MLB Power Rankings: Where Do All 30 Teams Stand At The Beginning Of May? (2026)

May 6, 2026

RotoBaller's MLB power rankings for all 30 teams at the beginning of May. Where does each MLB team stand in our latest power rankings for the 2026 season?

The mess of April baseball is finally behind us as we head into May. This is the month where we really start to find out whose early-season success is going to turn them into a real threat. As of now, it looks like the entire NL Central can contend with everyone at least three games over .500 already.

The month of May also helps shape the slow starts of otherwise strong contenders. Are the Astros and Mets going to find ways to get back into the race, or is Philadelphia the only slow-starting team that's maybe got it figured out?

One big thing that could help every team, regardless of record, is pitching. So let's dive into our rankings and focus on how each MLB team has fared in the pitching department. There may even be a new team at the top of our rankings. Read on and find out who that may be.

Note: Stats and rankings reflect games played through Monday, May 4th.

No. 30 - Los Angeles Angels

We not only have a new top team in our rankings, but also a new bottom team. The Angels have lost 12 of their last 14 games after losing to the Mets on Sunday (13 of 14 after losing to the White Sox on Monday night).

With their 4.58 ERA, they are tied for 22nd in the league. Jose Soriano has been one of the league's best pitchers with a ridiculous 1.74 ERA. The Angels are 6-2 when he pitches, which means they're 7-21 when anyone else takes the mound.

The rest of their staff needs to step up to make Angels baseball a little more tolerable this season.

No. 29 - San Francisco Giants

One constant with Giants baseball is that they're always going to be pretty decent in the pitching department, or at least not bad. Their 3.95 ERA is about league average this season. That's despite both Adrian Houser and Tyler Mahle having ERAs above 5.00 this season.

The bullpen has held relatively strong. So it's not been pitching that's held San Francisco back this season. It's been the lineup that's gotten them to last place in the NL West, but more on that next week.

No. 28 - Chicago White Sox

Are the White Sox on the rise? Their pitching staff had been lacking to start the season, but they've leveled out to a 4.28 ERA. That's not overly impressive, but it does make them league average.

Noah Schultz, Sean Burke, Davis Martin, and Erick Fedde all have ERAs of 3.50 or better as starters. Those are solid results! Sure, xFIP is projecting negative regression for all four of them, but that's not something Chicago fans want to focus on right now.

The White Sox are actually a fun team, even if they're not expected to be competitive this season.

No. 27 - Colorado Rockies

You don't always think about Rockies and solid pitching, but that's just about what they're doing right now. A weekend series against the Braves put a dent in the numbers, but they're currently sporting a 4.42 ERA as a staff. That ranks 19th overall.

If we look at ERA-, which is park-factored ERA, the Rockies sit at 94. That's 12th overall in the league. A key piece of that has been Chase Dollander, who's pitching to a 3.38 ERA with a 26.9% strikeout rate. It's a big step forward for the 24-year-old who could be the Rockies' ace of the future if he keeps developing.

RHP Chase Dollander is a must-watch for the Colorado Rockies.

Dollander’s first start of 2026 produced a career-high 7 scoreless inning against the Mets, including 7 strikeouts.

The 24-year-old has a 2.25 ERA this season and 1.29 if you toss out his first outing of the year. pic.twitter.com/t7XY13barW

— Patrick Lyons (@PatrickDLyons) April 26, 2026

No. 26 - Kansas City Royals

Kansas City has normally been a solid pitching team, but 2026 hasn't exactly been its year. Their staff's ERA of 4.49 ranks 20th overall. One of the league's worst bullpens has been a major detriment as they have posted a 5.12 ERA.

Cole Ragans has been struggling to get back to his normal self, posting a 5.29 ERA on the season. The Royals would greatly benefit from him getting back to himself, but that won't matter if the bullpen can't get things figured out.

No. 25 - Washington Nationals

Admittedly, the more exciting side of the Nationals' roster is the talent they send up to the plate. What's on the mound doesn't inspire a whole ton of confidence.

