MLB Power Rankings: Who — or what — is your team missing most this season?
Every week, we ask a particular group of our baseball writers — native and nationwide — to rank the teams from first to worst. Here are the collective outcomes.
At the quarter mark of the Major League Baseball regular season, we’ve seen sufficient to say some issues definitively. For Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, sluggish begins had been simply that. Fernando Tatís Jr. could by no means homer once more. And that Shohei Ohtani — the man with 160 homers, a 1.020 OPS and three consecutive MVPs for the reason that begin of the 2023 season — can actually pitch!
By now, it’s additionally clear what every membership is missing. Every team has a chunk of the puzzle they’d actually like again proper now. Maybe it’s the one who obtained away in free company or was shipped off in a regrettable commerce. Maybe it’s an injured participant. Maybe it’s a high prospect toiling at Triple A.
In this week’s MLB Power Rankings, we’re bringing again the “Wish You Were Here” version.
Let’s dive in.
Stats are by Monday morning except in any other case famous.
Record: 32-16
Last Power Ranking: 1
Wish you had been right here: Spencer Schwellenbach
Full disclosure: We had an entire paragraph right here — and it was written actual good — about how, opposite to expectations, Atlanta’s solely flaw to this level within the season was some offensive inconsistency. And thus, the participant it actually missed was Ronald Acuña Jr. And then, who was activated unexpectedly off the IL Monday? Ronald Acuña Jr. So we’re pivoting, as a result of as surprisingly good and deep as Atlanta’s pitching employees has been to this level, Schwellenbach raises the ceiling, alongside Chris Sale and a looking-better Spencer Strider on the high of the rotation. — Tim Britton
Record: 29-19
Last Power Ranking: 3
Wish you had been right here: Tyler Glasnow
With Blake Snell going underneath the knife — er, arthroscopic needle — the Dodgers now have 12 pitchers on the injured listing. They’ll be simply high quality relying upon Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Ohtani to hold the rotation. They have hardly missed nearer Edwin Díaz, as Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia and Kyle Hurt have locked down the late innings. Yet sooner or later, the invoice comes due for an absence of (wholesome) depth. The Dodgers added Eric Lauer to the combo and have had robust current begins from Emmet Sheehan, Justin Wrobleski and Roki Sasaki. But they’ll want a wholesome Glasnow (decrease again spasms) and his 2.72 ERA again on the bump earlier than lengthy. — Stephen J. Nesbitt
Record: 29-19
Last Power Ranking: 4
Wish you had been right here: Take your choose
Chicago entered the 2026 season anticipating its employees ace (Justin Steele), budding ace (Cade Horton) and ol’ dependable (Matthew Boyd) to be the three-headed monster atop a membership that absolutely expects to be taking part in in October. However, the Baseball Gods had one thing else in thoughts, as Steele suffered a setback in his rehab, Horton underwent season-ending surgical procedure and Boyd tore his meniscus taking part in together with his kids. No thoughts, the Cubs entered their three-game set towards the Brewers atop the NL Central, with baseball’s third-best report. Here’s the factor: the Brewers aren’t going wherever, and the division as soon as coined the Comedy Central is now the Competent Central, with all 5 golf equipment above .500 — the one division in MLB that may say that. — Johnny Flores Jr.
