Every week, we ask a specific group of our baseball writers — native and nationwide — to rank the teams from first to worst. Here are the collective outcomes.
I’m struggling to recollect a time when a baseball season began fairly this topsy-turvy. As of Monday morning, the Astros, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Mets and Cubs had been all in (or tied for) final place of their division, whereas the Athletics, Rays, Twins and Pirates had been all in (or tied for) the division lead.
Voting to energy rank these groups presently is like asking us to rank our favourite bands, however primarily based solely on their charitable contributions — the deeper the analysis, the more wrong the list looks.
So yeah, it’s been a season of surprises, workforce and particular person. This week, we’re a number of of these — for higher or worse.
All stats are by way of Monday morning except famous.
Record: 12-4
Last Power Ranking: 1
Early shock: Andy Pages
With all of that weaponry on the Dodgers, all that largesse, who’s main the National League in batting common, on-base proportion, hits, RBIs and OPS? Why, the standard Pages, who can also be zipping round heart discipline like a water bug and incomes his defensive hold. He’d want a 2.00 ERA to be the Dodgers’ best participant, however he’s doing as a lot as he probably can in any other case.
Pages has had an identical begin to a season again in 2024, and his present BABIP (.526) is likely to be a teensy bit inflated, so you shouldn’t get too goofy about his star potential but. He’s nonetheless simply 25, although, and star potential is one thing that he clearly has. — Brisbee
Record: 9-7
Last Power Ranking: 2
Early shock: Ben Rice
In all of baseball, 9 hitters entered this week already value a minimum of 1.0 fWAR. One of them is a Yankee, however in all probability not the one you’re anticipating. It’s Rice, the primary baseman, who had a breakout 2025 season and continues to rake this yr. He leads all certified hitters in wRC+, which is likely to be a much bigger deal for the Yankees if not for the truth that 5 of their lineup regulars — Trent Grisham, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Austin Wells, Ryan McMahon and José Caballero — have a wRC+ nicely beneath 100. — Jennings
Record: 10-7
Last Power Ranking: T-3
Early shock: Mauricio Dubón
Dubón was Plan B. The Braves traded for him early within the offseason, however after they re-signed Ha-Seong Kim a month later, Dubón was again to the utility function he’d so capably crammed in Houston. Then Kim obtained damage, and Dubón was the on a regular basis shortstop (who then started enjoying some heart discipline when Michael Harris obtained damage). Wherever he’s performed, he’s been glorious with a top-30 fWAR, a 163 rRC+ and the fifth-most Outs Above Average at shortstop. The Braves had been certainly one of three groups to get by way of the weekend with double-digit wins. Matt Olson has been their stud (.993 OPS) and Drake Baldwin their run producer (league-leading 17 RBIs), however Dubón has been their answer to a number of issues. — Jennings
Record: 8-9
Last Power Ranking: 6
Early shock: Cal Raleigh
Let’s be very, very clear: Raleigh was by no means going to repeat his 2025 season. When an already prolific dwelling run hitter virtually doubles his output, it’s enjoyable as heck, however it’s virtually definitely unsustainable. He’s in all probability not going to hit 50 homers once more, a lot much less 60, however he’s nonetheless an All-Star and an MVP candidate in each season till additional discover.
Just not but. There are different Mariners struggling mightily — Josh Naylor continues to be searching for his first extra-base hit of the season, greater than 60 at-bats in — however Raleigh’s struggles are all the time going to get extra consideration. As he goes, so do the Mariners. — Brisbee
Record: 8-7
Last Power Ranking: T-3
Early shock: Chad Patrick’s ERA
It’s not a shock that SP Chad Patrick is nice this yr — he completed seventh in NL Rookie of the Year voting final yr, in spite of everything. What is a shock is that by way of his first three video games, he has allowed a grand whole of 1 earned run in 12 1/3 innings. That’s an 0.74 ERA.
