The Braves played their first home games this week since franchise icons Bobby Cox and Ted Turner passed away, and both men were honored by the team and the fans at the stadium. (The Braves will also be wearing No. 6 on their hats to honor Cox.) Two of the men most responsible for the Braves’ remarkable run in the ‘90s have also been honored by the Braves playing as well as they have since winning the World Series in 2021. Amazingly, they have an eight-game lead already in the NL East … and the No. 1 spot in these Power Rankings.
These rankings, as always, are compiled from MLB.com contributors whose names you can find at the bottom of this (and every) piece, but the words are mine. If you dislike the rankings, yell at all of us. But if you dislike the words, feel free to yell at me.
1. Braves (previously: 2)
How unstoppable have the Braves been so far? After winning series over both the Cubs and the Red Sox this week, the Braves have won 14 of their 16 series this season. They have lost only one series, to Seattle, at the beginning of the month, splitting the other one with Arizona.
2. Dodgers (previously: 3)
It sure looks like Shohei Ohtani’s couple of days off from hitting did the trick. After taking two days away from the bat, Ohtani had six hits over his next three games. That included a Little League homer against his former team the Angels on Saturday. “His effort level going around there for the double initially, and to continue to go, for me that was the most telling,” manager Dave Roberts said. “I think the bat speed was good. Swings were good. But then the hustle, there’s just more in the tank there.”
3. Cubs (previously: 1)
The Cubs have been so hot lately that simply a 2-4 week feels like a massive slump, but in this NL Central, you kind of get it: After all, the teams chasing them in the division all gained ground this week: The Brewers and the Cardinals both went 4-2. You can’t so much as take a breath in the NL Central right now.
4. Rays (previously: 5)
The Rays look downright unstoppable, and it’s not difficult to see why. Check out their starting pitching: No starter has surrendered more than three runs in any of their last 22 games. Not surprisingly, they’ve won 18 of those 22 games.
5. Yankees (previously: 4)
If you watched the Knicks this season, and then in the playoffs, you know that a large part of their strategy was to not sweat the ups and downs of the regular season but instead to be healthy and rested for the playoffs. Now that they’re four wins away from the NBA Finals, it looks very smart. With the injury to Max Fried this week, one wonders if there’s a lesson for the Yankees on this: A playoff spot looks likely, and thus the goal is to slow-play all injuries, don’t wear yourself out and thus be ready for October. Max can take all the time he needs.
6. Brewers (previously: 6)
Yep, we were once again all very silly for underrating the Brewers. They reached a season-high nine games over .500 this weekend thanks to a week-plus stretch in which they had a 1.97 ERA. It’s a good thing, too: The NL Central is a lot tougher than it usually is. And yet the Brewers still look well-positioned to potentially win it for the fourth straight season.
7. Padres (previously: 7)
Who says the Padres have traded away all their top prospects? No. 4 prospect Kash Mayfield is pitching as well as anyone in the Minors right now. Through seven starts, he has a 1.52 ERA, and hitters are only batting .099 against him. Sure, he’s only in High-A, so there’s a long way to go. But then again … the Padres really are missing a lot of rotation pieces right now.
8. Cardinals (previously: 8)
Did the Cardinals stumble across something innovative and exciting this weekend? A Stephen F. Austin State University club team spent Friday night shirtless and cheering on a Cardinals walk-off win and made such noise and commotion throughout that manager Oliver Marmol paid for them (and thousands of others) to come back, shirtless and rowdy again, on Saturday. The group, labeled “TARPS OFF,” screamed and chanted all game — it sounded like a soccer match, honestly — and brought a ton of life back to a Busch Stadium that has frankly lacked it the last couple of years. Something may be happening in St. Louis. “I’ll do whatever I need to do to make sure they come to every game,” Marmol said.
