Seven weeks into our MLB Power Rankings, we have a new No. 1 team for the first time this season.
The Braves usurped the Dodgers atop our list as Atlanta continues to ride an offensive hot streak led by Matt Olson and Drake Baldwin. Los Angeles, meanwhile, has seen some of its top hitters go cold as it dropped to No. 2 in our rankings -- Shohei Ohtani went 11 games without a home run before snapping that skid on Tuesday night. The rest of the top five stood pat, with the Yankees, Cubs and Rays rounding it out.
Week 7 also brought another first -- a top 10 debut for a club that has struggled to find a rhythm over the past few seasons. The Cardinals, at No. 10 this week, split a four-game series with the Padres after taking series against the Dodgers and Pirates en route to a top 10 record in MLB.
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 Buster Olney, David Schoenfield and Alden Gonzalez to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.
1. Atlanta Braves
Record: 30-13
Previous ranking: 3
The Braves continued their blitz through the first quarter of the schedule by taking two of three at Dodger Stadium, including back-to-back decisive 7-2 wins. The big highlight was Spencer Strider allowing one hit in six scoreless innings in his second start back from the injured list, looking more like the pre-Tommy John surgery Strider of 2022-23 than what we saw of him in 2025. Meanwhile, Matt Olson is playing at an MVP level, leading the NL in runs, doubles, RBIs, total bases, OPS and OPS+ heading into Wednesday's action. He also passed Gus Suhr with his 823rd consecutive game played, and now ranks 10th on the all-time list, with Eddie Yost (829) just a few days away. -- Schoenfield
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
Record: 25-18
Previous ranking: 1
Shohei Ohtani wasn't in the lineup again for his start day Wednesday, and he wasn't expected to be in it on Thursday, either, the first time he has been out of the lineup on back-to-back days -- minus stints on the injured and paternity lists -- since the universal designated hitter was implemented in 2022. There's a reason. Before potentially breaking out with an encouraging performance Tuesday night, Ohtani was 4-for-36 with zero home runs in his first 10 games in May. In that stretch, the Dodgers scored three runs or less on seven occasions. -- Gonzalez
3. New York Yankees
Record: 27-17
Previous ranking: 2
With Carlos Rodon back and Gerrit Cole returning soon, there will likely be spillover from the Yankees' rotation into the bullpen, with Will Warren and Ryan Weathers seemingly the best candidates to shift into a relief role, if needed. (This could change if Max Fried, who will have an MRI on his left elbow on Thursday, is out for an extended time.) Additionally: Hard-throwing Carlos LaGrange could be promoted for the bullpen if his command improves, and GM Brian Cashman's history suggests he'll be hyperaggressive in adding help before the trade deadline. -- Olney
4. Chicago Cubs
Record: 27-16
Previous ranking: 4
The Cubs reeled off their second 10-game winning streak of 2026, becoming just the 11th team in the divisional era (since 1969) to post two winning streaks of at least 10 games in the same season. Eight of the nine regulars and the top three bench players all have an OPS+ of 100 or higher -- Dansby Swanson is just under that mark -- showcasing the depth of the lineup. Pete Crow-Armstrong had a nice 10-game stretch where he hit .297/.366/.649 with three home runs and 10 RBIs while Michael Busch hit .395/.512/.667 with 12 RBIs over a 10-game stretch. The offense finally hit a rut over the weekend, however, getting shut out in consecutive games at Texas. -- Schoenfield
5. Tampa Bay Rays
Record: 28-14
Previous ranking: 5
Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash used the word "chaos" last week to describe the Rays' offensive attack because of all the things they do to pressure opposing defenses -- bunting, stealing, slapping hits the other way, etc. They are among the top five in steals, lead the majors in sac bunts and have the fewest strikeouts of any team. As Toronto demonstrated last fall, an offense with that kind of diversity can be dangerous. -- Olney
6. Milwaukee Brewers
Record: 23-17
Previous ranking: 7
