MLB Power Rankings: One Player Disappointing for Every Team

The 2026 MLB season has begun to form some long-term narratives, as the top teams have started to separate themselves from the pack. And the league’s standings contain a bunch of surprises.

The NL Central continues to be excellent, with all five teams floating above .500. Meanwhile, the NL West is a puzzle as the Padres have a far worse run differential than the Dodgers but are tied with the defending World Series champs in the loss column. The reigning American League pennant winners are in fourth place in their division, with the Blue Jays 9 1/2 games behind the AL East-leading Rays. Then there are the White Sox, baseball’s biggest surprise. Chicago rides a five-game win streak into the weekend and sits above .500 at 22–21. Where will the South Siders wind up in this week’s power rankings? Let’s find out as we highlight a player from each team who entered this season with higher expectations.

Note: All stats are updated entering Thursday's games.

1. Atlanta Braves (Last: 2)

LF Mike Yastrzemski

The Braves, for the most part, have been outstanding this season. Not everyone has enjoyed the same level of success, however. Atlanta acquired Mike Yastrzemski in the offseason, but he has not quite made the impact the team envisioned. Yastrzemski has a .586 OPS and a 67 wRC+ in his first 40 games with the Braves, hitting just one home run and striking out in 24.2% of his at-bats, up from 19.4% last year. With the rest of the team firing on all cylinders, Yastrzemski’s struggles haven’t been too detrimental, but the team will be counting on him to pick it up as the campaign progresses.

2. Tampa Bay Rays (Last: 6)

CF Cedric Mullins

The Rays have been red hot of late, winners of 10 of their first 11 games in May. After trailing the Yankees in the AL East as recently as last week, they’ve now jumped ahead and have a two-game lead. While the team has been playing at a very high level, veteran outfielder Cedric Mullins has not. Signed in free agency to a one-year deal, Mullins’s -1.0 fWAR is far and away the worst on the team. He owns a .432 OPS through 37 games and has a disastrous wRC+ of 15, the worst mark in the majors among qualified players.

3. New York Yankees (Last: 1)

2B Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Chisholm set a lofty goal for himself this year, aiming to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases. He will not reach either one of those marks, based on his early-season slump. In 43 games, Chisholm has hit just four home runs and stolen 11 bases. He has a wRC+ of 72 and owns a 29.2% strikeout rate, while sporting a career-worst hard-hit percentage of 35.3%.

4. Chicago Cubs (Last: 3)

RP Phil Maton

Maton was one of just a dozen free agent relief pitchers to receive a multi-year deal this winter, and so far, he hasn’t lived up to those expectations. He’s put up an 8.44 ERA through his first 12 appearances, though his arrow is trending upward, as he’s allowed just two earned runs through six games (3.18 ERA) in May. Maton is making just over $7 million this year and posted a 3.15 ERA from 2023–25, so the Cubs are banking on his rough April being just a small speed bump.

5. Milwaukee Brewers (Last: 7)

RF Sal Frelick

Frelick enjoyed a breakout 2025 season, with 12 homers and 19 steals along with a 114 wRC+ and elite defense. His bat has taken a big step back to begin this year, though. Through 40 games, Frelick has posted a .225/.311/.310 slash line, managing just five extra-base hits through 151 plate appearances. Power is not Frelick’s calling card, but he’ll need to muster something better than that to justify an everyday role. If he can pick things back up closer to last season’s form, he’ll make the surging Brewers even more formidable.

Roki Sasaki, Los Angeles Dodger — Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki has not lived up to his lofty expectations. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

6. Los Angeles Dodgers (Last: 4)

SP Roki Sasaki

The Dodgers as a whole haven't quite lived up to expectations so far, but Sasaki has largely struggled to find a groove since the day he put on the team’s uniform last year. He had some success out of the bullpen during the playoffs last year, but he's yet to come close to matching the hype that accompanied his arrival stateside. In seven starts this season, the 24-year-old is 1–3 with a 5.88 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, and 31 strikeouts against 16 walks in 33 ⅔ innings. His walk rate (10.2%) is far too high, and opponents are slugging .662 off his fastball and .517 off his forkball. Nothing is working for him.

7. St. Louis Cardinals (Last: 8)

SP Dustin May

The Cardinals have been a pleasant surprise to begin 2026, though if you’re looking for cracks in the foundation, they reside within the pitching staff. May was the team’s big free agent spend in a quiet offseason, signing a one-year, $12.5 million contract following a rocky year with the Dodgers and Red Sox. Through eight starts, he owns a 4.85 ERA with a career-low 17.9% strikeout rate. If he can stay healthy the whole year, St. Louis will likely be satisfied with its investment. But for the highest-paid starter on the staff and with May another year removed from elbow surgery, bigger steps forward are certainly the expectation.

8. San Diego Padres (Last: 5)

RF Fernando Tatis Jr.