9. Guardians (previously: 11)
The Guardians celebrated their 2016 team over the weekend — with of course that team’s manager in town with the Reds — but it should be noted that this year’s team is in a far better position than that team was a decade ago. On May 17 in 2016, Cleveland was 3 1/2 games out of first. This team is in first place, up by a game.
10. Pirates (previously: 9)
The Pirates have the look of a potential playoff team right now, but they really need to fix their bullpen. Over their last 18 games, they have given up 44 earned runs in 70 1/3 innings. (That’s a nearly 6.00 ERA.)
11. Phillies (previously: 18)
Remember when the Phillies’ season was lost? That sure feels like a very long time ago. The Phillies knocked around no less than Paul Skenes on Sunday, capping off a fantastic run of 15 wins in the first 19 games of manager Don Mattingly’s tenure and getting themselves over .500 for the first time since they were 6-5. Even if they can’t catch the Braves, this team is going to be in the thick of the Wild Card chase all year.
12. A’s (previously: 10)
I was fortunate enough to spend a couple days in West Sacramento this week, and I have to say, if you get the opportunity to see this team play at Sutter Health Park, you should absolutely do so. The team is playing well, the locals have fully embraced them and, oh yes, Nick Kurtz and Shea Langeliers may be the best 1-2 atop any lineup in baseball right now.
13. Mariners (previously: 12)
Cal Raleigh had a dream season in 2025 in every possible way, but what a nightmare this one has been so far. He was put on the IL with a right oblique strain, an injury he said he would play through if it were later in the season. But considering how much he was struggling — he was hitting .161 with a .560 OPS — it is probably for the best that he’s shutting it down now. The Mariners need their Big Dumper back.
14. White Sox (previously: 22)
Are the White Sox really a .500 team? They are two games over the mark after the biggest North Side-South Side series in a while, having taken two of three from the Cubs. They are firmly in a Wild Card spot, because right now in the American League, if you’re a near-.500 team … you’re a near-playoff team.
15. Rangers (previously: 16)
Corey Seager is in the worst slump of his — or many other players’ — career right now, going 0-for-25 over his past seven games before missing the weekend series with back spasms. His career numbers are at an all-time low: .179/.286/.353. The issue? He’s being beaten on fastballs, at a 29.2 percent whiff rate, by far his worst ever. He just turned 32 last month: This has to turn around soon. Right?
16. Nationals (previously: 21)
The Nationals, rather famously, have not had a winning season -- and have not come particularly close -- since winning the World Series in 2019. They’ve got a long way to go to end the season that way, but getting over .500 this weekend (albeit briefly) gave them a winning record this late in the year for only the second time since that title season. (The other time was 2021.)
17. Reds (previously: 17)
The Tito Speedo! Are they selling that in the team store yet? The Reds took off this week after Reds assistant bench coach Mike Napoli wore a Speedo-style swimsuit with manager Terry Francona’s face all over it. Catcher Tyler Stephenson was the progenitor of the garment, and they’re certainly not going to go away now. Can Mr. Red fit in one?
18. Blue Jays (previously: 13)
The Jays are very much not enjoying how the first season after their heartbreaker in the World Series is going, but here is your reminder of just how many injuries they’ve suffered: They still have four starters, Jose Berrios (elbow), Shane Bieber (elbow), Cody Ponce (torn ACL) and Max Scherzer (neck), on the IL. It is difficult to win when that is happening.
19. Diamondbacks (previously: 19)
Never count out a future Hall of Famer. Nolan Arenado had a miserable start in Arizona this year, but he has rebounded splendidly, culminating in a return to his old stomping grounds in Denver over the weekend. An incredible stat: From April 21 until this weekend, Arenado’s .470 OBP leads all of baseball.
20. Tigers (previously: 15)
The Tigers are, finally, starting to get a little healthier, showcased most vividly by Casey Mize’s return from the IL with six scoreless innings in a win over the Blue Jays. They need a lot of guys back, but he is near the top of that list. Most encouraging: His fastball velocity was right where it was before he left.
