MLB Week in Review (July 13–19, 2026): Red Sox 13-Game Win Streak Shakes Up AL East

MLB Week at a Glance: July 13–19, 2026

The MLB week of July 13–19, 2026, was defined by extreme streaks and dominant pitching. The Boston Red Sox own the best record trajectory of the period, extending their winning streak to 13 games to reach 50-48 and close within 6.0 games of the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays (56-42). Conversely, the Miami Marlins endured the worst stretch of the week, extending their losing streak to 6 games, dropping to 52-48 and falling 6.0 games back in the NL East. The Milwaukee Brewers (62-37, +131 run differential) and Los Angeles Dodgers (63-37, +155 run differential) continued to separate themselves as the premier teams in the National League. The American League playoff picture tightened significantly, with the Baltimore Orioles winning 7 straight to reach 49-51, pulling within 8.0 games of the AL East lead and injecting life into the Wild Card race. The dominant storyline: elite pitching ruled the week, with 8 different starting pitchers posting 0.00 ERA outings over 5-plus innings.

AL Division Standings Snapshot

The American League standings feature tight races in the East and Central, while the West remains a two-team battle. The Red Sox gained significant ground this week, while the Rays (L5 streak) and Astros (L4 streak) lost traction.

Team	W-L	GB	Run Diff	Streak	Week Trend
AL East
Tampa Bay Rays	56-42	0.0	+14	L5	—
New York Yankees	55-44	1.5	+85	W1	↑ 1.5
Boston Red Sox	50-48	6.0	+45	W13	↑ 4.0
Baltimore Orioles	49-51	8.0	-13	W7	↑ 3.5
Toronto Blue Jays	46-53	10.5	-45	L1	↓ 1.0
AL Central
Chicago White Sox	52-46	0.0	+45	W1	—
Cleveland Guardians	52-48	1.0	-12	L1	↓ 1.0
Minnesota Twins	49-51	4.0	-24	L2	↓ 2.0
Detroit Tigers	46-53	6.5	+31	L1	↓ 1.5
Kansas City Royals	40-60	13.0	-99	L1	↓ 1.0
AL West
Texas Rangers	50-49	0.0	-31	L1	—
Seattle Mariners	50-50	0.5	+13	W2	↑ 0.5
Houston Astros	47-54	4.0	-53	L4	↓ 2.0
Athletics	42-57	8.0	-114	L1	↓ 1.0
Los Angeles Angels	39-61	11.5	-62	W1	↑ 0.5

NL Division Standings Snapshot

In the National League, the Brewers and Dodgers hold double-digit leads. The NL Central and NL West feature massive gaps between the leaders and the rest of the pack, while the NL East remains a three-team race despite the Braves' firm control.

Team	W-L	GB	Run Diff	Streak	Week Trend
NL East
Atlanta Braves	57-41	0.0	+108	W1	—
Philadelphia Phillies	55-45	3.0	-13	L1	↓ 1.0
Miami Marlins	52-48	6.0	+19	L6	↓ 3.0
Washington Nationals	50-50	8.0	+15	W1	↑ 1.0
New York Mets	42-58	16.0	-62	W1	↑ 1.0
NL Central
Milwaukee Brewers	62-37	0.0	+131	W3	—
Chicago Cubs	56-43	6.0	+62	W2	↑ 1.0
Pittsburgh Pirates	52-48	10.5	+54	W1	↑ 1.5
St. Louis Cardinals	51-47	10.5	+4	L2	↓ 2.0
Cincinnati Reds	45-53	16.5	-59	W1	↑ 1.0
NL West
Los Angeles Dodgers	63-37	0.0	+155	L1	—
Arizona Diamondbacks	51-48	11.5	-11	W2	↑ 1.5
San Diego Padres	49-50	13.5	-32	W1	↑ 1.5
San Francisco Giants	42-57	20.5	-61	L2	↓ 1.5
Colorado Rockies	40-61	23.5	-90	L1	↓ 1.0

Biggest MLB Stories This Week

Drake Baldwin's Historic Week

Catcher Drake Baldwin posted a 2.090 OPS, the highest weekly OPS among qualified leaders. Baldwin hit 3 home runs, drove in 8 runs, and posted a .714 batting average. His elite production from the catcher position provided a massive offensive spark.

