MLB Power Rankings: NL Central teams rise as AL powerhouse flails

It's Week 2 of the 2026 MLB season, and while there's a lot that has gone how we'd expect it to -- the Dodgers and Yankees are holding strong atop the majors -- there have been quite a few surprises, too.

Did you expect to see Colorado at the bottom of the standings with the worst record in baseball? Think again! That spot is currently held by Seattle, which entered the season with championship hopes but has struggled out of the gate. Boston also has one of the league's worst records in the early days, dropping eight spots to No. 20 on our list.

The Red Sox are one of our biggest movers from last week to this one, along with Pittsburgh. The Pirates jumped nine spots up to No. 13 as they saw top prospect Konnor Griffin join the team and make an immediate impact in his first major league games.

What other surprises have the first two weeks of the season brought?

Our expert panel has ranked every team based on a combination of what we've seen so far and what we already knew going into the 162-game marathon that is a full baseball season. We also asked ESPN MLB experts Jorge Castillo, David Schoenfield and Jesse Rogers to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.

Week 1 | Preseason rankings

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

Record: 9-3
Previous ranking: 1

The beat goes on for the Dodgers, who are lapping the field in the standings and at the plate. They are four home runs clear of the next best team, nearly 20 points higher in batting average and have the highest slugging percentage in the game. Andy Pages might be the best storyline among all those L.A. stars. He's hitting over .400 with six extra-base hits already. Even the Dodgers' backup catcher, Dalton Rushing, is hitting balls all over the place, going 6-for-9 at the plate with three home runs. That includes a 4-for-4 night with two long balls against the Blue Jays on Monday. Only one team showed up for that World Series rematch. -- Rogers

2. New York Yankees

Record: 8-3
Previous ranking: 2

The Yankees' plan for third base entering the season was simple: Ryan McMahon starts against right-handed pitchers and Amed Rosario gets the nod against lefties. But McMahon's deep struggles to start the year -- he's 2-for-26 with 13 strikeouts -- could alter the timeshare. On Tuesday, manager Aaron Boone opted to start Rosario against A's right-hander Aaron Civale. Rosario responded with two home runs, including a go-ahead, three-run shot off right-hander Mark Leiter Jr. in the eighth inning of a 5-3 win. McMahon is a premier defender with six 20-home run seasons on his résumé. But he has opened the door for Rosario to claim more playing time. -- Castillo

3. Milwaukee Brewers

Record: 8-4
Previous ranking: 6

Christian Yelich is already an all-time great Brewer but he continues to garner praise in a career that deserves recognition. He's off to a fast start once again, hitting nearly .400 through the first couple of weeks. He has already had six multihit games, a pinch-hit, go-ahead three-run homer and one great quote about rival Willson Contreras. And Yelich continues to be a leader on the annually forgotten Brewers, who are defying expectations once again. He and his 171 OPS+are big reasons why. -- Rogers

4. Philadelphia Phillies

Record: 6-6
Previous ranking: 7

It's been a bit of an uneven start for the Phillies, especially since two of their first four series came against the Nationals and Rockies. Andrew Painter's second start didn't go nearly as well as his first one, with nine hits and just three swing-and-misses in four innings. Taijuan Walker also struggled in his first two outings, so the return of Zack Wheeler is needed. He had a 27-pitch rehab outing last Friday, allowing a three-run home run and topping out at 93.9 mph, but he's still on track to rejoin the Phillies this month. -- Schoenfield

5. New York Mets

Record: 7-5
Previous ranking: 5

With Juan Soto out two to three weeks with a calf strain, the Mets called up Ronny Mauricio and he delivered a pinch-hit walk-off single in his 2026 debut Tuesday. With Soto out, look for Brett Baty to play regularly in the outfield, although he's off to a slow start at the plate and has work to do on defense. Rookie Carson Benge is also struggling, going 3-for-34 since homering on Opening Day and looking a little overmatched. The Mets might need to give Tyrone Taylor or Jared Young some time in the outfield until Soto returns. -- Schoenfield

6. Atlanta Braves

Record: 8-5
Previous ranking: 10

Drake Baldwin looks intent on improving his Rookie of the Year numbers, hitting .321/.390/.623 through 13 games, tied for the MLB lead in home runs (five) and leading MLB in RBIs (15). His bat is so valuable that he's starting at DH when he doesn't catch and has played every game so far. An impressive thing for the young left-handed hitter has been his ability to hit lefties, .299 with an 0.818 OPS last year and 5-for-17 with a home run so far in 2026. Now, Ronald Acuna Jr. and Austin Riley, neither of whom has hit a home run yet, need to get going. -- Schoenfield

