Matt Johnson
Another month of the 2026 Major League Baseball season is drawing to a close. Following the action this weekend, all 30 clubs will have played at least 60 games with two full months in the books. There’s ample data to evaluate these teams.
Let’s dive right into our latest MLB power rankings with stats entering play on Friday, May 29. This week, we’re highlighting a standout player on each team.
1. Atlanta Braves (1)
The Atlanta Braves are the best team in MLB right now for a few reasons. What’s worth highlighting this month is the Braves’ bullpen. Led by Didier Fuentes (0.79 ERA in 11.1 innings pitched), Robert Suarez (0.84 ERA in 10.2 IP), Dylan Lee (1.64 ERA in 11.0 IP) and Reynado Lopez (3.38 ERA in 10.2 IP), this unit is outstanding at protecting leads late in games. Now just imagine what might happen if the Braves lineup starts getting more from Ozzie Albies (.600 OPS in May) and Ronald Acuña Jr. (.708 OPS in May) and eventually gets Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy back.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers (3)
Andy Pages just keeps producing like a future Silver Slugger Award winner. The Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder finished April with a .319/.371/.521 triple-slash line with an .893 OPS, 4 home runs, 4 steals and 20 RBI. Did regression come in May? No, he boasts a .917 OPS with 8 home runs, 3 steals and 25 RBI. Oh, the Dodgers also entered Friday with a 16-9 record this month and that’s with the likes of Edwin Diaz, Tommy Edman, Mookie Betts, Tyler Glasnow, Brusdar Graterol and Blake Snell all spending time on the IL.
3. Milwaukee Brewers (2)
Heading into MLB games today, the Milwaukee Brewers boast the best record in baseball this month (17-6). Pitching (2.37) is the club’s calling card and ace Jacob Misiorowski gets the most attention. However, we have to recognize that Kyle Harrison (0.96 ERA, 22.7% K-BB rate and .212 batting average allowed in 28 innings pitched) is also performing like an NL Cy Young candidate. Plus, Logan Henderson and Brandon Woodruff are on the IL.
4. New York Yankees (5)
In his first two major-league starts since returning from elbow surgery, Gerrit Cole has allowed just 6 hits with 12 strikeouts across 12.2 shutout innings. When Max Fried gets back, the New York Yankees rotation will have three aces, and that could make Carlos Rodón the best No. 4 starter in baseball. We, of course, also have to recognize what Cody Bellinger (1.023 OPS) has done at the plate this month for New York. Again, we’ll say that we will always believe a team with this great of a rotation is a surefire World Series contender.
5. Cleveland Guardians (8)
Rookie Travis Bazzana has been everything the Cleveland Guardians dreamed of and more. In his first full month, the second baseman boasts a .322/.419/.489 triple-slash line with a .909 OPS. Meanwhile, the breakout year for Brayan Rocchio (.845 OPS in May) continues and even Kyle Manzardo (.270 BA and .524 SLG) has gotten on track this month. Cleveland’s pitching was already excellent, and now that it has a well-rounded lineup, this is legitimately one of the best MLB teams right now.
6. Arizona Diamondbacks (11)
It was only a matter of time until Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte got hot at the plate. In May, Marte (.330/.336/.585) and Carroll (.289/.387/.533) have torn covers off baseballs, with rookie Ryan Waldschmidt (.302/.362/.413) and veteran Nolan Arenado (.865 OPS) also making great contributions. Thanks to all that scoring, Arizona boasts a 15-10 record in May, and it’s coming off a stretch where it turned a 17-20 record (May 8) into a 31-24 mark. Now let’s see if the D-Backs can keep it going versus the Mariners and Dodgers.
7. Tampa Bay Rays (4)
After splitting the two-game series against the Yankees last weekend, the Tampa Bay Rays got swept out of Baltimore. It’s a bit alarming to see the pitching staff surrender 26 total runs in that three-game series. It warrants dropping a few spots in our MLB power rankings, but we’ll keep the faith for now that Jonathan Aranda (.966 OPS in May), Shane McClanahan (1.33 ERA), Drew Rasmussen (2.96 ERA) and Nick Martinez (1.19 ERA) can keep things from spiraling further.
8. Philadelphia Phillies (9)
The Philadelphia Phillies have looked like one of the best MLB teams in May. While they dropped a three-game series at home last week versus Cleveland, it came with an immediate recovery at the start of a West Coast trip by sweeping the Padres. There are several standouts this month on the Phillies’ roster, but Cristopher Sanchez (25 hits and 3 walks with 0 runs allowed in 39 innings) is the obvious one.
9. San Diego Padres (7)
It does say a lot about where the San Diego Padres are right now that Gavin Sheets (.895 OPS) is the only everyday player with an OPS of .720-plus this month. In related news, San Diego is 12-13 this month despite a 3.36 staff ERA with Jeremiah Estrada (1.64 ERA), Adrian Morejon (2.25 ERA), Bradgley Rodriguez (1.74 ERA) and Wandy Peralta (0 runs allowed in 12 innings) all pitching lights-out in the bullpen. Long-term sustainability will really come down to whether or not the marquee Padres hitters can turn things around.
