MLB Power Rankings: Each team's best early-season story

It's the fifth edition of theScore's MLB Power Rankings for the 2026 season. Here we look at each team's best story early on this year.

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1. Atlanta Braves

Chris Sale's late HOF push: His career looked to be on its last legs in Boston, but Sale's turned back the clock in Atlanta. The left-hander owns a 2.42 ERA and 1.03 WHIP across three seasons since turning 35 and also claimed his first Cy Young Award during that stretch. Sale's once again pitching like an All-Star and looks to be on the path to Cooperstown.

2. Los Angeles Dodgers

Justin Wrobleski's emergence: The Dodgers desperately needed another pitcher to firmly establish himself in the rotation, and Wrobleski has answered the call. The 25-year-old is one of two Dodgers pitchers currently qualified for the ERA title (Shohei Ohtani's still a few innings short), and his 2.62 ERA is the lowest among non-Ohtani Dodgers pitchers.

3. Milwaukee Brewers

The Miz is the real deal: There will be no arguments this time around when Jacob Misiorowski is named to the 2026 All-Star Game. The right-hander leads MLB with 116 strikeouts, 0.81 WHIP, and a .151 opponent average. He's allowed one earned run over his last 45 1/3 innings.

4. Tampa Bay Rays

Trop dominance: Boy, did the Rays miss Tropicana Field. After a lost season playing home games at the Yankees' spring facility due to damage from Hurricane Milton, the AL-best Rays returned to St. Petersburg and turned the Trop into a fortress. Tampa Bay sports a league-best 24-9 home record and has lost just three series under the dome all year.

5. New York Yankees

Cam Schlittler the ace: Any doubts about Schlittler's ability to repeat his outstanding rookie season have evaporated. The 25-year-old has been the AL's best pitcher by a wide margin, leading the Junior Circuit in ERA (1.87), FIP (2.11), WHIP (0.87), and fWAR (3.1). His emergence as a bona fide ace has cushioned the blow of Max Fried's injury and allowed Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole some extra runway as they return to full health.

6. Philadelphia Phillies

Zack Wheeler's return: A blood clot in his shoulder cut last season short for Wheeler, but he's back on the mound and pitching as well as ever. The 36-year old owns a 2.22 ERA across nine starts, and his 0.85 WHIP is the best mark of his 12-year career. It's great to see Wheeler healthy again.

7. St. Louis Cardinals

The kids are winning: This was never expected to be a full-scale teardown, but the Cardinals might be ahead of schedule. Jordan Walker and JJ Wetherholt look like core building blocks and lead the club in fWAR. St. Louis currently owns the top wild-card spot thanks to a six-game winning streak.

8. Seattle Mariners

Luke Raley's power is back: It's June and Raley is tied for the team lead in home runs (13) despite almost exclusively facing right-handed pitching. After a down season in which he missed time due to an oblique injury, Raley's come back strong and is a big reason Seattle leads the AL West. His .825 OPS is currently a career-best mark.

9. Chicago White Sox

They lead the AL Central: Sure, you could go with the individual successes here - headlined by Munetaka Murakami and Davis Martin - but the entire team is the real story. Just two years after setting the modern-era record with 121 losses, the White Sox sit at the top of the AL Central for the first time since April 2022.

10. Cleveland Guardians

A new dynamic duo: Gavin Williams and Parker Messick have pitched Cleveland to a wild-card spot. Williams has taken a massive step forward, sitting second in the AL in strikeouts (99) and first in innings (86 2/3). Messick doesn't light up the radar gun, but the rookie has been just as effective. His 2.68 ERA is fourth in the AL, and he also ranks in the top 10 in WHIP and strikeouts.

11. Pittsburgh Pirates

The offense: While everyone was focused on Paul Skenes and his fellow starters, the Pirates quietly put together what's been a top-10 offense. Pittsburgh's 106 wRC+ is tied for seventh in the majors, and it's one of only nine teams with a walk rate above 10%. Everybody's doing their part; six Bucs regulars sport a wRC+ above 100.

12. Texas Rangers

Josh Jung is back: Jung finally looks like his 2023 All-Star self again. The 28-year-old third baseman owns a career-high .850 OPS and has been the Rangers' most consistent hitter. They've needed him with both Corey Seager and Wyatt Langford missing time due to injuries and struggling when healthy.

13. Chicago Cubs

Ben Brown's emergence: The 26-year-old wasn't even in the rotation to open the season, and now he's Chicago's best starter. Brown owns a 1.74 ERA and a 0.87 WHIP with 58 strikeouts in 57 innings. His first 12 appearances to start the season came in relief, but since joining the rotation May 8, he's allowed five earned runs in 31 1/3 innings.

14. San Diego Padres

Mason Miller's dominance: As Manny Machado wages war on analytics, his closer continues to dominate. Miller has struck out 56 of the 110 batters he's faced, while 26 of his 28 appearances have been scoreless. San Diego gave up a massive prospect package to acquire Miller, but with so many other holes on the roster, will A.J. Preller flip his star closer at the deadline to better balance his team?

