What all 30 teams must do before the MLB trade deadline

This season's MLB trade deadline -- Aug. 3 -- is a little later than usual. Still, it's not too early in the season to begin pondering how teams might approach it.

As we do with Stock Watch each June, let's take a look at how all 30 clubs are grouped in terms of postseason outlook, and what needs to happen between now and then to clarify each team's deadline status.

Jump to:

Arming for October

Positioning for a push

Not out of it ... yet

Building for better days

Arming for October

Teams with high enough playoff probabilities that they'll start considering possible postseason roster holes.

1.Los Angeles Dodgers

In the playoffs:100% (Last Stock Watch: 98.8%)

Champions:25.3% (Last: 25.5%)

Win average:104.1 (Last: 101, 1st)

What they need to do before the deadline:There is very little difference between where the Dodgers are now and where they were a season ago. They again have a long and star-studded injured list. They again have a few stalwarts falling short of forecasts. And despite all that, they still are in the mix for MLB's best record and run differential. It's all about getting as close to whole as possible by the time October arrives. That said, the Dodgers can play spoiler in the trade market, as much to hinder other contenders as to help themselves. Sure, Tarik Skubal, to cite one keen example, might not be necessary to the Dodgers' three-peat hopes. But if they have Skubal and no one else does, their probabilities only grow stronger.

2.Atlanta Braves

In the playoffs:99.9% (Last: 96.1%)

Champions:21.5% (Last: 13%)

Win average:104.7 (Last: 97.2)

What they need to do before the deadline:The Braves have been baseball's best team to this point of the season. Yet they haven't really separated themselves from the favored Dodgers or, for that matter, the chronically overlooked Brewers. Even with Ronald Acuna Jr.'s up-and-down season, Atlanta has been good at just about everything in building a huge lead in the National League East. Looking ahead to a likely return to October, there are two keys areas to monitor and assess: shortstop and the rotation. The Braves figure to be mentioned frequently if and when the Skubal sweepstakes commence, but shortstop might be the bigger need. That really only matters if someone who is a clear upgrade -- perhaps someone like Jeremy Pena, Willy Adames orCJ Abrams-- actually becomes available. A rotation addition seems more likely, even if it's not Skubal.

3. New York Yankees

In the playoffs:99.6% (Last: 99%)

Champions:18.8% (Last: 24.1%)

Win average:97.2 (Last: 100.2)

What they need to do before the deadline:There's really no good time to lose Aaron Judge, but for the Yankees, this is probably the time it hurts the least to endure an extended absence from the game's most devastating offensive force. The American League landscape is just so forgiving right now. The Yankees still have a decent offense and a stellar starting rotation to get them by. Their buffer is huge -- New York has underperformed compared to its run differential, but that differential is more than three times larger than any other team in the Junior Circuit. The task, then, is to just hold down the fort, because the Yankees still have more than enough with which to win. If they do, then it's still about October, and for that part of the calendar, they might look at adding another righty bat, perhaps a third baseman and, certainly, some bullpen help.

4.Milwaukee Brewers

In the playoffs:99.3% (Last: 39.7%)

Champions:12.4% (Last: 1.3%)

Win average:99.7 (Last: 83.2)

What they need to do before the deadline:In 2026 baseball, we kind of think of runs and home runs as being more or less directly related. Milwaukee has turned that default position on its ear by simultaneously ranking in the top five in runs and the bottom five in homers all season. Flash back to last year's NL Championship Series: the hit-'em-where-they-ain't Brewers were outhomered 6-1 by the Dodgers and scored exactly one run in each contest of L.A.'s four-game sweep. Can Brewerball get a team to the World Series in a circuit with the Dodgers and Braves, clubs that happen to lead the NL in homers? Or should the Brewers use baseball's top farm system to target an elite middle-of-the-order threat? These are the questions to be answered by the Brewers over the next few weeks.

