MLB power rankings: Dodgers reign at No. 1, followed by Braves, Yankees, Padres and Cubs

With May just around the corner, teams are beginning to separate themselves within the larger major-league landscape. At the very least, a select group of clubs have begun to distinguish themselves as clear contenders, while others have plummeted into shocking pits of struggle. That includes two teams — the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies — that have already fired their managers amid miserable starts and another pair — the New York Mets and Houston Astros — with skippers under scrutiny.

At this early junction of the season, there’s also a whole mess of teams in the middle trying to sort out how they stack up against one another. But this week’s power rankings stay focused on the positives, identifying the clearest strength thus far for all 30 big-league ballclubs, from those off to rip-roaring starts to those that have already sunk to a precarious position in the standings. Jump to a team by clicking on the links below: AL East: Yankees | Rays | Orioles | Blue Jays | Red Sox AL Central: Tigers | Guardians | Twins | White Sox | Royals AL West: Athletics | Rangers | Mariners | Angels | Astros NL East: Braves | Marlins | Nationals | Phillies | Mets NL Central: Reds | Cubs | Pirates | Cardinals | Brewers NL West: Dodgers | Padres | Diamondbacks | Giants | Rockies 1.

Los Angeles Dodgers (20-9) Starting pitching. The Dodgers rank first in wRC+ , but it seems like we haven’t yet seen the best of what their lineup has to offer, considering Mookie Betts’ absence and Kyle Tucker’s slow start. With that in mind, I’m more inclined to highlight the rotation, which ranks as one of the best in MLB despite the roller coaster Roki Sasaki experience and Blake Snell having yet to throw a pitch in 2026.

That’s a credit not only to the obvious superstars such as Shohei Ohtani , Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow but also to the terrific showings from homegrown hurlers such as Justin Wrobleski and Emmet Sheehan. The bullpen remains a big question with Edwin Díaz out, but L. A.