Dodgers Top ESPN’s First Power Rankings of the Season

ESPN ranked the Los Angeles Dodgers as the best team in baseball through the first week of the 2026 MLB season. The Dodgers are off to a 4-2 start after sweeping the Arizona Diamondbacks in their first series of the season and snagging a game from the Cleveland Guardians to close their home stand. One of the main reasons the Dodgers are so high on the list is the upside they have despite some unfavorable results in their most recent series.

“Roki Sasaki was a disaster in spring training, allowing 26 of the 52 batters he faced to reach base, 15 of which did so via walk,” ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez wrote . “When he took the mound for his regular-season debut Monday, many expected the worst. And then he was … fine.

“Sasaki pitched into the fifth inning and allowed just one run and two walks. It certainly wasn’t dominant, but it was clearly a building block — an exceedingly important one, given that Sasaki said he had ‘no confidence at all’ going into that start. The Dodgers have made it clear that they’re going to give Sasaki every opportunity to start for them, but he needs to continue to make progress.

” Mar 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (16) and pitcher Edwin Diaz (3) celebrate the victory against the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images How Has the Dodgers’ Season gone so Far?