Seven weeks into our MLB Power Rankings, we have a new No. 1 team for the first time this season.<\/p>\n
The Braves usurped the Dodgers atop our list as Atlanta continues to ride an offensive hot streak led by Matt Olson<\/a> and Drake Baldwin<\/a>. Los Angeles, meanwhile, has seen some of its top hitters go cold as it dropped to No. 2 in our rankings — Shohei Ohtani<\/a> went 11 games without a home run before snapping that skid on Tuesday night. The rest of the top five stood pat, with the Yankees, Cubs and Rays rounding it out.<\/p>\n Week 7 also brought another first — a top 10 debut for a club that has struggled to find a rhythm over the past few seasons. The Cardinals, at No. 10 this week, split a four-game series with the Padres after taking series against the Dodgers and Pirates en route to a top 10 record in MLB.<\/p>\n Our expert panel has ranked every team based on a combination of what we\u2019ve seen so far and what we already knew going into the 162-game marathon that is a full baseball season. We also asked ESPN MLB experts Buster Olney, David Schoenfield and Alden Gonzalez to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.<\/p>\n Week 6 | Preseason rankings<\/p>\n 1. Atlanta Braves<\/p>\n Record: 30-13<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 3<\/p>\n The Braves continued their blitz through the first quarter of the schedule by taking two of three at Dodger Stadium, including back-to-back decisive 7-2 wins. The big highlight was Spencer Strider<\/a> allowing one hit in six scoreless innings in his second start back from the injured list, looking more like the pre-Tommy John surgery Strider of 2022-23 than what we saw of him in 2025. Meanwhile, Matt Olson<\/a> is playing at an MVP level, leading the NL in runs, doubles, RBIs, total bases, OPS and OPS+ heading into Wednesday\u2019s action. He also passed Gus Suhr with his 823rd consecutive game played, and now ranks 10th on the all-time list, with Eddie Yost (829) just a few days away. — Schoenfield<\/p>\n 2. Los Angeles Dodgers<\/p>\n Record: 25-18<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 1<\/p>\n Shohei Ohtani<\/a> wasn\u2019t in the lineup again for his start day Wednesday, and he wasn\u2019t expected to be in it on Thursday, either, the first time he has been out of the lineup on back-to-back days — minus stints on the injured and paternity lists — since the universal designated hitter was implemented in 2022. There\u2019s a reason. Before potentially breaking out with an encouraging performance Tuesday night, Ohtani was 4-for-36 with zero home runs in his first 10 games in May. In that stretch, the Dodgers scored three runs or less on seven occasions. — Gonzalez<\/p>\n 3. New York Yankees<\/p>\n Record: 27-17<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 2<\/p>\n With Carlos Rodon<\/a> back and Gerrit Cole<\/a> returning soon, there will likely be spillover from the Yankees\u2019 rotation into the bullpen, with Will Warren<\/a> and Ryan Weathers<\/a> seemingly the best candidates to shift into a relief role, if needed. (This could change if Max Fried<\/a>, who will have an MRI on his left elbow on Thursday, is out for an extended time.) Additionally: Hard-throwing Carlos LaGrange could be promoted for the bullpen if his command improves, and GM Brian Cashman\u2019s history suggests he\u2019ll be hyperaggressive in adding help before the trade deadline. — Olney<\/p>\n 4. Chicago Cubs<\/p>\n Record: 27-16<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 4<\/p>\n The Cubs reeled off their second 10-game winning streak of 2026, becoming just the 11th team in the divisional era (since 1969) to post two winning streaks of at least 10 games in the same season. Eight of the nine regulars and the top three bench players all have an OPS+ of 100 or higher — Dansby Swanson<\/a> is just under that mark — showcasing the depth of the lineup. Pete Crow-Armstrong<\/a> had a nice 10-game stretch where he hit .297\/.366\/.649 with three home runs and 10 RBIs while Michael Busch<\/a> hit .395\/.512\/.667 with 12 RBIs over a 10-game stretch. The offense finally hit a rut over the weekend, however, getting shut out in consecutive games at Texas. — Schoenfield<\/p>\n 5. Tampa Bay Rays<\/p>\n Record: 28-14<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 