I know what you’re probably thinking. Power rankings? Already? Baseball is a long slog of a season, yes, but we’ve already seen some incredible parity around the league, some big-time underachievers—looking at you, Red Sox—and some major overachievers—how about those Pirates? So, three weeks into the season, let’s attempt to make some sense of it all with Sports Illustrated’s first MLB power rankings since Opening Day.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers (Opening Day rank: 1)
The Dodgers’ quest for a three-peat has started out with a bang, as the club has rolled to MLB’s best record thanks to Shohei Ohtani doing Shohei Ohtani things (five home runs at the plate, one earned run in 18 innings on the mound) and a surprisingly scorching hot start for Andy Pages, who leads the team in OPS. Making the stellar start even more impressive is that Mookie Betts, Tommy Edman and Blake Snell are on the injured list, and the club has gotten uneven performances from offseason splashes Kyle Tucker and Edwin Diaz. This is only the beginning.
2. Atlanta Braves (ODR: 11)
What a difference a year makes. At this time last season, the Braves were limping out of the gate and had dug themselves an insurmountable hole. In 2026, despite the injury bug still biting Atlanta, the lineup is hitting like it’s 2023 again even amid a slow start from superstar Ronald Acuna Jr. Catcher Drake Baldwin looks like an All-Star, pitcher Bryce Elder seems to have finally figured it out and injured ace Spencer Strider should soon begin a rehab assignment.
3. San Diego Padres (ODR: 12)
While there’s even more reason to be skeptical about San Diego’s starting pitching after ace Nick Pivetta exited Sunday's start with what was later ruled a flexor strain, there’s still a lot to like about the Padres so far. The bullpen, thanks to the nearly unhittable Mason Miller, has been a strength once again. And the lineup has scored the eighth-most runs in baseball despite a slow start from Fernando Tatis Jr., a recent rough patch from Jackson Merrill—which may have ended with Wednesday’s walk-off double—and a curious exit velocity dip from Manny Machado.
4. Pittsburgh Pirates (ODR: 17)
How about those Pirates?! After an uncharacteristic Opening Day meltdown, ace Paul Skenes has righted the ship for the Buccos, Braxton Ashcraft is quietly pitching like an ace and Mitch Keller continues to be a quality start machine. But it’s been the Pirates’ rebuilt lineup, led by an apparent breakout year from Oneil Cruz and hot starts from newcomers Ryan O’Hearn and Brandon Lowe, that has Pittsburgh residents already dreaming of the club’s first postseason appearance since 2015.
5. New York Yankees (ODR: 5)
While a recent five-game losing streak has some in New York wringing their hands, the Yankees still boast baseball’s sixth-best run differential despite more than half their lineup producing nothing close to the numbers on the back of their baseball cards. Rising star Ben Rice—and not back-to-back American League MVP Aaron Judge—has been the club’s best hitter thus far. Ace Max Fried continues to be worth every penny of his $218 million deal and Cam Schlittler has largely picked up right where he left off last year.
6. Milwaukee Brewers (ODR: 13)
The Brewers have added more names to the injured list than they’d like—Jackson Chourio, Andrew Vaughn, Christian Yelich and Quinn Priester. Young flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski is striking out more than 40% of the batters he faces and veteran Brandon Woodruff has pitched better than his ERA would suggest. Even still, the injuries have been felt during a recent six-game skid—particularly in the lineup, which has been carried by a red-hot Brice Turang, who seems to be making a star turn. There will be better days for Milwaukee, but this is undoubtedly a rough patch, accentuated by back-to-back rough outings for All-Star closer Trevor Megill.
7. Detroit Tigers (ODR: 10)
After getting tagged by the Twins in his third start of the year, Tarik Skubal responded the way a back-to-back AL Cy Young Award winner would in his fourth start: no-hitting the Marlins into the sixth inning. The rest of the rotation, besides Justin Verlander fill-in Keider Montero, has yet to pull its weight. The fact that 21-year-old rookie Kevin McGonigle has been the Tigers’ best hitter speaks to his incredible readiness for the big leagues and also the relative underperforming of the Tigers’ veterans. That won’t be helped by the absence of Parker Meadows, who is expected to miss multiple months with a fractured arm after a scary collision with Riley Greene.
8. Seattle Mariners (ODR: 2)
The Mariners’ offense got off to a slow start, as Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodriguez have headlined the club’s underachievers. But the group is slowly starting to turn things around, having averaged six runs over Seattle’s past six games. Meanwhile, the Mariners’ pitching staff, from ace Bryan Woo to surprise early breakout Emerson Hancock to lights-out reliever Matt Brash, has put on a master class—Wednesday’s meltdown from Andres Muñoz notwithstanding.
9. Texas Rangers (ODR: 15)
The Rangers’ lineup has gotten by largely with a boom-bust approach—the club has been among the best home-run hitting outfits in the sport but has also been prone to strikeouts. Thankfully, run prevention is looking like a real strength of this year’s Rangers. Their bullpen has been lights-out, they’re once again among the better defensive teams in the game and the starting pitching, led by ace Jacob deGrom and breakout MacKenzie Gore, has been rock-solid.
