MLB Power Rankings, 30 teams ranked worst to first on May 14th, 2026

#27: Colorado Rockies. They’ve sunk back to the bottom of the NL West after a recent stretch where they lost 8 games in a 10-game span. Much like the Angels, this feels like it will be home for this team for this season.

#26: Boston Red Sox. They’ve managed to slow the bleeding slightly by playing .500 ball for the last week or so, but they are still out of the East race as it stands right now. The trade rumors are starting to swirl, and this team may be a matter of weeks away from going with a full youth movement.

#25: Minnesota Twins. This whole division seems stuck in the mud with all 5 teams lumped together in various stages of mediocrity. The Twins sit at the bottom of the pile, but there is still plenty of time for them to get the ship righted. They desperately need some help with their bullpen, as it currently sits ahead of only the Angels and Astros for the worst ERA in the league.

Mixed Bag

#24: San Francisco Giants. Bryce Elldrige joined the team last weekend and has had minimal impact so far. The lineup needs all the help it can get, as it currently ranks 29th in the league in runs scored and on-base percentage.

#23: Toronto Blue Jays. They keep sliding a bit each week as the Yankees and Rays pull further and further away. They need to scrape their way back to .500 as soon as possible if they plan on competing for a wild card spot this year.

#22: Baltimore Orioles. The same story as the Blue Jays. They have a team that should be capable of competing for a wild card spot, but they need to right the ship sooner rather than later. Trevor Rogers return should help this pitching staff that also needs Shane Baz and Kyle Bradish to get in gear.

#21: Washington Nationals.  The pitching staff is still one of the worst units in the game, and this team seems destined to lose more games than they win this season. We watch them for the exciting young lineup, but they aren’t going to be serious contenders for quite some time.

#20: Miami Marlins.  They’ve been stuck in 2nd gear now for a few weeks as the Braves have pulled away from the rest of the division. The Marlins are going to need to get hot soon if they are going to stave off the eventual fire sale that will likely cost them Sandy Alcantara and Pete Fairbanks, among others.

Hanging Around

#19: Texas Rangers. The Rangers are reeling a bit after they just managed to limp through a 12-game stretch that had them play the Yankees 6 times, as well as the Cubs and Tigers 3 times each. It could have gone worse, as they managed to win 5 of those games, and now the schedule softens a bit. They are still firmly in the middle of the AL West race.

#18: Detroit Tigers. Life without Tarik Skubal isn’t going to be great. The Tigers have been limping along since they lost their ace, and they are still hovering just below .500 ball for the year. Luckily for them, that is good enough to still be in the hunt for the Central division lead. If they can tread water for a few more weeks, they might be close enough to make a run when they get healthy.

#17: Philadelphia Phillies. The Phils are starting to surge a bit thanks to the bats of Kyle Schwarber, Alec Bohm, and Bryson Stott warming up, and Brandon Marsh staying red hot. Jhoan Duran has made it back from the IL, which should help stabilize the bullpen. The Braves are way out in front, but the Phillies look like they’ve got a hot streak coming.

#16: Kansas City Royals.  They are firmly in the mix for the Central lead. Bobby Witt and Maikel Garcia have both been hot lately to drive this offense. The pitching staff is going to need Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo to step up to cover for the absence of Cole Ragans, who is set to miss time with a sore elbow.

#15: Chicago White Sox. The Chi-Sox are officially in the top half of my rankings as they are playing dangerously close to .500 ball for the season. In the AL Central, that’s good enough to be vying for the division lead. The Pale Hose are getting close to being as much fun to watch as the Pirates, with all of the young talent they are running out there each day.

#14: Seattle Mariners. The hot streak is coming, I promise. It just hasn’t happened yet, but with the combination of pitching depth and exciting offensive talent on this roster, there’s a hot streak coming. Bryce Miller rejoins the rotation, and it looks like they will “piggyback” him with Luis Castillo for the time being. This team is about to explode.

