2026 MLB power rankings: Biggest risers and fallers after first month of season

We’re just over a month into the 2026 MLB season, and boy have we seen a lot. Teams we expected to contend have shined, like the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees, while others, like the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies, are asking for a redo. 

With SeatGeek serving as the Official Ticket Marketplace of MLB, we’ve been keeping a close eye on all 30 MLB teams and what they’ve done – or haven’t done – to date. With a month-plus of action in the books, it’s time for a new edition of MLB power rankings. 

Power rankings for every MLB team a month into the season

These MLB power rankings are a mix of overall results, recent play, projections moving forward and other factors. To the right of each team name are a few numbers: their current record and then where I had them rated in my last power rankings, which came out before the season began. 

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (19-9, 1)

No, the Dodgers aren’t the “best” team in terms of having the standalone best record in baseball, but come on – they’re the two-time defending champs and have the best top-to-bottom roster in baseball. Even with prized offseason acquisition Kyle Tucker off to a slower start and new closer Edwin Diaz on the injured list, this roster is incredibly dangerous overall and ranks among baseball’s best in runs scored and preventing runs on the mound. Shohei Ohtani also appears to be as healthy as he’s been in some time on the mound with a ridiculous 0.38 ERA in four starts as he’s legitimately in the Cy Young conversation. 

2. Atlanta Braves – (20-9, 14)

I was a hair low on the Braves before the season as I assumed they were a bit over the hill collectively after an injury-plagued poor 2025 showing – shows what I know. There’s a case to be made that the Braves are baseball’s very best team given how dominant they’ve been on the mound and at the plate. Bryce Elder and Chris Sale have been stellar anchoring the rotation, Drake Baldwin has followed up on his Rookie of the Year campaign in a major way and Matt Olson and Michael Harris II look more like they did a few years ago – which is a good thing. Now if Ronald Acuna Jr. and Austin Riley can return to form after slow starts, this team will be especially dangerous.

3. New York Yankees – (18-10, 2)

The Yankees have had a strange start to the year, starting 7-1 before falling to 10-9. They’ve recovered since to go 18-10, with the rotation absolutely dominating and Aaron Judge leading the charge for what once again is one of baseball’s best and most dangerous lineups. Ben Rice has continued to give New York more juice at the plate, and Max Fried continues to look like one of the best free-agent adds in recent memory as he, Will Warren and Cam Schlittler have been magnificent. Add in that Carlos Rodon and Gerrit Cole will return at some point this season and this Yankees team looks like the early team to beat in the American League. 

4. San Diego Padres – (18-9, 12)

I wrote a while back that the Padres were one of the top teams on paper to upset the Dodgers in a potential playoff series, and boy do they look the part. The Padres have been one of baseball’s best and hottest teams in the early stages of the year, at one point winning eight in a row and 11 of 12. The Padres have been especially good on the mound with Randy Vazquez and Michael King leading the charge. Then, of course, there’s all-world closer Mason Miller, who doesn’t allow runners to score or even reach base. Heck, he barely lets batters make contact. There’s still a bit of work to be done at the plate, but that should come at some point soon as it’s hard to believe all three of Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill have OPS lines in the .600s. 

5. Chicago Cubs – (17-11, 6)

I was big into the Cubs as a World Series contender last year, but it looks like I may have been a year early. Yes, losing Kyle Tucker to the Dodgers hurt, but the Cubs rebounded as well as they could have with Alex Bregman joining the fray. The veteran third baseman started slow with his new team but has been turning things around of late. Nico Hoerner is having an incredible start to his season as his offense is really matching his elite defense, and veterans Ian Happ and Dansby Swanson are doing a lot in the run production and home run departments. Edward Cabrera and Shota Imanaga give Chicago a stellar 1-2 punch in the rotation, and they could get even better with the looming return of Justin Steele, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery.

6. Cincinnati Reds – (18-10, 15)

The Reds were always a team to watch the last few years given their talented young roster and notable farm system. After making the postseason last year, they entered 2026 with plenty of expectations. So far, so good for Cincinnati. Elly De La Cruz and rookie Sal Stewart are each off to tremendous starts at the plate, with Stewart looking like not just one of the best rookies in the game, but one of baseball’s best first basemen. The team’s arms have really been where the Reds have shined, with rookie Rhett Lowder enjoying an excellent start to 2026 alongside Chase Burns. 2025 All-Star Andrew Abbott is looking to return to form and Hunter Greene remains out, but that rotation has been awfully good to start and should get even better in the coming months. They have a better record than the Cubs right now, but I have a few more questions about the overall roster in Cincinnati than I do in Chicago.

