MLB Power Rankings Week 3: NL dominates top 10

One week early on in an MLB season can bring a whole lot of change -- and that's exactly what we saw in our Week 3 power rankings.

Though the top of the list stands strong with the Dodgers and Yankees, the rest of it saw quite a bit of change. The Mets, on an eight-game losing streak, plummeted from No. 5 all the way to 18. Similarly, Houston saw its ranking drop from ninth last week to No. 24 after losing nine of 10 games before pulling off a narrow win over Colorado on Tuesday.

Minnesota, currently atop its division, jumped up from 24th to 14th and the Pirates have entered the top 10, debuting at No. 8, following a strong start to the season.

Where does your favorite club stand three weeks into the 2026 season?

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 Alden Gonzalez, David Schoenfield and Buster Olney to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.

Week 2 | Preseason rankings

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

Record:14-4

Preseason ranking:1

Yoshinobu Yamamoto surrendered a leadoff home run to Francisco Lindor on Tuesday, then proceeded to retire 20 consecutive batters. By the end of the night, he had matched young phenom Nolan McLean pitch for pitch and lasted into the eighth inning, giving the Dodgers a chance to win the game in the bottom half. Yamamoto finished third in National League Cy Young Award voting last year, a distinction that did not account for his efforts in October. He has followed that by representing Japan in the World Baseball Classic and beginning the ensuing regular season with a 2.10 ERA through four starts. There is no one like him. -- Gonzalez

2. New York Yankees

Record:10-8

Preseason ranking:2

Jose Caballero opened this season with an opportunity to seize the team's shortstop job. He had a couple of big hits in the past week but has struggled overall: He has an OBP of .238 and an OPS+ of 55 through 17 games. When Anthony Volpe finishes his minor league rehabilitation assignment in about two weeks, he'll presumably slide back into the everyday lineup at shortstop immediately. -- Olney

3. Atlanta Braves

Record:12-7

Preseason ranking:6

The Braves began their season with a rash of injuries to their rotation and the season-long, PED-related suspension of outfielder Jurickson Profar. Three weeks in, Austin Riley and Ronald Acuna Jr. have yet to really get going. And yet, within a landscape in which almost everybody is hovering around .500, the Braves have separated themselves early, winning 12 of their first 19 and outscoring teams by a combined 44 runs. Their offense has scored the most runs and their pitching staff is tied for the second-fewest allowed.And thoughDrake Baldwin, Matt Olson, Chris Sale and Raisel Iglesias are doing what we'd all expect, the likes of Mauricio Dubon, Dominic Smith, Reynaldo Lopez and Bryce Elder have really stepped up. -- Gonzalez

4. San Diego Padres

Record:12-6

Preseason ranking:19

There was a thought going into the offseason that the Padres might try to convert Mason Miller into a starting pitcher. It made some sense -- they were going to be low on starters, and Miller has always possessed the ability to pitch more than an inning at a time. Ultimately, though, the organization backed off, and that has been a gift for baseball fans everywhere -- because Miller could be on the verge of a historic season as a closer. The 27-year-old right-hander has faced 27 batters this season and has struck out a whopping 20 of them. He has registered 8 scoreless innings, during which he has allowed only two baserunners. And he is at the center of a Padres team that is surging early. -- Gonzalez

5. Philadelphia Phillies

Record:8-10

Preseason ranking:4

Zack Wheeler's prognosis was wholly uncertain when he was diagnosed with a blood clot last August. Now, though, his return is nigh. Wheeler made his fourth rehab start for the Phillies' Double-A affiliate on Tuesday, striking out nine batters and giving up three runs over 5 innings. He'll make only one more, then should rejoin the Phillies' rotation before the end of the month. Wheeler has been one of the game's best, most durable starting pitchers over the past eight years. Not only are the Phillies getting him back -- and adding him to what should be a superb rotation alongside Cristopher Sanchez, Andrew Painter, Jesus Luzardo and Aaron Nola -- they're seemingly getting him in his previous form. -- Gonzalez

6. Seattle Mariners

Record:8-11

Preseason ranking:7

Did the Mariners fix their offensive woes or was the four-game sweep of the Astros merely a reflection of Houston's inept pitching? Julio Rodriguez went 7-for-17 in the series with his first home run and first extra-base hits. Josh Naylor hit his first two home runs in the series finale, although both home runs came off cookies from Mike Burrows. J.P. Crawford went 4-for-11 with seven walks. But facing a much better pitcher in San Diego's Michael King on Tuesday, the Mariners were held to one run and four hits. -- Schoenfield

