Nearly 50 games into the MLB season, we are starting to get a sense of how the 2026 baseball marathon will unfold. Some expected contenders have tripped on their laces out of the gate, while some surprising teams have taken pole position. Though some of these underachieving teams are likely to find their rhythm and move up in the race later in the season, a few are in big trouble already.As teams start to find their identities, it’s becoming clearer which ones will be sellers and which ones will be buyers at the trade deadline. Below is how I’ve ranked the performance of all 30 teams thus far, leaning heavily on current records but also on how well positioned teams are to continue to play as they have thus far. I’ve also included my thoughts on how they are positioning themselves for the deadline:1. Atlanta Braves (Record: 32-16)The Braves have been the best team in baseball pretty much from Opening Day. Their starting pitching has been elite, led by their ace Chris Sale and the surprising rebound by Bryce Elder, who both are early Cy Young Award candidates.The Braves invested heavily in the back of their bullpen in the offseason, and it’s paid off so far, as Robert Suarez and Raisel Iglesias have been lights out in the later innings. Matt Olson is having a bounce-back year, catcher Drake Baldwin is proving his rookie season wasn’t a fluke and Michael Harris II is finally back to the player he was a couple years ago. As usual, they’re an elite defensive team.Trade deadline position: Buyers. The Braves are a legitimate World Series contender.2. Tampa Bay Rays (31-15)The Rays continue to dominate in the category of wins per dollars spent thanks to the strong leadership of team president Erik Neander and manager Kevin Cash. Chandler Simpson and his blazing speed have given them an effective old school leadoff hitter who changes games with his legs, while the trio of Junior Caminero, Jonathan Aranda and Yandy Díaz provide the power and consistent run production. The rest of their lineup is comprised of strong defenders and complementary-type offensive players.On the pitching side, Shane McClanahan is back and pitching like an ace while Drew Rasmussen continues to show why he’s an All-Star. Nick Martinez and Steven Matz have been steady mid-rotation starters and closer Bryan Baker has been solid.Trade deadline position: Buyers. The front office will likely have to land another starting pitcher if they’re going to win the division or make the playoffs.3. Los Angeles Dodgers (29-19)The Dodgers still have the best roster from top to bottom but they haven’t completely lived up to expectations to start the season. Max Muncy and Andy Pages have been leading the offense, but Mookie Betts has played just 14 games and recently came off the IL and Freddie Freeman, Kyle Tucker, Will Smith and Shohei Ohtani are off to slow starts. Imagine what their offense will look like when it’s firing on all cylinders.It’s been an uneven start for the championship core of the Dodgers’ lineup. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Imagn Images)As a pitcher, Ohtani has been flat-out dominant, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow have been as good as expected, though Glasnow is on the IL with a back injury and they’ve received mixed results from Emmet Sheehan and Roki Sasaski at the back of the rotation. Justin Wrobleski has been a pleasant surprise, moving ahead of both Sheehan and Sasaki on the depth chart. Blake Snell returned briefly from the IL before going back on the shelf with loose bodies in his pitching elbow. LA lost their impact closer Edwin Díaz to elbow surgery but Tanner Scott and Alex Vesia have stepped up thus far. Their pitching depth has been tested, and the Dodgers signed lefty swingman Eric Lauer over the weekend to help them through this stretch.Trade deadline position: Despite the uneven start, the Dodgers are still the favorites to win it all. Injuries will dictate what they look to add at the deadline but they will be buyers as usual.4. Chicago Cubs (29-19)I picked the Cubs to win the NL Central, so I’m not surprised they’re playing well. They’ve gotten off to a hot start despite a deluge of injuries, including to two of their best starting pitchers, Cade Horton and Matthew Boyd, and a setback in the rehab of lefty Justin Steele. They are making it work because the Cubs are one of the best defensive teams in the game and their lineup top to bottom gives professional at-bats every day and the lineup length is special.Trade deadline position: Buyers. Chicago is already making phone calls regarding starting pitching help, and I would expect between now and the trade deadline they land a starter because they have the prospects to make a deal.5. New York Yankees (29-19)The Bronx Bombers lead MLB in home runs and are third in OPS thanks to Aaron Judge and Ben Rice, who have become one of the best power duos in the game. But it’s been their starting pitching that has carried the team early. Cam Schlittler has developed into an ace. Max Fried was off to a great start before hitting the IL last week with a bone bruise in his left elbow. Both Will Warren and Ryan Weathers have been solid, giving them a deep rotation. The Fried injury hurts, but the good news for New York is Carlos Rodón has returned and Gerrit Cole isn’t far behind.Trade deadline position: Buyers. They’re still my pick to win the AL East. The Yankees’ farm system is stocked with MLB-ready talent in the upper levels, which could help them fill gaps or trade for reinforcements. They are still not getting enough