Positioning for a push

Teams with reasonable (or better) playoff probabilities looking to solidify a push for October.

5.Tampa Bay Rays

In the playoffs:93.3% (Last: 73.1%)

Champions:3.7% (Last: 3.1%)

Win average:90.5 (Last: 87.9)

What they need to do before the deadline:The Rays have tended to straddle the fence around the deadline, adding and subtracting at the same time while trying to balance short-term roster needs with longer-term payroll management. This year could be more of a straight-add scenario, if the Rays' recent downturn doesn't turn into a full-blown spiral. The slide can't be traced to any one part of the game. The pitching has struggled, as has the hitting, and this has all happened during what should have been a soft spot in the schedule. More than anything, Tampa Bay needs to find out what it is -- the club that bolted to a 34-15 start, or the one that entered the season with a mediocre forecast that appears to be regressing toward the middle in rapid fashion.

6.Seattle Mariners

In the playoffs:89.3% (Last: 65.9%)

Champions:7.1% (Last: 4.6%)

Win average:88.4 (Last: 85.8)

What they need to do before the deadline:The Mariners righted the ship after an uneven start. Even after some struggles, especially on offense, and little impact from last year's sensation, Cal Raleigh, Seattle is in great position. According to park-adjusted numbers, the Mariners are a top-seven team in both hitting and pitching. They have the AL's second-best run differential. Raleigh, currently on rehab in advance of a return to the lineup, surely should be better from here. Between now and the deadline, the Mariners need to create separation in a division they should win going away. While doing so, Jerry Dipoto might need to figure out how to best leverage a six-deep rotation in the trade market, perhaps targeting some additional offense. If they keep all of the starters, then the project becomes how this might all look on a playoff roster.

7.Cleveland Guardians

In the playoffs:86.2% (Last: 44.1%)

Champions:3.3% (Last: 1.3%)

Win average:87.2 (Last: 82.4)

What they need to do before the deadline:The Guardians' momentum has slowed during a rugged stretch of schedule, but they've nevertheless established themselves as front-runners in the AL Central. It's a low bar to maintain, especially if the upstart White Sox fade, which is far from a certainty. As for the deadline, Cleveland rarely does anything more than tweaking around the margins, so the objective is probably to simply remain fixed in this group rather than slipping onto the subtraction tier. Despite the tepid competition within the division, it's not something that can be taken for granted given Cleveland's .500-ish run differential. It will be interesting to see if the playoff standings influence a more aggressive approach by the Guardians' this time as Cleveland and Seattle figure to battle it out for a first-round bye.

8. Philadelphia Phillies

In the playoffs:68.1% (Last: 45.9%)

Champions:1.6% (Last: 1.9%)

Win average:86.6 (Last: 83.8)

What they need to do before the deadline:Whatever you might think about the utility of in-season manager firings, with the Phillies you can't get around the fact that their season turned immediately upon the switch from Rob Thomson to Don Mattingly. Since April 28, when Mattingly took over, Philadelphia owns baseball's fifth-best record (27-11). Fueling the turnaround has been stifling pitching (3.21 staff ERA) and a 10-1 record in one-run games. All of this has merely returned the Phillies to where we thought they'd be -- in the NL playoff bracket. For that to matter, Dave Dombrowski is going to have to figure out which holes he might be able to fill in a lineup that even during the current run hasn't been that prolific. Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Brandon Marsh have been terrific. But can Dombrowski find some support for them by the time we get deep into the season?

9. Texas Rangers

In the playoffs:64.8% (Last: 53.3%)

Champions:1.9% (Last: 2.3%)

Win average:83.5 (Last: 83.9)

What they need to do before the deadline:Maybe the Rangers' lineup overhaul is working? Once again, bizarre park effects seem to be muddying the picture of Texas' attack. The Rangers rank 28th in home OPS, but they have a winning home record driven by a No. 3 ranking in home ERA. Texas ranks ninth in road OPS and, to be sure, things have been looking up lately. Joc Pederson, after looking washed up for much of his Rangers tenure, has been mashing for a month now. Wyatt Langford and Corey Seager are back in the lineup after yet more injury stints, and both homered soon after resuming their seasons. Still, Chris Young has to figure out if he has enough offense and, if not, where the upgrades might be needed. He also needs to consider targeting an end-of-the-bullpen hammer who can make what has been a workable reliever mix really come into focus.