There are causes to imagine this would possibly be a mirage. Just about each stat means that his outcomes needs to be somewhat worse this yr than final. Check this out, from Baseball Reference.
So I suppose we are able to say that it’s shock that he’s not permitting runs. But we must always not enable ourselves to be Bad-Surprised if he doesn’t hold this up. — Weaver
Record: 8-8
Last Power Ranking: 7
Early shock: Justin Crawford
At this level, it’s laborious to be shocked by Cristopher Sánchez, Jhoan Duran, Kyle Schwarber or Bryce Harper. They’ve been nice, due to course they’ve. But the 22-year-old Crawford was an enormous unknown, making his debut on Opening Day because the workforce’s much-needed answer in heart discipline. His begin has been encouraging with terrific offensive numbers, together with a .408 OBP by way of his first 14 video games. The defensive metrics aren’t almost as encouraging — unfavorable OAA and DRS — however his high-contact strategy is working on the plate, and that’s useful, particularly when Alec Bohm and Bryson Stott are off to horrible begins. — Jennings
Record: 10-6
Last Power Ranking: 17
Early shock: Mason Miller
It’s not a shock that Miller is nice, thoughts you. He throws the baseball 105 miles per hour (91 knots per hour towards the Mariners), and he’s all the time been good at lacking bats. It’s simply that his present charge is each absurd and one way or the other solely plausible: He’s confronted 24 batters and struck out 19 of them. He’s allowed only one hit and one stroll so far, and the hit was to Luis Arraez, who shouldn’t rely.
The human physique can throw a baseball solely so laborious, and Miller is approaching that theoretical most. It’s apparently sufficient, although, to interrupt baseball when it’s paired with somewhat command. If Miller faces as many batters as he did in his rookie season and retains this charge up, he’ll have a respectable likelihood at 200 strikeouts, which is the silliest factor I’ll kind all month. — Brisbee
Record: 7-9
Last Power Ranking: T-9
Early shock: Alex Bregman’s -0.1 bWAR
If you need a optimistic spin, Nico Hoerner’s newfound means to unearth extra-base hits has been a pleasant one, and Edward Cabrera’s tenure in Chicago has began rather well. But I don’t assume both of these is all that shocking. So it’s Bregman, who entered Monday night time’s matchup towards the Phillies hitting simply .213 (.618 OPS).
It’s not as if Bregman has by no means slumped earlier than, and for his profession, March/April is the one break up by which his profession OPS is beneath .800 (.765).
This is somewhat worse than that, so it qualifies. But it will be a a lot larger shock if Bregman’s slash line seemed like this by the tip of May. — Weaver
Record: 7-9
Last Power Ranking: 11
Early shock: Javier Báez posting a career-low Okay%
Báez’s redemption tour started final yr, when he started enjoying heart discipline, and — for the primary time in a very long time — offered some worth with the bat as nicely. He pale fairly a bit within the second half, although, and at age 33, he’s entering into prime fall-off territory.
Not but, although. His 22.0 % Okay-rate this yr is the bottom of his profession. What’s extra, his .158 ISO is greater than it’s been since 2021. That was the yr he break up between the Cubs and Mets, and additionally the yr he struck out greater than another yr.
To excel at each on the similar time is nice for him, and for a Tigers workforce that might use the assistance, particularly with Parker Meadows on the IL. — Weaver
Record: 7-10
Last Power Ranking: T-3
Early shock: Francisco Lindor
Lindor completed within the prime 10 in MVP voting the previous 4 years in a row. He’ll play all of this season at 32 years outdated, which isn’t precisely end-of-career, fall-off-the-cliff territory. Yet, these first few weeks have been a dramatic underperformance. His offensive numbers are method down, and he’s made uncharacteristic psychological errors. That sluggish begin has coincided with the remainder of the remade Mets infield struggling out of the gate, which — mixed with a tough again of the rotation — has the workforce beneath .500 within the early going. Whatever you do, Mets followers, don’t search for Brandon Nimmo’s numbers in Texas. — Jennings
Record: 10-6
Last Power Ranking: 13
Early shock: I imply … [motions to everything]
Maybe the largest shock is that the Pirates have spent the final six months being regular. They spent cash in free company, they referred to as up their mega-prospect (and then prolonged him) with out bungling the timing in any method, and then they got down to win a number of baseball video games this yr.
