’s Week 23 MLB Power Rankings arrived as the 2026 season moved into September, and that makes Cubs vs Brewers part of a much bigger stretch-run conversation. With top-two seeds, first-round byes and wild-card position all tightening, the first September edition has turned every series into a relevance check.
The rankings are less about one isolated result and more about who is carrying form into the final month. The Cubs, the Brewers and several other contenders are now being judged on whether they can stay in the frame for the No. 1 seed, the second seed or at least one of the five spots that can still shape October.
That is the backdrop for a rankings release like this: not a snapshot for vanity, but a guide to what matters next. In September, every good week is about more than momentum. It can alter who gets a bye, who has to survive the wild card and who can manage the schedule with a little more confidence.
Why the September edition matters
The key point in the first September MLB Power Rankings is that the race is no longer abstract. Teams are being tracked against the realities of the bracket, and the margin between reward and risk is getting smaller. The top two seeds matter because they bring first-round byes, while the teams just outside that group are already thinking about how quickly they could be forced into a tougher path.
That is why the Cubs vs Brewers matchup has weight beyond the standings page. It sits inside a month where every series can shift the conversation about whether a club is building toward a bye or merely trying to survive the wild-card grind.
Braves, Phillies and the pressure of September
Jesse Rogers framed the Braves' September in direct terms, saying that holding first place in the NL East and earning a bye should clearly be the goals. He also pointed out that it starts with a four-game wrap-around series this weekend in Philadelphia.
That is the same kind of pressure that now hangs over the broader rankings picture. The Braves, Phillies, Cubs and Rays all sit inside a month where form has to match ambition. September does not reward drifting. It exposes it.
The standings are only part of the story. The larger issue is whether teams can convert position into advantage before the postseason field settles. For clubs in the mix, that means every remaining series is a test of nerve as much as quality.
Ohtani, the Dodgers and the pitching question
The Dodgers' place in the rankings comes with its own separate debate: whether Shohei Ohtani will return to pitching. David Schoenfield said the Dodgers do not need Ohtani to pitch in order to win their third straight World Series, but added that they are going to let him try.
That discussion has added relevance because Ohtani last pitched in a game on July 3. On Friday he threw a shortened 20-pitch bullpen session, and on Sunday his attempted one-inning start against the Tigers was aborted. The Dodgers are clearly still weighing how that unfolds, even if the larger team case remains strong.
For contenders at this stage, those are the fine margins that matter. A team can be secure in one sense and still be looking for the extra edge that makes October easier.
The form line behind the rankings
Jesse Rogers also highlighted Jacob Misiorowski as a pitcher on track to win his first Cy Young award, noting that he is now the lone pitcher in either league with an ERA under 2.00. He added that this was not necessarily the case at the All-Star break, but it is now after a masterful five months.
That is exactly the kind of development the first September rankings are meant to capture. They reflect not only where teams sit, but who has earned the right to shape the final month.
And that brings the focus back to Cubs vs Brewers. In a month when standings, byes and seeding are all part of the same conversation, the rankings underline a simple truth: September is no longer about waiting for clarity. It is about forcing it.