Record: 27-18
Last Power Ranking: 5
Wish you had been right here: Cooper Pratt
At this level, Joey Ortiz is who he is — a glove-first shortstop who’s been outclassed by major-league pitching. The Brewers may use a shakeup on the spot, or on the very least, somebody with a reliable bat. Enter Pratt. The 21-year-old has a .745 OPS in Triple A, and although he figures to be one other glove-first participant, he does have extra walks (25) than strikeouts (23), plus 11 stolen bases. Signed to an eight-year, $51 million deal earlier than even getting the decision to The Show, Pratt is already on the 40-man roster, so his addition is actually only a matter of logistics. — Flores
Record: 31-15
Last Power Ranking: 6
Wish you had been right here: Brandon Lowe
Look, while you’ve gained twice as many video games as you’ve misplaced, you don’t spend an entire lot of time lamenting what isn’t there. But given what Lowe has executed in his first yr in Pittsburgh — he entered Monday with 12 homers and an .895 OPS that will lead Tampa Bay — you would marvel how harmful the Rays would look with that further bat of their lineup. — Britton
Record: 29-19
Last Power Ranking: 2
Wish you had been right here: José Caballero
It feels loopy to say when Gerrit Cole, Max Fried and Giancarlo Stanton are all on the IL, too, however Caballero is likely to be the most useful piece returning within the quick time period. His harm has opened the door for Anthony Volpe to win again his shortstop job — and Volpe at the least had a pleasant weekend within the Subway Series — however his return ought to set off a three-way battle for 2 spots on the left aspect of the infield. Ryan McMahon is off to a brutal offensive begin, and even his sometimes stellar glove has been nearer to common up to now. — Britton
Record: 29-18
Last Power Ranking: 8
Wish you had been right here: Dylan Cease
The shorthanded San Diego rotation ranks twenty third within the majors in ERA (4.53). Michael King and Randy Vásquez have been nice, however they’re about the one starters who’ve proven up. Meanwhile, Cease is dominating early in his Toronto Blue Jays tenure, posting a 2.41 ERA by 9 begins and main the AL in strikeouts. The Padres acquired Cease from the Chicago White Sox for 4 prospects in 2024, and he posted ERAs of three.47 and 4.55 in two seasons with San Diego earlier than signing a seven-year, $210 million free-agent contract with the Blue Jays this winter. — Nesbitt
Record: 24-23
Last Power Ranking: 7
Wish you had been right here: Ryan O’Hearn
Part of me half-jokingly wished to jot down Paul Skenes’ title after he obtained rocked for 5 runs towards the Phillies simply 5 days after bringing down his ERA to underneath 2.00. (It’s 2.62 now, by the way in which.) However, the Pirates will miss the providers of O’Hearn, whom they signed within the offseason to a two-year deal. On tempo to make his second consecutive All-Star team, O’Hearn might be out for “weeks” with a strained proper quad that he suffered on Saturday. It’s a major harm for a membership that may play 13 video games in 13 days. — Flores
Record: 27-22
Last Power Ranking: 14
Wish you had been right here: 2022-2024 Steven Kwan
The final time Kwan wasn’t hitting leadoff for the Guardians, Liam and Noel Gallagher had been nonetheless feuding, and the considered an Oasis reunion was inconceivable. Now, they’re basking in Man City glory. (It was practically 4 years in the past, to be truthful.) That’s the sort of stoop Kwan is in that necessitated a lineup shakeup. He’s not chasing, whiffing or placing out at elite ranges, and the protection is nonetheless strong, however Cleveland would like to have the man that once flirted with .400. Guards Ball is extra enjoyable that method, too. — Flores
Record: 23-26
Last Power Ranking: 10
Wish you had been right here: Cal Raleigh
Fresh off an AL MVP runner-up marketing campaign, Big Dumper began the 2026 season like this: stroll, strikeout, strikeout, strikeout, strikeout, strikeout, strikeout, strikeout, strikeout. That was tough. For a month and a half, Raleigh’s strikeout fee soared and his batting common plunged. He was scratched from the lineup on May 3 with basic soreness. Ten days later, amid a 2-for-44 stoop, he went on the IL with a strained indirect. The Mariners have stayed inside placing distance of the Athletics and Rangers regardless of little pre-injury manufacturing from their All-Star catcher. To make one other deep playoff run, Seattle doesn’t essentially want MVP-caliber Raleigh. But they do want him wholesome and contributing. — Nesbitt
Record: 27-19
Last Power Ranking: 11
Wish you had been right here: Lars Nootbaar