5<\/p>\n Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash used the word \u201cchaos\u201d last week to describe the Rays\u2019 offensive attack because of all the things they do to pressure opposing defenses — bunting, stealing, slapping hits the other way, etc. They are among the top five in steals, lead the majors in sac bunts and have the fewest strikeouts of any team. As Toronto demonstrated last fall, an offense with that kind of diversity can be dangerous. — Olney<\/p>\n 6. Milwaukee Brewers<\/p>\n Record: 23-17<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 7<\/p>\n In his May 8 start against the Yankees, Jacob Misiorowski<\/a> reached new velocity heights for a starting pitcher. He threw 10 fastballs at 103 mph or higher, including three that clocked 103.6, the highest velocity recorded for a starter in the Statcast era. Oh, more importantly, he won the game, allowing two hits in six scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts. He\u2019s averaging 14.3 K\u2019s per nine, which would break Gerrit Cole<\/a>\u2019s record of 13.8 for a starting pitcher if Misiorowski can get enough innings to qualify (he\u2019s on pace for about 162 innings). — Schoenfield<\/p>\n 7. San Diego Padres<\/p>\n Record: 25-17<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 6<\/p>\n The Padres find themselves in first place in the National League West, a half-game ahead of the two-time defending champion Dodgers, and Fernando Tatis Jr.<\/a>, Manny Machado<\/a> and Jackson Merrill<\/a>, the three players who are supposed to carry their offense, have all been well below league average. Instead, it has been Ty France<\/a>, Xander Bogaerts<\/a> and Miguel Andujar<\/a> carrying the offense. That won\u2019t continue, but neither will the struggles of Tatis, Machado and Merrill. Another thing for Padres fans to look forward to: Lucas Giolito<\/a> joins their rotation this weekend. — Gonzalez<\/p>\n 8. Pittsburgh Pirates<\/p>\n Record: 23-20<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 9<\/p>\n Obviously, Paul Skenes<\/a> is pretty good. In his Tuesday start against the Rockies, he fanned the first six batters and took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, losing it when Oneil Cruz<\/a> just missed on a diving catch. Skenes allowed two hits in eight scoreless innings — matching his line from his previous start and making him just the fourth pitcher since 1900 with consecutive starts of at least eight innings, no runs, two or fewer hits and no walks. Next up: How about pitching nine innings? Skenes\u2019 only complete game in the majors was an eight-inning loss on the road last season. — Schoenfield<\/p>\n 9. Seattle Mariners<\/p>\n Record: 21-23<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 10<\/p>\n On Monday, Cal Raleigh<\/a> showered in full uniform, a sign that his prolonged slump had grown to the point of desperation. Maybe that worked. The following night, Raleigh hit a line-drive single that snapped an 0-for-38 skid, a source of levity among his teammates. Bryan Woo<\/a> waved a towel in his direction as he came into the dugout, as if the Mariners\u2019 catcher needed to be cooled off. Josh Naylor<\/a> pretended to ask for the ball as a keepsake. Raleigh followed with another single. By the end of the night, his batting average remained at just .166, second lowest among qualified hitters. But maybe it was the start of something. — Gonzalez<\/p>\n 10. St. Louis Cardinals<\/p>\n Record: 24-18<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 12<\/p>\n Michael McGreevy<\/a> delivered back-to-back scoreless starts, allowing just four hits over 12 innings, to lower his ERA to 2.18. He\u2019s allowed batters a .184\/.232\/.310 line, giving him the 10th lowest OPS among qualified starters. He doesn\u2019t whiff a lot of batters, but he\u2019s riding a low BABIP. He\u2019s held right-handed batters to a .135 average, mostly using a sinker\/sweeper combo but changes that to a four-seamer\/changeup\/curveball\/cutter arsenal against lefties. With a fastball that averages 90.9 mph, we\u2019ll see how sustainable this is but it\u2019s all working now. — Schoenfield<\/p>\n 11. Philadelphia Phillies<\/p>\n Record: 20-23<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 15<\/p>\n The Phillies went 