That this can be a shock is sort of an indictment of how the Pirates have operated in recent times. But on the time of writing, they’re tied for first place. Let’s simply take pleasure in letting factor occur whereas it’s taking place. — Weaver
Record: 9-7
Last Power Ranking: 14
Early shock: Nathan Eovaldi’s perplexing struggles
It’s not that there hasn’t been good. The Rangers are, after a win over the A’s Monday night time, on their lonesome in first place within the AL West, and are typically hitting the ball so much more durable than they did final yr. But in the midst of a season that has in any other case been extra up than down, the largest shock — a minimum of earlier than Monday — had been Eovaldi.
In his first two years as a Ranger, Eovaldi was excellent and was an enormous a part of the 2023 World Series workforce. But final yr, he was a monster, going 11-3 with a 1.73 ERA. If not for a rotator cuff problem limiting him to 22 video games, that might have been a league-leading ERA and he would have been a powerful Cy Young contender.
But Evo’s first three begins this yr left him with a 7.98 ERA, main the AL in each earned runs and dwelling runs allowed. Whether or not that has something to do with a sports activities hernia surgical procedure final October is anybody’s guess, however actually each certainly one of his six pitches has gained velocity since final yr, so … who is aware of?
Anyway, it might be a moot level. Eovaldi went seven scoreless towards the A’s on Monday, putting out seven and dropping his ERA to five.40. It’s reminder for all of those surprises, really: it’s nonetheless early. — Weaver
Record: 6-10
Last Power Ranking: 12
Early shock: The lineup
The Red Sox constructed some momentum over the weekend, taking two of three from the Cardinals instantly after back-to-back wins towards the Brewers. Ranger Suárez and Brayan Bello lastly pitched nicely, and Willson Contreras has been a middle-of-the-order stud alongside Wilyer Abreu. But many of the Red Sox lineup stays underwhelming. Roman Anthony has not been the moment sensation many anticipated, however the larger problem is the left aspect of the infield.
Only eight certified major-league hitters entered this week with a -0.4 fWAR or worse, and two of them had been the Red Sox shortstop and third baseman: Trevor Story and Caleb Durbin. The offensive struggles are deep sufficient that Durbin — who has a 1 wRC+ however a minimum of doesn’t chase a ton of pitches — has lately moved into the No. 2 spot within the order. — Jennings
Record: 6-9
Last Power Ranking: 8
Early shock: The file
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has virtually twice as many walks as strikeouts. Kevin Gausman and Dylan Cease have ERAs beneath 2.50. Jeff Hoffman has a ton of strikeouts, his dwelling run charge is method down and his setup males have been terrific. The shock, then, is that the Blue Jays are beneath .500 with one of many worst pitching staffs in baseball, and what stands out is the standard of their injured listing, which incorporates Trey Yesavage, Cody Ponce, Shane Bieber, José Berríos, Alejandro Kirk, Addison Barger, Anthony Santander and — most lately — George Springer.
