Back in March, when we debuted our first Hitter Power Rankings of the year, there was one prevailing question. Who would take home the top spot: Shohei Ohtani or Aaron Judge?
Our voters gave the slight edge to Ohtani. Now, though, we have a few weeks of results to factor into the equation. And there are a number of breakout sluggers and healthy superstars surging their way up the rankings.
We asked a group of MLB.com experts to cast their votes for the best hitters in baseball a few weeks into the 2026 season. Here are our second Hitter Power Rankings of the year.
All statistics through Tuesday's games.
1. Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers (Previously: 1)
Ohtani occupied the top spot in our preseason rankings, and he's still pacing the field a few weeks into the regular season. Ohtani is hitting .254/.402/.508 with five home runs through his first 17 games, though the four-time MVP hasn't yet hit his stride. He is, however, continuing to get on-base at a record clip. Ohtani carried the longest active on-base streak in MLB into Wednesday's series finale against the Mets. At 48 games, it's the fourth longest on-base streak by a Dodgers player since 1900.
2. Yordan Alvarez, Astros (unranked)
Houston has a few problems, but Alvarez isn't one of them. Limited to just 48 games last season due to injury, Alvarez has wasted no time reminding everyone how much of a force he can be. His 11 extra-base hits and six home runs are tied for the third most in the Majors, while his 1.175 OPS is second best. Alvarez also leads all Major League qualifiers with a .799 expected slugging percentage, meaning that he's earned every bit of his production. Pitchers are already taking notice: Alvarez is tied for the Major League lead with 16 walks.
3. Aaron Judge , Yankees (2)
For Judge, a pedestrian start means a .234/.329/.547 slash line and a 150 OPS+ -- or, production that is still 50% better than a league average hitter. Such are the expectations that come with being one of the greatest right-handed hitters of all time. Judge is starting to heat up, launching three home runs in his last three games. That includes a 456-foot blast against the Angels on Monday night, which was good for the fourth-longest home run by any hitter this season. The three-time MVP also owns the second-highest barrel rate in the Majors, trailing only his former Yankees teammate, Gary Sánchez.
4. Jordan Walker, Cardinals (unranked)
Walker's long-awaited breakout looks like it's finally happening. The 23-year-old former top prospect leads the Majors with eight home runs, which is two more than his total from last season in over 300 fewer plate appearances. Walker has always hit the ball hard -- even last season, his hard-hit rate ranked in the 87th percentile of MLB -- but he's doing a much better job of driving the ball in the air, weaponizing one of the fastest swings in baseball. That's led to a substantial uptick in production, including a .734 SLG and a 1.120 OPS.
5. Kyle Schwarber, Phillies (6)
A year after launching a career-high 56 home runs, Schwarber is once again doing what he does best. He's homered six times this year, including his first multi-homer game of the season on Monday against the Cubs. Since the start of the 2022 season -- his first with the Phillies -- Schwarber has 23 multi-homer games, more than anyone not named Aaron Judge.
6. Corbin Carroll, D-backs, (unranked)
This time last month, Carroll was just making his Cactus League debut after suffering a broken right hamate bone at the onset of Spring Training. It's the type of injury that tends to sap hitters of their power. But that certainly hasn't been the case for Carroll. He's slashing .298/.379/.579 through his first 16 games, flashing the elite combination of power and speed that he's best known for. Carroll is the only player in baseball with multiple triples (3), doubles (4) and home runs (2).
7. Ben Rice, Yankees (unranked)
Rice burst onto the scene last season, bashing 26 home runs amid a notable increase in bat speed. Early in 2026, the left-handed slugger has found another level. He leads the Majors in OBP (.500), SLG (.745) and OPS (1.245). Hardly anyone is hitting the ball harder. Of Rice's 30 batted balls, 21 have been 95+ mph, giving him an AL-best 70.0% hard-hit rate. Here's another way to contextualize Rice's torrid start: He has a 241 weighted runs created plus (wRC+), meaning he's been 141% better than a league-average hitter.
8. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays (4)
The defending AL champs are fighting their way through a rash of early-season injuries, which makes Guerrero's hot start all the more important. He's more or less picked up where he left off following a historic postseason. The power isn't quite there yet -- Guerrero has just one homer -- but that should change soon, given Guerrero's .517 expected slugging percentage, which ranks in the 85th percentile of MLB. He's also hitting .328 with a .443 OBP and an 8.6% strikeout rate, which ranks seventh lowest among qualified hitters.
9. Gunnar Henderson, Orioles (unranked)
Henderson hit just 17 home runs last season in a bit of a down year, which coincided with an underwhelming season for the Orioles. So far in 2026, although the batting average (.222) and on-base percentage (.309) have lagged, Henderson's power is back. He tallied six home runs in his first 14 games. Last season, Henderson didn't hit his sixth home run until his 33rd game of the season.
10. Andy Pages, Dodgers (unranked)
Pages etched his name into history with a season-saving catch in Game 7 of last year's World Series, fueling the Dodgers' second consecutive World Series title. It's easy to forget, though, how bad Pages slumped at the plate in October. He followed a strong regular season with a 4-for-51 (.078) line in the postseason. So far in 2026, Pages has put those struggles behind him and then some. In a L.A. lineup that has the star power to befit Hollywood, Pages leads the Majors in hits (25) and RBIs (20) to go with his .397 batting average and 1.131 OPS.
Also receiving votes: Mike Trout (Angels), Oneil Cruz (Pirates), Matt Olson (Braves), Bobby Witt Jr. (Royals), James Wood (Nationals), Brice Turang (Brewers), Yandy Díaz (Rays), Drake Baldwin (Braves), Sal Stewart (Reds), Chase DeLauter (Guardians)
Voters: David Adler, Jason Catania, Theo DeRosa, Jared Greenspan, Brent Maguire, Max Ralph, Manny Randhawa