10. St. Louis Cardinals

In the playoffs:52.5% (Last: 26%)

Champions:0.5% (Last: 0.3%)

Win average:84.7 (Last: 80.7)

What they need to do before the deadline:The deeper we get into the season, the more real this Cardinals' push for a wild-card berth becomes. There's no reason for Chaim Bloom to be in a rush, as this surprise contention is found money for the lead exec in his first season at the helm for the Cardinals. His most tradeable players --Riley O'Brien, JoJo Romero, Lars Nootbaar-- should remain alluring right down to the deadline, if subtracting turns out to be the way to go. But if St. Louis keeps this up and remains in solid playoff position by late July, then Bloom and his staff must determine how aggressive they want to be in what was supposed to be a rebuilding season. This is a question that is especially tough to navigate given the strength of the teams that figure to rank ahead of St. Louis in the NL pecking order. Getting into the postseason seems doable for this Cardinals team; doing anything of substance once they get there is another matter.

11. Pittsburgh Pirates

In the playoffs:45.6% (Last: 50.9%)

Champions:0.7% (Last: 1.8%)

Win average:83.3 (Last: 84.9)

What they need to do before the deadline:Win! It seems silly to state it that way, but that's what it comes down to. The Pirates have a playoff-worthy rotation. This has been the case for some time. The efforts to upgrade the offense over the winter have paid off: Pittsburgh ranks fifth in the NL in scoring, and fourth in run differential. The Pirates have a playoff profile in almost every way except the standings, where Pittsburgh has struggled to get more than a couple of games over .500. A big issue has been high-leverage hitting, but that is something the Pirates can hope normalizes as the season progresses. More worrisome is a team defense that figured to be an issue given the roster's construction has indeed been problematic. It's a problem that doesn't figure to go away. The question the Pirates have to answer: Can this team become the best version of itself withOneil Cruzplaying in center field?

12. Arizona Diamondbacks

In the playoffs:43.8% (Last: 28.3%)

Champions:0.4% (Last: 0.5%)

Win average:83.4 (Last: 81.2)

What they need to do before the deadline:The Diamondbacks' lineup needs to make it abundantly clear that Mike Hazen can focus on pitching upgrades at the deadline. There is plenty of reason to think that will be the case, from improved health,Corbin Carroll'sMVP-level production, Ketel Marte starting to round into form and exciting play from rookies Ryan Waldschmidt and Tommy Troy. There might still be room for a power bat -- Arizona has the majors' second-lowest OPS from designated hitters -- but pitching is the bigger need. Four of the six pitcher who have started games for the Diamondbacks --Ryne Nelson, Brandon Pfaadt, Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly--have ERA+ figures at least 10% below average and all have performed at below replacement level, per baseball-reference.com. Those are also some familiar names to Arizona fans and all are capable of going on a run. Tracking and assessing the performance of this group is Hazen's biggest task between now and Aug. 3.

