MLB Power Rankings Week 12: Dodgers end Braves’ No. 1 runplayPassan to Eisen: Everyone in MLB could use Tarik Skubal (2:34)ESPNMultiple AuthorsJun 18, 2026, 07:00 AM ET
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After five weeks out of the No. 1 spot, the two-time defending World Series champions are back on top.
The Los Angeles Dodgers reclaimed the MLB Power Rankings crown in Week 12, ending an Atlanta Braves streak that began in Week 7. These two National League leaders are the only teams to rank No. 1 so far this season.
Otherwise, there were no changes in the top 5, though the Chicago White Sox did manage to crack the top 10 — moving up from No. 13 to No. 8 — after beating the Braves twice and taking two of three from the Dodgers.
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 Jesse Rogers, Buster Olney and David Schoenfield to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.
Week 11 | Preseason rankings
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
Record: 48-27
Previous ranking: 2
The highlight of the past week was Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s near perfect game/no-hitter against the White Sox. He lost the perfect game when Mookie Betts booted a ground ball with two outs in the eighth and then lost the no-hitter when Tristan Peters homered leading off the ninth — reminiscent of last season, when Yamamoto lost a no-hitter on a home run with two outs in the ninth in Baltimore. Speaking of Betts, should there be concern about his batting average hovering around .200 and his OBP well under .300? The weird thing is his plate discipline remains elite, but his walk rate has plummeted from the 94th percentile just two years ago to the 24th percentile. Pitchers are going after him more than ever. — Schoenfield
2. Atlanta Braves
Record: 46-27
Previous ranking: 1
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The rotation has been excellent all season, but it has suddenly hit some bumps. Spencer Strider landed on the injured list because of an elbow issue after seeing his velocity drop under 90 mph in his Friday start. Though the MRI was clean, he’ll rest for four weeks, aiming for a late-season return after factoring in rehab time. Bryce Elder, meanwhile, rode a low BABIP to a hot start but has a 7.20 ERA over his past four outings. Rookie JR Ritchie will step into Strider’s spot in the rotation, but with Grant Holmes and Martin Perez basically five-inning guys and Ritchie probably the same, the bullpen will have to pitch a lot of innings. — Schoenfield
3. Milwaukee Brewers
Record: 45-26
Previous ranking: 3
Jackson Chourio is fully back and has been a force after sitting out the beginning of the season because of a hand injury. He won co-NL Player of the Week honors with teammate Jacob Misiorowski after hitting .448 with five homers, 10 RBIs, eight runs scored and a .966 slugging percentage over six games. Remember, Chourio is only 22 years old and is signed through 2033. He’ll be a leader on the next iteration of the Brewers, who keep churning out players from their highly rated farm system — including Cooper Pratt, who made his MLB debut this week. — Rogers
4. New York Yankees
Record: 45-27
Previous ranking: 4
The production that Aaron Boone got from his shortstops in 2025 was terrible — the team’s 1.2 fWAR for players in that spot was tied for 25th among the 30 teams. This year, Jose Caballero and Anthony Volpe have shared the position, and the Yankees’ shortstops have already surpassed their production of last year — their 1.5 fWAR ranked 11th among 30 teams entering Wednesday. There is legitimate competition for the spot this year. — Olney
5. Tampa Bay Rays
Record: 41-30
Previous ranking: 5
Any list of the game’s most underrated players would have to include Yandy Diaz, Tampa Bay’s designated hitter. When the first round of All-Star voting was revealed earlier this week, Diaz ranked third among DHs in the AL, despite his .313 batting average and OPS+ of nearly 150. Diaz has been an All-Star only once in his career, in 2023, and has hit .296 or better in six seasons (including 2026). As the Rays have managed payroll in recent years, they’ve swapped a lot of veterans, but year after year, they have made a point of keeping Diaz. — Olney
6. Philadelphia Phillies
Record: 40-34
Previous ranking: 6
On Tuesday, Kyle Schwarber made his first start at first base since joining the Phillies — and hit his MLB-leading 25th home run in the process — although he didn’t have any balls hit in his direction in the game. Though Bryce Harper has poor defensive metrics this season, this was merely a way to give Harper a DH game, not a potential change in roles. Meanwhile, in Monday’s win, Gabriel Rincones Jr. slugged his first MLB home run. With Adolis Garcia on the 60-day IL, and given how poorly Garcia was hitting anyway, Rincones certainly has an opportunity to win the right-field job. — Schoenfield
