Even after the trade deadline has passed, the question of "So, who are the MLB championship contenders this year?" remains difficult to resolve. While a single major signing can shift the weight of the starting rotation, it is difficult to draw a conclusion based solely on power rankings when considering variables such as injuries and the short playoffs.
Based on trading closed at 7:00 AM KST on August 4, 2026, The Dodgers, having added Tarik Skubal, are the most prominent title contendersThey have risen to the top. However, Milwaukee, Tampa Bay, San Diego, and the Cubs are also maintaining a competitive landscape by addressing their respective weaknesses, so it is still too early to conclude that the Dodgers are dominating.
Dodgers are No. 1 after the deadline; the difference made by Skubal
To start with the conclusion, the Dodgers are considered to be one step ahead. In the MLB.com Power Rankings compiled on August 6, the Dodgers maintained their number one spot, followed by Milwaukee in second place and Tampa Bay in third.
The key player is Tarik Skubal. He was introduced as a left-hander who won the American League Cy Young Award for two consecutive years in 2024 and 2025, and his 2026 season record was summarized as 7 wins and 5 losses, an ERA of 2.79, and 116 strikeouts.
The Dodgers sent an outfielder and a right-handed pitching prospect to Detroit in exchange for acquiring Skubal. Since the name of the outfielder in the exchange varies across different sources, it is safer to view this as the Dodgers giving up some future resources to immediately strengthen the top of their starting rotation, rather than assuming a specific name.
The Dodgers' strength lies not in having added one more starter, but in the fact that they have increased both the depth and order of the starting rotation that opponents will have to face in the postseason.
How will Skubal be used in the Dodgers' starting rotation?
The Dodgers' starting rotation already includes Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Shohei Ohtani. If Scubal is added to this, it will become difficult for the opposing team to respond by avoiding just one specific game.
The most natural scenario is to position Scubal at the beginning of the postseason series and connect Yamamoto and Snell according to the opposing lineup and schedule. If Glasnow also stays healthy and pitches innings, it creates room to share the burden of the starting rotation during the regular season and utilize him as a situational card in the fall baseball season.
Ohtani's role must be viewed separately. Since pitching innings and batting contributions must be considered simultaneously, the acquisition of Skubal is likely to create room in the overall rotation rather than placing more burden on Ohtani.
Of course, name recognition does not guarantee actual game results. Scubal's condition and inning management, combined with the health of the existing starters, must align for the expected gap to translate into realistic competitiveness.
Response of Teams That Missed the Scubal: Milwaukee and Tampa Bay
Milwaukee has settled on securing Dustin May as a replacement starter after failing to acquire Scubal. Although they maintained their second-place ranking in the power rankings, it was assessed that there is a difference in the symbolic significance of the reinforcement, as they did not add a league-leading left-hander like the Dodgers.
Tampa Bay acquired Freddy Peralta. It was a trade that sent Emilian Pitre, Gary Gill Hill, and Aiden Smith, and it can be interpreted that they made a more realistic choice than Scubal, even at the cost of losing prospects.
For Tampa Bay, it is crucial whether Peralta regains his old form. If that condition is met, there are predictions that they could compete for the number one seed in the entire American League, but this is strictly a scenario premised on his recovery.
San Diego and the Cubs, teams that built deep starting rotations
San Diego's choice had a clear direction. By acquiring Robbie Ray and Casey Mize together, they simultaneously reinforced the left-handed pitchers with strikeout ability and experience, and the right-handed pitchers with game management skills and stability.
The fact that the two pitchers have different strengths can be significant in the postseason. This is because, instead of repeatedly exposing a single pitcher to a specific type of lineup, different styles of starters can be deployed depending on the opposing lineup.
The Chicago Cubs also acquired Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes. In the power rankings on August 6, the Cubs rose from 6th to 5th place, a trend that can be seen as a reflection of filling gaps in the starting rotation and securing resources to close out games late in the match.
Conversely, Atlanta maintained its current roster without making any major trades. While this could be a sign of confidence in its existing squad, it could also be seen as a relatively passive choice in a market where rival teams have actively invested in starting pitchers.
Luchman's Transfer and the Rebuilding Team's Choice
While the 2026 market closing was centered on pitcher trades, Adley Rutschman's move to Boston was an example of reinforcement for hitters and catchers. Boston received Rutschman, catcher Jake Rogers, and cash, while Baltimore secured several prospects and a player to be named later.
It is also noteworthy that this deal took place between rivals in the same American League East. However, as this depends on Rutschman returning healthy from his injury, it is too early to conclude that Boston's offense and defense have been immediately restored to normal based solely on the trade.
The teams' approaches diverged significantly. The Dodgers and San Diego aimed for immediate postseason victories, while Baltimore, Detroit, and San Francisco were closer to choosing future competitiveness by securing prospects.
The winner of a deadline and the winner of long-term team management can be different. For teams aiming for the World Series right now, proven players are important, but for teams with uncertain prospects, keeping prospects can broaden their future opportunities.
Variables to check in the World Series outlook
| 팀 | Key signings | Evaluation points after deadline |
|---|---|---|
| LA Dodgers | Tarik Skubal | Strengthening the top tier of the starting rotation and postseason readiness |
| Milwaukee | Dustin May | Maintaining 2nd place, limited potential for reinforcements compared to the Dodgers |
| Tampa Bay | Freddy Peralta | Depending on whether he recovers his prime, he could compete for the top spots in the American League. |
| San Diego | Robbie Ray, Casey Mize | Securing different types of starting resources simultaneously |
Based on current trends, the Dodgers are leading, followed by Milwaukee and Tampa Bay. San Diego and the Cubs appear to be teams capable of shaking up the top spots if the effects of their starting rotation reinforcements materialize quickly.
However, power rankings are not an actual table of winning probabilities. Since the evaluation reflects not only current performance but also trade choices and future strength, a ranking does not directly guarantee a spot in the World Series.
Going forward, we need to see how stably Scubal and Peralta pitch innings for their new teams, whether San Diego's two starters adapt to the postseason schedule, and whether the Dodgers' existing starting rotation stays healthy.
When evaluating championship contenders after the trade deadline, you must check the health of the starting rotation, role distribution, and utility in short series together, rather than just the names of the acquired players.
As of August 12, it is best to rank the Dodgers first, but it is a more balanced assessment to consider the upcoming game trends of Milwaukee, Tampa Bay, San Diego, and the Cubs. Once the starting rotations and injury updates are released, it will become clearer whether this reinforcement actually translates into championship competitiveness.