15. Arizona Diamondbacks

Nolan Arenado's bat: He may not be all the way back to peak Arenado at the plate, but the 35-year-old's rebound is making Arizona's offseason bet look smart. Arenado has been the D-Backs' most consistent hitter outside of Corbin Carroll as he enjoys his best season in four years.

16. Toronto Blue Jays

Louis Varland embracing chaos: It's a good thing Varland's arm didn't fall off during Toronto's postseason run because he's emerged as one of baseball's most dominant relievers this year. Varland has completely stabilized the bullpen amid Jeff Hoffman's struggles and is pitching his way into his first All-Star appearance. Varland's allowed two earned runs in 32 appearances this season.

17. Athletics

Shea Langeliers is elite: We already knew the Athletics have a cornerstone behind the plate in Langeliers, but he's taking things to a whole other level. The 28-year-old is an all-around threat: He's second in baseball with 17 homers among primary backstops and he's catching more runners stealing.

18. Washington Nationals

CJ Abrams reaching his potential: Abrams' career looked like it might have been headed in the wrong direction, but the former top prospect appears to finally be reaching his star potential. The 25-year-old already has 14 homers - six shy of his career high - and 51 RBIs through 67 games. Abrams leads all MLB shortstops with a 150 wRC+ and a .904 OPS.

19. Baltimore Orioles

Adley Rutschman's resurgence: The former No. 1 pick looked lost at times over the previous two campaigns, resulting in a career-worst .673 OPS in 2025. However, Rutschman's put those struggles behind him this season. The 28-year-old is crushing the ball while striking out at the lowest rate of his career. He's been elite defensively, too.

20. Miami Marlins

Max Meyer becoming a No. 1: Sandy Alcantara and Eury Pérez got all the attention coming into the season, but it's Meyer who's become the staff's leader. The 27-year-old has already set new career highs in starts (14) and innings pitched (79) while recording a 2.85 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and 86 strikeouts.

21. Houston Astros

Christian Walker is hitting again: Yordan Alvarez is back to being one of the best hitters in baseball, but if the Astros are going to salvage anything from this season, it'll take contributions from players like Walker. The first baseman has put a miserable first year in Houston behind him, having already hit 16 homers to go with a .494 SLG.

22. Cincinnati Reds

JJ Bleday's breakout: At long last, Bleday's showing why he was the fourth overall pick in 2019. The 28-year-old joined the Reds after being non-tendered by the A's following a dismal 2025, and the move to Cincinnati has revived his career. Bleday leads the Reds in nearly every key offensive category and is their only hitter with an OPS above .900.

23. Minnesota Twins

Top trade assets playing well: The fact that this is their best story reflects the unfortunate state of the Twins. They blew up a large portion of the roster last deadline and will likely do so once again. The good news is that Joe Ryan and Byron Buxton are both enjoying excellent seasons and could net strong returns if the front office makes either available. Buxton does have a full no-trade clause, however, and has been reluctant to move in the past.

24. Detroit Tigers

Dillon Dingler looks elite: Pretty much everything has gone wrong for the Tigers so far - except Dingler's evolution into one of the league's best catchers. In addition to being an elite defender, Dingler has a team-leading 16 homers (no one else has more than nine) while also pacing the club in RBIs (49) and OPS (.847). He's sixth in the majors in fWAR (2.9).

25. New York Mets

They share the same colors as the Knicks?: Honestly, it's tough to find any positives for this team right now, but since we have to, we'll give the nod to Carson Benge. The rookie outfielder has arguably been the team's best player outside of Juan Soto. Benge leads the team in stolen bases, is second in OPS, and sits third in home runs and RBIs.

26. Kansas City Royals

Daniel Lynch IV breakout: The left-hander is the only Royal who can steal the spotlight from Bobby Witt Jr. this season. Lynch is enjoying a career year across the board, posting a 1.93 ERA with 0.96 WHIP while only allowing one homer over 28 innings. His strikeout rate has almost doubled compared to 2025.

27. Boston Red Sox

Payton Tolle shining: Craig Breslow was reportedly reluctant to deal the rookie right-hander this offseason, and it's a good thing he didn't. The 23-year-old Tolle owns a 2.70 ERA and 1.05 WHIP across nine starts and sits first among rookie pitchers with 1.8 fWAR.

28. San Francisco Giants

The Casey Schmitt show: The Giants are a mess. The biggest stars aren't delivering, but at least the homegrown Schmitt is. San Francisco's 2020 second-rounder leads the club in homers (15), RBIs (38), and OPS (.823).

29. Los Angeles Angels

Trey Mancini's return: It's been a long road, but Mancini made it back to the majors earlier this week and picked up three hits in his Angels debut. The 34-year-old missed all of 2020 after being diagnosed with colon cancer. He last appeared in a major-league game in 2023, didn't play in 2024, and spent 2025 in Triple-A. His story is a great example of perseverance.

30. Colorado Rockies

Antonio Senzatela, elite reliever: The 31-year-old posted a 5.29 ERA across 145 MLB starts before moving to the bullpen late last season. Senzatela's really taken to the role this year and is pitching like a potential All-Star. He owns a 2.11 ERA with 1.02 WHIP and 32 strikeouts across 38 1/3 innings in relief.