13. Chicago Cubs

In the playoffs:42.9% (Last: 89.7%)

Champions:0.6% (Last: 7.2%)

Win average:83 (Last: 93.7)

What they need to do before the deadline:Drive in some runs! Watching the Cubs this season has been an emotional trial. From the two 10-game winning streaks, to the 10-game losing streak, to the late-game turnarounds, it has been a roller coaster at Wrigley Field. One constant in the struggles has been Chicago's MLB-worst performance in RBI spots. Consider RBI%, which is simply the percentage of baserunners that have been driven home, adjusted for home runs. Given their elite team on-base percentage, the Cubs actually lead the majors in RBI opportunities. But their RBI% (14.4%) is tied with Cincinnati for the worst in the majors. The Cubs' 33.5 RBIs below expectation is the worst mark in baseball. Out of 539 ranked batters, the Cubs have three of the bottom eight, including Ian Happ (minus-8.8) at No. 532, and the bottom two inSeiya Suzuki (minus-12.7) and Alex Bregman (minus-13.2). Last week, Cubs GM Jed Hoyer said his staff believes this problem will normalize. It needs to happen soon, not just for the Cubs' flagging playoff odds, but so Hoyer and his staff can make a real evaluation of his team's strength and whether it merits the aggressive pursuit of pitching upgrades.

14. Toronto Blue Jays

In the playoffs:36.3% (Last: 38.9%)

Champions:0.6% (Last: 1.4%)

Win average:79.6 (Last: 81.3)

What they need to do before the deadline:Hit for some extra bases. The Blue Jays' offense was one of the big stories of last season. Toronto's collective ability to pair high-contact rates with elite quality of contact seemed to be a new paradigm for MLB hitting coaches. But every year is its own thing, and this Blue Jays attack is very different, even if many of the faces remain the same. The Blue Jays still make contact -- Toronto has MLB's second-lowest strikeout rate -- but they rank in the bottom 10 in measures such as isolated power, hard hit rate and average exit velocity. The avatar for this is the franchise cornerstone, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., baseball's newest version of David Eckstein. Guerrero has a good average (.282), is walking as much as ever and has cut his elite strikeout rate down another 3.2% from his career-best level in 2025. But with a sub-.400 slugging average and drooping exit velocities, he's just not hitting the ball very hard very often. Unless this changes, it's hard to imagine the Blue Jays' idling season is going to take off in a way to justify an aggressive deadline.

Not out of it ... yet

Teams currently on the fringe of the playoff outlook but not yet certain to unload at the deadline.

15. Chicago White Sox

In the playoffs:32.8% (Last: 0.3%)

Champions:0.3% (Last: 0%)

Win average:79.2 (Last: 63.2)

What they need to do before the deadline:Provide some proof that this White Sox rebuild has turned the corner. They can do this by merely surviving: Chicago just embarked on a brutal segment of its schedule, losing two of three at Philadelphia before returning home to face baseball's two best teams back to back in the Braves and Dodgers. After that? It's on to Yankee Stadium for three. This might be the roughest stretch in terms of consecutive games against elite competition any team will face this season. If the White Sox are still at or near .500, and still in or near playoff position when the dust clears, Chris Getz can rejoice, regroup and then go about plugging holes in what has been baseball's worst pitching staff in high-leverage situations.

16. Athletics

In the playoffs:25.6% (Last: 46.8%)

Champions:0.2% (Last: 1.7%)

Win average:78.1 (Last: 82.9)

What they need to do before the deadline:The Athletics teetered on the brink of a real breakout for much of the early season, but a downturn since our last Stock Watch has darkened the outlook. The Athletics have never quite been able to get going on all cylinders at any point, and over the past month, the rotation has faltered and too many leads have been squandered. This has happened while the Mariners and Rangers have started to play better and the Astros have both improved and gotten healthier. Nick Kurtz is a bona fide MVP contender but beyond him, it's hard to know what to make of these A's. That makes the next few weeks crucial. It's too early to write off right-now contention, not in this year's AL, but the A's need some of their underachievers to find their level and their bullpen to find some consistency. But more than anything, they need the rotation to stabilize even as it gets younger from the promotions of Gage Jump and Kade Morris.