11-3 in their first 14 games under interim manager Don Mattingly, posting a 3.16 ERA while hitting .267 and averaging 5.0 runs. Of course, the schedule has factored. In a 13-game stretch in which the Phillies played only the Cubs and Braves, they went 2-11, ending with Rob Thomson getting fired. They\u2019ve played the Giants, Marlins, A\u2019s, Rockies and Red Sox under Mattingly. Still, some slow starters are finally hitting: In that 14-game stretch, Alec Bohm<\/a> had an .833 OPS with nine RBIs in the 11 games he played; Bryson Stott<\/a> slugged .531 with 12 RBIs; and Brandon Marsh<\/a> hit .457 to raise his average to an MLB-leading .350. — Schoenfield<\/p>\n 12. Cleveland Guardians<\/p>\n Record: 24-21<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 16<\/p>\n Travis Bazzana<\/a> has the look of a future leadoff hitter, with his ability to command a strike zone. In his first 55 plate appearances, he drew 12 walks while striking out just eight times, and his chase rate — how much he swings at pitches outside the strike zone — was an extraordinary 18.5% going into play Wednesday, the fifth-lowest rate among all hitters with at least 50 plate appearances. The Guardians have loved his grittiness and speed. — Olney<\/p>\n 13. Athletics<\/p>\n Record: 22-20<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 13<\/p>\n Henry Bolte wasn\u2019t on many people\u2019s radars for a major league call-up this season, but his success in Triple-A became too much for the A\u2019s to ignore. Bolte, a 22-year-old former second-round pick out of high school, recorded hits in 12 consecutive plate appearances at Las Vegas this month, including seven for extra bases in back-to-back games. Bolte should get some looks in center and right field with Denzel Clarke<\/a> out with a bone bruise in his right foot. \u201cHe kind of forced the hand,\u201d A\u2019s manager Mark Kotsay said of Bolte. — Gonzalez<\/p>\n 14. Cincinnati Reds<\/p>\n Record: 22-21<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 11<\/p>\n Tuesday\u2019s 10-4 loss to the Nationals was the sixth time in 11 games in May the Reds had allowed at least seven runs. That\u2019s not going to work for an offense that is near the bottom of the majors in runs scored. Indeed, despite a winning record, the Reds\u2019 run differential is among the worst as well. Chase Burns<\/a> continues to be a bright spot in the rotation with a 2.11 ERA, and one run allowed over his past two starts. Andrew Abbott<\/a> has also delivered consecutive scoreless starts to lower his ERA from 5.97 to 4.47. Brady Singer<\/a>, however, has struggled with the home run (eight in his past four starts) while Rhett Lowder<\/a> has lasted just three innings and 1 \u2153 innings in his past two outings. The Reds made the playoffs last year behind a great rotation. They haven\u2019t had a great one so far in 2026. — Schoenfield<\/p>\n 15. Texas Rangers<\/p>\n Record: 21-22<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 14<\/p>\n Jacob deGrom<\/a> put together a vintage performance against a lethal Cubs lineup on Mother\u2019s Day, throwing seven scoreless innings and striking out 10 to lower his ERA to 2.62. Offensive production continues to be a problem for the Rangers, consistently putting pressure on the pitching staff to keep them in games. And while their bullpen has been one of the best units in the sport this year, their rotation has mostly been middle of the pack. More performances such as the one from deGrom — and more health for Nathan Eovaldi<\/a>, who was scratched from his last start with tightness in his left side — are needed. — Gonzalez<\/p>\n 16. Detroit Tigers<\/p>\n Record: 19-24<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 8<\/p>\n During Framber Valdez<\/a> \u2018s ugly May 5 start against the Red Sox — which ended for him with a Trevor Story<\/a> HBP and a suspension for the left-hander — there were a lot of indications that Boston was discerning his pitch grips and relaying them to hitters. For that particular game, Valdez had worn a markedly smaller brown glove, which presumably made it a lot easier for Red Sox hitters to see his pitching hand in the set position. When Valdez played catch in K.C. over the weekend, he was back to using an oversized red glove. The guess here is he won\u2019t