MLB Week in Review (June 1–7, 2026): Dodgers and Brewers Pull Away
The Dodgers reached MLB's best record at 42-23 and Milwaukee surged to 40-23 atop the NL Central, Aaron Judge became the first player to 20 home runs while slashing .322/.434/.681, and the Angels' Zach Neto hit a two-run walk-off homer one inning after being no-hit by the Athletics.
The Week at a Glance in MLB
The week of June 1–7, 2026 belonged to the two best teams in baseball. The Los Angeles Dodgers finished 5-1 to reach 42-23, the majors' top record, and stretched their NL West lead over San Diego to 4.0 games. Milwaukee was even hotter, going 6-1 to climb to 40-23 — the National League's second-best mark — and opening a 7.0-game cushion in the NL Central. The week's collapse story was Detroit: the Tigers went 2-5 to sink to 26-39, dead last in the AL Central and 9.5 games out, their rotation still missing two-time AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal (left elbow). The Colorado Rockies were the week's worst team at 1-6 and own baseball's worst record at 24-41. Meanwhile, Aaron Judge became the first player in the majors to 20 home runs, and the Los Angeles Angels delivered the week's signature moment — a Zach Neto walk-off one inning after Oakland carried a no-hitter into the ninth.
American League Standings Through June 7
| Division | Team | W-L | GB | Week Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AL East | Tampa Bay Rays | 38-25 | — | → |
| AL East | New York Yankees | 37-26 | 1.0 | ↑ 0.5 |
| AL East | Baltimore Orioles | 31-32 | 7.0 | ↑ 0.5 |
| AL East | Toronto Blue Jays | 30-33 | 8.0 | ↓ 0.5 |
| AL East | Boston Red Sox | 29-35 | 9.5 | ↓ 1.0 |
| AL Central | Cleveland Guardians | 35-29 | — | ↑ 1.0 |
| AL Central | Chicago White Sox | 33-31 | 2.0 | → |
| AL Central | Kansas City Royals | 32-32 | 3.0 | ↓ 0.5 |
| AL Central | Minnesota Twins | 31-33 | 4.0 | ↓ 1.0 |
| AL Central | Detroit Tigers | 26-39 | 9.5 | ↓ 3.0 |
| AL West | Houston Astros | 35-30 | — | ↑ 1.0 |
| AL West | Seattle Mariners | 34-31 | 1.0 | → |
| AL West | Athletics | 31-34 | 4.0 | ↓ 1.0 |
| AL West | Texas Rangers | 30-35 | 5.0 | ↓ 1.5 |
| AL West | Los Angeles Angels | 29-36 | 6.0 | ↑ 1.0 |
National League Standings Through June 7
| Division | Team | W-L | GB | Week Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NL East | Atlanta Braves | 41-24 | — | ↑ 1.0 |
| NL East | Philadelphia Phillies | 35-30 | 6.0 | → |
| NL East | Washington Nationals | 33-33 | 8.5 | ↓ 1.0 |
| NL East | New York Mets | 31-34 | 10.0 | ↓ 0.5 |
| NL East | Miami Marlins | 28-37 | 13.0 | ↓ 1.5 |
| NL Central | Milwaukee Brewers | 40-23 | — | ↑ 2.5 |
| NL Central | Chicago Cubs | 34-31 | 7.0 | ↓ 1.5 |
| NL Central | St. Louis Cardinals | 33-31 | 7.5 | ↓ 1.0 |
| NL Central | Cincinnati Reds | 32-33 | 9.0 | ↓ 0.5 |
| NL Central | Pittsburgh Pirates | 30-34 | 10.5 | ↓ 1.0 |
| NL West | Los Angeles Dodgers | 42-23 | — | ↑ 1.0 |
| NL West | San Diego Padres | 38-27 | 4.0 | ↓ 1.0 |
| NL West | Arizona Diamondbacks | 32-33 | 10.0 | → |
| NL West | San Francisco Giants | 27-39 | 15.5 | ↓ 1.5 |
| NL West | Colorado Rockies | 24-41 | 18.0 | ↓ 2.0 |
Wild Card Race Movement This Week
The AL Wild Card picture firmed up behind the division leaders. The Yankees (37-26) hold the top slot, trailed by Seattle (34-31) and Cleveland (35-29), with the White Sox (33-31) lurking 1.5 games back of the third spot. The NL race is a three-team scramble for two open seats: Atlanta (41-24) is locked into the top one, while San Diego (38-27), Philadelphia (35-30), and the Cubs (34-31) jostle for the rest. St. Louis (33-31) sits 1.0 game behind the Cubs, and Cincinnati (32-33) trails by 2.0 — the Tigers' freefall to 26-39, by contrast, removed Detroit from any wild card conversation entirely.