10. Chicago Cubs (ODR: 9)
Injuries have ravaged the Cubs’ pitching staff. 2025 revelation Cade Horton underwent season-ending surgery on his elbow and is joined on the shelf by fellow starters Matthew Boyd and Justin Steele, as well as no fewer than six Cubs relievers. On the bright side, Chicago’s lineup has been one of the best in baseball despite a brutal slump from star Pete Crow-Armstrong.
11. Philadelphia Phillies (ODR: 8)
The Phillies’ offense has been disappointing so far, but don’t blame veteran sluggers Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber. As for the pitching staff, ace Cristopher Sanchez has been an invaluable rock, with Zack Wheeler still working his way back and Jesus Luzardo and Taijuan Walker pulling Jekyll-and-Hyde acts. Former top prospects Justin Crawford and Andrew Painter have thus far proved they can hang.
12. Cleveland Guardians (ODR: 19)
Amid slow starts from veterans Jose Ramirez and Steven Kwan, it’s been the youngsters who have carried the lineup, as Chase DeLauter is an early favorite for AL Rookie of the Year while Angel Martinez seems to have quickly put his 2025 struggles behind him. The bullpen has been an early concern, but starter Gavin Williams is downright nasty when his command is right, and fellow rotation mates Parker Messick and Joey Cantillo have helped fans cope with Tanner Bibee’s slow start.
13. Minnesota Twins (ODR: 26)
What a start to the season for the Twins, who have the best run differential in the AL Central. The lineup, while not quite the 2019 “Bomba Squad,” has been among the five most productive offenses in baseball thus far. Catcher Ryan Jeffers—who is also an ABS challenge savant—is one of the biggest reasons why. And last summer’s trade deadline pickup Taj Bradley is doing his best impression of Johan Santana in an early-season breakout. But besides Bradley and Joe Ryan, Minnesota’s rotation has been rocky.
14. Tampa Bay Rays (ODR: 18)
While they don’t play defense like your older sibling’s Rays—they lead baseball in errors—Tampa Bay, led by MLB’s fastest man in Chandler Simpson, certainly score runs the way the Rays of years’ past tended to: with small-ball and speed. There are concerns—particularly the roller-coaster ride bullpen—but the Rays have rode a five-game winning streak to the top of the AL East. Stat of the day: Starting pitcher Drew Rasmussen has 17 strikeouts compared to just one walk.
15. New York Mets (ODR: 6)
It’s difficult to ignore the fact that the Mets’ bats have gone radio silent since star slugger Juan Soto was placed on the IL on April 7 with a calf strain. Since that day, New York’s lineup has been shut out three times and entering Wednesday’s matchup with the Dodgers had scored just 10 runs in seven games, all losses. Among the troubling trends for the not-so-Amazin’s? Francisco Lindor is batting below the Mendoza Line and has had some truly head-scratching moments in the field.
16. Baltimore Orioles (ODR: 7)
Baltimore’s lineup has been hamstrung by injuries to Adley Rutschman, Jordan Westburg, Jackson Holliday, Tyler O’Neill and Ryan Mountcastle, among others. The Orioles, though, have shown resilience, exhibited by Monday’s comeback win over the Diamondbacks after being down six runs.
17. Cincinnati Reds (ODR: 20)
Ladies and gentlemen, the Elly De La Cruz breakout just might be here, as he’s elevating the ball more and hitting it harder than ever. Even more impressive is rookie Sal Stewart, who leads the club in OPS and has walked more than he’s struck out. One of MLB’s best bullpens has helped overshadow the fact that the Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo-less rotation has struggled to give manager Terry Francona length and quality outings.
18. Toronto Blue Jays (ODR: 3)
It is absolutely stunning just how hard the Blue Jays have been hit by injuries early on—three-fifths of the starting rotation and key bats such as George Springer and Alejandro Kirk have been shelved. Toronto has hung in there, thanks to what has been arguably the best 1–2 punch atop a rotation in Kevin Gausman and Dylan Cease, as well as a lineup led by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who continues to be a nightmarish at-bat for pitchers.
19. Arizona Diamondbacks (ODR: 22)
The good news? Corbin Carroll is rewriting the narrative that hitters who sustain hamate bone injuries recover slowly, and starters Eduardo Rodriguez and Michael Soroka have been dynamite thus far. The bad news? Arizona’s 9–7 loss on Monday to the Orioles was eerily reminiscent of many of last year’s defeats, with the bullpen blowing what looked like a surefire Diamondbacks win.
20. Boston Red Sox (ODR: 4)
Few things have gone right for the Red Sox this season. Case in point, just when the remade rotation was finally starting to perform as expected, ace Garret Crochet was tagged by the Twins for 10 earned runs Monday in the worst of his career. There are underachievers up and down the lineup, but, in a glimmer of hope for the Red Sox, young star Roman Anthony seems to be putting together better at-bats lately and might be turning the corner.