7. Detroit Tigers

Record:9-9

Preseason ranking:8

Detroit has ripped off five straight wins, and the pitching that the Tigers worked hard to improve in the offseason has started to manifest. Framber Valdez held the Royals to one run over seven innings Tuesday, two days after Tarik Skubal stifled the Marlins. Monday's off day was crucial for the Detroit bullpen, after the Tigers had played 10 games in 10 days. Kyle Finnegan has yet to give up a run in eight appearances. -- Olney

8. Pittsburgh Pirates

Record:11-7

Preseason ranking:13

One reason for Oneil Cruz's hot start: He's hitting left-handed pitching. Last season, he had only 11 hits all season against southpaws, batting .102. He already has eight hits against them in 2026, including three home runs. Over the winter, Cruz worked on improving against lefties, which included the Pirates sending a left-handed pitcher to throw batting practice to Cruz back home in the Dominican Republic. -- Schoenfield

9. Milwaukee Brewers

Record:9-8

Preseason ranking:3

It has been a tough few days for the Brewers. Christian Yelich is expected to be out a month because of an adductor strain after leaving Sunday's game. Offense at third base and shortstop -- the Brewers don't have a home run from either position -- continues to be a problem. And Trevor Megillwas booed at home Tuesday after giving up three runs in the ninth in a 10-inning loss to the Blue Jays. He has given up seven runs his past two outings and manager Pat Murphy said he'll have to consider other options for closing games. -- Schoenfield

10. Chicago Cubs

Record:9-9

Preseason ranking:10

In 2025, Michael Busch ranked 13th in the majors in slugging percentage and Pete Crow-Armstrong ranked 27th as the two combined for 65 home runs (and 10.6 WAR). So far this season, Busch hasn't homered and PCA has hit only one. Seiya Suzuki, who hit 32 home runs last year, sat out the first two weeks and is also still searching for his first home run. Despite those starts, the Cubs are still averaging 5.22 runs per game, above the MLB average. PCA's 23-3 strikeouts-to-walks ratio remains a concern, but Chicago should still end up as one of the better offensive teams in the majors. -- Schoenfield

11. Texas Rangers

Record:9-9

Preseason ranking:15

The Marcus Semien-for-Brandon Nimmo trade has paid early returns. Though Semien has struggled with the Mets, Nimmo has been the Rangers' best offensive player, ranking among the MLB leaders in batting average while swatting eight extra-base hits. But he hasn't had a lot of help, as key hitters such asCorey Seager and Wyatt Langfordare hovering around .200 (Seager) or below (Langford).Nathan Eovaldi came out of the gate with two rough starts but has righted himself with two strong outings to beat the Mariners and A's. -- Schoenfield

12. Baltimore Orioles

Record:9-9

Preseason ranking:17

During Pete Alonso's years with the Mets, he could be streaky -- and we've seen that in his first few weeks with Baltimore. But there are signs that he's about to go on a heater. Over the past three games, he has drawn six walks and struck out twice, a sign that he isn't chasing pitches out of the strike zone. And on Monday, he bashed a home run in the Orioles' 9-7 win over Arizona. -- Olney

13. Cleveland Guardians

Record:10-9

Preseason ranking:14

Every season, Cleveland's front office works to manage payroll and compete with the relative nickels it has -- and despite that, every year, the Guardians generate pitching that keeps them in contention. Rotation members Parker Messick, Joey Cantillo and Gavin Williams are all off to strong starts to this season, and Erik Sabrowski has become one of baseball's most consistent set-up men, with 14 strikeouts in his first nine innings. -- Olney

14. Minnesota Twins

Record:11-8

Preseason ranking:24

Former Twins manager Rocco Baldelli is working with the Dodgers' organization, and standing on the field at Dodger Stadium earlier this week, he said he told friends all winter that Minnesota would be better than expected because of some of the high-end talent it has. Like Taj Bradley, who generated a 1.25 ERA in his first four starts, and, of course, Joe Ryan, who was sought by other teams at the trade deadline last summer. The Twins currently have one of the best records in the AL.-- Olney

15. Tampa Bay Rays

Record:10-7

Preseason ranking:18

You can bet the Yankees' coaching staff will go to work with the team's infielders after Tampa Bay bunted and ran aggressively against New York in last weekend's series. There were a couple of key instances when New York first baseman Ben Rice charged a bunt and no one covered first base, withJazz Chisholm Jr.pinched to the middle. It seemed as if Tampa Bay were a basketball team running a full-court press the Yankees were seeing for the first time. The Rays face the Yankees next May 22-24. -- Olney