17. Houston Astros

In the playoffs:21.8% (Last: 16.7%)

Champions:0.3% (Last: 0.3%)

Win average:77.3 (Last: 77.1)

What they need to do before the deadline:Be realistic. That doesn't mean waving a white flag. The Astros have been playing better, and as their lineup, rotation and bullpen start to resemble how they were drawn up before the season, we have a few weeks to see if Houston's window remains open. But it's no certainty that it is, and if by the last week of July the Astros are still well under .500, clear eyes will be needed. GM Dana Brown told reporters that Houston isn't going to entertain offers for Yordan Alvarez or Jeremy Pena, and you can understand that, especially since neither stalwart is in a walk year. Still, at some point, the time will come that the Astros have to shift their gaze toward the future. The standings in six weeks might tell us a lot about whether that time has arrived.

18. San Diego Padres

In the playoffs:20.9% (Last: 53.3%)

Champions:0.2% (Last: 1.8%)

Win average:79.9 (Last: 85.4)

What they need to do before the deadline:See: Blue Jays, Toronto. It's a very similar dynamic in San Diego, except the Padres didn't enjoy the offensive breakout the Blue Jays did a year ago. In the Padres' case, a lineup of ice-cold power bats has sent the team spiraling. San Diego has scored 90 runs in its past 30 games while posting a collective .592 OPS and barely-there .323 slugging. Like Toronto, the Padres have a franchise cornerstone who is the namesake of an accomplished big league father who suddenly has become a banjo hitter. Fernando Tatis Jr. at least finally homered and that blast went 451 feet, so we know he's still capable of powering up. But he leads the Padres in plate appearances and still has only one more home run than any non-big-league player reading this comment. It's so mystifying, we barely have time to mention that Manny Machado and Jackson Merrillare both hitting under .200. Unless the Padres' stars begin to mash, no manifestation of A.J. Preller's imagination is going to matter.

19. Baltimore Orioles

In the playoffs:18.1% (Last: 25.4%)

Champions:0.2% (Last: 0.8%)

Win average:76.5 (Last: 79.1)

What they need to do before the deadline:Identify some more efficient travel solutions. The Orioles' home run differential, translated to a full season, is that of an 87-win team. Their road performance is that of a 60-win stinker, and the disparity between those two measures marks Baltimore as baseball's most home-dependent team. Camden Yards is really nice, but come on. The pitchers have been at the bottom of this disparity, as the Orioles rank 14th in home ERA (3.83) but last on the road (5.55). The pitchers have 21 road games between now and the deadline to show this is a team worth adding to. That said, if Mike Elias really wants to raise the stakes by then, he won't delay in making some early splashes in the trade pool.

20. Washington Nationals

In the playoffs:12.2% (Last: 0.1%)

Champions:0.1% (Last: 0%)

Win average:77.8 (Last: 62.3)

What they need to do before the deadline:The Nationals have gone from virtual zero in the playoff odds column into long-shot-but-not-impossible territory. The offense remains one of the most productive in the majors, and though the run prevention remains near the bottom, it's less bad than it was earlier in the season. The bottom line is an emerging team that has crawled over the .500 mark and pushed its run differential into the positive. Like the Cardinals and White Sox, this flirtation with contention is found money and there is no reason to go overboard. But though the NL has three power teams and perhaps an emerging fourth in the resurgent Phillies, that still leaves two postseason slots that look a lot more accessible than they did before Opening Day. Things are trending positive. The offense has been consistent and the pitchers, who were on pace to give up 938 runs at the beginning of May, have trimmed nearly 100 runs off that pace. The Nats just need to keep doing what they are doing, then see where things stand after the All-Star break.

21. Boston Red Sox

In the playoffs:10.7% (Last: 22.2%)

Champions:0.1% (Last: 0.7%)

Win average:74.5 (Last: 78.2)

What they need to do before the deadline:Hit the ball far, preferably onto Lansdowne Street. And even then, it might not matter, because this yawn-inspiring Red Sox season might already be sunk. Boston -- the Boston Red Sox, tenants of Fenway Park -- ranks last in the majors in home runs. It seems impossible for even a bad Red Sox team to do that. Boston has fewer homers at home than any other team and is averaging 3.3 runs per game at Fenway while going 10-21 there. That note above about the Orioles being the majors' most home-reliant team? Well, Boston is the most road-reliant club. This is not a sustainable dynamic given the passion of the Boston fan base. Either the Red Sox start to go deep -- and it's unclear where those dingers would come from -- or changes will need to be made. Well, more changes than have already occurred.