In his May 8 start against the Yankees, Jacob Misiorowski reached new velocity heights for a starting pitcher. He threw 10 fastballs at 103 mph or higher, including three that clocked 103.6, the highest velocity recorded for a starter in the Statcast era. Oh, more importantly, he won the game, allowing two hits in six scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts. He's averaging 14.3 K's per nine, which would break Gerrit Cole's record of 13.8 for a starting pitcher if Misiorowski can get enough innings to qualify (he's on pace for about 162 innings). -- Schoenfield
7. San Diego Padres
Record: 25-17
Previous ranking: 6
The Padres find themselves in first place in the National League West, a half-game ahead of the two-time defending champion Dodgers, and Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill, the three players who are supposed to carry their offense, have all been well below league average. Instead, it has been Ty France, Xander Bogaerts and Miguel Andujar carrying the offense. That won't continue, but neither will the struggles of Tatis, Machado and Merrill. Another thing for Padres fans to look forward to: Lucas Giolito joins their rotation this weekend. -- Gonzalez
8. Pittsburgh Pirates
Record: 23-20
Previous ranking: 9
Obviously, Paul Skenes is pretty good. In his Tuesday start against the Rockies, he fanned the first six batters and took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, losing it when Oneil Cruz just missed on a diving catch. Skenes allowed two hits in eight scoreless innings -- matching his line from his previous start and making him just the fourth pitcher since 1900 with consecutive starts of at least eight innings, no runs, two or fewer hits and no walks. Next up: How about pitching nine innings? Skenes' only complete game in the majors was an eight-inning loss on the road last season. -- Schoenfield
9. Seattle Mariners
Record: 21-23
Previous ranking: 10
On Monday, Cal Raleigh showered in full uniform, a sign that his prolonged slump had grown to the point of desperation. Maybe that worked. The following night, Raleigh hit a line-drive single that snapped an 0-for-38 skid, a source of levity among his teammates. Bryan Woo waved a towel in his direction as he came into the dugout, as if the Mariners' catcher needed to be cooled off. Josh Naylor pretended to ask for the ball as a keepsake. Raleigh followed with another single. By the end of the night, his batting average remained at just .166, second lowest among qualified hitters. But maybe it was the start of something. -- Gonzalez
10. St. Louis Cardinals
Record: 24-18
Previous ranking: 12
Michael McGreevy delivered back-to-back scoreless starts, allowing just four hits over 12 innings, to lower his ERA to 2.18. He's allowed batters a .184/.232/.310 line, giving him the 10th lowest OPS among qualified starters. He doesn't whiff a lot of batters, but he's riding a low BABIP. He's held right-handed batters to a .135 average, mostly using a sinker/sweeper combo but changes that to a four-seamer/changeup/curveball/cutter arsenal against lefties. With a fastball that averages 90.9 mph, we'll see how sustainable this is but it's all working now. -- Schoenfield
11. Philadelphia Phillies
Record: 20-23
Previous ranking: 15
The Phillies went 11-3 in their first 14 games under interim manager Don Mattingly, posting a 3.16 ERA while hitting .267 and averaging 5.0 runs. Of course, the schedule has factored. In a 13-game stretch in which the Phillies played only the Cubs and Braves, they went 2-11, ending with Rob Thomson getting fired. They've played the Giants, Marlins, A's, Rockies and Red Sox under Mattingly. Still, some slow starters are finally hitting: In that 14-game stretch, Alec Bohm had an .833 OPS with nine RBIs in the 11 games he played; Bryson Stott slugged .531 with 12 RBIs; and Brandon Marsh hit .457 to raise his average to an MLB-leading .350. -- Schoenfield
12. Cleveland Guardians
Record: 24-21
Previous ranking: 16
Travis Bazzana has the look of a future leadoff hitter, with his ability to command a strike zone. In his first 55 plate appearances, he drew 12 walks while striking out just eight times, and his chase rate -- how much he swings at pitches outside the strike zone -- was an extraordinary 18.5% going into play Wednesday, the fifth-lowest rate among all hitters with at least 50 plate appearances. The Guardians have loved his grittiness and speed. -- Olney
13. Athletics
Record: 22-20
Previous ranking: 13
Henry Bolte wasn't on many people's radars for a major league call-up this season, but his success in Triple-A became too much for the A's to ignore. Bolte, a 22-year-old former second-round pick out of high school, recorded hits in 12 consecutive plate appearances at Las Vegas this month, including seven for extra bases in back-to-back games. Bolte should get some looks in center and right field with Denzel Clarke out with a bone bruise in his right foot. "He kind of forced the hand," A's manager Mark Kotsay said of Bolte. -- Gonzalez