7. Seattle Mariners

Record: 4-9
Previous ranking: 3

Well, this has been unpleasant so far. At least Cal Raleigh finally hit his first home run of 2026, but as the Mariners started 4-9 in their first 13 games, the 2-3-4-5 hitters had combined for ... one home run. Raleigh is hitting .143. Julio Rodriguez is hitting .143 without an extra-base hit. Josh Naylor is hitting .104 without an extra-base hit. At least Randy Arozarena has hit .250 with three doubles. Still, that's one home run in 190 at-bats, from a foursome that homered every 17.3 at-bats last season. So, yes, that's no extra-base hits yet on the season from your No. 3 and 4 hitters as the Mariners have gone 1-5 in one-run games. -- Schoenfield

8. Detroit Tigers

Record: 4-8
Previous ranking: 9

Justin Verlander's return to Detroit will have to wait. The former MVP and three-time Cy Young Award winner's homecoming was slated for Sunday night against the Cardinals, but he landed on the injured list with left hip inflammation after he gave up five runs over 3⅔ innings in his season debut in Arizona. Keider Montero instead got the start for the Tigers in Sunday's loss. Verlander is eligible to come off the IL on April 16, though the Tigers could practice caution with the 43-year-old right-hander with so much season left. -- Castillo

9. Houston Astros

Record: 6-7
Previous ranking: 14

The Astros have one of the top offenses in the majors so far, with Yordan Alvarez scorching hot to begin the season and Jose Altuve, Christian Walker and Cam Smith each also hitting .300. Walker saw his OPS drop nearly 100 points from 2024 to his first year with the Astros last season, but his early contact rates in 2026 are super promising, with a strikeout rate under 14% compared with nearly 28% in 2025. Smith's start is also promising after he hit .154 in the second half of his rookie season last year. -- Schoenfield

10. Chicago Cubs

Record: 6-6
Previous ranking: 8

Losing Cade Horton for the season is a huge blow. The Cubs can replace the innings but not the production as the righty was an emerging ace but injury issues have plagued his career to this point. So where do they go from here? Javier Assad will take Horton's place, and Justin Steele's return from surgery is on the horizon as well. Chicago can make up for Horton's loss, but it simply won't be easy. The addition of Edward Cabrera -- he has given up two hits in two starts -- looms large. He might be the ace of this staff in short order. -- Rogers

11. Cincinnati Reds

Record: 8-4
Previous ranking: 15

Terry Francona claimed his team would be fine after losing Hunter Greene to a spring injury, and so far, he's being proved right as the Reds are pitching as well as anyone in the majors. Chase Burns is living up to his hype, giving up just a single run over his first two outings, and the same can be said of Rhett Lowder, who has given up only two runs. Andrew Abbott has also been good -- the trio is keeping the Reds in games and near the top of the standings. Cincinnati's rotation ERA ranks in the top five of the majors without Greene. That's among the most impressive storylines in the game early on. -- Rogers

12. Toronto Blue Jays

Record: 5-7
Previous ranking: 4

The season is just two weeks old and Toronto's injured list is already perilously long. It includes five starting pitchers (Bowden Francis, Cody Ponce, Jose Berrios, Trey Yesavage and Shane Bieber), three every-day players (Anthony Santander, Alejandro Kirk and Addison Barger) and an important reliever (Yimi Garcia). Francis (elbow) and Ponce (knee) are out for the season. Santander (shoulder) might be. Kirk (thumb) and Barger (ankle) were the latest additions. Kirk, one of baseball's top catchers, is expected to miss six weeks after undergoing surgery on his left thumb. It's a significant setback for the Blue Jays, whose AL East title defense will be far more challenging than expected. -- Castillo

13. Pittsburgh Pirates

Record: 7-5
Previous ranking: 22

Let's examine Konnor Griffin's first few days in the big leagues. He started out with a bang, driving in a run with a double in his first MLB plate appearance.But then he cooled off, reaching base just once in the next four games until a two-hit game on Tuesday. He's seeing mostly fastballs, going 1-for-9 in at-bats that ended in a two- or four-seamer. All in all, he has been OK so far, drawing a couple of walks along the way. The Pirates are doing the right thing by hitting him low in the lineup. The production will come soon enough. -- Rogers

14. Cleveland Guardians

Record: 8-5
Previous ranking: 17

Jose Ramirez reached another milestone on his path to Cooperstown on Monday when he played in his 1,620th game for Cleveland, breaking a franchise record Terry Turner set in 1918. Ramirez, 33, is the only active player to lead his franchise in games played. Of the 31 franchise leaders in games played, 21 are Hall of Famers. Ramirez, also the franchise leader in extra-base hits and multi-home run games, will one day join that group. -- Castillo

15. Texas Rangers

Record: 7-5
Previous ranking: 11

A big concern for Texas before the season was the bullpen, but the pen has been very effective, with a 1.55 ERA and just two home runs allowed in 46⅓ innings. Lefty Jacob Latz hasn't allowed a hit in nine innings and tossed two perfect innings in a 3-2 win over the Mariners on Tuesday. Jakob Junis hasn't allowed a run and has picked up two saves. Given that Globe Life Field looks like it might once again play as an extreme pitcher's park, that means a lot of low-scoring games where the bullpen won't have much margin for error. -- Schoenfield