7. St. Louis Cardinals
Record: 40-32
Previous ranking: 9
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A power surge by the Cardinals last week saw them hit the second-most home runs in the NL over a six-game span, right behind the Colorado Rockies, who played at hitter friendly Coors Field and then in extremely hitter friendly Las Vegas Ballpark. Seven different Cardinals players hit homers, including three by Alec Burleson, who led the group. St. Louis is one of the best storylines in baseball this season, improving its offense even more lately with the return of Lars Nootbaar. This might no longer be just a nice start for the Cardinals. They have a chance to be in it until the end. — Rogers
8. Chicago White Sox
Record: 38-34
Previous ranking: 13
The White Sox completed a solid week during a tough stretch of their schedule. First, they took two of two from the Braves, then won their three-game series against the Dodgers thanks to a rally in the rubber game Sunday. Chicago scored six runs in the sixth to erase a 1-0 deficit behind three home runs in the inning. It has been their trademark: The White Sox are among the league leaders in slugging and right behind the Yankees in home runs. Even while missing Munetaka Murakami because of injury, their power hasn’t tanked. — Rogers
9. Cleveland Guardians
Record: 39-35
Previous ranking: 8
Life without Jose Ramirez began with a whimper Tuesday, as the Guardians scored a single run in a loss to the Brewers. Gabriel Arias had two hits and contributed Cleveland’s lone RBI filling in at third base, but no one can fill the shoes of the team’s best player, who will sit out five-to-seven weeks because of a hamate injury. Cleveland’s best chance to survive in the standings is through its pitching staff. That has been the Guardians’ strength for years, but you still have to score to win — a task made decidedly more difficult with Ramirez out. — Rogers
10. Seattle Mariners
Record: 38-37
Previous ranking: 7
It’s not a question of if star prospect Kade Anderson will get a chance to impact Seattle’s major league roster this year, but when. Anderson, the No. 3 pick in last summer’s draft, has been completely dominant in Double-A, striking out 82 batters in his first 55⅔ innings while walking only seven. With a stacked rotation, the Mariners are likely to transition Anderson to a bullpen role and summon him to Seattle, perhaps providing manager Dan Wilson with a third left-handed reliever. In the playoffs last fall, Wilson could deploy only one lefty, Gabe Speier. — Olney
11. Chicago Cubs
Record: 39-36
Previous ranking: 11
The Cubs’ pitching injuries have flown under the radar, considering the team’s offensive woes. Add two more to the list after closer Daniel Palencia was put on the IL because of right elbow inflammation on the same day starter Edward Cabrera left early because of a hand cramp. Here’s just a partial list of their other injured pitchers: Cade Horton, Matthew Boyd, Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon, Hunter Harvey and top prospect Jaxon Wiggins. It’s hard to see the Cubs making a surge in the standings with that many hurt. — Rogers
12. Arizona Diamondbacks
Record: 38-36
Previous ranking: 12
The Diamondbacks have played 25 one-run games, most in the majors, and have gone 13-12. The bullpen is middle of the pack in ERA, but closer Paul Sewald has been OK after some rough outings in April. He does have four losses, which isn’t great, but is 18-for-19 in save opportunities. Kevin Ginkel has rebounded from an injury-plagued 2025 to find his form from 2023 and ’24, Juan Morillo has been excellent and 33-year-old veteran Taylor Clarke has done the job despite a low strikeout rate. Rookie left-hander Brandyn Garcia had one bad outing but has otherwise been good. What looked like a big problem heading into the season has turned into a potential strength. — Schoenfield
13. Washington Nationals
Record: 39-36
Previous ranking: 17
The Nationals closed out the weekend with impressive 8-3 and 10-1 wins over the Mariners as they continue to lead the majors in runs scored, remarkable considering they were 20th last season and didn’t make any major offseason additions. The even better news is they’re starting to get some better starting pitching. Foster Griffin lowered his ERA to 3.32 after giving up one run Tuesday. Andrew Alvarez has given up four runs in his three starts since moving into the rotation (granted, short outings covering only 12⅔ innings, but the Nationals will take it). Cade Cavalli has been solid with a 3.98 ERA. There’s a reason the Nationals are climbing these rankings: They’ve been good. — Schoenfield
14. Pittsburgh Pirates
Record: 38-37
Previous ranking: 10