21. Marlins (previously: 20)
The little boomlet in which you wondered whether the Marlins could take advantage of the Phillies and Mets’ struggles and held onto second place in the NL East looks long over. The Phillies have recovered, the Nats are better than anyone thought (and have taken advantage of the Marlins) and the Mets … well, the Mets may be in more trouble than the Marlins. But nevertheless: You can’t help but feel an opportunity may have already been missed.
22. Red Sox (previously: 23)
It’s getting very late very early in Boston: This rough stretch this week has the Red Sox down to the third-worst record in the American League … and now Trevor Story is hurt, as well. The Red Sox aren’t helping themselves with baserunning blunders and a near-total lack of offense. Interim manager Chad Tracy already looks as exasperated as Alex Cora did.
23. Mets (previously: 25)
Some years just don’t feel like your year, you know? Just when the Mets were starting to feel like they were gaining some momentum, the Yankees beat them Friday and Clay Holmes fractured his tibia off a comebacker from Spencer Jones and will be out, according to manager Carlos Mendoza, “a long time.” It’s tough to get momentum back; it’s even tougher to get pitching. That said: The Mets recovered in style by beating the Yankees twice, including in an inspiring could-this-be-the-turning-point? comeback Sunday.
24. Orioles (previously: 24)
Everybody loves Tommy Pham, but signing him at this point in his career is a sign that you are running out of outfielders. The Orioles had to sign Pham to a Minor League deal after losing Dylan Beavers to the IL. If he makes it to the big club, the O’s will be Pham’s 11th big league team.
25. Twins (previously: 27)
Former top prospect Zebby Matthews looked like he was going to be in the Twins’ rotation for the next half-decade a year ago, but a miserable Spring Training cost him a spot, and the beginning of his Minor League season went poorly, as well. But in his spot start Thursday, he made the case to get his spot back, throwing seven shutout innings in a win over the Marlins. “He executed his plan throughout the day,” said manager Derek Shelton. “Changeup was good, fastball location was good. Overall, really impressive outing by Zebby.”
26. Royals (previously: 14)
The Rockies are one of two teams with two six-game losing streaks this season. The other? Well, the Royals, obviously, that is the team we’re talking about here. The issue remains the bats: Their third and fourth hitters have a combined .611 OPS, which is last in MLB.
27. Astros (previously: 26)
You know things aren’t going well when you’re starting to hear “Do they need to trade Yordan Alvarez?” rumors. But they are, somewhat suddenly, there everywhere, and unless the Astros turn this around quickly, they will not be going away.
28. Giants (previously: 29)
Matters have gotten very dark for the Giants, who briefly fell behind the Rockies for last place in the NL West. Their current winning percentage, if they do not turn this around quickly, puts them in danger of becoming only the second Giants team in franchise history to lose 100 games. (They lost 100 in 1985.) Tony Vitello managed for eight seasons at Tennessee and lost a total of 131 games.
29. Rockies (previously: 28)
The Rockies are down bad right now, but it could obviously have been a lot worse. The biggest news this week was good news: Chase Dollander turned out to have only a minor elbow sprain. It sure looked a lot scarier than that initially, that’s for sure.
30. Angels (previously: 30)
Over the weekend, the Angels became the first team in baseball to lose 30 games, but that doesn’t mean fans in Anaheim didn’t get their money’s worth. Three of the top four active players in career WAR were at Angel Stadium this weekend: Mike Trout (89.5), Mookie Betts (75.1), Freddie Freeman (64.7). Third place is Aaron Judge … and remember that doesn’t include Shohei Ohtani, the guy most people were there to see in the first place.
Voters: Dan Cichalski, Theo DeRosa, Jason Foster, Rick Gold Jr., Jared Greenspan, Will Leitch, Brent Maguire, Travis Miller, Arturo Pardavila, Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru, Andrew Simon, David Venn, Andy Werle.