16. Kansas City Royals

Record: 5-7
Previous ranking: 16

If last season and this year's World Baseball Classic somehow didn't convince you, Maikel Garcia is proving again that he is the real deal. The 2025 All-Star and WBC MVP is off to a roaring start this season, slashing .304/.377/.457 with a 146 OPS+ in 12 games. Since the beginning of last season, his 6.4 fWAR is tied with Jose Ramirez for tops among major league third basemen. Garcia's wRC+ is tied for fifth with Eugenio Suarez and his .803 OPS is fifth.Garcia is leaving little doubt that he belongs among the game's elite. -- Castillo

17. Baltimore Orioles

Record: 6-6
Previous ranking: 13

Pete Alonso's tenure in Baltimore has not gone as envisioned so far -- though it's still early, and small samples can produce misleading numbers. But one glaring number is difficult to ignore: Alonso's average bat speed. The 31-year-old first baseman's average bat speed this season is 72.7 mph. Last season, when he slugged 38 home runs with an 0.871 OPS for the Mets, it was 75.3 mph. That's a drop-off from the 91st percentile to the 62nd percentile -- and it's worth monitoring for a slugger in his 30s.

Bat speed isn't everything, but Alonso averaged 75.3 mph from 2023, when it was first measured, through last season. Bat speed generates power, and Alonso secured his $155 million contract over the offseason to slug. With one home run and a .292 slugging percentage through 53 plate appearances, he isn't slugging enough so far. -- Castillo

18. Tampa Bay Rays

Record: 5-7
Previous ranking: 18

The Rays don't plan on calling Tropicana Field home for much longer -- ownership hopes to have a new stadium in Tampa ready for the 2029 season -- but their return to the refurbished domed ballpark Monday was rightfully celebrated after playing their home games at a minor league ballpark last season. It had been a long time coming -- 561 days, to be exact -- since The Trop last hosted a game before Hurricane Milton shredded the building in October 2024. The Rays commemorated the homecoming with a win over the Cubs behind home runs from Cedric Mullins, Junior Caminero and Jonathan Aranda in front of a sellout crowd of 25,114. -- Castillo

19. San Diego Padres

Record: 6-6
Previous ranking: 20

Mason Miller is picking up where he left off last season, striking out a whopping 13 hitters in his first 5⅓ innings pitched this year. He's also 4-for-4 in saves while giving up just a single hit and walk so far. Oh, and his fastball is averaging 101.2 mph. Yes, it's become the norm for him, but it's still a feat we should marvel at: There is actually a pitcher in MLB consistently throwing over 100 mph -- and it's not a novelty like it used to be. San Diego can stay in the race with a great bullpen -- there are other parts of the team that can be exposed, but not when the ninth inning arrives. Miller is the best in the game in those moments. -- Rogers

20. Boston Red Sox

Record: 4-8
Previous ranking: 12

Roman Anthony entered the season with outsize expectations at the plate. But his defense, specifically his arm, has become a concern. Teams have been especially aggressive in challenging Anthony's arm strength multiple times already this season, and with great success. The latest instance arose in the eighth inning of a tie game Monday against the Brewers when his errant throw home from shallow left field bounced away and up the third-base line, allowing two runs to score. Those runs were the difference in an 8-6 win for Milwaukee. It's the kind of play the Red Sox, who are off to a forgettable start, cannot afford from their young star. -- Castillo

21. Miami Marlins

Record: 7-5
Previous ranking: 21

Sandy Alcantara was two outs away from a second consecutive nine-inning complete game Tuesday -- which, believe it or not, no pitcher has done since Corey Kluber in 2017. Unfortunately, the tying run scored off a wild pitch from Anthony Bender and then the Marlins lost the game in 10 innings. One of the more interesting subplots of the early season is the Marlins calling pitches from the bench. With Alcantara leading the way (just 10 hits in 24⅓ innings), the pitching staff has allowed a .195 average and .605 OPS through their first 12 games, although they're averaging more than four walks per innings. -- Schoenfield

22. Arizona Diamondbacks

Record: 6-6
Previous ranking: 19

Eduardo Rodriguez is picking up where he left off in the WBC. He hasn't given up a run over two starts for Arizona while compiling an 0.92 WHIP and .186 batting average against in the early going. His fastball/changeup combination has been phenomenal so far, especially the latter pitch, which produced a .304 batting average against just last season. So far, hitters are just 3-for-20 in at-bats ending in a changeup -- and all three hits were singles. Rodriguez's start bodes well for a team that needs its starters to give it length this year. -- Rogers