7. Pittsburgh Pirates – (16-12, 21)

While I did like the Pirates on paper before the year, I couldn’t put them too highly in my preseason rankings given there were still too many questions about the lineup. Those questions were warranted but appear to be a thing of the past as new faces Brandon Lowe and Ryan O’Hearn have given the lineup some much-needed juice, Oneil Cruz is off to his best start and Bryan Reynolds looks like the old All-Star version of himself. We knew the rotation, anchored by Cy Young winner Paul Skenes, would be really good, and that’s certainly been the case with Skenes, Bubba Chandler, Mitch Keller and others keeping opposing hitters off the bases. I still have some long-term questions about the bullpen, but there’s no denying Dennis Santana, Gregory Soto, Yohan Ramirez and Isaac Mattson are all off to tremendous starts. Suddenly, the Pirates look like an extremely well-rounded group. 

8. Cleveland Guardians – (15-14, 19)

The Guardians confuse me. You look at their overall roster and team numbers and it seems like they should be a fringe-average team. Yet all they do is win games! Yes, Jose Ramirez is a top-10 player in the sport, but the rest of the lineup hardly inspires fear in opposing hitters. Bryan Rocchio and Angel Martinez are giving Cleveland some unexpected thump, but Steven Kwan and Chase DeLauter haven’t done much of late. But it doesn’t matter! As for the arms, we knew Gavin Williams would be good as he’s a former first-round pick with tremendous stuff, but who saw rookie lefty Parker Messick looking like an All-Star? I pegged Joey Cantillo as a breakout candidate so his 3.26 ERA to start the year doesn’t surprise me that much, but this roster of largely no-name players just continues to win. Whatever magic Stephen Vogt and Co. are pulling just continues to work. 

9. Detroit Tigers – (15-14, 10)

There are some teams with better records or overall standing than the Tigers right now, but considering they’re in the top 10 or just outside of it in runs scored and team ERA, they look better than their overall record of 15-14 would indicate. Tarik Skubal continues to do Tarik Skubal things, Case Mize looks like an All-Star once again and Framber Valdez looks like a stellar pickup for Detroit. The lineup has been better than expected with catcher Dillon Dingler quietly enjoying a breakout season and Riley Greene and Colt Keith adding some stability to the mix, but it’s rookie infielder Kevin McGonigle who is the guy to watch as the rookie is not just a top rookie, but he may already be Detroit’s best hitter with an OPS of .951 and a .330 batting average. 

10. Milwaukee Brewers – (14-13, 10)

The Brewers are just rock solid, even amid a tough schedule against a surprisingly loaded NL Central. Milwaukee had a second half for the ages last year while making the NLCS, and while the team is missing Freddy Peralta, Jacob Misiorowski and Brandon Woodruff have been excellent atop the rotation to date. Chad Patrick and Kyle Harrison are also off to very nice starts. Like many teams, there are questions about the bullpen, but not enough to raise alarm bells. The lineup is one of the more intriguing in baseball, too. Despite not flexing much power at all, the team scores runs the “old fashioned way” by getting on base, making contact and stealing bases. Milwaukee makes a ton of contact and is fast, putting pressure on opposing pitchers and defenses. It has worked well, and the Brewers should be a fixture near the top of these rankings all year long. They have dropped two series in a row, though, including to Pittsburgh.

11. Arizona Diamondbacks – (15-12, 20)

I liked the Diamondbacks’ lineup on paper, but the rotation without Corbin Burnes scared me. Well the lineup, anchored by Corbin Carroll and Geraldo Perdomo, has been very good even while Ketel Marte tries to return to form thanks to the contributions of Ildemmaro Vargas and rookie Jose Fernandez. The rotation, even while it waits for Burnes to return, has quietly been among the best in baseball. Eduardo Rodriguez carried over his World Baseball Classic dominance to the tune of a 2.89 ERA and Michael Soroka has been even better with a 2.60 mark. Zac Gallen also has shaken off a poor 2025 showing with a 3.14 ERA to date. The bullpen and the bottom of the rotation are a bit scary – in a bad way – but there’s no denying the Diamondbacks are playing better than expected at this early stage of the year. 