14. Cincinnati Reds
Record: 22-21
Previous ranking: 11
Tuesday's 10-4 loss to the Nationals was the sixth time in 11 games in May the Reds had allowed at least seven runs. That's not going to work for an offense that is near the bottom of the majors in runs scored. Indeed, despite a winning record, the Reds' run differential is among the worst as well. Chase Burns continues to be a bright spot in the rotation with a 2.11 ERA, and one run allowed over his past two starts. Andrew Abbott has also delivered consecutive scoreless starts to lower his ERA from 5.97 to 4.47. Brady Singer, however, has struggled with the home run (eight in his past four starts) while Rhett Lowder has lasted just three innings and 1 ⅓ innings in his past two outings. The Reds made the playoffs last year behind a great rotation. They haven't had a great one so far in 2026. -- Schoenfield
15. Texas Rangers
Record: 21-22
Previous ranking: 14
Jacob deGrom put together a vintage performance against a lethal Cubs lineup on Mother's Day, throwing seven scoreless innings and striking out 10 to lower his ERA to 2.62. Offensive production continues to be a problem for the Rangers, consistently putting pressure on the pitching staff to keep them in games. And while their bullpen has been one of the best units in the sport this year, their rotation has mostly been middle of the pack. More performances such as the one from deGrom -- and more health for Nathan Eovaldi, who was scratched from his last start with tightness in his left side -- are needed. -- Gonzalez
16. Detroit Tigers
Record: 19-24
Previous ranking: 8
During Framber Valdez 's ugly May 5 start against the Red Sox -- which ended for him with a Trevor Story HBP and a suspension for the left-hander -- there were a lot of indications that Boston was discerning his pitch grips and relaying them to hitters. For that particular game, Valdez had worn a markedly smaller brown glove, which presumably made it a lot easier for Red Sox hitters to see his pitching hand in the set position. When Valdez played catch in K.C. over the weekend, he was back to using an oversized red glove. The guess here is he won't wear that small glove again. -- Olney
17. Arizona Diamondbacks
Record: 20-22
Previous ranking: 18
The D-backs officially waved goodbye to Alek Thomas earlier this week, trading him to the rival Dodgers for a teenage outfield prospect. Thomas was once considered a foundational player, but his defense didn't prove spectacular enough to make up for his sagging offense. In his place, the D-backs called up center fielder Ryan Waldschmidt, the 31st pick in the 2024 draft. Waldschmidt gives a struggling Arizona offense an infusion of patience, power and base-stealing potential, but others need to get going around him. -- Gonzalez
18. Kansas City Royals
Record: 19-24
Previous ranking: 19
The way Bobby Witt Jr. performed in the first quarter of this season, he's destined to be part of the AL MVP conversation this year. Going into Wednesday's games, he led all major leaguers in fWAR at 2.8 and excelled in defensive metrics: He led all players in outs above average, with 11, and he's on a pace to steal about 50 bases. Witt finished second in the AL MVP voting in 2024. -- Olney
19. Toronto Blue Jays
Record: 19-24
Previous ranking: 17
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. bottomed out in the last weeks of the 2025 regular season, and the Jays' staff thought he just put too much pressure on himself. Well, he's going through a similar slump now, and manager John Schneider again alluded to his superstar first baseman's trait of trying to carry the weight of the offense. So far in the month of May, Guerrero is batting .116 with no extra-base hits. -- Olney
20. Miami Marlins
Record: 20-23
Previous ranking: 22
More young Marlins are making their way to the majors. Robby Snelling, a 22-year-old lefty and the No. 47 prospect in Kiley McDaniel's preseason top 100, made his debut and allowed three runs in five innings, with his four walks perhaps a sign of first-game jitters. Catcher Joe Mack, the No. 61 prospect, has been up for nearly a couple of weeks. Reliever Josh Ekness throws 97 mph and could emerge as a key guy in the bullpen. Thomas White, the preseason No. 18 prospect, might be next, although the Marlins are bringing him along slowly in Triple-A (he's yet to pitch five innings).