23. Los Angeles Angels

Record: 6-7
Previous ranking: 28

The Angels have certainly been entertaining so far. Jo Adell had the greatest defensive game of all time when he robbed three home runs in Saturday's 1-0 win over Seattle, including his epic dive into the stands for the third catch. There's Jose Soriano, who is 3-0 through three starts with just one run allowed. Then we had Tuesday's brawl when Jorge Soler took offense to a high and tight pitch from Atlanta's Reynaldo Lopez. Soler had homered off Lopez in his first at-bat and then Lopez hit him in his second -- and Soler is 14-for-23 in his career off Lopez, so he understandably felt the pitch was intentional, even if it wasn't all that close. -- Schoenfield

24. Minnesota Twins

Record: 6-6
Previous ranking: 27

Not often do you see Tarik Skubal outdueled, but Taj Bradley pulled it off Tuesday in the Twins' win over the Tigers. The right-hander allowed one run over 6⅓ innings with 10 strikes and zero walks while Skubal gave up four runs over 4⅔ innings. A former top prospect, Bradley was acquired for reliever Griffin Jax in a trade with the Rays at the deadline last summer. He's tapping into that potential this season, holding opponents to two runs over 16⅔ innings for a Twins rotation that is without Pablo Lopez for the year. -- Castillo

25. St. Louis Cardinals

Record: 7-5
Previous ranking: 24

Is this the year Jordan Walker finally breaks out? He's off to a good start, hitting five home runs (tied for the MLB lead) in his first 12 games. That's about a third of the team's homers. Walker still strikes out too much, averaging more than one a game so far and striking out three times for every walk. But he has made solid contact, which has produced runs when the Cardinals have needed them most -- his 12 RBIs rank among the league leaders. The team's patience with him might finally pay off this year, though he still has a ways to go from completely establishing himself. Walker has the physical tools. So far, his game is showing them off. -- Rogers

26. Athletics

Record: 4-7
Previous ranking: 25

It has been a rough start for the A's with the offense, back of the rotation and bullpen all struggling. The pitching staff has nearly as many walks as strikeouts so far, which is unheard of in this era. Nick Kurtz has yet to homer, racking up 18 strikeouts in the 10 games he has played with just two RBIs. The A's scored 23 runs in their two wins over the Astros over the weekend, so maybe that's a sign the lineup is about to break out. -- Schoenfield

27. San Francisco Giants

Record: 5-8
Previous ranking: 23

President of baseball operations Buster Posey should be smiling, as the Giants might have finally found his replacement. Rookie catcher Daniel Susac lit the baseball world on fire this week, going 6-for-7 to begin his big league career. That included his first career triple on Tuesday, driving in two while sending Giants fans into a frenzy. The 2022 first-round pick is providing a needed boost in San Francisco, as the offense has just five home runs in the first 13 games. Susac has yet to hit one, but any offense he can give the Giants will be much appreciated, as they rank dead last in scoring so far. -- Rogers

28. Washington Nationals

Record: 4-8
Previous ranking: 26

One smart thing the Nationals have done is go all-in on a young group of position players, with backup catcher Drew Millas the oldest at age 28. They've rolled the dice on former top prospects Joey Wiemer and Curtis Mead, picking up both for nothing. Jorbit Vivas is a player who had 64 walks and 45 strikeouts last year in Triple-A, worth a shot to see what he can do. Nasim Nunez is a plus defender. Daylen Lile has turned himself into an interesting player, and former first-round pick Brady House is still just 23 years old. If a couple of those guys can develop and join James Wood and CJ Abrams as core players, that's a positive result for Washington. -- Schoenfield

29. Chicago White Sox

Record: 4-8
Previous ranking: 29

Shane Smith, Chicago's only All-Star last season, was given the Opening Day nod this year. On Wednesday, after three rough outings, he was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte. The right-hander gave up 12 runs (10 earned) across 8⅓ innings in those three starts. He had his best outing Tuesday against the Orioles, holding them to one hit and no runs with eight strikeouts, but he went just 3⅔ innings, threw 99 pitches and issued five walks. Ultimately, the White Sox decided it was best for him to regain his previous form in the minors. -- Castillo

30. Colorado Rockies

Record: 6-6
Previous ranking: 30

Let's check in on Rockies pitching before the numbers start to pile up in a bad way. They've been decent so far this year as the new regime attempts to find ways to solve pitching at Coors Field. Kyle Freeland has pitched well, as has newcomer Tomoyuki Sugano. In fact, only veteran Michael Lorenzen has an ERA that's more in line with what we expect from a Rockies pitcher -- it's 14.73 after two starts -- so maybe there are some positive, early steps being taken on the mound. Of course, the Rockies have played only a handful of home games, but in three of them, they've held their opponent to two runs or less. That helped them to a series win against Houston. Not bad. -- Rogers