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This is incredible: The Pirates have lost the past six games Paul Skenes has started. He has suffered a loss in four of them. There has been a lot of damage done after he has left some of these games, but he hasn’t been lights-out in the manner we’re used to seeing. There was a five-run game against him and then a four-run effort after that — though he has been fine in June, giving up five earned runs over three starts. Still, he hasn’t pitched more than six innings since May 12, and he probably has walked a few more batters than he would have liked: seven in the past four games. But it’s Skenes — so expect greatness around the corner. — Rogers
15. San Diego Padres
Record: 38-35
Previous ranking: 15
Here’s a fun stat: Mason Miller still hasn’t given up an extra-base hit. Let’s say he gets to 60 innings by season’s end. The fewest extra-base hits given up in a season while pitching at least 60 innings is four, done five times, most recently by Craig Kimbrel and Fernando Rodney in 2012. A not-so-fun stat that points to what A.J. Preller might do at the trade deadline: The Padres’ rotation is 24th in strikeout rate. The best hope for the offense is simply for Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill and Fernando Tatis Jr. to hit better, but upgrading the rotation will have to come via a trade. — Schoenfield
16. Athletics
Record: 36-38
Previous ranking: 19
Shea Langeliers and Nick Kurtz are going to draw a lot of All-Star attention for their early-season play. But within the A’s context, J.T. Ginn has been incredibly important and could be just as deserving, helping to prop up a pitching staff that has generally struggled. In 16 outings — including three bullpen outings — Ginn has a 2.91 ERA, and has held opposing hitters to a .298 on-base percentage and a .331 slugging percentage. — Olney
17. Texas Rangers
Record: 35-38
Previous ranking: 14
The expected strength of the Rangers has not developed in a way the organization had probably hoped. Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, MacKenzie Gore, Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker have made all but three of the team’s starts this season, but deGrom is the only one with an ERA under 4. Texas has a 4.19 rotation ERA, which ranks 12th among the 30 teams. Home runs have been an issue for the Rangers’ starters — they’ve given up 58, which is tied for fourth most in MLB. — Olney
18. Toronto Blue Jays
Record: 36-38
Previous ranking: 16
When Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went out of the lineup last weekend because of a back issue, his shutdown gave the Jays a chance to give the struggling slugger a breather. The first baseman has gone through slumps before, but his prolonged power outage is something of a first for him. Through Sunday, he had one homer in his past 56 games, and his OPS+ was 100 — league average for a player who has been anything but that. — Olney
19. Miami Marlins
Record: 37-38
Previous ranking: 21
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The Marlins began June with 10 wins in their first 12 games, winning series against the Nationals, Rays, Diamondbacks and Pirates. That streak of four straight series wins ended this week against the Phillies, but it got the Marlins back into the wild-card picture. Otto Lopez led the way over those 12 games, hitting .396, and Heriberto Hernandez hit four home runs and had an OPS over 1.000, and Kyle Stowers drove in 11 runs. But the Marlins continue to rank near the bottom of the majors in home runs, with Liam Hicks their only player with more than six. — Schoenfield
20. Baltimore Orioles
Record: 35-40
Previous ranking: 18
Samuel Basallo is regarded as one of the most talented young hitters in the game, capable of putting on a laser show every time he swings. But some rival evaluators have also wondered where the 21-year-old will land long term — because of his size. Basallo is listed at 6-foot-4, 250 pounds, which is big for catchers in an era in which teams have increasingly focused on agility at the position. Basallo, who signed an eight-year, $67 million deal that runs through 2033, has an OPS+ of 119 through his first 62 games. — Olney
21. Cincinnati Reds
Record: 35-38
Previous ranking: 22
He’s getting closer. Reds star Hunter Greene, who has played this season, will begin a rehab assignment in the coming days as he recovers from the removal of bone chips in his elbow. Cincinnati could use his elite production if the Reds want to stay in the playoff race. The team ranks middle of the pack in starting pitcher ERA this season after being in the top 10 last season. Greene emerged a couple of years ago as a top-end starter. If he’s anywhere near as dominant when he returns in July, the Reds have a shot to move up in the wild-card standings. — Rogers
22. Houston Astros
Record: 35-41
Previous ranking: 20
