In last week's edition of our MLB Power Rankings, we focused on the big boys of the National League, where the cream — in the form of the Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs, alongside the Los Angeles Dodgers — was starting to rise to the top. This week, we're shifting to the American League, where chaos reigns and one question must be asked: Why not the Tampa Bay Rays?
Yes, those Rays, the team with the bottom-of-the-barrel payroll and even lower preseason expectations. While hardly anyone can break free from the siren song of .500 in the AL, Tampa has sprinted to the best record in the league behind pitching, defense, small ball and some excellent performances in close games. Is that recipe sustainable? Who knows. But in a landscape in which the New York Yankees are the only other team that's been able to separate so far, we need to start taking the possibility much more seriously.
30. Los Angeles Angels
- 2026 record: 16-30
- Last week's ranking: 28
The Angels have officially reached free-fall mode, and now the only question becomes which of these players will still be around once the trade deadline dust settles. Or, more specifically: Will Mike Trout still be around? At this point, it’s in the team’s best interest to sell while it still can, while Trout is reminding everyone just how great he can be. Can they talk him into waiving his no-trade clause? Would they even be willing to? That’s the only drama left in this season for the Halos, because the product on the field is pretty dire.
-Chris Landers, FanSided MLB editor
29. Colorado Rockies
- 2026 record: 18-28
- Last week's ranking: 27
On one hand, Mickey Moniak continues to look like a budding star for the Colorado Rockies, and he, alongside the likes of Hunter Goodman and TJ Rumfield, is giving a desperate Rockies fan base something to dream on. On the flip side, Chase Dollander suffered a right elbow strain, leaving Colorado’s most promising pitcher out for who knows how long. Dollander was pitching like an ace prior to his injury, and Rockies fans can only hope that’ll remain the case when he returns.
-Zach Rotman, FanSided MLB writer
28. Minnesota Twins
- 2026 record: 20-26
- Last week's ranking: 25
The Twins aren’t a good baseball team. I would not go that far. Minnesota is expected to shop Joe Ryan at the trade deadline, which would subtract a pitcher with ace potential from their roster. Byron Buxton, a longtime fan favorite, appears safe for now. However, the mere fact we’re discussing trade deadline subtractions should tell you all you need to know about Minnesota. Fans deserve an ownership group that’s more interested in winning than profit. Right now, they don’t have that.
-Mark Powell, FanSided.com content director
27. San Francisco Giants
- 2026 record: 19-27
- Last week's ranking: 30
On one hand, Rafael Devers is showing signs of life, Robbie Ray continues to be steady, and the Giants won twice at Dodger Stadium this week. On the other hand, both Willy Adames and Matt Chapman look completely lost at the plate and in every other way, Bryce Eldridge hasn’t done anything of note yet, and Heliot Ramos, one of their few position players performing somewhat decently, is now on the IL. Logan Webb coming back in the coming days will be huge, but the Giants still cannot seem to get anything going offensively, and the bullpen is hard to trust. It’s hard to believe that this team has a major turnaround in them right now.
-ZR
26. Houston Astros
- 2026 record: 19-29
- Last week's ranking: 26
Are we ready to call it yet? Spencer Arrighetti’s no-hit bid against the Rangers was a rare bright spot for this starting staff, and Jeremy Pena is nearing a return from the IL. Still, the Astros remain well off the pace in the AL playoff chase, and getting lit up by an average Mariners offense was a harsh reminder that there’s no indication Houston has enough pitching to make a run here. Given the bloated nature of the payroll and the barren nature of the farm system, they’re going to have to be clear contenders to avoid selling at the deadline. We’re still months away, but that’s hard to imagine with this team as currently constructed.
-CL
25. Kansas City Royals
- 2026 record: 19-27
- Last week's ranking: 19
Unlike the Twins, the Royals are built to win now and intended to do so before the season began. They have run into a few roadblocks, but Kansas City still has Bobby Witt Jr. and a respectable supporting cast. All it takes is one run in this putrid division to scare the likes of the Guardians and White Sox. Yes, the Royals are 5.5 games back, but that can be made up in a week’s time. A brutal rivalry weekend matchup with the St. Louis Cardinals didn’t help matters. The Royals are 2-8 in their last 10 games. If they want to make the AL postseason in 2026, the time is now to start considering short-term fixes.
