The Dodgers were ranked No. 1 in the latest MLB power rankings, with the Braves second, the Yankees third, the Padres fourth and the Cubs fifth as teams began to separate themselves with May just around the corner.
That early-season split is already carrying real consequences. The Red Sox and Phillies have fired their managers after miserable starts, while the Mets and Astros have skippers under scrutiny, a sign that patience is thinning before the calendar even turns fully to May.
Los Angeles earned the top spot on the strength of a rotation that ranked among the best in MLB, even if the picture was not spotless. Roki Sasaki had a roller coaster experience, Blake Snell had yet to throw a pitch in 2026 and the bullpen remained a big question with Edwin Díaz out.
Atlanta’s case was built on separation, too. The Braves had a large early lead atop the NL East, giving them the kind of cushion that makes an April ranking feel more like an early warning to the rest of the league than a snapshot of the moment.
New York also made its case through pitching, with the Yankees’ rotation highlighted as their strength. Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón had not yet returned but were expected back in the coming weeks, leaving Luis Gil as the one weak link in a staff that otherwise looked built to hold up.
The Padres carried a sharper warning. Their team ERA ballooned from 3.22 to 4.07 over the past five games after their April 21 win at Coors Field, when they shut out the Rockies in a rare 1-0 victory. The change was enough to show how quickly a hot start can wobble.
That is what makes this ranking more than an exercise in ordering clubs. It is an early map of who has real footing, who is hanging on, and who is already hearing the noise that comes with a long season closing in on its first hard turn.