10. Chicago Cubs (6)
The Chicago Cubs have fallen from a 27-12 record on May 8 to 31-26 entering the weekend. What’s responsible for that? A pitching staff that has the third-worst ERA (5.16) in baseball over that span. That number would be even worse if Ben Brown (2.05 ERA and 28.4% K-rate) wasn’t thriving as a starter. Still, it’s beyond evident how badly Chicago needs to acquire front-line pitching.
11. Seattle Mariners (10)
While there have been ups and downs for the Seattle Mariners this month, one constant has been power from the bats of Julio Rodriguez (8 home runs and .544 SLG), Luke Raley (6 home runs with .296/.356/.648 triple-slash line) and Randy Arozarena (.301/.382/.495). That’s helped keep Seattle around the .500 line this month. It still feels like the Mariners are capable of far better, and they have a chance to prove that this weekend versus the red-hot D-Backs.
12. Toronto Blue Jays (17)
When one player returns from injury for the Toronto Blue Jays, another goes down. Dylan Cease was the latest to hit the injured list, but Toronto has seemed to stabilize itself with a 7-2 record in the last nine games. One thing to feel good about: Trey Yesavage (2.70 ERA and .206 batting average allowed in May) has looked sharp in his return from the IL.
13. Pittsburgh Pirates (12)
The Pittsburgh Pirates have essentially been treading water this month, sitting at a 13-12 record in May. Fortunately, Spencer Horwitz (.320 batting average and .951 OPS), Brandon Lowe (.919 OPS) and rookie phenom Konnor Griffin (.354 OBP) are keeping this team’s head above water. On top of that, Jared Jones will rejoin the Pirates’ rotation on Friday in his season debut.
14. Cincinnati Reds (20)
The ups-and-downs for the 2026 Cincinnati Reds continue this week. They’ve won or split three consecutive series, getting back above the .500 line after sitting at 24-24 in the middle of May. JJ Bleday (.919 OPS in May) has been a big part of that, seemingly revitalizing his career in Cincinnati. However, it’s also worth noting that Sal Stewart (.226/.327/..335) has cooled off considerably.
15. Chicago White Sox (15)
In his latest outing—allowing 2 hits and 1 run across 6 innings—Davis Martin pushed his record to 5-0 in May, and the Chicago White Sox have won eight consecutive games with the 29-year-old on the bump. In related news, the White Sox are tied for the seventh-most wins in May (15) thanks to a batting order that has produced a .761 OPS (fourth in MLB).
16. St. Louis Cardinals (13)
As is par for the course with young teams, the St. Louis Cardinals take a slide in the latest MLB power rankings after losing six of their last seven games. Jordan Walker (.332 batting average and .995 OPS) is still producing like an All-Star with Ivan Herrera (.292 BA and .794 OPS) also performing well. Getting swept by Milwaukee is explainable, and we do think these young Cards can rebound in the next week-plus versus Texas and Cincinnati.
17. Washington Nationals (19)
We’ve highlighted the likes of Daylen Lile, James Wood and CJ Abrams throughout the year for what they’ve brought to the Washington Nationals. What’s been surprising is how great catcher Keibert Ruiz (.353 batting average and 1.045 OPS) has been at the plate this month. The Nationals’ lineup always seems to have one or two batters getting hot, which makes it a shame that the pitching staff leaves so much to be desired.
18. Sacramento Athletics (14)
There are moments when it seems like the Sacramento Athletics are finding their footing as they climb back to a winning record. Then, as we saw this week with a 1-5 record, they fall back down the proverbial hill again and have to climb back up. At least Nick Kurtz (.308 batting average and .932 OPS) is showing last year wasn’t a fluke and J.T. Ginn (3.14 ERA) has been a bright spot on the A’s pitching staff this month.
19. Minnesota Twins (21)
Byron Buxton is doing everything humanly possible to keep the Minnesota Twins going. The All-Star outfielder slashed .273/.349/.688 in May with a 1.037 OPS, 9 home runs, 16 RBI and 15 runs scored. Also promising for Minnesota, Luke Keaschall (.269/.395/.373 in May) is starting to get back on track. Unfortunately, by the time Mick Abel and Ryan Jeffers return, Minnesota will probably be even further back of .500 and facing rumors about more fire-sale trades this summer.
20. New York Mets (18)
It appeared the New York Mets had turned a corner last week. However, after taking the series against the New York Yankees, they lost seven of their last nine games. It’s particularly damning because it came against two of the worst MLB teams (Reds and Marlins) in May. Still, our MLB power rankings this week are meant to highlight a bright spot on each club. For New York, that’s youngsters Christian Scott (3.00 ERA and 27.2% K-rate) and Carson Benge (.302/.368/.385) flashing their young talent throughout the month of May.