wear that small glove again. — Olney<\/p>\n 17. Arizona Diamondbacks<\/p>\n Record: 20-22<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 18<\/p>\n The D-backs officially waved goodbye to Alek Thomas<\/a> earlier this week, trading him to the rival Dodgers for a teenage outfield prospect. Thomas was once considered a foundational player, but his defense didn\u2019t prove spectacular enough to make up for his sagging offense. In his place, the D-backs called up center fielder Ryan Waldschmidt, the 31st pick in the 2024 draft. Waldschmidt gives a struggling Arizona offense an infusion of patience, power and base-stealing potential, but others need to get going around him. — Gonzalez<\/p>\n 18. Kansas City Royals<\/p>\n Record: 19-24<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 19<\/p>\n The way Bobby Witt Jr.<\/a> performed in the first quarter of this season, he\u2019s destined to be part of the AL MVP conversation this year. Going into Wednesday\u2019s games, he led all major leaguers in fWAR at 2.8 and excelled in defensive metrics: He led all players in outs above average, with 11, and he\u2019s on a pace to steal about 50 bases. Witt finished second in the AL MVP voting in 2024. — Olney<\/p>\n 19. Toronto Blue Jays<\/p>\n Record: 19-24<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 17<\/p>\n Vladimir Guerrero Jr.<\/a> bottomed out in the last weeks of the 2025 regular season, and the Jays\u2019 staff thought he just put too much pressure on himself. Well, he\u2019s going through a similar slump now, and manager John Schneider again alluded to his superstar first baseman\u2019s trait of trying to carry the weight of the offense. So far in the month of May, Guerrero is batting .116 with no extra-base hits. — Olney<\/p>\n 20. Miami Marlins<\/p>\n Record: 20-23<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 22<\/p>\n More young Marlins are making their way to the majors. Robby Snelling, a 22-year-old lefty and the No. 47 prospect in Kiley McDaniel\u2019s preseason top 100, made his debut and allowed three runs in five innings, with his four walks perhaps a sign of first-game jitters. Catcher Joe Mack<\/a>, the No. 61 prospect, has been up for nearly a couple of weeks. Reliever Josh Ekness throws 97 mph and could emerge as a key guy in the bullpen. Thomas White, the preseason No. 18 prospect, might be next, although the Marlins are bringing him along slowly in Triple-A (he\u2019s yet to pitch five innings).<\/p>\n To make room for Snelling, the Marlins released Chris Paddack<\/a>, who had gone 0-5 with a 7.63 ERA, eating the remainder of his $4 million salary (which isn\u2019t much but makes him the current third-highest-paid Marlins player — or fourth, if you count Avisail Garcia<\/a>\u2019s $5 million buyout). — Schoenfield<\/p>\n 21. Baltimore Orioles<\/p>\n Record: 20-24<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 20<\/p>\n Trevor Rogers<\/a> was one of baseball\u2019s best stories in 2025, when he posted a 1.81 ERA for the Orioles, and they counted on him to be a foundational player for their staff this year. But Rogers has struggled badly, generating a 5.77 ERA; he\u2019s allowed as many runs (23) and earned runs (22) as he did last year, but in 75\u2153 fewer innings. The Orioles\u2019 rotation ERA is over 5.00 and in the bottom five of the majors — disastrous. — Olney<\/p>\n 22. Boston Red Sox<\/p>\n Record: 18-24<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 23<\/p>\n Boston has typically fielded high-end lineups in its history, with players that collectively thrive in Fenway Park, from Ted Williams to Carl Yastrzemski to David Ortiz. It is within that context that the Red Sox\u2019s offensive struggles, especially at home, are so shocking. Boston has a team wRC+ under 70 hitting in Fenway this year, the worst home numbers in the majors. — Olney<\/p>\n 23. Chicago White Sox<\/p>\n Record: 21-21<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 21<\/p>\n On this date two years ago, the White Sox were 13-30 and gathering negative momentum en route to a 121-loss season. Now they\u2019re in the early running for a playoff spot and could have multiple All-Stars — Munetaka Murakami<\/a> is among the MLB leaders in homers, Davis Martin<\/a> has a 1.62 ERA and shortstop Colson Montgomery<\/a> is