16. Cincinnati Reds

Record:11-7

Preseason ranking:11

It has been an odd start for the Reds: They're over .500 and sit atop the division but have been outscored and struggled mightily to score runs, hitting just .207 as a team. But they're 4-0 in one-run games and 0-4 in blowout games. Noelvi Marte was already been sent down to Triple-A after a slow start, and you wonder what the Reds will do withKe'Bryan Hayes. He had a 62 OPS+ in 2024 and 65 in 2025, which is about the absolute bare minimum for a good fielder to remain in the lineup. Hayes has started 3-for-44 (.068) with no extra-base hits. He's signed through 2029, so the Reds will give him a chance, but Eugenio Suarez might want to get that third-base glove ready. -- Schoenfield

17. Toronto Blue Jays

Record:7-10

Preseason ranking:12

With Toronto's pitching devastated by injuries, the everyday lineup might have to carry the Jays for a bit, creating little margin for error -- but not to worry, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is heating up. Including a three-hit game Tuesday, he has 11 hits in his past 23 at-bats, with four doubles, four walks and two strikeouts. -- Olney

18. New York Mets

Record:7-12

Preseason ranking:5

The Mets were shut out for a second straight time Monday, extending their losing streak to six. Over the course of two games, they had accumulated 22 ground ball outs. They needed to get back to hitting the baseball into the air. More importantly, they needed to score runs. And so the start of Tuesday's game provided a welcomed sign, whenFrancisco Lindorled off with a home run -- but then the next 20 Mets hitters were retired in order. They did not score again, ultimately extending their losing streak to seven games. It is now eight, after getting swept at Dodger Stadium. In that stretch, the Mets have accumulated 12 runs and slashed .175/.213/.257 -- all with Juan Soto out because of a calf strain. It's getting late early in Queens. -- Gonzalez

19. Arizona Diamondbacks

Record:11-8

Preseason ranking:22

The Diamondbacks began their season by being swept by the two-time defending champion Dodgers, but they have since won 11 of 16, maintaining strong hopes of staying in the race while reinforcements return from the injured list. The first of those was Merrill Kelly, who took the ball Tuesday night and helped his team defeat the Orioles. Kelly wasn't great, but he recovered nicely after rough second and third innings, ultimately pitching into the sixth.

"It's so Merrill, isn't it" D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. "He gets himself into trouble, takes a deep breath, and just executes to get out of a jam." -- Gonzalez

20. Boston Red Sox

Record:7-11

Preseason ranking:20

Garrett Crochet and manager Alex Cora assured reporters that the left-hander is healthy after his ugly start Monday, when he gave up 11 runs in 1 innings and generated only three missed swings among 55 pitches. But Crochet's early-season velocity dip has caught the attention of rival evaluators. "He didn't get above 96 mph," one of them said. "Last year, it was like he was never below 96 mph, and he could overpower you." Crochet's next scheduled start is against the Tigers on Sunday. -- Olney

21. Miami Marlins

Record:9-10

Preseason ranking:21

There are few more interesting pitchers to monitor this season than Sandy Alcantara, the former Cy Young Award winner who is navigating his second season since Tommy John surgery and, given the proclivities of the Marlins' front office, could become a prime trade candidate in July. Alcantara struggled for most of last year, but he finished pretty strong and was looking like his previous dominant self early in 2026, giving up two earned runs across 24 innings in his first three starts. In a matchup against Skubal on Sunday, though, Alcantara struggled, giving up seven runs, 10 hits and two walks in six innings. -- Gonzalez

22. Athletics

Record:10-8

Preseason ranking:26

The two-series trip to New York couldn't have gone much better as the A's took two of three from the Yankees and then swept the Mets. This included two 1-0 wins, with Jeffrey Springs beating the Yankees on a combined one-hitter, and then Aaron Civale and four relievers blanking the Mets on four hits. Springs followed up with another strong outing to beat the Rangers 2-1 on Tuesday and is now 3-0 with a 1.46 ERA and a .134 average against. -- Schoenfield