offense from third base and could improve the bullpen as well going forward.6. San Diego Padres (29-18)Manny Machado is hitting .180, Jackson Merrill is batting just .202, Fernando Tatis Jr. has yet to hit a homer, Nick Pivetta, Joe Musgrove and Germán Márquez are all on the injured list and the Padres are a half game up on the Dodgers for first place in the NL West — how can that be? Michael King and Randy Vásquez have both been consistently solid in the rotation and Mason Miller is doing historic things in the bullpen. The Padres bullpen as usual features so many different looks with velocity, shapes and sizes, giving them a huge advantage late in close games.Trade deadline position: Buyers. San Diego needs another quality starting pitcher and will be aggressive at the deadline like they always are under the leadership of A.J. Preller.7. Milwaukee Brewers (27-18)The Brewers are led by flame thrower Jacob Misiorowski, who has made huge strides this season, not only throwing harder than any other starter in baseball but also becoming a pitcher, refining his command, control and pitch sequencing. He’s a true ace. Acquired from the Red Sox in the offseason, Kyle Harrison has also made great improvements, giving the Brewers a nice one-two punch at the top of their rotation. However, both the rotation and bullpen depth needs to get better if Milwaukee is going to catch the Cubs. They really miss Freddy Peralta.Offensively, they’re fun to watch because they are so athletic and move the chains as well as any team in baseball. In fact, they lead the sport in moving runners, scoring from third base with less than two outs and taking the extra base. They score runs by getting on base and making things happen once they’re there. Jackson Chourio, Christian Yelich and Andrew Vaughn spent most of the first two months on the injured list and have recently returned, which should be a huge boost to their run production.Milwaukee’s management team of general manager Matt Arnold and manager Pat Murphy is one of the best in the game.Trade deadline position: Buyers. The Brewers will be looking to add more pitching depth.8. St. Louis Cardinals (27-19)The Cardinals have been the biggest surprise team in baseball. They are building a strong core of young players, led by rookie second baseman J.J. Wetherholt, right fielder Jordan Walker, first baseman Alec Burleson, DH Ivan Herrera and shortstop Masyn Winn. Walker has been the MVP of the team, swatting 13 homers thus far in a breakout season, while Wetherholt has a legitimate chance to win Rookie of the Year.The starting pitching has been the biggest surprise as they have kept them in most games, led by right-hander Michael McGreevy, and Riley O’Brien has handled the closer’s role well. The team is playing with positive energy and enthusiasm, which is a direct reflection of their manager Oli Marmol, who is doing an excellent job developing this young team.Trade deadline position: Wait and see. I still don’t think they have the starting pitching to contend the entire season, but the team is definitely taking a big step forward. They could go either way at the trade deadline based on the standings.9. Cleveland Guardians (27-22)The Guardians are 10th in team ERA and 10th in runs scored and middle of the pack in most defensive metrics. That is a good reflection of who they are, which this year is good enough to win the AL Central, as 85 wins will probably give a team the division title. Reigning AL manager of the year Stephen Vogt continues to find ways to win close games. Rookie Chase DeLauter has been a difference maker, which has helped them weather superstar José Ramírez’s slow start (by his standards) and center fielder Steven Kwan’s struggles. The Guardians traded for Gold Glove catcher Patrick Bailey, who helps them defensively but provides very little offense for a team that needs it.Starting pitching has been the best aspect of this team, led by a pair of southpaws, rookie Parker Messick and Joey Cantillo. Gavin Williams is an ace in the making and although Tanner Bibee is off to a slow start, he should be able to turn it around before long.Trade deadline position: Buyers. The Guardians aren’t going away but the front office will need to acquire some offensive reinforcements.10. Chicago White Sox (24-23)The White Sox season has been highlighted by the offensive production from the trio of Munetaka Murakami, Colson Montgomery and Miguel Vargas. Murakami has been everything the White Sox hoped he’d be from a power and on-base perspective, while Montgomery continues to hit for power and Vargas is off to the best start of his career.On the pitching side, Davis Martin leads a rotation that has also been boosted by solid showings from veterans Sean Burke and Erick Fedde.Trade deadline position: Sellers. Chicago is making progress but still has a ways to go and won’t be able to stay at .500. Continuing their long-term building is the best play for them this season.11. Philadelphia Phillies (25-23)The Phillies got off to a horrible start, leading to team president Dave Dombrowski firing manager Rob Thomson. Don Mattingly replaced him at the helm and since then the Phillies have gotten right back into the wild-card race. The rotation has been mostly solid. Zack Wheeler is back from thoracic outlet surgery and is looking like his old self and Cristopher Sánchez continues to pitch like an ace, but Jesús Luzardo and Aaron Nola have been inconsistent and rookie Andrew Painter is going through growing pains. If healthy, this is still a playoff-caliber rotation, however.