The MLB season is nearing its end, and teams are preparing for one final push toward the postseason. To boost their chances, major league clubs bolstered their rosters by making key moves at the July 31 trade deadline.
Following the seismic roster shakeup, here are the MLB’s top ten new-look offenses heading into the homestretch.
10. San Diego Padres
San Diego’s bats have dragged all season. Their .697 OPS ranks eighth-worst in baseball, and their 93 home runs lead only the Pirates. But it’s no surprise that the most aggressive deadline spender walked away with some serious offensive firepower.
After dealing four prospects to the A’s for Mason Miller, the Padres sent six more to the Orioles for slugging first baseman Ryan O’Hearn and right-fielder Ramon Laureano. The former sports an .829 OPS with 13 homers, while the latter has been even better, owning a .873 OPS with 15 homers.
9. Philadelphia Phillies
Offense was an afterthought for the Phillies at the deadline, as the club focused its efforts on landing Twins flamethrower Jhoan Duran.
Philadelphia’s lineup ranks ninth in both wRC+ (105) and OPS (.738), and sits top-five in OBP (.326). Bryce Harper has been electric at the dish, while Kyle Schwarber’s 37 homers are just one shy of tying Shohei Ohtani for the National League lead.
While the Phillies’ acquisition of Twins outfielder Harrison Bader was primarily for defense, he’s in the midst of a career year at the plate — posting a .766 OPS with 12 homers.
8. Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers aren’t power hitters — and they know that.
Milwaukee barely cracks the top half of the league in OPS, but they make up for it by getting on base and knowing how to run. They own the fourth-best OBP in baseball (.328) and lead the NL with 123 stolen bases. According to FanGraphs, their 12.4 Baserunning Runs Above Average tops the majors.
7. Boston Red Sox
Despite trading away their franchise cornerstone and doing virtually nothing at the deadline, the Red Sox have momentum. Boston just leapfrogged the Yankees in the AL East standings to claim the top Wild Card spot, powered by a top-five OPS (.756) and the second most hits in baseball.
The lineup has looked far more imposing since Alex Bregman returned from injury, and the emergence of former No. 1 prospect Roman Anthony has been a major boost. Since getting the call in June, the 21-year-old has posted an .829 OPS with a 134 wRC+ — and delivered his first career walk-off hit against the Astros on Friday night.
6. New York Mets
The last few weeks haven’t been kind to the Mets. The club’s top four hitters — Brandon Nimmo, Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, and Pete Alonso — are all currently stuck in brutal slumps at the plate.
But while the timing couldn’t be worse, the Amazins maintain a top-10 ranking in home runs (137) and OPS (.730), and their 107 wRC+ places seventh in the majors. Their deadline pickup, Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, isn’t expected to carry the offense, but he brings quality baserunning to an already stacked lineup that feels bound to break through.
5. Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto didn’t need more offense at the deadline — so they focused on pitching instead and acquired former Cy Young winner Shane Bieber from the Guardians.
In fact, their offense has been so good that the Blue Jays sprouted to the top of the American League despite having the eighth-worst ERA in baseball. Toronto’s 109 wRC+ and .748 OPS rank sixth in the majors, and they lead the league with 1004 hits and a .334 OBP.
4. Seattle Mariners
The post-deadline Mariners could be scary. A lineup already anchored by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh (42) just added two more power threats from the Diamondbacks: first baseman Josh Naylor and third baseman Eugenio Suarez.
Even with Raleigh’s production, Seattle entered the deadline with a team OPS of .729, just 10th in the majors. That number is likely to climb. Suarez (.881) and Naylor (.793) now rank second and fourth on the team in that category, rounding out a lineup that looks way more complete – and far more imposing.
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers didn’t do much at the trade deadline, largely because they didn’t need to. Their 115 wRC+ ranks third in the majors, and they lead the National League in home runs (164) and OPS (.769).
Even amidst the worst offensive season of Mookie Betts’ career, Los Angeles has kept rolling, propelled by standout seasons from Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, and NL MVP frontrunner Shohei Ohtani.
2. New York Yankees
Even without their captain, the Yankees still rake.
New York, whose 177 home runs, .782 OPS, and 118 wRC+ all lead the majors, pulled off a massive deadline haul without having to move any of their top bats. Their offensive reinforcements only add to the lineup’s versatility, and Aaron Judge is tracking to return as the DH on Tuesday or Wednesday, per Bryan Hoch.
But for all their dominance at the plate, the Yankees are still occasionally thwarted by egregious baserunning mistakes, like forgetting how many outs there are or getting doubled off on a routine popout to second base.
1. Chicago Cubs
The Cubs can hit — all of them.
Chicago’s 115 wRC+ and .765 OPS rank second and third in the majors, respectively, and they pace the majors with 559 RBIs. Three of their players have already eclipsed 20 home runs, while five of them own an OPS over .820. Meanwhile, they boast elite baserunning with the third-most stolen bags in the game (121).
Chicago didn’t splurge at the deadline by any means, but they bolstered their depth by acquiring an above-average bat in Twins utilityman Willi Castro.
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