The main highlight is Foster Griffin, whose 2.27 ERA is more than solid. Washington is 5-2 when he takes the hill. But when Zack Littell (7.24 ERA) and Miles Mikolas (8.23 ERA) take the hill, there isn't much hope.

Washington's a fun team, but generally only when they're hitting.

No. 24 - Minnesota Twins

The Twins clock in with a pretty solid starting rotation. Joe Ryan and Taj Bradley take the headlines, but Bailey Ober (3.55 ERA) and Mick Abel (3.98 ERA) have also provided a ton of value to their rotation.

But the bullpen has been abysmal. Their 5.48 ERA ranks 28th in the league, only above the Angels and Astros. Though they're not expected to make a run at the playoffs, they are only three games back in the AL Central. An improved bullpen would go a long way for Minnesota to make a surprising run.

No. 23 - Boston Red Sox

A bit the opposite of the Twins, the Red Sox actually look forward to the chance for their bullpen to take the mound. Their pen's 3.47 ERA ranks fourth overall. That's awesome, but their rotation's 4.91 ERA doesn't give them a whole ton of chances.

Garrett Crochet (4.91 ERA) and Brayan Bello (9.12 ERA) have been the biggest detractors of success on the mound in Boston. Crochet battled for the AL Cy Young last season, so a bounceback may be anticipated. But what happens with Bello may be a different story.

Boston needs the rotation to tighten up sooner rather than later, especially if the offense doesn't figure out how to produce.

No. 22 - New York Mets

There's really not much going right in Queens these days, but at the end of the day, they at least have Nolan McLean. The 24-year-old boasts an impressive 2.97 ERA and a 33.3% strikeout rate. Hitters are whiffing, and the Mets at least have a chance when he's on the mound.

Freddy Peralta, their offseason acquisition from Milwaukee, has been formidable as well with a 3.52 ERA. But Kodai Senga, David Peterson, and Sean Manaea have all been incredibly lackluster, whether as starters or out of the pen. Some things are going right for the Mets, but they need a whole lot more to get back to having a chance at the NL Wild Card.

No. 21 - Houston Astros

The story of the season for the Astros so far is the pitching and injuries. It feels like no one's been healthy, with both Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier having already been forced to miss time with injuries. That's led to a 5.91 ERA as a staff.

The one current hope for their rotation may be Spencer Arrighetti, who's posted a 1.96 ERA in four starts. But that's also paired with a 4.81 xFIP. Negative regression might be coming for him, which could really be bad news for Houston. That incredibly productive offense can only help so much when the staff isn't able to limit any lineups.

No. 20 - Baltimore Orioles

This season looked like a potential upstart season for Baltimore, but it's been a bit questionable through April. The pitching has a lot to do with that, as their 4.58 ERA has them tied for 22nd overall. That's paired with a 4.34 xFIP, so the results could be a touch better, but they're relatively true.

Their top four starters (Shane Baz, Kyle Bradish, Trevor Rogers, and Chris Bassitt) all have ERAs of 4.50 or worse. That's holding them back straight out of the gates, giving their lineup and bullpen a lot more stress to pull out wins.

They're not far out of the wild card race, but the pitching needs to improve to make it a reality.

No. 19 - Miami Marlins

If there's one absolute strength in Miami, it's got to be pitching. They have a 3.85 ERA as a staff, ranking eighth overall. That's incredibly solid and a huge reason they'll be able to stay in games.

Sandy Alcantara, Max Meyer, and Janson Junk all have ERAs of 3.04 or better. Chris Paddack had been the staff's weak link until they cut ties with him on Tuesday.

The Marlins are aiming to make another run at the wild card like they did last season, and the rotation is doing all it can to make that a reality.

No. 18 - Toronto Blue Jays

Every day seems to be a different adventure for Toronto's pitching staff. It all averages out to what's essentially league average, but the good is certainly good while the bad is bad.

For starters, you have Kevin Gausman and Dylan Cease leading the way. The Blue Jays are even getting good innings out of Patrick Corbin, which you couldn't even fathom over the past five seasons. But issues late in games have been a problem.