Houston has had terrible luck with injured players this season, but players who spent time on the IL have been productive upon their return. A great example: Josh Hader, who recently returned from arm trouble, has been almost flawless in his performance, giving up only one run on two hits and one walk over seven appearances, with four saves. Hader is in Year 3 of the five-year, $95 million contract he signed with Houston before the 2024 season. — Olney
23. New York Mets
Record: 33-41
Previous ranking: 23
The Mets continue to look for answers in the rotation. Tobias Myers got a start Monday but was knocked out in the second inning after giving up seven runs. Kodai Senga returned Tuesday after nearly two months on the IL, but three batters into his start the Mets were down 3-0. Senga, who struggled with velocity while rehabbing, was at least throwing harder, topping out at 97.9 mph, but issued four walks in four innings and gave up two home runs. It’s getting closer to the point where the Mets bail on 2026 and start seeking potential deals for Freddy Peralta. — Schoenfield
24. Detroit Tigers
Record: 30-44
Previous ranking: 25
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Tarik Skubal pitched well in his return against the Guardians over the weekend. His fastball velocity averaged about 98 mph, while his off-speed stuff was sharp for a guy who sat out just over a month. Overall, Skubal threw 80 pitches in 4⅔ innings, giving up five hits and a walk while striking out four. Those numbers don’t jump off the page, but it was just his first start. He passed the eye test, which is what matters to opposing executives considering a trade for him. Skubal will have plenty of eyes on him for the next six weeks. — Rogers
25. Minnesota Twins
Record: 35-40
Previous ranking: 26
The Twins compiled a 6.11 ERA across six games last week. Zebby Matthews suffered the worst of it, giving up 17 hits in 13 innings, including three home runs and nine earned runs. He wasn’t the only culprit, as Taj Bradley gave up four runs (and two home runs) in 6⅔ innings in a start and Justin Lawrence couldn’t make it out of an inning in a relief appearance, also giving up four runs. Minnesota’s staff is likely to take a hit come the trade deadline, just as it did last year. Manager Derek Shelton, fired by Pittsburgh last season, might be overseeing another rebuild. — Rogers
26. Boston Red Sox
Record: 29-42
Previous ranking: 24
At a time when there is such a scarcity of right-handed power hitting in the sport, Boston could probably get decent trade return for Willson Contreras, who is having an excellent season, with an OPS+ over 160. But if the Red Sox trade Contreras, it could be a body blow for the 2027 team: He is under contract for next season, as well, and Boston holds a team option on him for ’28. — Olney
27. San Francisco Giants
Record: 31-43
Previous ranking: 27
It has been one disaster after another for the Giants, but a bright spot has been rookie DH/first baseman Bryce Eldridge, who has lived up to the hype since being called up May 4. His walk-off grand slam last week to cap a comeback from a 9-1 deficit probably will be the highlight of the season for the Giants. Eldridge is still only 21 and certainly has a chance to grow into one of the game’s top power hitters, especially if he maintains his impressive 21% strikeout rate — a huge improvement even from his 29% rate in Triple-A before he was called up. — Schoenfield
28. Kansas City Royals
Record: 30-45
Previous ranking: 28
Stephen Kolek has pitched well lately, shutting out Houston over 7⅓ innings in his third start of the month. Before that, he navigated traffic on the basepaths against the Rangers, giving up only one earned run. The Royals won both those games, as well as his first start in June when he went seven innings. Kolek has looked better and better since coming up in May. It’s a welcome sight for a team with few bright spots so far this season. The 29-year-old had a long road to the majors and is making the most of it. — Rogers
29. Los Angeles Angels
Record: 30-45
Previous ranking: 29
Many organizations would consider trading a player like Reid Detmers to take advantage of his value. Detmers shifted to the Angels’ rotation this year, and he’s performing very well, averaging almost six innings in his 15 starts and posting a 3.68 ERA. But Arte Moreno, the Angels’ owner, doesn’t operate like many of his peers, and maybe prefers to keep Detmers as a possible building block for a team that has long struggled. — Olney
30. Colorado Rockies
Record: 28-47
Previous ranking: 30
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Hunter Goodman is on pace for 44 home runs, which gives him a slim chance for the franchise record of 49, shared by Larry Walker and Todd Helton. Those two did it in the pre-humidor days at Coors Field, so Goodman’s power has been impressive. He also has hit much better on the road, with an OPS nearly 200 points higher — something Walker and Helton can’t claim. An All-Star last year, Goodman probably will be the Rockies’ All-Star rep again. — Schoenfield