The Blue Jays opened the season with three straight wins towards the Athletics, and they’ve since gone 3-9, together with dropping 5 of six to the Rockies and White Sox. Rough begin for the defending AL champs. — Jennings
Record: 9-7
Last Power Ranking: 16
Early shock: A comparatively sluggish begin from Pete Alonso
The Orioles added two massive right-handed bats this offseason. Taylor Ward has been terrific — first participant to have double-digit doubles this season — however Alonso was speculated to be a much bigger distinction maker, and he’s struggled out of the gate, slugging beneath .300 with one homer and 5 RBIs by way of his first 15 video games. (Editor’s observe: Alonso did hit one other homer on Monday night time.) With Jackson Holliday, Jordan Westburg, Adley Rutschman and Tyler O’Neill damage, the Orioles have finished nicely to maintain their heads above water — Gunnar Henderson has been a stud once more, and Trevor Rogers has picked up the place he left off from final yr’s breakout — however Alonso and younger Samuel Basallo haven’t been the rapid distinction makers the Orioles had been anticipating. — Jennings
Record: 8-7
Last Power Ranking: 21
Early shock: Chandler Simpson
Yandy Díaz has been one of many best all-around hitters in baseball (1.025 OPS by way of 15 video games), and Jonathan Aranda has been one of the productive (14 RBIs), however it’s the left fielder who was the early American League chief in hits. The speedy left fielder was additionally among the many leaders in stolen bases, in no small half as a result of he was hitting above .400 and getting on base sufficient to make use of his elite velocity. The Rays’ bullpen has struggled, and Carson Williams continued his offensive struggles on the major-league degree, however Simpson has offered an enormous enhance, together with a three-hit recreation to complete off a three-game sweep of the Yankees on Sunday. — Jennings
Record: 10-7
Last Power Ranking: 18
Early shock: José Ramírez vs. Austin Hedges’ slash strains.
If you already know one factor concerning the Guardians, it’s in all probability that Ramírez is their best hitter, and there’s no person else notably shut (or a minimum of there wasn’t, till Chase DeLauter arrived).
Another element you’re in all probability conscious of: Hedges is one of their most important players, even if he can’t hit a lick. If I hadn’t already spoiled the reply, this might make a fantastic “Player A vs. Player B” blind choose, however you already know, so right here’s what every man was hitting going into Monday:
Ramírez: .180/.275/.328 (.603 OPS), 5 runs scored
Hedges: .389/.421/.500 (.921 OPS), 4 runs scored
Will this sustain? Absolutely not. One or each will regress to the norm. But it’s nonetheless shocking to me, even simply 10 % of the best way by way of the season. — Weaver
Record: 10-7
Last Power Ranking: 25
Early shock: Austin Martin and Josh Bell
I used to be tempted to place Taj Bradley in right here, along with his 3-0 file and 1.25 ERA, however I appreciated Bradley fairly a bit when he was with Tampa Bay, and I’m not tremendous shocked that he’s been excellent.
Instead, it’s the duo of Martin and Bell, who’ve led the Twins to a surprisingly good begin out of the gates.
Going into Monday night time’s recreation towards the Red Sox, Bell was sporting a .926 OPS, which is his highest since 2019, his lone yr as an All-Star, again in Pittsburgh. For Martin, this appears to be a continuation of a slow-and-steady enchancment since breaking into the large leagues in 2024. Average, on-base and slugging all improved from 2024 to 2025 and have so far carried over.
Throw in some good pitching performances, and the Twins are, themselves, quite a surprise. — Weaver
Record: 9-8
Last Power Ranking: 19
Early shock: Sandy Alcantara
One of the good unknowns heading into this season was the viability of Alcantara as a top-of-the-rotation starter. For essentially the most half, he’s seemed very very like his outdated self. Even after a letdown Sunday towards the Tigers, Alcantara got here into the week with essentially the most innings and lowest anticipated ERA within the majors. He’s not putting out quite a lot of batters, however that was by no means his greatest energy, and he’s helped hold the Marlins aggressive within the early going. If they do fall off within the coming months, Alcantara might but once more be one of the talked-about commerce chips within the recreation. So far, his worth is on the rise. — Jennings
Record: 6-11
Last Power Ranking: T-9
Early shock: The whole beginning rotation
At the very starting of the season, Hunter Brown made two begins that justified his lofty standing in the Aces Project. Tatsuya Imai was coming off a powerful spring, and there was an opportunity that the Astros obtained the steal of the offseason. Cristian Javier and Lance McCullers Jr. had been again. If you squinted, it was the rotation of a contender.
