MLB Power Rankings: Where all 30 teams sit as dust settles after opening week

It's important not to overreact to a week and a half of baseball. Then again, the 2026 season is already so jam-packed that it can be hard to keep track of it all, from a potentially historic rookie class to Shohei Ohtani at the height of his powers to slumping contenders and surging small markets. How do you know what will last and what won't as the spring turns to summer and the [Randy Savage voice] cream rises to the top?

That's what our first in-season MLB power rankings will attempt to answer. This isn't a full reset; our preseason priors still hold a good amount of sway given that most teams have only played nine or 10 games at this point. Still, we won't ignore what the eye test is telling us — and certain teams have demanded our attention.

30. Colorado Rockies

• Preseason ranking: 30
• 2026 record: 3-6

Colorado has played like a mediocre baseball team out of the gate, which is a substantial improvement over last season’s all-time incompetence. Their record is what it is, but if you believe in the Marlins at all, the Rockies have simply run into quality opponents. The couple turns or so through the rotation went far smoother than expected, a Michael Lorenzen seven-run implosion notwithstanding. And the lineup, though not exactly “productive,” has real early bright spots in TJ Rumfield and Troy Johnston.

Chase Dollander threw four scoreless innings against an established Phillies lineup the other day. Charlie Condon and Zac Veen should be in the Majors soon; both figure to produce explosive numbers at Coors Field. We know where this Rockies season is heading, and we don’t need to lie about their potential or “silver linings.” But, all in all, Colorado could look a lot worse right now. They are mostly losing in respectable fashion. –Chris Kline

29. Chicago White Sox

• Preseason ranking: 29
• 2026 record: 4-5

Progress isn't always linear. The White Sox have finally put some promising pieces in place for the future, especially Colson Montgomery and Kyle Teel (currently on the IL). But the pitching staff is one of the very worst in baseball, at least until any of a number of top prospects make their way through the high Minors to the South Side. Until then, well, it won't be pretty. Still, better days are most likely ahead, and it's been a while since you could say that. –Chris Landers

28. Los Angeles Angels

• Preseason ranking: 27
• 2026 record: 5-5

Say this for the Angels: They haven’t been outright embarrassing in the early going, and there are some legitimately interesting pitchers here in Jose Soriano and Reid Detmers (making it work in his second shot as a starter!). Of course, “not outright embarrassing” is nowhere near “good,” and the long-term picture is murky as ever. Zach Neto is a keeper, but slow starts from important homegrown players like Logan O’Hoppe and Jo Adell are concerning. At least Mike Trout is back to doing Mike Trout things. –CL

27. Minnesota Twins

• Preseason ranking: 26
• 2026 record: 3-6

Look, we know the score here. It's going to be a long summer in the Twin Cities, with the most pressing question being whether Minnesota will hold on to Joe Ryan at the trade deadline. Beyond that, there's just not very much talent here right now, a byproduct of criminally cheap ownership. In the meantime, Twins fans are left to try and look for silver linings — like, for example, Taj Bradley's improving command, and keeping Royce Lewis and Byron Buxton healthy and hitting at the same time. –CL

26. Washington Nationals

• Preseason ranking: 29
• 2026 record: 3-6

Washington has struggled in the win column, but you won’t find many hotter bats at the moment. The Nats are top-five in average and slug so far. CJ Abrams is finally knocking on the door to something greater; his power metrics are up and he’s playing like a bonafide 30-30 candidate. Daylen Lile, Brady House and Luis García — that entire middle of the Nationals order — are mashing. James Wood is the only real disappointment so far, but if he turns it around and finishes with 40 home runs on the year, not a soul will be surprised.