-MP
24. Baltimore Orioles
- 2026 record: 21-26
- Last week's ranking: 23
In case you were wondering whether Baltimore had hit rock bottom yet, the O’s went out and lost a series to the Beltway Series rival Nationals to remove all doubt. The good news is that Shane Baz and Kyle Bradish have started to show signs of life; the bad news is the rest of the rotation, and an offense that isn’t nearly good enough to pick up the slack right now. Getting Jackson Holliday back won’t be enough to fix it, either, not unless he can also get Gunnar Henderson and Pete Alonso to start hitting up to their reputations. Injuries have put Baltimore behind the 8-ball, but their biggest names are burying them right now.
-CL
23. New York Mets
- 2026 record: 19-26
- Last week's ranking: 29
The New York Mets cannot have nice things. They swept the Tigers, finally showing signs of life, only to lose their most consistent pitcher, Clay Holmes, the next night, to a fractured fibula. Now, they did beat the Yankees the next night, and played them tough for much of the weekend, but with how much the offense has been reeling and with Holmes out for a while, it’s going to take a lot of luck for the Mets to get back in this thing.
-ZR
22. Boston Red Sox
- 2026 record: 19-27
- Last week's ranking: 22
Turns out Chad Tracy wasn’t enough to singlehandedly fix this Red Sox offense. Boston has now scored three or fewer runs in their last eight games, and unsurprisingly, they’re 3-5 over that stretch. Roman Anthony isn’t coming back any time soon, and there’s simply not enough oomph around Wilyer Abreu and Willson Contreras to win games consistently — no matter how good your pitching is. And ironically enough, Boston’s rotation is beginning to round into form, particularly Ranger Suarez; it just won’t make a difference unless the bats finally wake up.
-CL
21. Detroit Tigers
- 2026 record: 20-27
- Last week's ranking: 20
A series against the Blue Jays didn’t look like a huge challenge heading into the week, but given how this Tigers team is playing, it was an insurmountable hurdle. Detroit is without Tarik Skubal. Sure, Casey Mize is coming back soon, but the rest of the pitching staff leaves a lot to be desired. Framber Valdez, the would-be ace if Skubal left, is a headcase. Jack Flaherty is not the starting pitcher he once was, and likely isn’t even a tradeable asset these days. If the Tigers are going to turn their season around, it’ll likely come from within. Scott Harris is running out of answers.
-MP
20. Miami Marlins
- 2026 record: 21-26
- Last week's ranking: 18
The Miami Marlins continue to be an incredibly frustrating bunch because they should be better than they are. On one hand, we’re seeing the likes of Xavier Edwards, Otto Lopez and even Liam Hicks break out. On the other hand, we’re seeing Owen Caissie, Jakob Marsee and Kyle Stowers get off to sluggish beginnings. This even rings true on the pitching side, as while Sandy Alcantara and Max Meyer (despite a rough outing this week) look good, Eury Perez remains incredibly inconsistent. The Marlins can be a playoff team, but they haven’t clicked yet.
-ZR
19. Toronto Blue Jays
- 2026 record: 21-25
- Last week's ranking: 16
It just feels like whenever the Jays get one thing figured out, another problem pops up. Get a Get a great start from Trey Yesavage? Waste it with a moribund offensive effort. Finally put some runs on the board? Kevin Gausman gets lit up. Whatever mojo Toronto conjured during its magical 2026 run has yet to show up – although then again, that was true at this time last year, too. Can the Jays rally again? It’s harder to believe in a lineup without Bo Bichette (and without a functional George Springer or Vladimir Guerrero Jr.) and a pitching staff that’s already suffered this many injuries.
-CL
18. Texas Rangers
- 2026 record: 22-24
- Last week's ranking: 17
Two Rangers hitters, Brandon Nimmo and Josh Jung, currently have an OPS at or above league average. Only one starter, Jacob deGrom, has an ERA at or above league average. In that light, you could argue that Texas is lucky to even be within shouting distance of this division. Nathan Eovaldi is finally warming up, but it’s going to be hard for this team to escape mediocrity unless it gets more from Jack Leiter and MacKenzie Gore — not to mention hitters like Corey Seager, Jake Burger and Wyatt Langford (if he can ever get and stay healthy). It looks better on paper than it has so far in reality.
-CL
17. Washington Nationals
- 2026 record: 23-24
- Last week's ranking: 24
No matter how badly MLB fans might want to bury the Washington Nationals, they just won’t go away. Back-to-back series wins against the Orioles and Reds give them three series wins in their last four tries and have them right around the .500 mark. I still hesitate to consider them postseason contenders just because of how shaky their pitching is, but the Nats continuing to score runs at will makes them very hard to ignore. At this point, we’re almost two months into the season. The Nationals might just be… decent, which is much better than anyone could’ve expected.
