MLB Week in Review (June 22–28, 2026): Red Sox Sweep Sinks Yankees, Rays Seize the East
Boston swept four straight from the Yankees and Tampa Bay won five in a row to grab first place in the AL East, while the 54-30 Dodgers stayed baseball's best team in the week of June 22–28, 2026.
The week of June 22–28, 2026 reshuffled the American League East: the Boston Red Sox swept a four-game set from the New York Yankees, the Tampa Bay Rays ripped off five straight to climb into first place, and the Toronto Blue Jays cratered with a six-game losing streak that knocked them out of a playoff spot. The Los Angeles Dodgers (54-30) kept their grip on the best record in baseball.
The Week at a Glance
The dominant storyline: the AL East flipped in seven days, with Tampa Bay (48-33) leapfrogging New York (48-35) by a single game after the Yankees were swept in Boston.
The hottest team of the week was Tampa Bay, which closed it on a five-game winning streak capped by a 5-1 win over Arizona on June 28. The coldest was Toronto, which dropped six in a row to fall from 39-39 and a Wild Card spot to 39-45, third in the division. The Yankees' four-game sweep at Fenway Park was the week's defining collapse, while the Philadelphia Phillies (47-37) kept rolling at 38-18 since their managerial change. In the Wild Card races, Tampa Bay's surge tightened the AL field while Toronto's skid opened a lane for Seattle (42-43) and Houston (42-44).
AL Standings Snapshot (Through June 28, 2026)
AL East Standings
| Team | W-L | GB | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Rays | 48-33 | — | ↑ first place |
| New York Yankees | 48-35 | 1.0 | ↓ swept in Boston |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 39-45 | 10.5 | ↓ 6-game skid |
| Baltimore Orioles | 39-46 | 11.0 | — |
| Boston Red Sox | 36-46 | 12.5 | ↑ swept Yankees |
AL Central Standings
| Team | W-L | GB | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Guardians | 44-40 | — | ↑ |
| Chicago White Sox | 43-39 | — | — |
| Minnesota Twins | 40-45 | 4.5 | ↓ |
| Detroit Tigers | 35-49 | 9.0 | ↓ |
| Kansas City Royals | 35-50 | 9.5 | ↓ |
AL West Standings
| Team | W-L | GB | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Rangers | 42-42 | — | ↑ swept Toronto |
| Seattle Mariners | 42-43 | 0.5 | ↑ |
| Houston Astros | 42-44 | 1.0 | ↓ |
| Athletics | 40-44 | 2.0 | — |
| Los Angeles Angels | 36-49 | 6.5 | ↓ |
NL Standings Snapshot (Through June 28, 2026)
NL East Standings
| Team | W-L | GB | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Braves | 49-33 | — | ↑ |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 47-37 | 3.0 | ↑ 7-3 last 10 |
| Miami Marlins | 44-40 | 6.0 | — |
| Washington Nationals | 43-42 | 7.5 | — |
| New York Mets | 35-49 | 15.0 | ↓ |
NL Central Standings
| Team | W-L | GB | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee Brewers | 50-31 | — | ↑ 50 wins |
| Chicago Cubs | 46-38 | 5.5 | ↑ beat Brewers |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 43-38 | 7.0 | — |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 42-42 | 9.5 | — |
| Cincinnati Reds | 39-43 | 11.5 | ↓ |
NL West Standings
| Team | W-L | GB | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 54-30 | — | ↑ MLB best |
| San Diego Padres | 43-39 | 10.0 | ↓ |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 41-42 | 12.5 | ↓ |
| San Francisco Giants | 35-48 | 18.5 | ↓ |
| Colorado Rockies | 33-51 | 21.0 | ↓ |
Biggest MLB Stories This Week
Red Sox cap a sweep with a 10th-inning rally. Boston finished off a four-game sweep of New York with a 5-4 win Sunday night. Sonny Gray carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning before it unraveled; a Wilyer Abreu throwing error in the ninth let the Yankees tie it 2-2, New York pushed across two more in the top of the 10th for a 4-2 lead, and Boston answered with three in the bottom of the 10th to steal it. The sweep dropped the Yankees out of first place.
Junior Caminero powers the Rays' surge. Tampa Bay's third baseman hit his 22nd home run of the season on June 28 — his seventh in the week — as the Rays won their fifth straight, a 5-1 decision over Arizona that moved them one game clear of New York atop the AL East.