21. Kansas City Royals (ODR: 16)
The Royals have scored an MLB-low 56 runs, as a 2025 weakness has apparently become even more glaring. As such, it’s scary to think where Kansas City would be without its stellar starting pitching, which has been the best in MLB so far, and Bobby Witt Jr. The 25-year-old has reached base in each of the Royals’ first 17 games and swiped eight bases while upholding his reputation as the game’s best defensive shortstop.
22. Miami Marlins (ODR: 23)
In some ways, the Marlins’ season thus far can be viewed through the lens of ace Sandy Alcantara. The 30-year-old, looking very much like the 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner he is, yielded just two earned runs through his first three starts. The Marlins began the season 5–1. In his fourth start, Alcantara was lit up by the Tigers for seven earned runs. Since their red-hot start, the Marlins have gone just 4–8, with the bats especially going silent in a three-game sweep in Detroit from April 10–12.
23. Athletics (ODR: 24)
A’s fans may be upset to see the AL West leaders this low, though their -7 run differential is fourth-best in their division and 10th in the AL. Thirty-something starters Aaron Civale and Jeffrey Springs aren’t both going to pitch to sub-2.00 ERAs all season, but it’s been a pleasant surprise to see the two emerge early on in the A’s rotation, a big question mark entering the season. What’s shockingly been the question mark thus far is the lineup, which, besides red-hot catcher Shea Langeliers and third baseman Max Muncy, has been uninspiring.
24. Los Angeles Angels (ODR: 28)
It’s difficult to say what’s been the better development for the Angels, the fact that Mike Trout is healthy and raking again, or that Jose Soriano has arguably been the best pitcher in baseball so far. Shortstop Zach Neto is another centerpiece to what’s been a strong lineup, but the Angels need more from pitchers not named Soriano or Reid Detmers—particularly from the struggling bullpen, which will soon benefit from the returns of Kirby Yates and Ben Joyce.
25. St. Louis Cardinals (ODR: 25)
The kids are alright. This season was always going to be about development for the Cardinals, who possess MLB’s youngest roster. To that end, there’s been a couple notable bright spots, as outfielder Jordan Walker leads MLB with eight home runs and rookie second baseman JJ Wetherholt has been among the best defenders in the game. However, outside of lights-out closer Riley O’Brien, who has yet to allow an earned run this season, the Cardinals’ pitching has left a lot to be desired.
26. Houston Astros (ODR: 14)
Cam Smith is the real deal, Yordan Alvarez is healthy and back to destroying baseballs and Christian Walker seems poised to put last year’s disappointing Houston debut behind him. This lineup is raking and doing it without star shortstop Jeremy Pena, who is on the IL with a knee injury. Speaking of injuries, the Astros pitching staff would like a word. No less than 10 Astros hurlers are currently shelved, chief among them ace Hunter Brown, newcomer Tatsuya Imai and closer Josh Hader. The makeshift staff has surrendered the most runs in baseball so far and is the biggest reason why this team ranks last in the AL West.
27. Washington Nationals (ODR: 29)
The returns of the Juan Soto trade continue to bear fruit for the Nationals, as CJ Abrams and James Wood have been a two-man wrecking crew for what has surprisingly been one of baseball’s most productive lineups. Unfortunately, the pitching—both starting and relief—has been ghastly, which is why this team isn’t ranked higher despite a not-so-poor start to the year.
28. Colorado Rockies (ODR: 30)
The Rockies took two of three from the defending champion Blue Jays and then swept the Astros, though it likely said more about the current state of those injury-riddled AL clubs than it did about Colorado’s long-term prospects. To be clear, there’s been some bright spots, like the resurgence of Kyle Freeland and the emergence of T.J. Rumfield at first base. But in a huge bummer for the Rockies, Freeland is now headed to the IL with shoulder inflammation.
29. San Francisco Giants (ODR: 21)
Rookie manager Tony Vitello already received his welcome-to-MLB moment with an opening week sweep at the hands of the Yankees in which the Giants scored just one run. Vitello has since encountered bigger problems, such as the fact that his best hitter Rafael Devers isn’t hitting and his best pitcher, Logan Webb, is all over the place with his command. San Francisco owns the worst run differential in the NL.
30. Chicago White Sox (ODR: 27)
It’s never a good sign when your Opening Day starter is optioned down to Triple-A due to poor performance in the season’s first few weeks, but besides that, the White Sox starting pitching has been … capable? The likes of Davis Martin, Erick Fedde, Anthony Kay and Sean Burke have held the fort down. Unfortunately, the bullpen, which has already blown four saves, hasn’t held up its end of the bargain and the bats have produced more runs than only the Royals. That’s the formula for a league-worst -38 run differential and the bottom spot in our rankings.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as MLB Power Rankings: Pirates Soar With Surprising Division Lead.