-ZR
16. Chicago White Sox
- 2026 record: 23-22
- Last week's ranking: 21
The White Sox are well within striking distance of the Guardians. Chicago drew a tough assignment on MLB’s rivalry weekend, as they were forced to take on the NL Central-leading Cubs. The Sox are years ahead of schedule, and much of that is thanks to the emergence of Munetaka Murakami, along with a pitching staff that comes with a punch. Don’t sleep on the Sox, though their hot start to the season should come with some caution. If they truly intend to contend, the White Sox need to add another bat at the trade deadline — but we’re still months away from that conversation.
-MP
15. Arizona Diamondbacks
- 2026 record: 21-23
- Last week's ranking: 15
Nolan Arenado and Ildemaro Vargas continue to be huge surprises, but the offense continues to underwhelm thanks largely to Ketel Marte, who, while admittedly hitting into brutal luck, has been mired in a deep slump. Merrill Kelly had his best start of the season and Michael Soroka continues to look sharp, but even with the pitching exceeding expectations, the offense is letting the team down. I’d like to think Arizona will go on a run once the offense gets going, but can the pitching keep this up? That remains to be seen.
-ZR
14. Seattle Mariners
- 2026 record: 22-25
- Last week's ranking: 13
This week was an object lesson in the schizophrenic nature of this Mariners offense, from scoring eight and 10 runs against the Astros in one series to getting shut out by Randy Vasquez and the Padres the next. The bats have been better lately, with Brendan Donovan returning and Julio Rodriguez heating up a bit. But with Cal Raleigh hitting the IL amid a dismal funk, does Seattle have the horses in this lineup to start stringing wins together consistently? We’re starting to see this team’s two-way potential, with top-10 marks in wRC+ and team ERA this month; we just need to see the results.
-CL
13. Cincinnati Reds
- 2026 record: 24-23
- Last week's ranking: 12
As bad as the Pirates were this weekend, the Reds can rival them. Cincinnati lost two out of three to the Guardians in an in-state rivalry matchup all of us were watching. Cleveland went as far as to post a social media video from their own players claiming Cincinnati is not in the state of Ohio. I’d consider that a slam dunk, especially given what we know now. The Reds were outscored by nine runs over three games. They’ll get a chance at redemption next week as they face the Phillies and Cardinals. That stretch could very well determine their season in an NL Central division that is the focal point in MLB right now.
-MP
12. Athletics
- 2026 record: 23-22
- Last week's ranking: 10
The A’s remain who we thought they were: a team that can really, really hit — especially over the last couple of weeks, as Nick Kurtz morphs back into the rookie sensation we saw in 2025 — but is going to struggle to prevent runs consistently. That might not result in all that much more than a .500 record … but, well, have you seen the AL West lately? Two teams are already hovering over the sell button, and the other two are mired in mediocrity at the moment. With a big deadline move or two, why not the A’s? This lineup is going to bang with anybody.
-CL
11. Pittsburgh Pirates
- 2026 record: 24-23
- Last week's ranking: 9
Oof. What could’ve been an electric series for the Pirates was instead a clunker. Pittsburgh started its cross-state series against the Phillies by blowing a three-run ninth inning lead and losing in extras. They fell again on Saturday, and lost a Paul Skenes start on Sunday. It couldn’t have gone worse for the Buccos. Considering the expectations Don Kelly’s team faces this season, how the Pirates respond could tell us a lot. Pittsburgh travels to St. Louis and Toronto next week. If they fall on their face, it could be another long baseball season in the Steel City.
-MP
10. Philadelphia Phillies
- 2026 record: 24-23
- Last week's ranking: 14
The Phillies continue to win games, and their pitching has a lot to do with that. Zack Wheeler looks like his usual ace-self, Jesus Luzardo had a major bounceback start this week, Christopher Sanchez remains unreal, and even Andrew Painter pitched really well. The offense still has issues to address beyond the ageless wonder that is Kyle Schwarber, but if the Phillies continue to get the kind of pitching they’ve been getting since firing Rob Thomson, they’re going to be tough for any team to play against.
-ZR
9. Cleveland Guardians
- 2026 record: 26-22
- Last week's ranking: 11
Fresh off their first series sweep of the season, the Guardians are head and shoulders the favorites in the AL Central. Much of that can be blamed on the Tigers demise, but Cleveland has held their own. The emergence of Chase DeLauter, who has been on fire of late, has helped carry the Guardians lineup. Tough matchups against the Phillies, Yankees and Red Sox loom next week, but they also give the Guardians a chance to make a real statement in the Central.
