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MLB Power Rankings: Let the turnarounds begin? Which teams have already exorcised their early season demons
TL;DR
MLB teams often face early season struggles, but some can quickly turn their fortunes around. Notable examples include the Blue Jays and Nationals, who overcame poor starts to achieve success later in the season.
Keytron Jordan, CBS Sports
I've often discussed how frustrating the early parts of an MLB season can be, a fact you know all too well. No matter how hard we tell our inner selves that losing on Opening Day isn't the end of the world, losing the first series isn't the end of the world, starting 4-7 isn't the end of the world, etc., it's so difficult as a fan who lives and dies with our favorite team every single day to truly, emotionally accept that. It's just part of what we sign up for as diehard baseball fans.
Of course, the much less discussed part of the deal is the positive side of watching a sport that plays, basically, daily. In football, the bad taste of a loss will linger for a whole week. In basketball, it'll sometimes be just 24 hours, but a lot of the time it'll be a few days. Here in Major League Baseball? Some major damage can be done in a week (just ask the Yankees and Brewers right now), but some serious headway can be made, too.
The quick turnaround is a thing of beauty when your favorite team pulls it off. Sometimes it lasts through the rest of the season. We could think about the Blue Jays last season, who had a losing record at Memorial Day and ended up awfully close to winning the World Series. I still have that 50-game record from the 2019 Nationals (19-31!) stuck in my head and they finished with a ring. Those are obviously extreme examples, but the point is that a team can get hot on a dime in baseball even after looking miserable to start the season.
We've already seen a bevy of quick turns here in 2026, such as ...
- The Padres were 1-4 and 2-5. They've now ripped off wins in eight of their last nine games and sit 10-6. Can't you just picture a Padres fan after that 2-5 start mockingly telling himself, "boy, I'm sure glad I was excited for this season." Now they look great.
- The Athletics started the season 0-4 and then 3-7. They are now riding a five-game winning streak -- all on the road in New York! -- and sit tied for first place in the AL West at 8-7.
- After losing five of their previous six games, the Orioles were 3-6. They've now won five of six and sit 8-7.
- The Diamondbacks were 0-3 and then 3-5. They've now won six of eight, though, against the Braves, Mets and Phillies. The D-backs are 9-4 since being swept by the Dodgers to start the season.
- The Twins were 3-6 and have now won six of seven; all seven of those games came against 2025 playoff teams.
Might some teams be in the process of a similar bounce? The Mariners started the season a woeful 4-9, but have won three straight now. The Red Sox started 2-8, but have now won four of five. The Tigers lost five in a row to fall to 4-9, but swept a three-game series over the weekend.
It can happen awfully quickly. It's one of the many reasons the regular season in this sport can at times crush your will to live but also give you an extra spring in your step for weeks at a time. There are times you'll feel like "we're never gonna win again" and others when the group text is flying high.
It's April 13. The final day of the regular season is Sept. 27. Buckle up.
As for the rankings themselves, good luck sorting it all out. Nineteen of the 30 teams are within two games of .500 in either direction. Twenty-four of the 30 teams are within three games of .500. The top spot was easy and I felt like No. 2 and No. 3 were somewhat easy. After that? Break out the dartboard!
Biggest Movers
17 Padres
20 Astros
| Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | team logo Dodgers | I understand why people get aggravated with the Dodgers' spending, but they also develop players with the best of 'em. Take Andy Pages, who was an international signee in 2018 and came up through the system. He's hitting .429 with a .714 SLG, four doubles, four homers and 17 RBI through 15 games. | -- | 11-4 |
| 2 | team logo Braves | I knew the offense would bounce back this year, but the rotation entered the season decimated by injuries. And yet, it's been one of the best in baseball to this point. | 2 | 10-6 |
| 3 | team logo Padres | The Padres are winning without Fernando Tatis Jr. hitting for power while Jackson Merrill and Manny Machado have struggled to hit for average. Those three things will all change soon enough. | 17 | 10-6 |
| 4 | team logo Diamondbacks | How about Michael Soroka? He increased his slurve usage last season and added a cutter this year and looks like an All-Star so far. |
Q&A
Which MLB teams have turned around their early season struggles in 2026?
The article highlights teams like the Blue Jays and Nationals as examples of franchises that have successfully turned their seasons around after poor starts.
What are the psychological effects of early season losses in MLB?
Early season losses can be frustrating for fans, as the emotional investment in teams makes it hard to accept setbacks, despite the long season ahead.
How can a bad start impact an MLB team's season performance?
A bad start can lead to significant challenges, but teams can recover quickly, as seen with past examples of teams improving dramatically after early losses.
What historical examples show MLB teams overcoming slow starts?
Historical examples include the 2019 Nationals, who started 19-31 and went on to win the World Series, and the Blue Jays, who had a losing record at Memorial Day but nearly won the championship.