Cut to the center of April, and three of the 4 are on the IL. Only McCullers is wholesome, however he’s sporting a 5.87 ERA. That isn’t a lot worse than the opposite two wholesome members of the present rotation, Mike Burrows and Cody Bolton, each of whom even have ERAs over 5.00. It’s fairly the mess, and there aren’t any fast fixes. — Brisbee
Record: 7-9
Last Power Ranking: 15
Early shock: Bobby Witt Jr.
Through the Royals’ first 16 video games, Witt has 16 hits and 10 walks for an on-base proportion of .371. Additionally, he has stolen a league-leading eight bases, so whereas he’s not hitting for a lot energy but (solely 3 XBH’s, all doubles), he’s nonetheless entering into scoring place.
And but, he has scored exactly one run, again on March 29 towards Atlanta.
Witt scored 99 of the Royals’ 651 runs final yr. That’s 15.2 %, a tempo solely exceeded by 5 different gamers: Shohei Ohtani (17.7, Dodgers), Aaron Judge (16.1, Yankees), José Ramírez (16.0, Guardians), Fernando Tatis Jr. (15.8, Padres) and Juan Soto (15.7, Mets).
The 651 runs ranked twenty sixth out of 30 groups final yr. This yr, they’re tied for twenty sixth. So it’s not like there’s been a drastic change in runs scored. It’s simply not Witt scoring them, for some inexplicable cause. — Weaver
Record: 9-8
Last Power Ranking: 20
Early shock: Geraldo Perdomo
Perdomo is on the José Ramírez profession path, the place he’s on each “most underrated” listing till it’s clear that he’s on a Hall of Fame trajectory, at which level he turns into very correctly rated. He’s one of many best gamers you don’t take into consideration that usually, somebody who offers the Diamondbacks a possible-if-distant likelihood to catch the Dodgers.
At the second, nevertheless, he’s terrible, making outs on the plate and on the bases, and main all baseball with 5 double performs hit into. This won’t proceed, and the Diamondbacks — nonetheless performing nicely sufficient — have one thing to stay up for. — Brisbee
Record: 8-8
Last Power Ranking: T-26
Early shock: Nick Kurtz
To be clear, it’s not like anybody needs to be anxious about Kurtz or — and you must faux that I’m waving my arms wildly, right here — actually any wholesome participant talked about on this whole article simply but. It’s not even Tax Day but.
The shock right here is that the Athletics are on one thing of a roll, humiliating varied New York groups on a wildly profitable journey, and they’re doing it with out Kurtz, who can’t get something going apart from his stroll recreation so far. Just think about if he resumes whomping like he’s whomped earlier than. All of this goes for Tyler Soderstrom, Lawrence Butler and Brent Rooker, too. If the A’s are presently having season with out them … simply think about what they could possibly be with them. — Brisbee
Record: 9-7
Last Power Ranking: 22
Early shock: Andrew Abbott
C. Trent Rosecrans wrote about Abbott — and the remainder of the Reds’ rotation, for that matter — in much more detail here, however the brief model is: he simply has not checked out all like final yr’s All-Star who completed eighth in NL Cy Young voting.
The Reds’ offense has not been adequate to hold the workforce, however I anticipated their rotation to maintain them within the hunt all yr, and Abbott was an enormous a part of that perception. With Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo on the IL, they want the borderline-ace they noticed final yr in the event that they need to make a run at what seems to be a really winnable NL Central. — Weaver
Record: 7-9
Last Power Ranking: 28
Early shock: The lineup
If we’re singling out one participant, it’s in all probability Foster Griffin, the 30-year-old prospect bust who spent the previous three years in Japan and signed with the Nationals in December. Through three begins, he has a 1.76 ERA (and these three begins had been no pushovers towards the Phillies, Dodgers and Brewers). But the broader shock might be the Nats’ lineup, which ranks fourth within the majors in wRC+ (behind solely the Dodgers, Astros and Braves). James Wood and CJ Abrams have been terrific, however they’ve gotten assist, particularly from among the workforce’s function gamers. — Jennings
Record: 8-9
Last Power Ranking: 24
Early shock: José Soriano
An 0.00 ERA is, by definition, the best {that a} pitcher can ever obtain, however there’s one thing much more spectacular a few 0.33 ERA, like Soriano’s. It’s as if he allowed a single run out of mercy or pity, earlier than resuming his unspeakable reign of sinker-fueled terror.