21. Houston Astros (26)
We could’ve highlighted a healthy Yordan Alvarez performing near an MVP-caliber level, but that’s par for the course for one of the best hitters in baseball. The Houston Astros’ emerging star this season seems to be Spencer Arrighetti. In his age-26 campaign, he boasts a 7-1 record with a 1.34 ERA across eight starts. Putting his contributions into perspective, Arrighetti is responsible for 26.9 percent of the Astros’ wins in 2026.
22. Texas Rangers (16)
The Texas Rangers entered play on May 2 with a .500 record at 16-16. Since then, the team is 9-15 with a pitching staff having modest success (4.14 ERA) and a lineup that has brought next to nothing (.221/.306/.363) to the table. We have to highlight a standout, though. The nods go to Joc Pederson (.903 OPS) and Jake Burger (.810 OPS), who have really rebounded at the plate after ugly 2025 campaigns.
23. Baltimore Orioles (23)
Here’s the good news for the Baltimore Orioles. It appears they’ve found something in Brandon Young. The 27-year-old entered the weekend with a 2.91 ERA in four starts this month, and he’s allowed 3 earned runs or fewer in six of seven starts this season. Now if only the likes of Gunnar Henderson (.626 OPS in May), Taylor Ward (.250 SLG), Adley Rutschman (.293 OBP) and Jackson Holliday (.217/.296/.348) could start providing some production for this Orioles lineup.
24. Boston Red Sox (22)
We’re nearing that point where it needs to be called a lost season for the Boston Red Sox. Alex Cora and a majority of the Red Sox coaching staff, primarily on the hitting side, were fired on April 26. From April 27 to May 28, the Red Sox lineup had a .255 batting average. On the bright side, Boston can feel great about Payton Tolle (2.35 ERA and 0.85 WHIP in 30.2 IP) and Connelly Early (3.07 ERA and 23.6% K-rate in 29.1 IP) being premium front-line starters in the years to come.
25. Miami Marlins (25)
Durability, not stuff, was always the issue for Max Meyer. At a time when the Miami Marlins are seeing Sandy Alcantara’s regression continue (7.39 ERA in May) with Janson Junk also struggling, someone has needed to provide a ray of hope. It’s been Meyer. He holds a 1.76 ERA this month with a stellar 21.2 percent K-BB rate and a .168 batting average allowed over 30.2 innings. If he and Eury Perez can just get on track, Miami has two high-end arms to build around for the future.
26. Los Angeles Angels (30)
There is plenty to criticize about the Los Angeles Angels organization. What we must give them credit for is the hiring of pitching coach Mike Maddux. Jose Soriano’s breakout season rightfully gets a majority of the attention, but don’t overlook 22-year-old righty Walbert Urena. In five May starts, he compiled a 1.67 ERA with a 21.3 percent strikeout rate and a .168 batting average allowed. Command is still an issue, but the stuff he’s flashing looks really promising.
27. San Francisco Giants (24)
The San Francisco Giants are 3-7 in the last 10 games and one of just four teams that don’t have double-digit victories in May. There are no signs of hope on the horizon. It shouldn’t be long before the MLB trade rumors start popping up around this club. While the organization got a lot wrong this offseason, the Luis Arraez signing (.931 OPS in May) has given them a rental they can dangle to clubs in need of help at second base.
Related: SF Giants Held Meeting with Top Draft Prospect
28. Kansas City Royals (28)
Sitting 12 games below the .500 line on Friday, the Kansas City Royals are certainly projecting to be sellers at the MLB trade deadline. What complicates things is that starting pitchers Cole Ragans (elbow) and Kris Bubic (elbow) are on the injured list, which impacts a potential Michael Wacha trade. If Kansas City is willing to bite the proverbial bullet and further deplete its pitching depth in a lost season, Wacha’s dominance on the mound this month (2.18 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and .187 batting average allowed in 33 innings pitched) will make him a coveted mid-rotation starter among playoff contenders.
29. Detroit Tigers (27)
With all the injuries impacting the Detroit Tigers’ roster, it’s no surprise they entered MLB games today tied for the fewest wins this month (six). After all, the Tigers’ lineup ranks 29th in OPS (.611). Riley Greene isn’t to blame for it. The slugger is getting on base at a .408 clip this month with an .814 OPS; there’s just not much help around him. Unfortunately for Detroit, it’s in such a deep hole at this point that selling at the MLB trade deadline feels like the best option.
30. Colorado Rockies (30)
There have been minimal standouts from the Colorado Rockies this month, which isn’t a major surprise for one of the worst MLB teams right now. In May, the Rockies’ lineup ranked 28th in OPS (.628) with an abysmal .288 OBP. That’s even with TJ Rumfield, a 26-year-old rookie, putting up a .900 OPS with a .308 batting average. Through 26 games this month, Colorado is tied for the worst record (7-19) in baseball.