Jeff Hoffman, the Jays' normal closer, has been demoted while Louis Varland (0.53 ERA) has taken over the role. Blue Jays fans are hopeful this is going to lead to more wins with fewer blown leads.

No. 17 - Athletics

The A's are a bit of a surprise this season. They're currently leading the AL West with a potent offense full of young players you're probably familiar with. But when you think of the pitching, you're probably struggling to think of any names.

That's probably because, as a whole, the A's staff hasn't been great. They're posting a 4.64 ERA, ranking 26th overall. Jeffrey Springs and Aaron Civale have been solid when they take the bump, but the rest of the starters are a bit questionable.

The bullpen is much of the same, too. The good is good while the bad is bad. If the A's want to stay contending for the AL West by the end of the season, then they're going to need to find a way to get more consistency throughout the entirety of their staff.

No. 16 - Philadelphia Phillies

I guess firing your manager is a true and tried way to get teams to go on winning streaks. Philly has won six of its last eight games, but how much of that is thanks to its pitching?

In this run, they've allowed four or more runs five times. As a whole, they have posted a 4.83 ERA this season, ranking 27th. But that's also paired with a 3.63 xFIP, so positive regression looks to be heading towards the Phillies in a big way.

Jesus Luzardo and Aaron Nola look to be the biggest beneficiaries of potential positive regression based on their xFIP, which will be a very good thing for the Phillies. Zack Wheeler is also back in the rotation. The Phillies have a lot of big boosts coming that should greatly help their chances of returning to the postseason.

No. 15 - Arizona Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks looked like they were in a good position to start making some noise in the National League, but they've started to cool off. A 3-7 slide has hurt them, but the pitching staff hasn't exactly done anything to help.

From a full-season perspective, they've thrown to a 5.05 ERA, second-worst in the league, but with fewer excuses than Houston. Eduardo Rodriguez is the only starter with an ERA below 4.00, and the bullpen has thrown to a 4.83 ERA. If Arizona wants to stay in the wildcard race, then they'll need almost everyone on their staff to start picking it up.

No. 14 - Texas Rangers

The Rangers have generally been a strong pitching staff over the past few seasons with reliable arms. That trend is continuing this season as the staff has a 3.54 ERA, ranking fourth overall in the league. The impressive part of things here is that their two starters with the most innings (Nathan Eovaldi and MacKenzie Gore) both have 4.50 ERAs or worse.

As a matter of fact, only Jacob deGrom has an ERA below 4.00 as a starter. But the top four bullpen arms (Jacob Latz, Jakob Junis, Tyler Alexander, and Jalen Beeks) all have ERAs below 2.00.

If the Rangers get a lead, then good luck taking it from them. But if the starters could find a way to limit more runs, then Texas will be a very dangerous team to play.

No. 13 - St. Louis Cardinals

The NL Central seems full of surprises this year, and St. Louis certainly counts as one of them. They were projected to be well out of the wild card race, but instead they find themselves in second in the NL Central and in control of a wild card spot.

But maybe a lot of the credit needs to go to the lineup. The pitching staff has a 4.59 ERA on the season, 24th overall. Their xFIP suggests the numbers are rather true, so the staff is kind of who they are at this point.

Michael McGreevy looks to be the ace of the staff this season with a 2.52 ERA. His xFIP suggests negative regression, but the Cardinals need him to keep shoving so that they can find a better way to limit teams, so their offense doesn't have to always do the heavy lifting.

Michael McGreevy, Filthy 87mph Changeup. 👌 pic.twitter.com/1qK49kJ5BO

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 3, 2026

No. 12 - Cincinnati Reds

Another upstart NL Central surprise, the Reds are making things interesting to start the season. They're second in the division, but a -22 run differential doesn't look promising. So is that on the lineup or the rotation?

Well, maybe a little bit of both. After a week of three blowout losses, they now have a 4.62 ERA, ranking 25th overall. They now have four starters with ERAs above 5.00, with Chase Burns as the only effective starter when he's on the mound.

The bullpen has been decent together, but their top five guys (Connor Phillips, Graham Ashcraft, Brock Burke, Sam Moll, and Tony Santillan) have been nails. If the Reds lean on them more, they'll rack up more wins, but the starters need to get things figured out.