Resigned to a rebuilding season after dealing a number of veterans over the winter, the Cardinals have been one in all 2026’s greatest surprises. Behind a youth motion, St. Louis entered Monday simply 1 1/2 video games again within the NL Central. The Cards have been comparatively wholesome to start the season, however they’re nonetheless ready on the return of Nootbaar, who’s been rehabbing from double heel surgical procedure. He ought to be again quickly, having lately begun a rehab project, the place he has two hits, together with one homer in three at-bats. — Flores
Record: 25-23
Last Power Ranking: 24
Wish you had been right here: Aidan Miller
The Phillies are 15-4 underneath Don Mattingly, and so they’ve gotten themselves again up over .500 in swift style behind scorching streaks from Kyle Schwarber, Cristopher Sánchez and Bryce Harper. The roster depth, then again, is a problem, and no spot has been a much bigger vacuum than third base. The backside has fallen out for Alec Bohm, and potential substitute Edmundo Sosa has been no higher. Miller, the group’s high prospect, can be an awesome choice to step in — if he hadn’t been out all season up to now with a again harm. — Britton
Record: 22-25
Last Power Ranking: 12
Wish you had been right here: Wyatt Langford
This winter, few would have guessed the Rangers’ greatest hitters by mid-May can be Josh Jung and Ezequiel Durán. There is promise in this Texas lineup, but it is not going to notice its full potential with out Langford returning to 100% after a forearm pressure that has stored him out since April 21. After a 22-homer, 22-steal season in 2025, Langford has seen his wRC+ drop from 118 to 77. He’s removed from the one Rangers common but to heat up: Corey Seager, Evan Carter and Danny Jansen all fee at the least 10 % under league common by wRC+ up to now this season, whereas Jake Burger and Joc Pederson simply escaped that vary final weekend. — Nesbitt
Record: 21-26
Last Power Ranking: T-15
Wish you had been right here: Last yr’s George Springer
Springer’s resurgent 2025 was one of many primary sparks for Toronto’s pennant-winning turnaround, and he proved once more in October why he’s one of many sport’s greatest big-game gamers. But up to now this season, Springer has been a shell of that self. One level of OBP shy of a .300/.400/.500 line final season, Springer is six slugging factors shy of even attending to .100/.200/.300 this yr, and his Baseball Savant web page has as many shades of blue because the Jays’ unis (and no pink for Canada Day). — Britton
Record: 23-24
Last Power Ranking: 13
Wish you had been right here: The coronary heart of the order
Early this season, the most frequent configurations of the Athletics’ lineup had Tyler Soderstrom, Brent Rooker and Jacob Wilson batting 3-4-5. Last yr, Rooker slugged 30 homers, Soderstrom had 25, and Wilson batted .311. With that trio hitting behind 30-homer guys Nick Kurtz and Shea Langeliers, the A’s had the makings of a mighty high of the lineup. But up to now this season, Rooker and Soderstrom are batting under .200 with OPS within the mid-.600s. Rooker missed time with an indirect harm, and now Wilson is on the injured listing after hurting his shoulder on a diving play. And but the team is main the division. Just think about what they may do with a little bit manufacturing from the center of the batting order. — Nesbitt
Record: 20-28
Last Power Ranking: 9
Wish you had been right here: Well, everybody
On Friday, the Tigers posted what can solely be thought of a large PDF file on social media, detailing the harm statuses of 14 (!) gamers, together with 5 starters, a number of relievers and place gamers. Chief amongst them is reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, however the listing additionally contains two gamers who had been All-Stars final yr (Javier Báez and Gleyber Torres). After holding onto Skubal by the winter, the Tigers entered 2026 trying to maximize their closing season with the ace and escape Division Series purgatory. Their report, up to now, is tough. Fortunately, the remainder of the AL isn’t all that locked in on profitable, both. — Flores
Record: 23-23
Last Power Ranking: 19
Wish you had been right here: Corbin Burnes
Despite wonderful manufacturing from starters Eduardo Rodríguez and Michael Soroka this season, the Diamondbacks have a bottom-third beginning rotation ERA (4.43). Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly and Ryne Nelson all have ERAs north of 5, although Kelly took a step ahead with a whole recreation at Coors Field on Friday. Still, the Snakes don’t have an ace. Arizona had that man, briefly, earlier than Burnes underwent Tommy John surgical procedure final June. Burnes is slowly constructing his arm again up. His return would change the composition of the D-Backs’ pitching employees. The 2021 NL Cy Young winner has a 2.86 ERA over his previous six MLB seasons. — Nesbitt