To make room for Snelling, the Marlins released Chris Paddack, who had gone 0-5 with a 7.63 ERA, eating the remainder of his $4 million salary (which isn't much but makes him the current third-highest-paid Marlins player -- or fourth, if you count Avisail Garcia's $5 million buyout). -- Schoenfield
21. Baltimore Orioles
Record: 20-24
Previous ranking: 20
Trevor Rogers was one of baseball's best stories in 2025, when he posted a 1.81 ERA for the Orioles, and they counted on him to be a foundational player for their staff this year. But Rogers has struggled badly, generating a 5.77 ERA; he's allowed as many runs (23) and earned runs (22) as he did last year, but in 75⅓ fewer innings. The Orioles' rotation ERA is over 5.00 and in the bottom five of the majors -- disastrous. -- Olney
22. Boston Red Sox
Record: 18-24
Previous ranking: 23
Boston has typically fielded high-end lineups in its history, with players that collectively thrive in Fenway Park, from Ted Williams to Carl Yastrzemski to David Ortiz. It is within that context that the Red Sox's offensive struggles, especially at home, are so shocking. Boston has a team wRC+ under 70 hitting in Fenway this year, the worst home numbers in the majors. -- Olney
23. Chicago White Sox
Record: 21-21
Previous ranking: 21
On this date two years ago, the White Sox were 13-30 and gathering negative momentum en route to a 121-loss season. Now they're in the early running for a playoff spot and could have multiple All-Stars -- Munetaka Murakami is among the MLB leaders in homers, Davis Martin has a 1.62 ERA and shortstop Colson Montgomery is on pace to hammer 40 homers and drive in 111 runs. The White Sox have a big showdown with the crosstown rival Cubs this weekend. -- Olney
24. Washington Nationals
Record: 21-22
Previous ranking: 27
The Nationals continue to hang close to .500 thanks to an offense that is second behind the Braves in runs per game. It's been a team effort. Jose Tena and Luis Garcia Jr. are hitting over .300 in May with an OPS over 1.000 for the month. CJ Abrams continues to drive in runs and James Wood continues to get on base and score runs. If only they had any semblance of a rotation. Manager Blake Butera has resorted to using an opener for Zack Littell after earlier doing it for Miles Mikolas. Both vets continue to struggle, however, and there isn't any obvious help at Triple-A Rochester. -- Schoenfield
25. Minnesota Twins
Record: 19-24
Previous ranking: 25
Byron Buxton has indicated he wants to stay with the Twins and is not interested in waiving his no-trade clause, but you can bet that other teams will at least make the phone call to Minnesota to determine if his stance might change. Buxton is off to an excellent start this season, with 13 homers and 31 runs scored in 39 games. -- Olney
26. Houston Astros
Record: 17-27
Previous ranking: 26
Tatsuya Imai came off the injured list Tuesday, threw only fastballs and sliders, and was tagged for six runs in a four-inning start that saw him plunk two batters and give up a grand slam. The Astros landed Imai out of Japan with a three-year, $54 million contract over the offseason, hoping he could help make up for the loss of Framber Valdez. But he has allowed 13 runs in 12⅔ innings this season, and the Astros aren't quite sure what to do with him. He will make his next start. After that, though, it's anyone's guess. -- Gonzalez
27. New York Mets
Record: 17-25
Previous ranking: 24
Juan Soto finished third in the MVP voting in his first season with the Mets, hitting .263/.396/.525 with 43 home runs and 105 RBIs. He did not hit especially well with runners in scoring position, however, with a .238/.398/.462 line (and .196 with two outs and runners in scoring position). It's a sample size due to his injury, but it's more of the same in 2026: .158 with RISP (3-for-19). Maybe A.J. Ewing will provide Soto with more RBI opportunities. The Mets called him up despite playing just 12 games above Double-A and he went 1-for-2 with a triple and three walks in his debut Tuesday. Ewing hit eighth but might soon take over the leadoff spot. -- Schoenfield
28. San Francisco Giants
Record: 18-25
Previous ranking: 28
It's hard to see the Giants turning things around without Rafael Devers morphing back into the star hitter they anticipated upon trading for him last summer. This recent stretch has offered an encouraging sign. Devers entered May with a .537 OPS, ranked 171st among 181 qualified hitters. Since then, he is slashing .366/.426/.707 with seven extra-base hits in 11 games. Willy Adames has also shown signs of life lately. And Harrison Bader's return is likely to bring some energy. Perhaps the Giants' slumbering offense is waking up. -- Gonzalez
29. Los Angeles Angels
Record: 16-28
Previous ranking: 29
The Angels have received nice starting pitching contributions this season, with younger arms such as Jose Soriano, Walbert Urena, Jack Kochanowicz and Reid Detmers showing positive signs. Their offense, meanwhile, has been around the middle of the pack, hitting a lot of home runs but also racking up a lot of strikeouts. The biggest problem lies in their bullpen. Angels relievers have posted a 5.16 ERA, third highest in the major leagues. The good news: Ben Joyce, the hard-throwing closer coming off shoulder surgery, should return before the end of the month. -- Gonzalez
30. Colorado Rockies
Record: 17-26
Previous ranking: 30
The Rockies signed Ezequiel Tovar to a seven-year, $63.5 million extension in March 2024, then watched him combine 45 doubles and 26 home runs with sensational shortstop defense in his age-22 season. It seemed as if the Rockies had a breakout star on their hands. But Tovar's offense has diminished since. In 2025, he hit just .253/.294/.400 in 95 games. And through his first 150 plate appearances this year, his slash line was down to .193/.240/.271. Given the inflated offensive environment where the Rockies play, Tovar's adjusted OPS is 62% below league average. -- Gonzalez