on pace to hammer 40 homers and drive in 111 runs. The White Sox have a big showdown with the crosstown rival Cubs this weekend. — Olney<\/p>\n 24. Washington Nationals<\/p>\n Record: 21-22<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 27<\/p>\n The Nationals continue to hang close to .500 thanks to an offense that is second behind the Braves in runs per game. It\u2019s been a team effort. Jose Tena<\/a> and Luis Garcia<\/a> Jr. are hitting over .300 in May with an OPS over 1.000 for the month. CJ Abrams<\/a> continues to drive in runs and James Wood<\/a> continues to get on base and score runs. If only they had any semblance of a rotation. Manager Blake Butera has resorted to using an opener for Zack Littell<\/a> after earlier doing it for Miles Mikolas<\/a>. Both vets continue to struggle, however, and there isn\u2019t any obvious help at Triple-A Rochester. — Schoenfield<\/p>\n 25. Minnesota Twins<\/p>\n Record: 19-24<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 25<\/p>\n Byron Buxton<\/a> has indicated he wants to stay with the Twins and is not interested in waiving his no-trade clause, but you can bet that other teams will at least make the phone call to Minnesota to determine if his stance might change. Buxton is off to an excellent start this season, with 13 homers and 31 runs scored in 39 games. — Olney<\/p>\n 26. Houston Astros<\/p>\n Record: 17-27<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 26<\/p>\n Tatsuya Imai<\/a> came off the injured list Tuesday, threw only fastballs and sliders, and was tagged for six runs in a four-inning start that saw him plunk two batters and give up a grand slam. The Astros landed Imai out of Japan with a three-year, $54 million contract over the offseason, hoping he could help make up for the loss of Framber Valdez<\/a>. But he has allowed 13 runs in 12\u2154 innings this season, and the Astros aren\u2019t quite sure what to do with him. He will make his next start. After that, though, it\u2019s anyone\u2019s guess. — Gonzalez<\/p>\n 27. New York Mets<\/p>\n Record: 17-25<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 24<\/p>\n Juan Soto<\/a> finished third in the MVP voting in his first season with the Mets, hitting .263\/.396\/.525 with 43 home runs and 105 RBIs. He did not hit especially well with runners in scoring position, however, with a .238\/.398\/.462 line (and .196 with two outs and runners in scoring position). It\u2019s a sample size due to his injury, but it\u2019s more of the same in 2026: .158 with RISP (3-for-19). Maybe A.J. Ewing will provide Soto with more RBI opportunities. The Mets called him up despite playing just 12 games above Double-A and he went 1-for-2 with a triple and three walks in his debut Tuesday. Ewing hit eighth but might soon take over the leadoff spot. — Schoenfield<\/p>\n 28. San Francisco Giants<\/p>\n Record: 18-25<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 28<\/p>\n It\u2019s hard to see the Giants turning things around without Rafael Devers<\/a> morphing back into the star hitter they anticipated upon trading for him last summer. This recent stretch has offered an encouraging sign. Devers entered May with a .537 OPS, ranked 171st among 181 qualified hitters. Since then, he is slashing .366\/.426\/.707 with seven extra-base hits in 11 games. Willy Adames<\/a> has also shown signs of life lately. And Harrison Bader<\/a>\u2019s return is likely to bring some energy. Perhaps the Giants\u2019 slumbering offense is waking up. — Gonzalez<\/p>\n 29. Los Angeles Angels<\/p>\n Record: 16-28<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 29<\/p>\n The Angels have received nice starting pitching contributions this season, with younger arms such as Jose Soriano<\/a>, Walbert Urena<\/a>, Jack Kochanowicz<\/a> and Reid Detmers<\/a> showing positive signs. Their offense, meanwhile, has been around the middle of the pack, hitting a lot of home runs but also racking up a lot of strikeouts. The biggest problem lies in their bullpen. Angels relievers have posted a 5.16 ERA, third highest in the major leagues. The good news: Ben Joyce<\/a>, the hard-throwing closer coming off shoulder surgery, should return before the end of the month. — Gonzalez<\/p>\n 30. Colorado Rockies<\/p>\n Record: 17-26<\/p>\n Previous ranking: 30<\/p>\n