22. Detroit Tigers

In the playoffs:9.4% (Last: 64.7%)

Champions:0.2% (Last: 3.4%)

Win average:73.7 (Last: 85.5)

What they need to do before the deadline:Leverage the surprisingly quick return of Tarik Skubal into a season-saving heater. The Tigers were never as bad as they appeared to be in the wake of Skubal's injury but, boy, were they bad. It wasn't just Skubal's absence; the Tigers were beset by injuries -- at one point basically operating without a starting rotation. That's starting to change and Detroit is playing better. As we keep mentioning, the AL landscape is very forgiving and it's worth noting that Detroit's nine-game deficit to Cleveland in the AL Central is considerably smaller than the one the Guardians overcame last season when the Tigers collapsed. But there is no middle ground for this team because of the impending free agencies of Skubal, Casey Mize, Gleyber Torres and others. Skubal trade talk is all the rage, but his situation is the same as the others. Either these players are part of a team trying to play deep into October, or they need to be moved for future value. Winning makes that decision easy, and the Tigers have picked up the pace since the beginning of June.

23. Minnesota Twins

In the playoffs:7.6% (Last: 14.9%)

Champions:0.1% (Last: 0.3%)

Win average:73.6 (Last: 76.4)

What they need to do before the deadline:The Twins looked as if they just might mash their way into contention early in the season. That success hasn't kept up, though the offense has stayed respectable even as the Twins' overall fortunes have chilled. There just isn't enough pitching on this team, especially in the bullpen, which is a big reason the Twins have lost an MLB-high 12 games that they led at some point. Since the offense has probably overachieved, it's going to take another surprising hot stretch to keep the Twins from falling into the tier below. If and when that happens,Joe Ryan'sname will be quite familiar to those following the trade rumor circuit.

24. New York Mets

In the playoffs:7.2% (Last: 19.2%)

Champions:0.1% (Last: 0.5%)

Win average:75.6 (Last: 78.4)

What they need to do before the deadline:At the beginning of the season, who could have imagined that by the June Stock Watch, the Mets would find themselves slotted between the Twins and Marlins in our playoff probability pecking order? And frankly, we could just as easily have put them in the tier below. Even though the Mets have started to play better, it might already be too late. The window is not completely shut. Carson Benge is coming on and the outfield play in general has ticked up since A.J. Ewing joined him in the grass. Francisco Alvarez just came off the IL. Francisco Lindor, if all goes well in his recovery from a calf injury, should be back this month. On the flip side, the schedule is not forgiving. Of the Mets' 47 remaining games before the deadline, they have nine against the Phillies, nine more against the Braves, three at Toronto, three at Milwaukee and three at home against the Dodgers. It's never too early to inquire about the availability of Freddy Peralta.

Building for better days

Teams that should be favoring future value over present value with remaining in-season moves.

25. Miami Marlins

In the playoffs:4.8% (Last: 7.4%)

Champions:0% (Last: 0.1%)

Win average:74.5 (Last: 75)

What they need to do before the deadline:The Marlins have shown flashes, but the puzzle in Miami is not yet close to complete. The organization is trending up, but increasingly it looks like another rebuilding season. The top-line item is to get Sandy Alcantara back to where he was early in the season, which wasn't quite at his Cy Young level but good enough to merit a spot in a first-division rotation. He wouldn't be the Marlins' only alluring trade candidate among the pitchers, but he's the most prominent. The better he looks, the better it will be for the Marlins.

