Twelve weeks ago, the Alliance Professional Baseball League opened its 2026 season with a collection of questions. Who were the contenders? Which teams were pretenders? Which early performances could actually be trusted?
Twelve weeks later, the answers are beginning to reveal themselves.
The teams preparing for Week 13 are the same teams that met in Week 1, but many of them barely resemble the clubs that took the field back in March. No team embodies that transformation better than the Chicago Cubs. After suffering a 139-point loss to St. Louis in the opening week, the Cubs now enter their rematch riding a seven-game winning streak, sitting third in the Power Rankings, and chasing the Cardinals in the NL West standings.
The second half of the season is approaching, and the APBL is beginning to separate into contenders, challengers, and teams still searching for answers.
Seven Straight and Counting - Cubs 274, Reds 182
The Cubs are no longer a surprise story.
Chicago extended its winning streak to seven games with a convincing victory over Cincinnati, continuing one of the hottest stretches in the league. After Cincinnati grabbed a 26-point lead on Monday, the Cubs responded with authority, turning that advantage into a 54-point deficit by Tuesday and never looking back.
The victory also completed the season series between the two clubs. Chicago swept both meetings and now owns the 2-0 head-to-head advantage should the teams finish tied in the standings later this year. More importantly, the Cubs have firmly planted themselves in the playoff conversation. Wins over San Francisco, Arizona, Atlanta, Baltimore, and Cincinnati during this streak have transformed Chicago from an interesting story into a legitimate contender.
Miami Remains the Standard - Marlins 299, Giants 226
The heavyweight matchup of the week lived up to expectations, and Miami once again showed why it sits atop the Power Rankings.
The Marlins briefly surrendered control after San Francisco surged ahead by 70 points on Tuesday, but a massive Wednesday swing flipped the matchup back in Miami's favor. From there, the Marlins never relinquished the lead, finishing with the highest point total of the week and a 73-point victory.
The win gives Miami a 2-0 season-series sweep over the Giants and pushes the Marlins to 9-3 on the season. With every passing week, Miami continues strengthening its grip on the National League's top seed.
Texas Still Owns New York - Rangers 233, Yankees 225
If the Yankees were hoping for revenge, they'll have to keep waiting.
Since defeating New York in last season's championship game, Texas has continued finding ways to win whenever these teams meet. The Rangers survived another close battle this week, securing an eight-point victory and completing a 2-0 season-series sweep in 2026.
The loss drops the Yankees outside the current playoff picture, while Texas continues holding firm as one of the American League's top contenders. Whether it's the regular season or the postseason, the Rangers continue to have the Yankees' number.
Baltimore Answers Back - Orioles 268, White Sox 167
Five weeks ago, the White Sox edged Baltimore by four points. This week, the Orioles left no doubt.
Baltimore controlled the matchup from start to finish, leading wire-to-wire and rolling to a 101-point victory. The result evens the season series at one game apiece, meaning any future tiebreaker between the clubs would move beyond head-to-head results.
More importantly, Baltimore remains in control of the AL East and continues holding the top playoff seed in the American League.
Cardinals Keep Pace - Cardinals 287, Phillies 225
While Miami continues to lead the National League, St. Louis remains right on its heels.
The Cardinals improved to 9-3 with a solid victory over Philadelphia, completing a season-series sweep of the Phillies in the process. St. Louis now owns both head-to-head victories and maintains its one-game lead over the charging Cubs in the NL West.
The challenge gets much tougher next week.
Arizona Moves Into Position - Diamondbacks 212, Braves 178
The Diamondbacks have quietly become one of the league's most dangerous teams.
Atlanta carried a lead through Friday, but Arizona exploded over the weekend to secure a 34-point victory and earn a split of the season series. With the clubs now tied 1-1 in head-to-head competition, any future tiebreaker would move to total points scored.
Combined with Cincinnati's loss, Arizona now finds itself occupying the fourth playoff position in the National League. Considering the Diamondbacks began the season 0-2, their rise has been one of the league's best turnaround stories.
Red Sox Win Another Close One - Red Sox 256, Angels 231
The Angels continue to score points.
Unfortunately for Los Angeles, Boston continues finding ways to beat them.
The Red Sox completed a season-series sweep of the Angels with a 25-point victory in a matchup that changed hands several times throughout the week. Los Angeles led after Monday and Wednesday, but Boston consistently answered and eventually pulled away late.
The result gives Boston the head-to-head tiebreaker and further separates the crowded race among the American League contenders.
Cleveland Makes It Two Straight - Guardians 135, Athletics 108
A week ago, Cleveland was celebrating its first win of the season.
Now the Guardians have won two in a row.
The scoring output wasn't flashy, but it didn't need to be. Cleveland simply did enough to defeat Sacramento and even the season series at one game apiece. The Athletics won the first meeting by 26 points. Cleveland responded by winning this matchup by 27.
For a team that spent much of the first half searching for momentum, consecutive victories represent a meaningful step forward.
Power Rankings
The top of the rankings became much clearer this week.
Miami and St. Louis remain firmly established as the league's top two teams, but the three-way tie for third place has finally been broken. Chicago's seven-game winning streak pushed the Cubs into sole possession of third, while Boston and Los Angeles settled into fourth and fifth respectively.
- Miami Marlins - .990
- St. Louis Cardinals - .948
- Chicago Cubs - .802
- Boston Red Sox - .760
- Los Angeles Angels - .750
The names remain familiar. The order continues to evolve.
Week 13 Preview
Twelve weeks after opening day, the APBL schedule brings every team back to where it started.
The spotlight shines brightest on Chicago and St. Louis. Back in Week 1, the Cardinals crushed the Cubs by 139 points. Today, Chicago enters the rematch riding a seven-game winning streak and trailing St. Louis by only one game in the division standings. Few teams have changed more since opening day, and Week 13 offers the Cubs a chance to prove just how far they've come.
Boston and New York renew a rivalry that opened with a 63-point Yankees victory. Baltimore and Cleveland meet again after both teams have traveled very different paths since March. Meanwhile, San Francisco and Arizona square off in a matchup carrying significant playoff implications in the National League.
Miami closes the week against Philadelphia looking to maintain its hold on the league's top Power Ranking, while Texas continues its pursuit of the American League's top seed against Chicago.
Twelve weeks later, the standings look different. The contenders look different. The league itself looks different.
The only question remaining is what the next ten weeks will bring.