The Nationals are not without significant talent. Dylan Crews, Harry Ford and other talented prospects remain in Triple-A, waiting for a chance to break out this season. The early returns on former first-round pick Cade Cavalli after two lost years are extremely positive. Foster Griffin is off to a quicker start than most international pitcher signings so far. If it weren’t for Miles Mikolas and the league’s most Mickey Mouse bullpen, we might be talking about the Nats as a sneaky Wild Card team. –CK

25. St. Louis Cardinals

• Preseason ranking: 25
• 2026 record: 4-4

These are not the Cardinals of old and this team is in a weird spot, probably enough to hover around .500 but not sniff the postseason. Chaim Bloom did a nice job this winter in shedding aging players hampering the roster and giving the young guys a chance. Speaking of which: Jordan Walker sure looks like a different player. If he can be what the Cardinals have long believed, getting back to the postseason won’t take as long as some think. –CL

24. Tampa Bay Rays

• Preseason ranking: 24
• 2026 record: 4-5

Hand up: I did not have Tampa as a top-10 offense at any point this season. I still don’t really buy it, considering the extent to which the Rays have relied on guys like Chandler Simpson, Jake Fraley, Jonny DeLuca and Nick Fortes, but hey: It wouldn’t be the first time this team surprised us by doing more with less. Maybe Kevin Cash can make lemonade once again, putting the ball in play and running the bases hard and riding a rotation that’s better than you think. Then again, there just isn’t all that much talent here. –CL

23. Athletics

• Preseason ranking: 21
• 2026 record: 3-6

We expected the A’s to have a hard time preventing runs this season. What we didn’t expect was for this seemingly ascendant offense to be at or near the bottom of the league in most categories so far, breathing down the Angels’ necks for the most strikeouts in baseball. It’s still early days, of course, and my money is on guys like Brent Rooker and Nick Kurtz turning it around sooner than later. With this pitching staff, though, there isn’t a ton of margin for error, and they’ve already put themselves behind the 8-ball in a competitive division. –CL

22. San Francisco Giants

• Preseason ranking: 19
• 2026 record: 3-7

The Tony Vitello era is off to a poor start in San Francisco. It was always a risky hire; there’s such a vast ocean of difference between managing college kids and managing professionals. From the outside looking in, it does not feel like he has command over the clubhouse. Every quote feels more volatile and misguided than the last.

Worse yet, the Giants just did not make the necessary improvements to the roster last winter. Buster Posey fell asleep at the wheel after the Rafael Devers trade, and even that looks less and less brilliant in hindsight. There is not a single Giants regular with a .700+ OPS right now. The rotation should stabilize once Logan Webb finds his groove, but San Francisco has neither the star power nor the depth to seriously challenge the upper echelon of the National League. –CK

21. Arizona Diamondbacks

• Preseason ranking: 22
• 2026 record: 5-5

The Diamondbacks are right back in a familiar zone, as injuries and underperformance abound. Merrill Kelly should be back sooner than later; Corbin Burnes is slated for a midseason return from elbow surgery. And yet, it’s not clear if Arizona can keep its head above water until then. Newcomer Michael Soroka has been a pleasant surprise, but the edges around him and Eduardo Rodriguez are fraying.

Somehow even more concerning is the D-backs lineup. Things should perk up eventually, as there’s no way Ketel Marte and Geraldo Perdomo are both dramatically below-average hitters over 162 games. That said, with injuries already piled high, it’s unclear if anyone in the back half of the order can yield consistent production. The Nolan Arenado trade, predictably, looks a bit silly in hindsight. Arizona once again finds the deck stacked against it. –CK

20. Pittsburgh Pirates

• Preseason ranking: 20
• 2026 record: 6-3

The vibes around the Pirates are gooooood. They’ve been a favorite of mine to make the postseason this year and I’ve received pushback for it (hi, AJ Pierzynski). Konnor Griffin is here and is having serious talks with Pittsburgh about a mega deal, though nothing is done. Having Griffin and Paul Skenes gives the Pirates the best one-two punch of young talent in baseball. There’s every reason to be optimistic about what’s to come. –Robert Murray

19. San Diego Padres

• Preseason ranking: 15
• 2026 record: 4-5

San Diego’s lineup — which has been such a destructive force over the years — is simply ice cold right now. Nobody aside from Ramon Laureano, Miguel Andujar and Manny Machado really showed up to play. We can expect Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill and others to shed their slumps sooner than later, but the Padres’ lineup no longer stacks up so formidably in the National League arms race. That is a concern.