26. Kansas City Royals

In the playoffs:4.4% (Last: 34.1%)

Champions:0% (Last: 1.1%)

Win average:71.6 (Last: 80.4)

What they need to do before the deadline:Admit defeat when it comes time. The Royals looked like a playoff contender before the season, with a 26-man roster that looked complete. The depth behind that group was uncertain, and even the core 26 needed both good health and the representative seasons their forecasts assigned. But little has gone right for the Royals and they've fallen so far off the pace that even if they morph into the team we thought they'd be, they'd still be unlikely to approach .500 by season's end. Of course, you might not need to get to .500 to make the playoffs in the AL, so you never know. The math, illustrated by the AL's second-worst run differential, is just too daunting. Being clear-headed about this is the only choice, which means fielding calls for players on expiring deals or, in the case of veteran startersMichael Wacha and Seth Lugo, players under contract beyond this season. Barring something wild, it will soon be time to look ahead to 2027.

27. Cincinnati Reds

In the playoffs:2.4% (Last: 35.4%)

Champions:0% (Last: 0.7%)

Win average:72.5 (Last: 82.4)

What they need to do before the deadline:The Reds entered play on May 1 with a 20-11 record that was the same mark as the Dodgers and the best in the NL Central. Good times. There haven't been many since then for Cincinnati, largely thanks to a pitching staff that has completely dissolved. Since that high-water mark, the Reds' staff ERA (5.61) is the second worst in baseball (Rockies, 6.93). The starters haven't been great, but the bullpen has been a disaster -- a 6.82 ERA (30th), with four saves and seven blown saves during that span. The odds -- as illustrated here -- are against a recovery. But this is a team that not so long ago looked like one of the season's good stories. Bullpens are freak things and if Terry Francona can figure this out soon, perhaps the Reds can creep toward the last couple of NL wild-card slots. But it has to be soon.

28. San Francisco Giants

In the playoffs:0.6% (Last: 9.3%)

Champions:0% (Last: 0.1%)

Win average:69.2 (Last: 75.9)

What they need to do before the deadline:Don't let the recent spate of double-digit scoring and grand-slam-hitting fool you -- this is a bad team. The offense has ticked up, to be sure, ranking first in OPS and third in runs per game over the past month. An attack that was apparently featureless the last time we checked in has taken a page from last year's Blue Jays. During the upswing, San Francisco has baseball's second-best contact rate and best slugging percentage. And yet the Giants are just 13-17 during that spree thanks to a leaky bullpen with no good answer to close out games. The Giants have held leads at some point in 10 of their past 17 losses. Maybe that normalizes, but if even if it does, a real run would require the offense to keep rolling at an MLB-best level. Which seems unlikely.

29. Los Angeles Angels

In the playoffs:0.1% (Last: 0.5%)

Champions:0% (Last: 0%)

Win average:63.3 (Last: 64.5)

What they need to do before the deadline:Maybe acknowledge that those protesters around Angel Stadium have a point, whether or not they are wearing shirts.

30. Colorado Rockies

In the playoffs:0% (Last: 0%)

Champions:0% (Last: 0%)

Win average:56.8 (Last: 56.3)

What they need to do before the deadline:The Rockies have found their level, which isn't great, but let's maintain some perspective. The Rockies' win pace of 58 is supported by their run differential almost precisely. That's 104 losses, and though it's hard to be excited about that, it would represent an enormous 15-win improvement over last season. The White Sox made a similar leap last year after their 121-loss debacle, and this year are one of baseball's best stories. Rockies fans would take that trajectory. Meanwhile, the Rockies should give a lot of thought to how they handle failed-starter-turned-bullpen-ace Antonio Senzatela. Allowing him to close games is a nice showcase for trade suitors, if he executes. But the Rockies have yet to use Senzatela in back-to-back games. Allowing contenders to see him bounce back quickly, a key trait for a high-leverage reliever, would only add to his allure.

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