MLB Power Rankings, Award Tracker: Dodgers, Mets fall

Each week, The California Post will power rank MLB’s 30 teams and check in on one intriguing awards race. Here is this week’s edition (records through Thursday):

1) Braves (22-10): Another week, another couple series wins for the Braves, who not only have the best record in baseball but also have yet to drop a series all year (9-0-1). Granted, they haven’t played the toughest schedule. But their plus-66 run difference is still tied with the Dodgers atop the majors. Thus, they become the first team in these rankings this year to unseat LA at the No. 1 spot. (Last week: 3rd).

2) Yankees (20-11): Remember when the Mets and Yankees were on simultaneous five-game slides? Well, while the Mets have kept floundering since then (more on them much, much, much later), the Yankees have taken off. They’re 12-4 in their last 16. They won eight in a row at one point. And they are cruising behind MLB-best pitching (team 3.11 ERA) and a resurgence from Aaron Judge (.288 average, nine home runs since April 12). (Last week: 2nd)

3) Dodgers (20-11): A couple weeks ago, we here at The California Post foolishly asked if the Dodgers have any weaknesses. Turns out, they do: First and foremost lately, an offense that has largely slumped during a 5-7 rut. Eventually, their superstars should get back on track (Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, Kyle Tucker and Teoscar Hernández all have a sub-.750 OPS). But for now, it’s enough to knock them down in these rankings, following a puzzling series loss to the Marlins. (Last week: 1st).

4) Cubs (19-12): The Cubs had their 10-game win streak snapped during a series loss in LA but still managed to go .500 on their Southern California road trip by taking two of three from the Padres. It helps to have five regulars batting at least .290, tied with the Braves for most in the majors. (Last week: 4th)

5) Padres (19-11): The Padres not only lost three of five games this week but also saw Mason Miller’s scoreless streak to start the season snapped on a missed foul ball call. The good news: They are still just a half-game back of the Dodgers in the NL West. (Last week: 5th)

6) Rays (18-12): It might be time to stop ignoring the Rays. They’ve won 13 of 18, have allowed more than five runs just four times in that span and are quietly off to the second-best start in the American League. (Last week: 13th) 

7) Brewers (16-14): It’s a good thing the two youngest pitchers in Milwaukee’s rotation are excelling: Jacob Misiorowski (3.31 ERA, NL-most 51 strikeouts) and Kyle Harrison (2.28 ERA). Because their most experienced starter, Brandon Woodruff, suffered a concerning velocity drop Thursday. (Last week: 6th)

8) Reds (20-11): The Reds have allowed three more runs than they’ve scored –– and yet have won almost twice as many games as they’ve lost. We’ll give them credit for remaining perfect in both one-run and extra-inning contests. But they have #RegressionToTheMean written all over them. (Last week: 11th).

9) Dbacks (16-14): For a third straight week, let’s focus on Ildemaro Vargas, who has a hit in all 23 games he has played this year. It’s helping offset a slow start from Ketel Marte (who has a sub-.700 OPS after an offseason of trade rumors) and a work-in-progress pitching staff. (Last week: 10th)

10) Mariners (16-16): We had kept the Mariners higher than most in these rankings after their slow start. And this week, they rewarded us with a 5-1 performance on a six-game road trip. In a weak AL West, that was enough to move back within a game of first. (Last week: 15th)

11) Cardinals (18-13): In what was supposed to be a rebuilding year, the Cardinals’ young offense looks ahead of schedule, led by the dynamic duo of 23-year-olds Jordan Walker and JJ Wetherholt at the top of the lineup (16 combined HRs, 39 total RBIs). (Last week: 18th)

12) Rangers (15-16): Maybe the Rangers’ lineup isn’t as fixed as we once thought. After a disastrous 2025 offensively, they are back in this year’s bottom seven in runs, OPS and strikeout rate. (Last week: 7th)

13) Pirates (16-16): Turns out Paul Skenes and the previously surging Pirates have the same kryptonite: the Cardinals. Not only did Pittsburgh get swept by St. Louis in a four-game series at PNC Park this week, but Skenes fell to 0-5 in his career against the division rival. For context, he has only 10 other losses to the rest of the league combined. (Last week: 8th). 

14) Guardians (16-16): Former No. 1 overall pick Travis Bazzana is here, and the Guardians could use him. Their .685 team OPS is second worst in the AL. (Last week: 9th)

15) Tigers (16-16): The Kenley Jansen experience took a turn for the worst this week with two blown saves. But the Tigers’ rotation is rounding into one of the best in the majors, ranking sixth with a 3.69 ERA. (Last week: 12th)

16) Blue Jays (14-17): Finally, the Blue Jays got an important player back from the injured list, earning a win in Trey Yesavage’s scoreless 5 ⅓-inning season debut. For the first time since the start of the year, they won more games than they lost this week. (Last week: 16th)

