
In the National League, Blake Snell (10-1, 4.99 ERA, 101 SO) currently leads the field, with Dodgers teammate Shohei Ohtani (8-2, 2.60 ERA, 103 SO) also in contention. San Diego’s Michael King (9-3, 3.36 ERA) rounds out the leading candidates.
June trade market heats up
The Dodgers and Rays completed a five-player deal that sent reliever Garrett Cleavinger (83 OVR) and starter Shane McClanahan (83 OVR) to Los Angeles. Tampa Bay received Chris Newell, Josue De Paula, and Mike Sirota. McClanahan slots into the Dodgers’ rotation as the No. 5 starter, while Cleavinger adds another quality arm to the bullpen.
The Seattle Mariners made an even bigger splash on June 20, acquiring Marcus Semien, Luis Robert Jr., and Jo Adell from the Mets in exchange for three players. The trio adds proven offensive depth to a Seattle club that already enters July atop the AL West.
The Philadelphia Phillies may also be signaling a shift toward selling. Fan favorite Brandon Marsh was dealt to San Diego for two players after batting .254 with eight home runs, 38 RBIs, and a .338 OBP. Marsh is expected to start in left field for a Padres club that currently leads the NL Wild Card standings.