The strength of the Padres bullpen is a nice boon. Mason Miller is the most unhittable force in baseball right now. The rotation should be fine with Michael King back in the mix and Randy Vasquez teasing a leap, but Nick Pivetta was always due for regression and San Diego’s starting depth is severely compromised amid the ongoing rehab of Joe Musgrove and Griffin Canning. The Padres are better than their record, but this team is extremely volatile. –CK

18. Miami Marlins

• Preseason ranking: 23
• 2026 record: 6-3

The Marlins are second to only Houston in team OPS, which puts them above the Dodgers, Brewers and Braves (and everyone else). That probably doesn’t hold, but Owen Caissie is serving up a helpful reminder of why he was Chicago’s No. 1 prospect before the Edward Cabrera trade. Liam Hicks and Xavier Edwards are on another planet right now. Regression is inevitable, but Edwards is blending his usual bat-to-ball skills with a noticeable leap in hard contract. Hicks basically won’t strike out. This young Miami lineup looks the part of a Wild Card team.

On the mound, Sandy Alcántara has delivered 16 scoreless innings. Eury Pérez has struggled relative to expectations, but the stuff is electric. If there’s reason for skepticism with this Marlins team, however, it’s that the back of this rotation probably won’t hold up. The bullpen looks great, led by their prized offseason addition of Pete Fairbanks. But that feels somewhat tenuous, too. –CK

17. Cleveland Guardians

• Preseason ranking: 16
• 2026 record: 6-4

Chase DeLauter has arrived, and will continue to pulverize baseballs for as long as his body cooperates. Jose Ramirez will turn it on eventually, too. The problem is that ... well, pretty much no one else has hit, and there's no guarantee that's going to change. Gavin Williams, Tanner Bibee, Parker Messick and Joey Cantillo is a nice start to any rotation, but depth beyond them is a huge question mark, and again — the Guards are going to have to figure out a way to score some runs to meaningfully contend. Same as it ever was. –CL

16. Texas Rangers

• Preseason ranking: 18
• 2026 record: 4-5

If neither Nathan Eovaldi nor Jacob deGrom have an ERA below 5, the Rangers are going to have a tough time contending this year. I know, bold analysis. If you want to look at the bright side here, you could focus on the fact that MacKenzie Gore and Jack Leiter have both shown some impressive things early this year, and that Eovaldi and deGrom are bound to revert to form eventually. If not, you could point out that depth is still an issue everywhere, and that this lineup falls off a cliff beyond Brandon Nimmo, Corey Seager and Jake Burger. Texas is going to need its stars to carry them back to October, and that’s a tall order. –CL

15. Kansas City Royals

• Preseason ranking: 13
• 2026 record: 4-5

Take heart, Kansas City: Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino won't have OPSes that begin with a 5 and a 4, respectively, for much longer. The Jac Caglianone breakout sure looks real, and if that's the case, there's real upside waiting to be unlocked here offensively. And that should win a lot of games, if the Royals rotation pitches the way we expect that it will. But while the floor feels high, the only question is whether the ceiling is good enough to compete with both Detroit and the other teams in a crowded AL Wild Card picture. –CL

14. Cincinnati Reds

• Preseason ranking: 17
• 2026 record: 6-3

Tito Francona remarked that the Reds’ roster last year was among his favorites in his long career. The team largely remained the same and added Eugenio Suarez, a power hitter who is known as a great locker room guy. So far, the Reds are 5-3 and look like a team that can once again fight for a playoff berth. The pitching injuries will be something to monitor, though. –RM

13. Boston Red Sox

• Preseason ranking: 9
• 2026 record: 2-7

There’s probably not a more disappointing team in baseball so far than Boston, which entered the season with legitimate World Series aspirations but has been thoroughly middling in all facets of the game so far. Lack of over-the-fence pop remains an issue on offense. More alarming, though, is the rotation, with the trio of Sonny Gray, Ranger Suarez and Brayan Bello hardly looking ready for prime time. 

