The shape of the MLB season is starting to come into focus. It’s the point in the year where teams have shown who they really are, whether that’s the surprisingly competitive Rays or the struggling Giants.
This edition of our MLB power rankings takes a snapshot of where every team stands in the first full week of May:
1. Atlanta Braves
Owners of the best record in baseball, the Braves have exceeded all preseason expectations. They rank third in xwOBA in both hitting and pitching, and Matt Olson is currently the NL MVP frontrunner.
2. New York Yankees
It’s rare for a team to top the xwOBA charts on both sides of the ball. The Yankees are on a 15-2 run and own the best Pythagorean record in baseball. Aaron Judge and Ben Rice are among the best hitters in the AL, and the front four of the rotation have been phenomenal.
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
Unsurprisingly, the Dodgers have no clear weaknesses. Max Muncy has been their best hitter, but the lineup hasn’t lacked support around him. Shohei Ohtani is pitching better than ever.
4. Chicago Cubs
Like the Dodgers, the Cubs have been an exceptional all-around team. The offensive production of Pete Crow-Armstrong is the only minor concern.
5. Tampa Bay Rays
With the second-worst offense by xwOBA and a bottom-10 mark in quality of contact allowed, the Rays’ hot start is unlikely to last. Still, wins matter, even at this point in the season.
6. Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh might be fifth in the NL Central, but the Pirates have been above average at the plate and on the mound. A four-game sweep by the Cardinals wasn’t much of a setback.
7. San Diego Padres
San Diego could be higher. They could also be much lower, given that their big bats haven’t produced yet and their Pythagorean record sits just one game above .500.
8. Milwaukee Brewers
Only three teams have a better Pythagorean record than the Brewers. It’s an important number at this point in the season, though Milwaukee could use more from its offense.
9. Detroit Tigers
Tarik Skubal’s injury is a major concern, and Detroit’s record isn’t anything to get too excited about. The Tigers rank in the top 10 in xwOBA on the offensive and pitching sides, though their defense has been the worst in the league.
10. Cincinnati Reds
A 4-8 slide drops the Reds. Cincinnati has holes in its lineup, and the rotation has underperformed. The underlying numbers for Rhett Lowder and Andrew Abbott are at least encouraging.
11. St. Louis Cardinals
Strong offense and defense have helped the Cardinals overachieve through the first six weeks of the season. St. Louis ranks sixth in wRC+, but the rotation looks due for regression in the months ahead.
12. Athletics
As the only AL West team above .500, the Athletics sit atop the division. This roster projects to be average or better across the board, with the bullpen as the clear exception, ranking 25th in ERA.
13. Seattle Mariners
Seattle is three games below .500, yet ranks 11th in Pythagorean record. An elite bullpen keeps the Mariners around league average in xwOBA allowed. With better batted-ball fortune, this lineup has the potential to be among the best in the league.
14. Kansas City Royals
Are the Royals a great team? Probably not. Kansas City has won nine of its last 11, though, and that’s enough to keep them in the AL Central mix after an uninspiring 8-17 start.
15. Miami Marlins
Miami is better than its 16-20 record suggests. The offense remains among the worst in baseball, but the pitching staff is pushing toward the top 10.
16. Minnesota Twins
Several of Minnesota’s everyday hitters are off to slow starts at the plate. Still, the Twins have scored three more runs than they’ve allowed, even with the third-worst bullpen ERA in the big leagues.
17. Chicago White Sox
The White Sox are on an 11-6 surge and rank 11th in offensive xwOBA. Most of the lineup is producing, and there’s a path for the rotation to be above average if Davis Martin, Noah Schultz, and Sean Burke can sustain this level.
18. Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona has allowed 21 more runs than it has scored. Ildemaro Vargas’ production has been one of the more stunning developments in recent years, but this still profiles as a below-.500 team with poor underlying metrics.
19. Texas Rangers
Texas has an excellent bullpen, but the offense has been underwhelming outside of Josh Jung and Brandon Nimmo. Jacob deGrom has been the only effective starter so far.
20. Washington Nationals
The defense hasn’t been good enough. CJ Abrams and James Wood can only carry the offense so far. Foster Griffin has been a bright spot on the mound, but the rest of the pitching staff has fallen short.
21. Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto desperately needs George Springer to stay healthy. The offense has struggled outside of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Kazuma Okamoto. Trey Yesavage’s return upgrades the rotation dramatically.
22. Cleveland Guardians
Cleveland has only won three of its last 10 games. Travis Bazzana’s call-up brings some excitement to Progressive Field and potentially he can raise the ceiling of a team that looks destined to be around .500.
23. Baltimore Orioles
It’s not just a 3-7 slide. Baltimore has been getting blown out regularly. The bullpen is among the worst in baseball, the rotation has been disappointing, and the offense hasn’t done enough to make up for it.
24. Los Angeles Angels
The Angels’ strong start feels like a distant memory. Los Angeles has won just three of its last 16 games. A mediocre pitching staff hasn’t been supported defensively, and there are far too many holes in the lineup for this team to be competitive.
25. Houston Astros
Houston is drastically unbalanced. The offense is carrying the group, but the bullpen is the worst in baseball and the rotation is simply lacking the talent to contend. It’s hard to see where the Astros go from here, but a teardown could be coming.
26. Boston Red Sox
Alex Cora is gone. Garrett Crochet and Sonny Gray are on the injured list. Not much has gone right for the Red Sox so far, outside of the Willson Contreras move looking like a success.
27. Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies have won three in a row, but their 14-22 Pythagorean record is hard to ignore. The pitching has been solid by xwOBA, though the offense ranks in the bottom 10.
28. New York Mets
Owners of the worst record in baseball, 28th might be a tad generous for the Mets. Improved results of late offer some reason for hope. The offense still goes cold too often, but the pitching staff offers something to build around.
29. San Francisco Giants
San Francisco is nearing a crisis point, which is part of the reason Bryce Eldridge was called up. Despite several highly paid veterans, the Giants have the worst Pythagorean record in the majors.
30. Colorado Rockies
Colorado has won one of its last seven games. This team should be better than the historically bad 2025 edition, but it still looks likely to lose 100-plus games.
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