Soriano isn’t 0.33-ERA-good, if solely as a result of no person is, however the Angels lastly have a pitcher value watching. The final time you could possibly say that, the pitcher was additionally certainly one of their solely hitters value watching, and that seems like six many years in the past. — Brisbee
Record: 6-10
Last Power Ranking: 23
Early shock: Logan Webb
Webb’s whole recreation is getting hitters to beat baseballs into the bottom, so he’s going to spend his whole profession operating away from the BABIPdook. He’ll get away among the time, and he’ll get devoured among the time. But he’ll solely ever be pretty much as good because the protection behind him, and the Giants’ protection (particularly at first base) has been regrettable.
It’s not simply the BABIPdook and unhealthy protection that’s killing Webb, although. As the baserunners have piled up, he’s nibbled extra and missed fewer bats. His strikeout positive factors from final season have largely disappeared, and the workforce’s offensive struggles have him pitching like somebody scared to surrender a single run, which he needs to be. There’s no contending Giants workforce in 2026 with out the actual Logan Webb again. — Brisbee
Record: 8-8
Last Power Ranking: T-26
Early shock: Jordan Walker
Walker has had hot stretches like this before, and they didn’t stick round for very lengthy, so you’re not fallacious to be skeptical. However, Walker is blessed with a uncommon epistemological situation the place he’s all the time two years youthful than you assume he’s. The Cardinals have been ready so lengthy for him to interrupt out, it seems like a typo to learn that he’s nonetheless simply 23.
Either method, Walker has extra dwelling runs already in 2026 than he did in both 2024 or 2025, and he’s trying just like the All-Star who was promised. Another couple of weeks like his first two, and he’ll virtually have a nod secured already. — Brisbee
Record: 6-10
Last Power Ranking: 30
Early shock: Kyle Freeland
When Andrew Vaughn moved from the White Sox to the Brewers final season, one might think about him strolling round and saying issues like, “Whoa, you have televisions in the clubhouse? And scouting reports?” It’s the simplest strategy to make sense of how significantly better he was when he went from an incompetent group to a reliable one.
Freeland didn’t need to go wherever, however perhaps the competent group got here to him. Baseball has modified a ton since he completed fourth within the 2018 NL Cy Young race, however that is the primary time the Rockies have actually reinvented themselves since then. Maybe they’ve a plan to assist him and flip him into the best model of himself. Imagine such a factor. — Brisbee
Record: 6-10
Last Power Ranking: 29
Early shock: Davis Martin
It’s straightforward, when a workforce has been unhealthy for fairly a while, to have a look at its roster and see names you don’t acknowledge. There are simply extra fascinating issues taking place than maintaining with the White Sox’s 14th spherical choose from 2018 (no offense).
But Martin has been completely serviceable since his debut in 2022 (that’s really an enormous praise, given what number of White Sox haven’t cleared that bar within the intervening years).
This yr, nevertheless, he appears to be discovering a distinct gear. So far, he’s setting career-bests in a slew of numbers, together with ERA (2.50). Looking into his pitch knowledge, the one big distinction I can see is that he has ditched his sweeper, and he’s throwing his curveball about 4 mph quicker than final yr.
Is {that a} little bit of a stretch for a shock? Yes. But the White Sox are 6-10. They rank thirtieth within the league in runs scored and twenty fifth in runs allowed. The surprises are few and far between. — Weaver
