(This article has been updated with new details.)

In a surprising turn, the American League Central remains on track to have three teams qualify for the postseason, a first for this division.

However, this has come after two of those teams experienced rough patches in September.

The Kansas City Royals and Minnesota Twins had been secure in the No. 2 and No. 3 wild-card positions all month—indeed, throughout the second half of the season, with the Royals even sharing the division lead with the Cleveland Guardians for a brief moment. But everything has changed following their terrible performances in the last week or so.

With aspirations for their first playoff appearance since 2015, the Royals have lost their last seven games. They are now tied with the unexpectedly resilient Detroit Tigers for the second/third wild card, but maintain the tie-break advantage. Meanwhile, the Twins have managed to win only 5 of their last 15 contests, dropping from being just 3.5 games out of first place at the start of September to now being entirely outside the playoff picture.

It’s no surprise then that both teams feature prominently as the biggest disappointments in this week’s MLB power rankings.

However, there may still be hope. The Twins (81-75) are set to conclude the season with a six-game homestand against the Miami Marlins and Baltimore Orioles, who may not have much to play for if they secure their wild card position. The Royals (82-74) will head out for three games apiece in Washington and Atlanta.

Here’s our updated rankings:

1. New York Yankees (+1)

• Luke Weaver has been flawless in four save opportunities as the new closer.

2. Los Angeles Dodgers (+1)

• Shohei Ohtani’s chances of hitting 60 home runs are still alive!

3. Philadelphia Phillies (-2)

• Zack Wheeler is certainly worthy of strong Cy Young consideration.

4. San Diego Padres (+2)

• Attracting 3.3 million fans this season. What’s your reason?

5. Cleveland Guardians (-)

• That marks five AL Central titles since 2016.

6. Milwaukee Brewers (-2)

• If recent weekends are a sign, a wild card rematch with Arizona could be a fierce battle.

7. Baltimore Orioles (-)

• Jordan Westburg has returned, boosting the lineup’s performance.

8. Arizona Diamondbacks (-)

• The franchise is at odds with the county yet again over stadium renovations.

9. New York Mets (+4)

• Francisco Lindor’s replacement Luisangel Acuña has a strong 1.228 OPS in his first nine games.

10. Atlanta Braves (-)

• A sweep against the Mets at home starting Tuesday is essential.

11. Houston Astros (-)

• Good news: They’ll clinch the division soon. Bad news: Yordan Alvarez is dealing with an injury.

12. Detroit Tigers (+2)

• They are 19-8 since Javy Baez underwent hip surgery.

13. Kansas City Royals (-4)

• They need to secure wins on the road against Washington and Atlanta to stay in playoff contention.

14. Minnesota Twins (-1)

• A total collapse and missing the playoffs would be more disappointing than a fast first-round exit.

15. Chicago Cubs (-)

• “They’re way ahead of us.” – Craig Counsell regarding his former team the Brewers.

16. Seattle Mariners (-)

• Letting a 5-0 advantage slip away is a tough setback for their playoff hopes.

17. Boston Red Sox (-)

• Rafael Devers, who hit only four homers in his last 166 at-bats, has shut it down for the season due to a shoulder issue.

18. St. Louis Cardinals (-)

• Sonny Gray ends his season slightly earlier than planned.

19. Tampa Bay Rays (+1)

• “We have a chance,” says Kevin Cash. (Cue Jim Carrey GIF).

20. San Francisco Giants (+1)

Blake Snell has one more start to improve his offseason stats.

21. Cincinnati Reds (-2)

• Firing the manager seems like the go-to move now.

22. Toronto Blue Jays (-)

• Vlad Guerrero Jr. drives in 100 runs for the first time since 2021.

23. Pittsburgh Pirates (-)

• Paul Skenes has lowered his ERA to 1.99 across 22 starts—a solid debut.

24. Texas Rangers (-)

• Jacob deGrom has had a couple of short starts that give some hope for 2025.

25. Washington Nationals (-)

• The CJ Abrams situation is a disappointing end for a team that’s been improving.

26. Oakland Athletics (-)

• It’s just about time to head east on Interstate 80.

27. Los Angeles Angels (-)

• Jack Kochanowicz is developing into a pretty dependable starting pitcher.

28. Colorado Rockies (+1)

• Ryan McMahon hits his fifth season with over 20 home runs.

29. Miami Marlins (-1)

• Skip Schumacher says goodbye to whatever the current name of their ballpark is.

30. Chicago White Sox (-)

• The administration’s week was as successful as this season has been disappointing.