12. Tampa Bay Rays – (16-11, 22)

The Rays are another confusing team. I firmly expect them to start sliding down these rankings as time goes on, but given how they’ve started, I must include them high up here. I would have thought Tampa Bay would have great pitching numbers to reflect this unexpected start. However, the Rays are a bottom-five team in ERA with most of the rotation off to tough starts – Nick Martinez and Steven Matz have both been very good, however. The lineup ranks in the top half of MLB in runs scored, though, with the trio of Junior Caminero, Yandy Diaz and Jonathan Aranda all posting big numbers at the plate. I do like that group, but the rest of the lineup has several question marks. I think the Rays making the postseason will be dependent on the pitching staff being better, and I just haven’t seen enough there yet to buy in. However, there’s no denying they’re playing much better than I expected at this stage.

13. Texas Rangers – (14-14, 13)

This is the first of three straight AL West teams as this has been the strangest division to date. Even with the series loss to the A’s, I have more faith in the Rangers. Texas has a veteran team overall with headliners in Corey Seager, Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi. The offseason additions of MacKenzie Gore and Brandon Nimmo have been stellar pickups by Chris Young and Texas’ front office. The rotation is elite, but the lineup needs more from guys not named Seager and Nimmo. The bullpen is full of journeymen arms, and while it’s largely worked so far, it’s a glaring weakness alongside the overall depth of the lineup.

14. Athletics – (15-13, 23)

The Athletics are a fun team, but they won’t contend come the end of the year – they still look like a year away. Yes, they’re first in the AL West right now by themselves, but that’s more of a byproduct of the Mariners and Astros playing below .500 baseball right now. The A’s are right around the middle of the league in runs scored, and their team ERA is in the bottom 10. The lineup sure is fun, with Nick Kurtz and Shea Langeliers off to tremendous starts, but Jacob Wilson and Lawrence Butler need to pick things up as the team waits for Brent Rooker to get healthy after a poor start to his season. I think the A’s are a legit playoff-caliber team in a year or two, but they should start to gradually slide down these rankings.

15. Seattle Mariners – (14-15, 3)

Ah, the Mariners. It feels like they always get off to cold starts, but given they were a game away from making the World Series last year, expectations were very high in the Pacific Northwest. The rotation has been stellar and the bullpen very good, but once again, questions remain about Seattle’s bats. Brendan Donovan added a spark atop the order after the team traded for him from St. Louis, but he’s on the injured list. The “Big Three” of Julio Rodriguez, Cal Raleigh and Josh Naylor all struggled out of the gate, which is the biggest reason the M’s are 19th in runs scored. At the end of the day, talent usually wins out, especially over the course of 162 games, but it’s hard not to point at the Mariners as a disappointment to date. Seattle has won four in a row, though, after sweeping the Cardinals, so we could see the Mariners move up these rankings. But they’ve lost two of three to the A’s and four of six to the Rangers, so for now, they have to come in behind those two.

16. Toronto Blue Jays – (12-15, 4)

The Blue Jays, like the Mariners, have disappointed thus far but aren’t in a complete tailspin like some other anticipated contenders. Toronto’s issues have been on both sides, with the offense struggling to score and the pitching giving up far too many runs – the Jays are in the bottom 10 in runs scored and allowed. Toronto has been dealt an awful hand with injuries, though, with George Springer, Alejandro Kirk, Trey Yesavage, Jose Berrios, Shane Bieber and Anthony Santander all on the injured list. The Jays haven’t dug themselves too deep of a hole just yet, but it’s been a tough start. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been very good, but he needs more help from top to bottom. It’s too early to slam the panic button, though.

17. Baltimore Orioles – (13-15, 16)

The Orioles are a fringe-average pitching team and are pretty dangerous at the plate. They could move up or down these rankings and it wouldn’t surprise me either way, so right around the middle seems right for them. The good news on the hitting front is that Adley Rutschman appears to be back after a poor end to 2024 and a poor overall 2025 showing. The bad news is that while Pete Alonso and Gunnar Henderson have combined for 12 home runs, they’re not hitting well enough overall. The team is still scoring runs thanks to Rutschman and Taylor Ward, but those two big bats need to do more overall. Regarding the arms, Trevor Rogers has taken an expected step back, though it’s been larger than expected. There’s still intrigue with the pitching staff, but their ceiling is more good than great. I like the lineup overall but need to see more with the arms. 