17) Marlins (15-16): It had been eight years since the Marlins last won a series at Dodger Stadium. After getting walked off Monday, they’d lost nine straight games at Chavez Ravine. But then, their pitching staff held the Dodgers to three runs in back-to-back wins, moving into the top 10 in team ERA this year. A surprise result from a surprise club thus far. (Last week: 22nd)

18) Orioles (15-16): Former No. 1 overall draft pick Adley Rutschman is pacing toward a breakout year (.356 average, 4 home runs, 17 RBI, 1.067 OPS). Unfortunately, his pitching staff ranks 20th in ERA and just put Opening Day starter Trevor Rogers on the injured list. (Last week: 14th)

19) Athletics (17-14): We’re not buying the first-place A’s yet but a hat-tip to Nick Kurtz, who is making history with his 19-game walk streak. (Last week: 23rd)

20) Phillies (12-19): The Phillies fired Rob Thomson … but got back Zack Wheeler. Then, they won a series against the Giants. They feel like less of a lost cause than some other big-market teams further down this list. (Last week: 20th)

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21) Giants (13-18): The Giants continue to spin their wheels, even after a series win against the Dodgers last week. They followed it up by taking two of three from the Marlins, then dropping a series in Philadelphia. It might help if Willy Adames and Rafael Devers didn’t each have an OPS that begins with a five. (Last week: 17th)

22) Nationals (15-17): In this week’s edition of strange early-season stats: The Nats are tied with the Yankees for the most road wins in baseball (12). That’d be great, if they weren’t also 3-10 at home. (Last week: 27th)

23) Astros (12-20): Last week, we said the Astros had a litmus-test series coming up against the Yankees. Well, they lost two of three while getting outscored 24-14, en route to another disappointing 2-4 week. (Last week: 24th) 

24) Red Sox (12-19): Craig Breslow threw Alex Cora and the Red Sox’s hitting staff under the bus with this week’s firings. But maybe he should examine what has happened to a starting rotation he has spent a lot of money and resources building. Right now, Boston’s starters have the fourth-worst ERA in the majors. (Last week: 25th)

25) Rockies (14-18): People have started noticing the Rockies are better than expected (or, at least, not nearly as dismal as last year’s historically bad team). That doesn’t mean they’re actually good yet. But, hey, it’s better than the Mets, whom they swept in New York last weekend. (Last week: 28th)

26) White Sox (14-17): Munetaka Murakami is officially the new king of the Three True Outcomes. His 12 home runs are tied with Yordan Alvarez and Judge for most in the majors. His 25 walks and 46 strikeouts both rank top five. (Last week: 29th)

27) Royals (12-19): We aren’t quite sure why Royals-Angels was last weekend’s “Sunday Night Baseball” game. But (after a rain delay) the Royals made it a good show with a ninth-inning comeback and 10th-inning walk-off. That gave them their first sweep this year. (Last week: 30th)

28) Twins (14-18): The Twins’ hot start is officially over. They’d lost eight of 10 games entering Thursday and are quickly trending toward the kind of abject rebuilding season that was expected the whole time. (Last: 21st)

29) Angels (12-20): Oh, boy. The feel-good stories of Mike Trout’s and José Soriano’s hot starts could only overshadow the Angels’ structural flaws for so long. They’ve lost six in a row and seen their bullpen implode. (Last week: 26th)

30) Mets (10-21): We’ve waited long enough. After giving the Mets the benefit of the doubt last week, their recent 3-6 homestand (against the Twins, Rockies and Nationals no less!) leaves us no choice. They have the worst record in MLB, the second-fewest runs scored and easily the darkest vibes –– which is saying something given the way the Phillies, Red Sox and Astros have started. Thus, welcome to the bottom of these rankings. Hard to say it isn’t deserved. (Last week: 19th)

AWARD TRACKER: NATIONAL LEAGUE MVP

1) Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers (.273 average, 6 HR, 13 RBIs, .897 OPS as hitter; 2-1, 0.60 ERA, 34 Ks as pitcher; 2.2 fWAR)

Ohtani’s Cy Young case is starting to look real, which means his MVP case is once again rock solid –– despite a slower-than-normal start at the plate. Must be nice to not have your best swing for a month and still lead all of the majors in combined WAR, according to Fangraphs.

2) Matt Olson, Braves (.296 average, 9 HR, 28 RBIs, .987 OPS; 1.7 fWAR)

The most amazing part about the Braves’ hot start might be that Ronald Acuña Jr. and Austin Riley have both been subpar. Olson, however, has more than compensated by ranking second in the NL in both OPS and RBIs. His nine home runs are also tied for fourth, while his 22 extra-base hits are five more than anyone else.

3) Kyle Schwarber, Phillies (.218 average, 11 HR, 19 RBIs, .959 OPS; 0.5 fWAR)

This is more of a forward-looking prediction, with the guess here that Schwarber will finish with much better than a low-.200s batting average this year.

Even with that mark, he’s leading the league in homers and is on pace for almost 60. And if the Phillies can drag themselves back into the playoff picture, he’ll have the narrative factor on his side.