#13: Arizona Diamondbacks. 40 games in and the Snakes have managed to win half of them. Not bad. Not great, either. The pitching is still a little light, ranking in the bottom 10 in the league in ERA. Without a bona fide ace to anchor the staff, the team needs guys like Ryne Nelson to build on his last two outings, having only allowed 1 run in each.

Playoffs?

#12: Cleveland Guardians. The AL Central is a mess, and this is the team that sits on top of that mess. They have played .500 ball over their last 10 games, which is basically what they’ve been doing all season long. If the offense can get going, they have a chance to win this division; otherwise, this is what they are, a .500 team.

#11: Cincinnati Reds. Dropping 8 games over a 10-game stretch is going to happen to every team over the long season. Unfortunately, in the NL Central, that’s all it takes to sink to the bottom of the division. The team no sooner got Nick Lodolo back than they lost Rhett Lowder only a couple of days later, which opens another spot in the rotation. It’s not time to panic quite yet, but the team is going to need to tread water until they get Hunter Greene and Ben Williamson back.

#10: Pittsburgh Pirates. The Bucs are still playing above .500 ball as they feel their way through a tough NL Central schedule. They’ve gotten a bit of a reprieve lately, as they won’t play a division game for another week, as they tangle with the Rockies and Phillies before traveling to St. Louis for 3 games.

#9: St. Louis Cardinals. They keep winning games thanks to scrappy defense and aggressive base running, which has some fans reminiscing about the days of Whitey Herzog’s Cardinals. The Red Birds are still firmly in the mix for both the Central Division and the Wild Card.

#8: Milwaukee Brewers. The NL Central is still the best division in the game, as I have all 5 teams in my top 11 for this week. The Brewers sit right in the shadow of the division lead thanks to an impressive +54 run differential on the season. They are riding the live arm of Jacob Misiorowski, who is in the early-season conversation for this year’s Cy Young award.

#7: The Athletics. This is just one of the most fun stories in baseball right now. This team is too young to understand that they don’t belong here, and the offense is going to get another shot in the arm with the addition of power/speed prospect Henry Bolte. Hopefully, Jacob Wilson can avoid an IL stint after leaving a recent game with a shoulder sprain.

Best Of The Best

#6: Los Angeles Dodgers. It’s fine, really. Everything is just peachy, no reason to worry.  OK, it looks weird to see the Dodgers out of first place, sure…..but I’m not worried. Really.  A three-game losing streak is hardly newsworthy for most teams, but the Dodgers aren’t most teams. This team is still the odds-on favorite to win the World Series, but as of this point in the season, there are 5 teams playing better baseball than the Dodgers. That’s all.

#5: New York Yankees. Those pesky Rays aren’t going to let the Yankees just walk away with the East. The Yanks are fine, they just got Carlos Rodon back, and Gerrit Cole isn’t too far behind. A recent 4-game losing streak has them on the outside of first place in the East right now, but it’s a long season.

#4: San Diego Padres. Whether it’s smoke and mirrors or just dumb luck, the Padres have managed to overtake the Dodgers (for a moment) and poked their heads out at the top of the NL West standings this past week. It seems crazy that a team that has a +3 run differential has a better record than a team with a +63, but here we are. That bullpen has made sure that any late lead the Padres have usually sticks.

#3: Chicago Cubs. The Cubs have stayed hot, recently dropping a game to the Rangers that ended their second 10-game winning streak in the span of just over 3-weeks. Chicago sits atop the mighty NL Central and trails only the Braves for the best record in the Senior Circuit.

#2: Tampa Bay Rays. These guys don’t ever quit. The Rays have won 9 of their most recent 10 games and have stormed past the Yankees for the best record in the American League. Kevin Cash has been a wizard, mixing and matching his pitching staff to sit in the top 5 of the entire league in ERA, WHIP, and Batting Average Against, without a true ace on the roster.

#1: Atlanta Braves. The Braves are still rolling. The best record in the game thanks to the best offense and best pitching staff. It’s pretty simple, really. The lineup leads the league in batting average, runs scored, and slugging %, while the pitching staff is #1 in ERA and batting average against. When you score the most runs, while allowing the fewest, it’s not shocking that you end up with a league-best +87 run differential.

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