-MP
8. St. Louis Cardinals
- 2026 record: 27-18
- Last week's ranking: 6
The Cardinals passed their test against the Royals. They also invented a new fan section courtesy of manager Oli Marmol and the Stephen F. Austin club baseball team. No, these fans don’t wear shirts. I don’t personally have a problem with it. Busch Stadium has been fairly remote the last few years. The Cardinals used to rank top-five in attendance on an annual basis. Suddenly, there’s excitement in the ballpark again. St. Louis is a head of schedule, whether Chaim Bloom likes it or not.
-MP
7. San Diego Padres
- 2026 record: 27-18
- Last week's ranking: 7
Fernando Tatis Jr. is still homerless, Manny Machado is still hitting under .200, and Jackson Merrill is still looking like a shell of the player he was in 2024, yet the Padres continue to find ways to win. Mason Miller is ridiculous, Randy Vasquez continues to emerge, and Gavin Sheets is helping to keep this reeling offense afloat. I don’t know whether the Padres will continue to win given the state of their rotation and how their star hitters are performing, but as of now, they’re keeping pace with the Dodgers, and that’s a huge win.
-ZR
6. New York Yankees
- 2026 record: 28-18
- Last week's ranking: 3
When New York dropped five of six, including a sweep at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers that featured a couple of back-breaking one-run losses, the entire tristate area was thinking the same thing: Here we go again. But rather than fall into one of their now-patented summer swoons, the Yankees managed to pull out of the dive, at least for now, in the Subway Series. The Max Fried injury hurts, no doubt, but there’s still enough talent in this rotation to compete, especially with Gerrit Cole nearing his return. The bullpen and the defense remain concerns, and lord knows they haven’t earned the benefit of the doubt here; but on paper, at least, arguably no team in the AL feels sturdier.
-CL
5. Milwaukee Brewers
- 2026 record: 26-17
- Last week's ranking: 8
Milwaukee faces off against the Cubs early next week, which should be a marquee series for several reasons. First, any time Counsell has to face his former team, it’s must-watch TV. There is so much familiarity between these two teams. Add in the close NL Central race, and you start to get the picture. The Brewers and Cubs (and possibly the Cardinals, we’ll see) should compete for the Central crown all season long. Milwaukee has come on a lot lately, going 8-2 in their last 10 games. It turns out trading Freddy Peralta wasn’t that big of a deal after all. Who knew?
-MP
4. Tampa Bay Rays
- 2026 record: 30-15
- Last week's ranking: 5
I know what the roster looks like. I know what the one-run record is. But we’re in mid-May now, and the Rays just keep on doing it, now winners of their last seven series. Despite an almost complete lack of pop, Tampa’s lineup is performing as a well-above-average level of late, and a bullpen that had been taking on water early in the year has now flipped the switch and become an elite unit in May. Will that lack of power eventually catch up to them? Will a rotation survive with all of three healthy starters? Can they keep winding up on the right side of 3-2 games? It’s fair to have doubts, but at a certain point, ya just gotta believe.
-CL
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
- 2026 record: 28-18
- Last week's ranking: 4
The Los Angeles Dodgers remain very good, yet not entirely unbeatable. Look, we know that one of the 29 other teams will have to prove they can beat them when it matters most, but are the Dodgers really the team to beat right now? With how inconsistent their lineup has been, how injury prone their rotation appears to be, and how iffy their bullpen looks, the Dodgers are good, but not otherworldly.
-ZR
2. Chicago Cubs
- 2026 record: 29-17
- Last week's ranking: 2
The Cubs are up and then they’re down. The north siders are a playoff team in the making, but where they’re lacking depth is starting pitching. Chicago has been connected to any number of starters who will likely be made available at the deadline. The most recent update on Sunday is that Jed Hoyer could trade Matt Shaw to acquire one. In the short term, the Cubs are fine, but the Brewers and Cardinals could soon remove Craig Counsell’s team from its first-place perch.
-MP
1. Atlanta Braves
- 2026 record: 31-15
- Last week's ranking: 1
Fresh off a series win at Dodger Stadium the Atlanta Braves faced another challenge in their attempt to prove they’re the team to beat in the National League, and once again, they met that challenge, winning two of three against the Chicago Cubs at home. Even in the game they lost against Chicago, Chris Sale allowed just one unearned run in six innings, lowering his season ERA to below 2.00. The Braves remain arguably the most well-rounded team in the sport, and with Ha-Seong Kim back and guys like Ronald Acuña Jr., Hurston Waldrep and even Spencer Schwellenbach moving ever-so slowly towards returning, things can get scary in the best possible way.
-ZR
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