Biggest MLB Stories This Week
Aaron Judge becomes the first player to 20 home runs. Judge launched his MLB-leading 20th homer of 2026 this week — the third time in his career (2017, 2022, 2026) he has been the majors' first to 20, a Yankees feat matched only by Babe Ruth. He homered four times across six games and now slashes .322/.434/.681, putting him on a 56-homer full-season pace as New York (37-26) stayed within 1.0 game of Tampa Bay in the AL East.
Zach Neto walks off the Athletics after Oakland's no-hit bid. The Angels were held hitless into the ninth by Oakland's J.T. Ginn before Adam Frazier lined a leadoff single to break it up. Two batters later, Neto crushed a two-run walk-off homer to center for a 2-1 win — only the third time since 1961 that a club no-hit into the ninth has won on a walk-off home run.
Sebastián Rivero goes 5-for-5 with 6 RBI as the Angels rout the Dodgers. Los Angeles' backup catcher anchored a 13-for-15 night from the bottom four spots in the order, driving the Angels past the Dodgers 13-5 on Sunday, June 7 to avoid a series sweep. It was Rivero's first five-hit game in the majors.
Milwaukee's 6-1 week pushes the Brewers to baseball's No. 2 record. Milwaukee (40-23) overtook the Cubs and Cardinals in the NL Central, opening a 7.0-game lead. The Brewers outscored opponents 41-19 on the week and have won eight of their last ten behind a rotation that ranks among the NL's top three in ERA.
Paul Skenes stays elite as the Pirates' lone bright spot. Pittsburgh's ace held his 2.48 ERA across his outings this season, fanning double-digit hitters in his June start while the Pirates (30-34) sat 10.5 back in the NL Central. Skenes leads the majors with a 14.07 K/9 and has allowed two runs or fewer in five of his starts.
James Wood headlines the NL's young power core. Washington's 23-year-old slugger homered multiple times this week and continues to pace MLB hitters with a 96.4 mph average exit velocity. Wood's production kept the Nationals (33-33) at .500, third in the NL East.
Detroit's collapse without Skubal deepens. The Tigers dropped to 26-39 after a 2-5 week, the worst record in the AL Central. Detroit has gone 6-13 since Skubal's elbow procedure removed its ace, and the offense scored two runs or fewer in four of seven games.
Statcast Standouts of the Week
- Hardest-hit ball: James Wood, 118.9 mph exit velocity on a June 5 home run, the week's top tracked exit velocity and another entry in his MLB-leading average EV.
- Longest home run: Oneil Cruz, 479 feet to right-center at PNC Park, with a 28-degree launch angle and a 114.1 mph exit velocity.
- Fastest pitch: Mason Miller, 102.8 mph four-seamer in a save situation for the Athletics — the week's hardest tracked pitch.
- Hottest sprint speed: Elly De La Cruz at 30.8 ft/sec scoring from first on a double, among the fastest tracked runs of the 2026 season.
MLB Trades, Transactions, and Injury Report
Trades: The Pirates dealt LHP Joe La Sorsa to Boston for cash on June 4; the Reds sent RHP Kyle Nicolas to Baltimore for cash the same day; and the Dodgers traded C Austin Wynns to Atlanta for cash. The Braves also acquired RHP Joel Kuhnel for cash on June 6 to deepen a taxed bullpen.
Activations: Baltimore reinstated C Adley Rutschman from the injured list before Tuesday's game at Kansas City. Boston purchased the contract of veteran RHP Tommy Kahnle, and Atlanta added OF DaShawn Keirsey to the active roster.
DFA: Baltimore designated RHP Eduarniel Nunez for assignment and Atlanta designated C Chadwick Tromp for assignment on June 4 to clear roster space.
Injured List: Tarik Skubal (Tigers, left elbow) remains out following his arthroscopic procedure, the central factor in Detroit's slide to 26-39. The Dodgers continue to navigate the rotation absences of Tyler Glasnow (right shoulder) and Blake Snell (left elbow) despite owning the majors' best record.
Week Ahead in MLB (June 8–14)
- Dodgers at Padres (weekend): The NL West's top two meet with Los Angeles (42-23) leading San Diego (38-27) by 4.0 games — a swing series that could either bury or revive the Padres' division hopes.
- Brewers' road test: Milwaukee (40-23) carries its 6-1 week into a stretch against winning clubs; holding the 7.0-game NL Central lead means surviving a tougher slate than the one it just dominated.
- Yankees–Rays AL East implications: New York (37-26) and Tampa Bay (38-25) are separated by 1.0 game; any head-to-head meeting directly shapes the division lead.
- Astros aim to extend the AL West lead: Houston (35-30) holds a 1.0-game edge on Seattle (34-31) and a 4.0-game cushion on the Athletics (31-34) in a still-crowded division.
- Returns to watch: Adley Rutschman is back behind the plate for Baltimore (31-32); the Orioles need his bat to climb out of the AL East cellar tier.
- Unfavorable slate: The Rockies (24-41) and Giants (27-39), the NL West's bottom two, face a schedule loaded with the league's best run differentials — a hard week to slow their combined skid.
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