18. Miami Marlins – (13-15, 24)

The Marlins have actually been pretty solid! The Marlins’ record is buoyed in part by starting 5-1 against the Rockies and White Sox, but they’re pretty solid across the board. Miami has been a very average team offensively, which is basically what happened last year. But in 2025, the Marlins had a 4.60 team ERA, “good” for 25th. This year, they’re at 4.04 which is 14th. The biggest development is former Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara looks like an All-Star caliber arm again after a rough 2025 campaign. Max Meyer and Eury Perez have also been very good atop the rotation. I’m starting to come around on the Marlins a bit, which isn’t something I was expecting to say this year, and some overall numbers suggest they’re a bit better than their record suggests. 

19. St. Louis Cardinals – (14-13, 27)

The Cardinals have been surprisingly fun to open the year, though they are coming off a tough sweep at the hands of the Mariners. The NL Central is loaded, which may hurt St. Louis’ overall chances of contending this year, but the roster is playing much better than I gave it credit for before the year began and has them over .500 after the weekend. Former top prospect Jordan Walker is off to a tremendous start as he’s really been putting his elite talent together, and rookie JJ Wetherholt is rock solid as expected. The issue is the pitching, though, as the Cards are among the worst in team ERA at 4.87 – 27th in MLB. Michael McGreevy has been solid, but the rest of the rotation, as well as the majority of the bullpen, have been lackluster. I am coming around on the lineup, but a lot must change on the pitching front. 

20. Los Angeles Angels – (12-17, 26)

The Angels have been better across the board than expected, and statistically they’re better than their record suggests. They’re a top-10 offense to date and are right around the middle of the pack in most key pitching statistics. If I’m going to buy anything with the Angels, it’s the lineup. Mike Trout is never going to be an MVP candidate again with lofty numbers across the board, but he can still slug, and that’s what he’s been doing this year. Add in what Zach Neto and Jorge Soler are doing thus far and there’s a lot to like with the lineup, at least at the top. The Angels’ problem for a while has been on the pitching side, with draft picks and free-agent additions not panning out. But the Angels have maybe the best starter in baseball right now in Jose Soriano, who has an absurd 0.24 ERA in five starts with a sub-1.000 WHIP. Most of the other arms are doing well, but I’m not quite ready to buy in on guys like Jack Kochanowicz. But the Angels are pretty solid all around, and with the AL West wide open right now, they could certainly make some noise with a few hot stretches here and there.

21. Minnesota Twins – (12-16, 25)

The Twins have cooled off after a bit of a hot start to 2026, but they’ve certainly been more competitive than expected. Simply put, there wasn’t much left on the roster after last year’s fire sale at the trade deadline. Minnesota did keep Joe Ryan and Byron Buxton, and Ryan is doing his thing while Buxton has been hot and cold. The addition of Josh Bell has been a nice one, and catcher Ryan Jeffers is putting himself in the All-Star conversation. Minnesota has quietly had a very good offense, but the pitching has been closer to average. I still have a lot of questions about the overall state of the roster, so I can’t put the Twins higher than 21 for the time being. That being said, they may be closer to a .500 team than I initially anticipated. 

22. Washington Nationals – (13-16, 29)

The Nationals are a bit like the Astros, just without the excuse of notable pitching injuries. Washington, if you can believe it, is third in runs scored in all of MLB this year. The issue is that the only team worse than them on the mound is Houston. Washington traded MacKenzie Gore to Texas and has had no answers in either the rotation or bullpen outside of Foster Griffin and Cade Cavalli. James Wood, CJ Abrams and Daylen Lile have all been stellar at the plate, but they unfortunately can’t also pitch. It’s good that the Nats have a talented young lineup, but at some point the arms need to catch up. Based on what we’ve seen so far, that doesn’t appear to be in the cards in 2026.

23. Houston Astros – (11-18, 11)

The Astros missed the postseason last year for the first time since 2016, but it was by a single game. It was far too early to declare the Astros’ reign as over, right? Maybe not. Injuries have certainly piled up, especially on the pitching front with Hunter Brown out, but Houston has always been a great pitching development team. However, the Astros are the worst pitching team in MLB, and even a ridiculous start from Yordan Alvarez at the plate can’t fix the team’s problems. It’s still too early to totally write the Astros off, but the pitching problems are real. They are a top-five offense in baseball, though, which is a bright spot, but that also highlights just how bad the pitching has been. The hope for now is that the Astros don’t dig too deep of a hole in April and May. 