The good news is that the Red Sox do have options to toggle through in search of a solution. But there’s major money invested in Gray and Suarez in particular, and both were risky profiles coming into the year. I’m not pushing the panic button just yet, and I still believe there’s a contending team in here. But I’m also acknowledging how fragile things are right now. –CL

12. Houston Astros

• Preseason ranking: 12
• 2026 record: 6-4

Is the Astros offense back? Granted, two of their three series to date have come against the Angels and A’s, hardly representative pitching staffs. But Yordan Alvarez remains a monster, while the vets like Christian Walker are bouncing back and the young guys like Cam Smith are taking a step forward. I’m still not completely sold here — the lineup remains old and righty-heavy, and the rotation is relying a ton on volatile arms like Mike Burrows, Tatsuya Imai, Cristian Javier and Lance McCullers — but the ceiling here is interesting if everyone stays healthy. –CL

11. Baltimore Orioles

• Preseason ranking: 11
• 2026 record: 3-6

Outside of Trevor Rogers, it hasn’t been the best start for Baltimore’s new-look rotation, and Zach Eflin’s already on the IL with an elbow issue. But this team was always going to go as far as its offense carried it, and so far the bats simply haven’t been good enough. 

There’s plenty of reason to believe they’ll start mashing eventually; Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson look like their old selves, Dylan Beavers will unseat Tyler O’Neill in the outfield eventually and Pete Alonso and Samuel Basallo have much more in the tank. They’re going to need to, though, because it doesn’t seem like the pitching staff will be much more than it was last year. –CL

10. Atlanta Braves

• Preseason ranking: 14
• 2026 record: 6-4

Atlanta is on a heater to begin the year. The lineup is explosive, reminiscent of that 2021 World Series team. Drake Baldwin might be the best catcher in the National League. Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies are turning back the clock. Dominic Smith looks superhuman; that won’t hold, but neither will Ronald Acuña Jr.’s more tepid production. This offense is more than capable of winning what's been a disappointing division so far.

What about the pitching? Well, through 1.5 turns of the rotation, Atlanta stacks up with the best staffs in baseball. Regression is inevitable, at least in the short term. If Bryce Elder and Martín Pérez can provide even baseline competence, however, the Braves will probably score enough runs to survive until Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach and others are up to speed. The sample is small, but we know what the Braves are capable of. It’s just been a while. –CK

9. Detroit Tigers

• Preseason ranking: 10
• 2026 record: 4-4

Tough road trip to Arizona aside, the Tigers look pretty much like we thought they would, for better and for worse. The better: Tarik Skubal and Framber Valdez are going to win a boatload of games and give this team a chance in any postseason series they play. The worse: This lineup remains at least one bat short of where you'd like it to be, and pitching depth remains a question with Justin Verlander on the IL and Jack Flaherty, well, Jack Flaherty. Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene are going to hit eventually, though, and if Colt Keith and Kevin McGonigle are ready for prime time, that raises the ceiling considerably. –CL

8. New York Mets

• Preseason ranking: 5
• 2026 record: 6-4

For some reason, the Mets can’t really hit right now. This feels like a classic "hold the line" early-season blip, especially with signs of life this weekend in San Francisco. Bo Bichette has been one of the worst positional players in the Majors through his first week and change. Unless he’s dealing with an unforeseen injury, nothing in Bichette’s history tells us to expect a 26.3 percent strikeout rate over a full year. He’s an early victim of bad luck and a strong candidate to pick up steam in the weeks ahead. New York needn’t panic.

Better yet, the Mets’ pitching staff has come on strong. Nolan McLean still looks like a potential Cy Young contender and a frontrunner for Rookie of the Year. Kodai Senga is flashing some vintage stuff. Freddy Peralta bounced back nicely in his second start after a bumpy Opening Day. The Mets also have 9+ scoreless innings from the back of their bullpen: Devin Williams, Brooks Raley and Luke Weaver are all shoving. –CK

7. Philadelphia Phillies

• Preseason ranking: 7
• 2026 record: 5-4

Same as it ever was. Cristopher Sánchez is an early frontrunner in the Cy Young race, leading what should be one of the top rotations in MLB. The early production from Brandon Marsh, Adolis García, Justin Crawford and other bit players is encouraging. And yet, the heart of this lineup remains far too volatile. Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper can still hit home runs. Trea Turner will get on base and burn rubber. But, at the end of the day, the Phillies’ lineup lacks the oomph of other top contenders.