Pete Crow-Armstrong stays scorching. The Cubs center fielder extended one of the season's hottest stretches, hitting .446/.500/.952 with 11 home runs over a 20-game run since May 30 while adding elite center-field defense and baserunning. He also drew the 105.5 mph fastball that made history this week (see Statcast below).
Yordan Alvarez leads the AL in power. The Astros slugger paced the American League with 25 home runs and a .325 average to go with 56 RBIs, a .436 on-base percentage and a .640 slugging mark. Twins center fielder Byron Buxton matched Alvarez at 25 homers.
Shohei Ohtani keeps mashing for the league's best team. The Dodgers two-way star hit .333/.456/.746 with seven home runs across his first 18 games of June while continuing to pitch, keeping Los Angeles at a major-league-best 54-30. Emmet Sheehan turned in a strong start in a 4-2 win over San Diego on June 28.
Drew Rasmussen's quiet gem. The Rays right-hander tossed six scoreless innings on June 28, lowering his ERA to 2.45 and anchoring Tampa Bay's rotation through its five-game win streak.
Toronto's free fall. The Blue Jays lost their sixth straight on June 28, a 3-2, 10-inning defeat to Texas. Joc Pederson homered on the first pitch off Shane Bieber, Nathan Lukes' two-run shot tied it in the eighth, and a Louis Varland wild pitch decided it in the 10th — dropping Toronto to 39-45 and 10.5 games back.
Statcast Standouts of the Week
The headline measurement belonged to Brewers rookie Jacob Misiorowski, who on June 26 fired a 105.5 mph fastball to Pete Crow-Armstrong — the fastest pitch ever thrown by a starting pitcher. Misiorowski also struck out Pittsburgh's Oneil Cruz with a 102.7 mph four-seamer, after a 102.0 mph punchout of Cruz the night before, and sustained a 38.0% whiff rate on the season.
On the hitting side, Cruz still owns the season's hardest-hit ball at 119.0 mph exit velocity. Nationals slugger James Wood led all qualified hitters with an 88.7 mph average exit velocity and a 12.6% barrel rate. Among relievers, A's closer Mason Miller posted video-game marks — a 49.2% whiff rate, a .150 xwOBA against and just a 0.9% barrel rate allowed.
Trades, Transactions, and DFA News
The deadline-season churn picked up. The Astros recalled right-hander Miguel Ullola for his MLB debut on June 27. The Yankees recalled catcher Carlos Escarra, the Mets recalled starter Zach Thornton, Miami recalled third baseman Graham Pauley, and Kansas City recalled reliever Mitch Spence on June 26. The Giants activated outfielder Heliot Ramos from the injured list on June 27, designating an arm for assignment to clear the roster spot.
On the subtraction side: Cleveland designated outfielder Stuart Fairchild for assignment and purchased catcher Cooper Ingle's contract; the Athletics designated third baseman Brett Harris for assignment on June 27; Detroit claimed reliever Yilber Diaz off waivers; and Minnesota released reliever Austin Voth. The Mets optioned outfielder MJ Melendez to the minors. For fantasy managers, Ullola's debut and Ramos' return are the moves to watch.
The Week Ahead in MLB (June 29–July 5)
- Phillies host Pirates (four games): Zack Wheeler is slated to oppose Pittsburgh ace Paul Skenes on Wednesday, with Cristopher Sánchez going Tuesday — a marquee matchup as Philadelphia (47-37) tries to stay hot.
- Mariners vs. Blue Jays: The first meeting since last year's seven-game ALCS, with Toronto (39-45) desperate to snap its skid and Seattle (42-43) clinging to second in the AL West. Watch Shane Bieber, back from forearm and elbow issues.
- Dodgers vs. Athletics: The only 2026 interleague meeting between the clubs pits MLB's best record (54-30) against a rebuilding A's team led by RBI leader Nick Kurtz (61 RBIs, 72 walks).
- AL East implications: The Rays (48-33) and Yankees (48-35) both look to keep pace at the top after Tampa Bay's five-game surge and New York's Boston sweep.
- NL Central pace race: Milwaukee (50-31) and the Cubs (46-38) headline a division where Pete Crow-Armstrong and Jacob Misiorowski are must-watch every time they take the field.
- Returns to monitor: Kyle Schwarber (back tightness) and Juan Soto (back tightness) are both playing through discomfort, making their availability a fantasy storyline into the holiday weekend.