24. San Francisco Giants – (13-15, 18)

The Tony Vitello era is off to a tough start in the Bay Area. The Giants have a good pitching staff – 3.83 ERA, ninth in MLB – thanks to arms like Robbie Ray, Landon Roupp and even a slightly struggling Logan Webb, but boy is the offense in a bad way right now. San Francisco is last or nearly last in most major offensive categories outside of batting average. It’s hard to win that way, even when your pitching is rock solid. Basically every big bat is struggling for the Giants, be it Rafael Devers, Matt Chapman or Willy Adames. There’s talent there, sure, but it’s just not working – at all. What makes it tougher is the Giants are in an NL West with the Dodgers, red-hot Padres and a resurgent Diamondbacks team. That’s a tough way to live. 

25. Philadelphia Phillies – (9-19, 7)

Getting Zack Wheeler back on Saturday – five innings of two-run ball vs. the Braves – is a boost, but the pitching staff has been dreadful outside of Cristopher Sanchez and star closer Jhoan Duran, so Wheeler’s return alone doesn’t solve that issue. Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper are doing what they usually do, which is produce and slug, but they need more help from Trea Turner, Alec Bohm and others. If things continue this way, the Phillies are going to have some tough decisions coming this summer and winter.  

26. New York Mets – (9-19, 5)

After a 7-4 start, the Mets dropped 12 – yes, 12 – games in a row for their longest losing streak in 60+ years and are fighting the Phillies for last place in the NL East. I loved the Mets on paper entering the year, as evidenced by a preseason No. 5 ranking. A losing streak of 12 games is hard to ignore, though, and after winning two straight after snapping the skid, the Mets were promptly swept by the Rockies. The lineup is rough after losing Alonso to Baltimore, and it doesn’t help that the new additions have all struggled and the team seemingly can’t hit a home run. I thought a more contact-oriented lineup would work well with the bats the team has, but it’s been a tough go so far. If you want a bright spot, the trio of Clay Holmes, Nolan McLean and Freddy Peralta has been good atop the rotation. The bottom of that group must pitch better and the bullpen must improve, but the Mets are getting good innings from those three on a regular basis. But ultimately, if the Mets are truly going to move in the right direction, it falls to the bats. At least Juan Soto is back. 

27. Boston Red Sox – (11-17, 8)

What a disaster it’s been in Boston so far this year. The pitching staff has been largely bad outside of rookie Connelly Early, as even Garret Crochet has been roughed up early. There’s no slug with this offense, which is tied for last in home runs hit. Manager Alex Cora is out, as is the team’s hitting coach and multiple other assistants. We knew losing Alex Bregman would hurt this lineup, but boy has it been a tough watch. There’s talent there, certainly, and the team is healthy enough to right the ship and use a hot stretch or two to get back in the playoff picture in the coming months, but vibes are real low with this squad right now in what’s been a very disappointing start to the 2026 season. Playing under an interim manager can provide a much-needed spark, but it usually just results in guys going through the motions and admitting they’re in the midst of a lost season. It’ll be interesting to see how the Red Sox react long term with Cora gone.

28. Colorado Rockies – (13-16, 30)

The Rockies have actually taken a sizable step forward in the pitching department (4.07 ERA, 16th in MLB) through Sunday’s games, but this just isn’t a talented enough roster to do much of anything in 2026. Hunter Goodman is a great young catcher, but even while playing at Coors Field half of the time, the lineup is uninspiring. Tomoyuki Sugano is a bright spot in the rotation with a sub-4.00 ERA, but I’m not holding my breath for the team’s pitchers to be an even average group come the end of the year. I’d love to be wrong, but I just am not buying the early progress just yet.   

29. Kansas City Royals – (11-17, 17)

I liked the Royals returning to the postseason after pitcher injuries piled up a year ago, but boy has 2026 been a disaster in all phases. Kansas City can’t score, and the team’s pitching can’t keep runs off the board. That’s a tough combo to deal with. The lineup has been a disaster, with Bobby Witt Jr. barely registering an OPS over .700 and fellow big names like Maikel Garcia, Salvador Perez and Vinnie Pasquantino struggling mightily. Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha have actually been excellent as the team’s top starters, but Cole Ragans has had a dreadful start and the bullpen is simply not very good. 

30. Chicago White Sox – (11-17, 28)

Yes, Chicago has a better record than Kansas City, but if the Royals put some wins together and got to around .500 by the end of May, I wouldn’t be that surprised. However, the White Sox are under .500 and even the addition of the sensational slugger Munetaka Murakami, who seemingly homers every night, can’t get me to look at the team very highly. Outside of Murakami, Colson Montgomery and Miguel Vargas, the lineup is not very good. The rotation has actually more than held its own, even with Shane Smith getting demoted after starting on Opening Day, but the overall pitching staff is pretty lackluster.