Tatis is emblematic of the problems with San Diego's offense. He’s hitting the ball harder than he ever has, but it’s not leaving the yard. Through 42 games and 156 at-bats, he has no home runs. It’s genuinely remarkable. The 27-year-old is slashing .244/.318/.288 with a wRC+ of 84, and yet his hard-hit percentage (57.0) and average exit velocity (92.3 mph) are among the best in baseball. He simply isn’t lifting the ball or pulling it, and that has caused his slugging percentage to bottom out. He's pulling the ball in the air a career-low 5.3% of the time, nearly seven points lower than in 2025 (12%). He needs to turn things around if the Padres hope to compete this season, as they've rode some extraordinarily clutch hitting to a 25–18 record so far despite recording a -3 run differential.

9. Pittsburgh Pirates (Last: 9)

DH Marcell Ozuna

The Pirates invested heavily in improving their offense this winter, and so far those expenditures have largely paid off. Ozuna is an exception—the three-time All-Star signed with Pittsburgh on a one-year, $12 million deal, and has a .186/.274/.300 slash line through 37 games. Ozuna hasn’t lost much bat speed since 2024, his last monster offensive season, so the physical tools to be a successful middle-of-the-order hitter don’t seem to be fully gone. Manager Don Kelly will need to decide how much leeway to give Ozuna before considering other DH options.

10. Cleveland Guardians (Last: 16)

1B Kyle Manzardo

Last season, Manzardo was basically the only non-José Ramírez Cleveland regular who intimidated opposing pitchers, as the first baseman hit 27 homers with a 113 wRC+. Cleveland’s lineup has been a lot more balanced so far in 2026, though Manzardo has lagged. The 25-year-old has managed only two home runs and a .203/.286/.288 slash line in 133 plate appearances. His whiff, chase and walk rates are all trending in the wrong direction, and he’s not hitting the ball as hard as he did last year when he does make contact. With Rhys Hoskins batting .191, Cleveland is short on viable options at first base for the time being.

Brady Singer, Cincinnati Red — Reds starting pitcher Brady Singer has a 5.79 ERA. | Justin Berl-Imagn Images

11. Cincinnati Reds (Last: 11)

SP Brady Singer

Singer’s been a dependable innings-eater for most of this decade, putting up a 4.25 ERA across nearly 800 innings (144 starts) since 2021. He filled that role effectively in his first year with Cincinnati, but so far has fallen short of his standards in ‘26. Singer has failed to reach the fifth inning in four of his nine starts, and he’s managed an ugly 5.79 ERA with a career-worst 14.3% strikeout rate while giving up over two home runs per nine innings. For a rotation that’s eagerly awaiting Hunter Greene’s return at some point this year, Singer has been unable to elevate his game.

12. Seattle Mariners (Last: 10)

C Cal Raleigh

Raleigh just went on the IL for the first time in his career, and it might be a blessing in disguise. Through his first 41 games, Raleigh is slashing .161/.243/.317 with seven home runs and 18 RBIs. He has struck out 57 times. The scary part is that it hasn’t been bad luck. He has just been that bad. Raleigh’s wRC+ of 63 is nearly 100 points lower than in 2025 (161), and his xwOBA of .289 is almost 100 points lower (.371), while his strikeout rate has ballooned to 31.5%. Raleigh hit 60 home runs last season and made a run at the AL MVP trophy. The Mariners expected more of the same this season.

13. Detroit Tigers (Last: 12)

SPs Framber Valdez and Jack Flaherty

We’ll split the ignominious designation for Detroit’s pair of underwhelming pitchers. Valdez and Flaherty are making nearly $40 million combined this season and have so far fallen well short of living up to their lucrative contracts. Valdez has a 4.32 ERA with a career-low 18.8% strikeout rate, while Flaherty is 0–4 with a 5.73 ERA. With Tarik Skubal on the injured list, the Tigers could sorely use some front-end production from their veteran starters.

14. Kansas City Royals (Last: 13)

C Salvador Perez

For the better part of the past decade and a half, Perez has been about as reliable as they come for the Royals. Father Time might be knocking at the door in his age-36 season, though, as Perez is batting just .193/.233/.335 through 172 plate appearances. Combined with his minor public spat with his manager about needing a “mental breather” after being left out of the lineup, it has been a bumpy start for the Royals’ captain.

15. Philadelphia Phillies (Last: 17)

SS Trea Turner

The Phillies are continuing to improve under interim manager Don Mattingly, having shaken off the rust from their dismal start to the season. Turner, however, continues to struggle. Through 41 games, Turner has a wRC+ of 75 and an fWAR of 0.0. For someone making over $27 million annually and under contract for another eight years, those numbers are heinous. Turner has long been one of MLB’s most consistent hitters and an elite baserunner. He has just four steals this year and is sporting a .234 batting average and a .283 on-base percentage, both of which are career lows.