Record: 21-26
Last Power Ranking: T-26
Wish you had been right here: Francisco Lindor
Spend the final 20 seconds — or the final 20 weeks — within the feedback part of a Mets story, and also you’ll discover followers lamenting the absences of Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil and Edwin Díaz. But the participant the Mets miss the most is the member of their core that they stored final winter: Lindor. Out since April 23 with a calf pressure — and nonetheless and not using a clear timeline for his return — Lindor can’t set the desk or stabilize the center infield for the Mets. New York performed higher this previous week, however accidents to so a lot of their key offensive gamers make an already uphill climb again to rivalry steeper. — Britton
Record: 24-23
Last Power Ranking: 18
Wish you had been right here: Kyle Teel
In case you haven’t been paying consideration, the 2026 White Sox are good, and dare I say, must-watch TV. Granted, current historical past (102 losses in 2025, 121 losses in 2024) hasn’t given anybody a motive to care, however right here’s your invite to leap on the bandwagon. The Sox are in agency rivalry within the AL Central. Odds are, they’d in all probability be main if they’d the providers of Teel, who’s been out since March 25 with a hamstring pressure that he suffered throughout the World Baseball Classic. He tweaked his knee on May 16 and might be re-evaluated on Tuesday. As a rookie, he posted 1.9 fWAR in simply 78 video games, third-most on the team. That kind of manufacturing is onerous to interchange, and it’s displaying early. — Flores
Record: 24-24
Last Power Ranking: T-21
Wish you had been right here: Eugenio Suárez from the primary half of 2025
After ending final season with the Tenth-fewest dwelling runs, regardless of taking part in 81 of their video games at Great American Ball Park, which ranked in the Top 5 for Park Factor, the Reds sought an influence bat and signed one in a reunion with Suárez on a one-year deal. So far, that’s not what they’ve gotten. Before occurring the IL with a left indirect pressure, Suárez had simply three homers and a wRC+ of 84. As an entire, the Reds haven’t struggled to hit homers, having the fifth-most in MLB (61) this season. But they’re additionally fluttering round .500 and have scored the fewest runs in a aggressive NL Central. There’s little question they’d like to have the Suárez who clubbed 36 homers in final season’s first half. — Flores
Record: 22-26
Last Power Ranking: T-21
Wish you had been right here: Louis Varland
Nearly one yr in the past, the Twins traded away 10 gamers off their major-league roster on the deadline, receiving gamers and prospects of varied statuses in return. Almost a yr later, none sting greater than Varland. Not solely as a result of he was a Minnesota native, however due to the 0.38 ERA he sports activities this season for the Blue Jays. Meanwhile, Twins relievers have a 5.16 ERA mark, third-worst within the league. The final time Varland allowed a run (April 25), Kyle Schwarber was sitting at eight homers. He’s as much as a league-leading 20 on the yr. — Flores
Record: 22-26
Last Power Ranking: T-15
Wish you had been right here: Robby Snelling
Nothing bums us out fairly as a lot as a proficient pitcher hitting the IL with a regarding elbow harm, and it’s particularly disappointing when the proficient pitcher is a extremely rated prospect coming off his major-league debut. That’s the case for Snelling, who is on the IL due to a sprained UCL after only one begin within the bigs. A wholesome return from the 22-year-old can be a serious increase to a strong if unspectacular rotation. — Britton
Record: 20-27
Last Power Ranking: 17
Wish you had been right here: An infielder who may hit
It doesn’t need to be Alex Bregman, who is off to an solely respectable begin with the Cubs. But Boston fairly clearly wanted yet another infield bat coming into the season, and that want is solely extra acute now. Entering Monday, Marcelo Mayer, Trevor Story and Caleb Durbin have mixed to hit .196/.256/.287. That’s a .544 OPS from three-quarters of the infield. That’s an enormous motive why the Sox, in contrast to the Phillies, haven’t made a run since making a change at supervisor. —Britton
Record: 21-27
Last Power Ranking: 28
Wish you had been right here: Jim Palmer, Mike Cuellar, Pat Dobson and Dave McNally
Baltimore’s offense isn’t world-beating, nevertheless it’s coming round. Adley Rutschman is off to an encouraging begin, and Pete Alonso has appeared extra like his homer-hitting self in May. That beginning rotation, although, stays as massive an issue as ever. Trevor Rogers’ exceptional run final season seems like a mirage. Shane Baz nonetheless hasn’t translated his great things into good outcomes, and Chris Bassitt is off to a tough begin himself. It makes you lengthy for the legendary 1971 rotation with 4 20-game winners. Really, the O’s can be pleased with any one in all them. — Britton