No. 11 - Cleveland Guardians

Parker Messick nearly threw the league's first no-hitter earlier this season but lost it in the ninth. It was most of the baseball world's introduction to Cleveland's 25-year-old hurler. But the Guardians have more than just Messick as their 3.88 ERA would indicate.

Parker Messick, Nasty 85mph Changeup. 👌 pic.twitter.com/5JnPZUfzuV

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 21, 2026

Both he and Gavin Williams have sub-3.00 ERAs, while the bullpen has been solid, holding it down when given the opportunity. There are only a couple of weak spots in the Guardians' staff, but as a whole, they're formidable.

They're currently leading the AL Central and, as long as the staff keeps doing what it's doing, they'll be fighting for the division throughout the season.

No. 10 - Pittsburgh Pirates

In our past rankings, we've continually highlighted the excellence of Pittsburgh's staff, especially beyond the obvious Paul Skenes. Their 3.83 ERA ranks seventh overall, with Braxton Ashcraft and Mitch Keller being the highlights in the rotation outside of Skenes.

There have been some slip-ups recently from Carmen Mlodzinski and Bubba Chandler that have elevated their ERAs, but at least Mlodzinski should have some solid positive regression heading his way.

Pittsburgh's staff has been a huge reason that they're in contention for the NL Central this season, and they should continue to be dominant throughout the season.

No. 9 - Milwaukee Brewers

I have to admit, I was concerned for the Brewers this season when they opted to trade Peralta to the Mets. For a team that struggled with starting pitching depth, it looked like they'd be taking a step back. Except no one told the Brewers that's what was supposed to happen.

Their staff has been pitching to the league's fifth-best ERA. Four of their five starters have ERAs of 3.60 or below, immediately telling you that opponents are going to struggle scoring out of the gate. The bullpen has been just as effective with a 3.65 ERA.

Milwaukee is continuing to find pitchers that excel in their system, and it's a key reason they'll be a threat in the NL again this season.

No. 8 - Detroit Tigers

When I wrote this on Sunday, I had highlighted the fact that Tarik Skubal was looking phenomenal to start and was set to three-peat for the AL Cy Young. But since then, it's been announced that he's going to need surgery on his elbow to remove loose bodies, keeping him out of action for approximately 2-3 months.

Luckily, the Tigers have been strong outside of Skubal. Framber Valdez, Casey Mize, and Keider Montero are all posting sub-3.50 ERAs so far this season. Only Jack Flaherty is struggling as he has quite a few things to figure out.

The bullpen has been rather average, with a 4.17 ERA. They're likely going to need some help soon to help lock down the mostly excellent starting pitching they're getting. If that improves, they'll continue being a very serious threat in the AL.

No. 7 - Seattle Mariners

Pitching and the Mariners just go hand in hand together. They have always, ever since I was a kid, mostly because Randy Johnson was a childhood idol of mine. The Mariners retired his number 51 this weekend, and he most certainly would be proud of the numbers Seattle is putting up.

As a whole, they're putting up the league's sixth-best ERA at 3.68. That's mostly thanks to the league's fourth-best bullpen. They've actually had some struggles in the rotation where the normally reliable Logan Gilbert and Luis Castillo have posted uncharacteristically high ERAs (compared to their standards).

Even with their struggles, the Mariners still look like a team that should be at the head of the AL West come season's end. The record doesn't quite say it right now, but their normally reliable pitching staff will keep them in any game.

No. 6 - Tampa Bay Rays

Don't look now, but the Tampa Bay Rays are hot! They've won nine of their last 10 games and are just 1.5 GB of the Yankees for the AL East lead. They seemingly came out of nowhere but are absolutely rolling.

At a 3.88 ERA, they're the 10th-best staff in the league. The starting rotation has a 3.26 ERA, fourth best in the league. Shane McClanahan is returning from multiple injuries in a big way, locking up hitters with a 3.10 ERA, and is looking like the pitcher he was when he last pitched in 2023.