That shouldn’t hold Philadelphia back too much in the regular season. Another 90 wins and a division crown is well within reach. Whether the Phillies can finally break through in October, however, remains to be seen. –CK

6. Chicago Cubs

• Preseason ranking: 2
• 2026 record: 4-5

Expectations are high in Chicago, and rightfully so. They spent big this winter in landing Alex Bregman, Edward Cabrera and others. They extended Pete Crow-Armstrong and Nico Hoerner. But they are 3-4 and in last place in the Central. It’s been a grind, which has some fans on the edge of their seats. But thinfs will get better in Chicago. I’m very confident in that. –RM

5. Toronto Blue Jays

• Preseason ranking: 3
• 2026 record: 4-5

Toronto has all of Trey Yesavage, Cody Ponce, Shane Bieber and Jose Berrios on the IL right now, and yet the Jays just keep coming, with Kevin Gausman off to a historically awesome start and Max Scherzer and Eric Lauer picking up the slack. The offense isn’t the machine it was last season, but it’s hard to be too worried there until Vladdy, Daulton Varsho and Addison Barger start hitting. (Although I am worried that age-36 George Springer is in for a nasty comedown after his career revival in 2025.)

The bigger concern is Jeff Hoffman, who’s been largely excellent in Toronto save for a nasty knack for backbreaking homers that turn wins into losses. Get that under control, though, and the trajectory remains the same for last year’s AL champs. –CL

4. Seattle Mariners

• Preseason ranking: 6
• 2026 record: 4-6

The Mariners appear to be as they’ve always been: The rotation is excellent — especially with Luis Castillo ripping fastballs like it’s 2019 — the lineup … not so much. Of course, staying the course isn’t the worst thing when you just came within one game of the World Series. But Seattle’s flaws, especially on offense, have been apparent in early series against the Yankees and Guardians, and it’s frustrating that a team with such an exciting core of talent has been unable to take a leap forward as yet. –CL

3. Milwaukee Brewers

• Preseason ranking: 8
• 2026 record: 7-2

Even after trading Freddy Peralta, Caleb Durbin and Isaac Collins, among others, the Brewers still find a way. They always seem to; it’s remarkable, and one of the most under appreciated things in baseball. They continually maximize their internal talent. They see big things coming for Cooper Pratt, a 21-year-old infielder now signed to an unprecedented long-term extension, and it’s entirely possible another extension or two happens down the line here for Milwaukee. This team is here to stay and be a thorn for everyone else in the Central. –RM

2. New York Yankees

• Preseason ranking: 4
• 2026 record: 7-2

David Bednar had to navigate a couple nervy outings this week, a far cry from his spectacular performance down the stretch in 2025. Other than that, though, it’s hard to find much to complain about in the Bronx, where the Yankees have cruised to the AL’s best run differential. The rotation has been the best in baseball before Gerrit Cole or Carlos Rodon even throw a pitch, thanks to the emergences of Cam Schlittler and Will Warren. And the scary thing is that the offense hasn’t even really gotten out of second gear yet. This team has toyed with us before, and I’m side-eying that bullpen a bit, but right now it’s hard to say that anyone else is the favorite for the AL pennant. –CL

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

• Preseason ranking: 1
• 2026 record: 7-2

The tide is already turning on the early season “struggles” of Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Tucker. This Dodgers lineup appears virtually bulletproof, with Andy Pages and Alex Freeland both looking the part of productive regulars on top of L.A.’s star-powered core. Tommy Edman will be back soon and the farm system is loaded as ever, so the true vulnerabilities are few and far between.

On the rotation side, the only real weak link at the moment is Emmet Sheehan, who will be replaced by Blake Snell eventually. After looking completely lost in spring training, Rōki Sasaki has looked sharp enough in his first taste of real action. The Dodgers’ bullpen is better than ever. If you’re looking for reasons to fade L.A., search elsewhere. –CK