23. Kansas City Royals

Record:7-11

Preseason ranking:16

Of all statistics in the big leagues so far this season, this might be the most impossible:Bobby Witt Jr. has scored one run in 18 games, despite the fact that he's really fast and has a .346 on-base percentage, with 17 hits and 10 walks. And on top of that, he has eight steals. But nobody has been driving him in, as a big early-season issue for Kansas City has been the struggles of the guys in the middle of the lineup. Vinnie Pasquantino has a .444 OPS and Salvador Perez a .477 OPS.-- Olney

24. Houston Astros

Record:8-11

Preseason ranking:9

It was a disastrous weekend for the Astros, losing four games to the Mariners to extend their losing streak to eight games before finally winning Tuesday. Houston pitchers walked 26 batters in the first three games against Seattle. To make matters worse, Tatsuya Imai joined Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier on the IL because of "shoulder fatigue," also known as "can't throw strikes" after walking 11 batters in his first 8 major league innings. The Astros already have the worst rotation ERA in the majors and now they have to dig deep into their depth. -- Schoenfield

25. Los Angeles Angels

Record:9-10

Preseason ranking:23

Jose Soriano's electric start to 2026 has the baseball world buzzing. He's 4-0 with a 0.33 ERA, giving up one run in 27 innings and only nine hits. Now 27, Soriano has always had a great arm while relying heavily on his sinker/knuckle-curve combo and struggling with his control. This year, he has upped his four-seam fastball usage from 8.6% to 23.4%, which has made his sinker even more effective. Throw in a wipeout splitter he'll use primarily against lefties, and the complete arsenal has been unhittable so far, while he has kept the walks under control. It's hard to say if the Angels have enough to surprise, but having a legitimate ace is a good start. Soriano is looking like one. -- Schoenfield

26. St. Louis Cardinals

Record:10-8

Preseason ranking:25

With Jordan Walker continuing to rake -- he leads the majors with eight home runs and ranks fourth in slugging percentage -- the Cardinals have continued to hang around .500 (a 4-0 record in extra innings has been key). But their long-term success will hinge on a starting rotation that ranks last in the majors with a strikeout rate around 13% -- far below the MLB average for starters. The Cardinals were in a similar spot a year ago, ranking ahead of only the Rockies. -- Schoenfield

27. San Francisco Giants

Record:6-12

Preseason ranking:27

The Giants began their season with a humiliating sweep at home against the Yankees, and things have not gotten much better since for rookie manager Tony Vitello. We're three weeks in, and the Giants have already absorbed three losing streaks of at least three games.Logan Webb's ERA starts with a 5, Rafael Deversis OPS'ing .609, Giants outfielders -- includingHarrison Bader, who was just lost to a hamstring injury -- have combined to slash just .180/.218/.258, and the entire team has amassed a major league-worst nine home runs. A turnaround is likely, but it needs to happen soon. -- Gonzalez

28. Washington Nationals

Record:8-10

Preseason ranking:28

The Nationals have boasted one of the sport's best offenses over these first three weeks, all thanks to their two most important players. James Wood went 12-for-22 with three home runs, eight RBIs and one steal of home to win NL Player of the Week honors last week.CJ Abrams, meanwhile, is slashing .367/.458/.717 with six home runs and 19 RBIs while reaching base safely in 16 of 17 games this season. Just as encouraging: He has nearly doubled his walk rate from last season. As Nationals manager Blake Butera told reporters last weekend: "There are a lot of positives with CJ's game right now." -- Gonzalez

29. Chicago White Sox

Record:6-12

Preseason ranking:29

The trade of Lenyn Sosa earlier this week was a classic case of a rebuilding team using its assets to attempt to augment its future. Sosa has largely been a journeyman in his career and probably would not have been with the team when the White Sox become relevant again. So, with the Blue Jays decimated by injuries and searching for roster Band-Aids, Chicago flipped Sosa to Toronto for 18-year-old outfielder Jordan Rich and a player to be named later or cash considerations. -- Olney

30. Colorado Rockies

Record:6-12

Preseason ranking:30

The Rockies hit the road last week on the heels of a four-game winning streak, then got brought down to earth pretty quickly in San Diego. They lost the first two games in walk-off fashion, dropped a third against former staff ace German Marquez, then watched their longtime rotation anchor, Kyle Freeland, get scratched from the fourth. Freeland experienced lingering shoulder soreness while warming up for Sunday's series finale and will await his prognosis. The 32-year-old left-hander is off to a nice start, posting a 2.30 ERA with 13 strikeouts against four walks (albeit four hit by pitches, too) in his first three starts. The hope is he can just treat this with rest. -- Gonzalez

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