Nolan McLean's Dominant Outing

Nolan McLean delivered the best pitching line of the week. Across 6.0 innings, McLean posted a 0.00 ERA with 10 strikeouts and a 0.67 WHIP. The 10 strikeouts led all pitchers who threw 6 or fewer innings this week, establishing him as the premier strikeout artist of the period.

Boston's 13-Game Win Streak

The Boston Red Sox refused to lose, extending their winning streak to 13 games. At 50-48, the Red Sox have erased a massive deficit, now sitting just 6.0 games behind the Rays. Boston owns a +45 run differential, proving this streak is backed by run prevention and offensive depth.

Reid Detmers and J.T. Ginn Match Zeros

Left-hander Reid Detmers threw 6.0 innings of scoreless baseball, striking out 7 and allowing a 0.67 WHIP. J.T. Ginn matched that run prevention, throwing 6.1 innings with a 0.00 ERA, 7 strikeouts, and a 0.63 WHIP. Both pitchers provided elite fantasy and Legends Deck card value.

Wilyer Abreu's Power Surge

Wilyer Abreu led baseball with 4 home runs this week. He hit .357 with 6 RBIs and a 1.685 OPS. Abreu's power outburst paced the league in long balls, edging out the rest of the field.

Austin Riley's High-Average Power

Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley hit 3 home runs with a .500 batting average and a 1.788 OPS. He drove in 5 runs, maintaining his status as a cornerstone bat in the Braves' lineup.

Orioles and Mariners Make Their Moves

The Baltimore Orioles won 7 straight games to reach 49-51, climbing back toward the .500 mark. In the AL West, the Seattle Mariners won 2 straight to pull within 0.5 games of the Texas Rangers (50-49), setting up a tight divisional chase.

Statcast Standouts

*Note: Legends Deck utilizes real MLB Statcast data to power its browser-based baseball card game. However, Statcast exit velocity, barrel rate, and sprint speed data for the week of July 13–19 was not available in this week's API pull.*

Based on the standard MLB data available, the hardest-hit ball and longest home run metrics cannot be quantified for this specific period. We omit these figures rather than fabricate them.

What we can quantify from the week's leaderboard data:

• Highest Weekly OPS: Drake Baldwin (2.090 OPS)
• Highest Weekly Batting Average: Drake Baldwin (.714 AVG)
• Most Home Runs: Wilyer Abreu (4 HR)
• Fastest Pitch / Most Strikeouts: Nolan McLean (10 K in 6.0 IP)

Trades, Transactions, and DFA News

The week of July 13–19, 2026, featured several notable roster moves, headlined by the Los Angeles Dodgers signing right-handed pitcher Devin Bell on July 13. The Dodgers continue to add depth to a roster that already owns a +155 run differential.

The Toronto Blue Jays signed outfielder Dean West on the same day, looking to bolster their 46-53 roster.

July 13 also saw a flurry of National League All-Star roster activations. The NL All-Stars activated shortstop CJ Abrams, second baseman Luis Arraez, second baseman Ozzie Albies, right-handed pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Logan Webb, Paul Skenes, left-handed pitchers Eduardo Rodriguez, Cristopher Sánchez, and Chris Sale. Additionally, left-handed pitcher Justin Wrobleski was assigned to the NL All-Stars.

Week Ahead in MLB

• AL East Showdown: The Boston Red Sox (50-48, W13) look to continue their historic winning streak against upcoming AL East rivals. Their 6.0-game deficit must shrink if they want to challenge the Rays (56-42) and Yankees (55-44).
• AL West Race: The Texas Rangers (50-49) and Seattle Mariners (50-50) are separated by 0.5 games. Watch for direct divisional matchups that will dictate the AL West lead.
• NL East Reset: The Miami Marlins (52-48, L6) need to stop the bleeding. They face a critical week to maintain pace with the Braves (57-41) and Phillies (55-45) in the division and Wild Card hunts.
• Pitching Matchups to Watch: Teams will look to counter the dominant arms of Shota Imanaga (0.00 ERA, 7.0 IP) and Shane Bieber (0.00 ERA, 6.0 IP, 6 K) as the rotation cycles back to the top.
• AL Central Tightening: The Chicago White Sox (52-46) and Cleveland Guardians (52-48) are separated by 1.0 game. Both teams need strong weeks to create separation from the Twins (49-51).
• Legends Deck Card Updates: Keep an eye on Legends Deck for dynamic card rating updates. Wilyer Abreu (4 HR) and Drake Baldwin (2.090 OPS) will see significant boosts in this week's card database refresh.