Record: 23-25
Last Power Ranking: 23
Wish you had been right here: Josiah Gray
The Nationals’ offense has been one of many sport’s greatest surprises by greater than 1 / 4 of the season, main the league in runs per recreation coming into Monday. The pitching employees, sadly, has not been a shock in main the league in runs allowed per recreation. It can be unfair to anticipate Gray, who hasn’t pitched since early within the 2024 season, to alter that. But Gray’s continued well being challenges since a very nice 2023 season are one motive Washington’s rebuild has lasted this lengthy, and why this yr’s team isn’t much more of an early darkish horse within the National League. — Britton
Record: 20-28
Last Power Ranking: 20
Wish you had been right here: World Baseball Classic Vinnie Pasquantino
Quite a bit can occur in 70 days. Back then, Pasquantino was crushing espresso pictures and main Team Italy on a Cinderella run by this yr’s World Baseball Classic. His three homers in a single recreation had been a WBC first, and he completed with a .970 OPS and extra walks (7) than strikeouts (5), giving Royals followers outsized hope that he may carry that manufacturing into the season. So a lot for that. Pasquantino has a 74 wRC+ on the yr, with simply 5 homers in 45 video games. His batted-ball information is worse than 2025, so he’s not totally unfortunate. Perhaps the Royals ought to pry again the espresso machine from the winning bidder. — Flores
Record: 20-28
Last Power Ranking: 30
Wish you had been right here: Logan Webb
There’s extra that ails the Giants than simply their rotation depth, however points are hardly ever made higher by shedding an ace. Webb had a depressing begin to the season — permitting seven runs (six earned) in 5 innings on Opening Day — after which appeared to settle in considerably earlier than occurring the injured listing with proper knee bursitis after getting smoked by the San Diego Padres on May 5. Robbie Ray has been a shiny spot early for the San Francisco rotation, coming into the week with a 3.04 ERA by 9 begins, however the Giants aren’t turning the ship round this season with out Webb main the way in which. He can’t come again quickly sufficient. — Nesbitt
Record: 19-30
Last Power Ranking: T-26
Wish you had been right here: Hunter Brown
There’s no scarcity of candidates right here, from the gamers on the Astros’ prolonged injured listing — Jeremy Peña, Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve, Josh Hader and Yainer Díaz, to call solely a handful — to the starter who walked in free company, Framber Valdez. Astros pitching has been abysmal this season. They have the worst employees ERA within the majors (5.43) by practically half a run. Brown, who completed third in AL Cy Young voting final yr, tossed 10 2/3 innings of one-run baseball in March earlier than struggling a shoulder pressure. He lately moved to the 60-day IL. Brown may return by the center of June. By then, although, Houston’s season could already be sunk. — Nesbitt
Record: 17-31
Last Power Ranking: 25
Wish you had been right here: Taylor Ward
Ward is nonetheless looking for barrels in Baltimore — he has just one homer there after hammering 36 final yr — however is off to a pleasant begin regardless by main the league in doubles and walks. The Angels are a large number. It doesn’t assist that when Grayson Rodriguez, the participant Ward was traded for, lastly got here off the injured listing Sunday to make his Angels debut, he was blitzed by the Dodgers. The Angels changed Ward by buying and selling for Rays left fielder Josh Lowe in a three-team commerce that despatched a strong lefty reliever, Brock Burke, to Cincinnati. Lowe is batting .179 in a part-time function, his .225 on-base proportion a full 194 factors decrease than Ward’s. — Nesbitt
Record: 18-29
Last Power Ranking: 29
Wish you had been right here: Chase Dollander
If there’s one factor the Rockies can’t afford to lose, it’s beginning pitching. That’s why alarm bells sounded over the weekend as Dollander was positioned on the injured listing with a proper elbow sprain. Rockies starters have the worst ERA (5.64) within the majors, and it’s not shut. Dollander, in the meantime, allowed two runs or fewer in seven of his 9 outings earlier than the harm. The ninth general choose within the 2023 MLB Draft, Dollander struggled as a rookie final season, going 2-12 with a 6.52 ERA, however the hard-throwing right-hander has discovered much better outcomes with a stronger pitch combine this yr. — Nesbitt