Shane McClanahan Tonight:

6 IP I 5 H I 0 ER I 0 BB I 5 K I 14 Whiffs

His 4-Seam was very good tonight, topping 96.9 MPH and generating a 53% Whiff% (8/15). He effectively limited hard contact with an 84.1 MPH Avg EV on 15 BBE's (3 hard-hit balls). He now has a 3.10 ERA. pic.twitter.com/TQPauzym8C

— Running From The OPS (@OPS_BASEBALL) May 2, 2026

But look closer at the rotation, and you'll realize that it's Nick Martinez (1.70 ERA) and Drew Rasmussen (2.64 ERA) that deserve credit as well. The Rays have a ton of talent and are back to being a threat in the AL East.

No. 5 - San Diego Padres

Last week, we talked about Mason Miller and his absolutely dominant start to the season. He finally allowed a couple of earned runs against the Cubs early last week. He's recovered from that now and has a 1.10 ERA, still keeping himself in contention for a possible NL Cy Young award.

But the rest of San Diego's staff looks a little less stellar. They've got a 4.34 ERA, 18th overall. That's only slightly better than their NL West counterpart, the Rockies, who have a better built-in excuse on the ERA side of things.

Michael King and Randy Vasquez both have sub-3.00 ERAs in San Diego's starting rotation, but both have xFIPs that are predicting negative regression. Is San Diego in a spot where they need to start worrying about things?

No. 4 - Chicago Cubs

Early in April, it looked like the Cubs were going to be in trouble from a pitching perspective as Cade Horton went down with an elbow injury that is forcing him to miss the rest of the season. But Chicago's battled back and now looks like a real threat in the National League.

Edward Cabrera, acquired by Chicago in the offseason, has been a solid addition as his 3.06 ERA is helping to stabilize the rotation. Shota Imanaga is continuing his excellent MLB career as well with a 2.40 ERA.

There are questions in the rotation outside of these two, and the bullpen looks solid but not overwhelming, but Chicago has enough on the offensive side to relieve some of those worries. But more on them next week.

No. 3 - New York Yankees

The best staff in the league belongs to the New York Yankees. Their 3.01 team ERA has been a huge reason they're the best team in the AL. The league's second-best walk rate at 7.7% is a massive reason for that success, too. Opponents aren't getting let on easily.

The only weak spot in New York's rotation was Luis Gil, but the former AL Rookie of the Year was optioned to Triple-A Scranton a week ago. Cam Schlittler is looking incredibly impressive as the Yankees' pseudo ace, posting a 1.51 ERA that's driven by a 31.4% strikeout rate.

The Yankees have a lot of strengths, but the strength of their rotation is going to ensure that any losing streaks they get into are short-lived.

No. 2- Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers have slipped down to number two in our rankings after finding themselves in a 1-4 slump. Even the best teams are going to have their slumps, but the top teams in our rankings have been lights out.

The headliner here is obviously Shohei Ohtani, and for good reason. His comeback from his arm injury a couple of years ago continues to get better, and he's thrown for a 0.64 ERA this season. He's a huge reason that LA's 3.29 ERA makes them the third-best staff in the league.

But they've still got their weakness. Roki Sasaki has not excelled as a starter this season and is a weak point with a 5.97 ERA. The Dodgers are a top threat in the league, but this mini-slump has them slipping in our rankings.

No. 1 - Atlanta Braves

Our new top team in our rankings is the Atlanta Braves. They've got the best record in the Majors to go along with the best run differential. They've done it with a pitching staff that hasn't been healthy all year.

They have the league's second best era at 3.11 coming into Sunday's action against the Rockies. That should get better soon as Spencer Strider returns to action on Sunday, a huge piece to Atlanta's rotation. As they get healthier, the expectation should be that they get better.

Spencer Strider, 80mph Hammer. 🔨 pic.twitter.com/FYoWdNNgDt

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 3, 2026

But at the same time, xFIP is predicting negative regression for the Braves. While that's going to be realized soon, the effectiveness of their lineup should wipe out much of what they realize. Atlanta's our top team as we roll into May.

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