Evan Carter, Texas Rangers — Rangers center fielder Evan Carter's bat has yet to adjust to the major leagues. | Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images

16. Texas Rangers (Last: 14)

CF Evan Carter

Carter is a former top prospect who has yet to see the lights go on in the big leagues. The 24-year-old has five-tool potential and is a plus defender in center, but his bat has never caught up. So far in 2026, he’s slashing .178/.301/.333 with five home runs, 18 RBIs and a wRC+ of 84. The lefty swinger just doesn’t have the juice in his bat that he should, as his average exit velocity (88.3 mph) ranks in the 34th percentile among big league hitters. The Rangers rank 25th in OPS (.684) as a team. Carter is part of the problem.

17. Athletics (Last: 15)

DH Brent Rooker

Rooker has been a 30-homer guy for three years running, but he's struggled to keep the lineup moving in 2026. Through his first 26 games, he is slashing .188/.279/.354, with five home runs, 18 RBIs and a wRC+ of 73, and has generated -0.2 fWAR. The 31-year-old still has tremendous power, but his strikeout rate has risen to 31.5%, and his whiff rate has ballooned to 39.8%. He was on the IL early in the season due to an oblique strain, so he may work his way out of this slump with more playing time.

18. Chicago White Sox (Last: 18)

DH/LF Andrew Benintendi

Unfortunately for White Sox fans, Benintendi has had a firm grip on this dubious honor basically ever since he signed his five-year, $75 million contract ahead of the 2023 season. He’s never been able to live up to it, and this year has begun with more of the same. Benintendi has hit .225/.273/.350 through 38 games, with a career-worst 31.8% strikeout rate. In his three-plus seasons with Chicago, he has posted a 92 wRC+ and -0.8 WAR.

19. Washington Nationals (Last: 21)

SP Zack Littell

After a solid season with the Reds and Rays in 2025, Littell signed with the Nationals in free agency, but he’s not been nearly as productive as he was last year. Littell owns a 6.94 ERA and has surrendered 14 home runs in his first eight appearances. His underlying metrics aren’t pretty, either, with his 8.25 FIP suggesting he’s actually been a bit lucky not to have surrendered more runs on the mound. Littell has followed an opener in each of his last two outings, a sign that Washington is no longer confident in putting the ball in his hands as a starter.

20. Minnesota Twins (Last: 19)

RF Matt Wallner

Wallner, the No. 39 pick in the 2019 draft, has shown flashes as a part-time player over the years, with a career 131 wRC+ in nearly 1,000 plate appearances coming into this season and a career-best 22 homers in 104 games last year. Given the chance to get regular at-bats, Wallner has struggled to make contact, with a 39.3% strikeout rate in 34 games and a .167/.259/.292 slash line, which led to his demotion to Triple A this week. Wallner has always had plus-plus bat speed, but right now has far too many holes in his swing to be a viable everyday player.

Owen Caissie, Miami Marlin — Marlins right fielder Owen Caissie is struggling mightily despite his top prospect billing. | Mady Mertens-Imagn Images

21. Miami Marlins (Last: 24)

RF Owen Caissie

The Marlins were hopeful Caissie would make a leap in his first full season in the pros after acquiring him in the Edward Cabrera trade from the Cubs, but he’s been dreadful to start the 2026 campaign. Caissie owns a -0.7 fWAR through 36 games and a woeful strikeout percentage of 40.7%. His 68 wRC+ is well below league average and he’s hit just three home runs on the year. Until he can limit his strikeouts, it’ll be hard for the Marlins to feel confident about the young outfielder.

22. Baltimore Orioles (Last: 23)

SS Gunnar Henderson

Henderson seems to be selling out for power at the plate, which has caused a statistical dip across the board. Henderson’s batting average has dipped below .200 and he has a 28.8% strikeout rate, the highest among Baltimore’s everyday players. For a player who’s been an AL MVP candidate in years past, Henderson’s drop in production is a big concern for the Orioles, who continue to struggle as a team.

23. Arizona Diamondbacks (Last: 20)

2B Ketel Marte

The Diamondbacks were rumored to be entertaining trade offers for Marte over the winter, and, given how he’s played, maybe they should have pulled the trigger. The 32-year-old has struggled to start 2026, slashing .215/.271/.367 with five home runs, 15 RBIs and a 78 wRC+, well below his career average of 120. His selectivity has worsened as his walk rate has dropped to 7.1%, down from 11.5% last year. Marte is a three-time All-Star and has been named first team All-MLB in each of the past two seasons. He'll likely find his footing as the season goes on, but he has not been encouraging so far.

24. San Francisco Giants (Last: 27)

1B/DH Rafael Devers

Devers has shown some life in May, gathering hits in 11 of San Francisco's 12 games, but not enough to get off this list. Amid the worst start in Giants history, the 29-year-old makes an easy target given the size of his contract and the hoopla that surrounded his acquisition last summer. Devers is slashing .247/.295/.395 with five home runs, 18 RBIs, a wRC+ of 93 and has produced -0.2 fWAR. Since he's a negative in the field, Devers’s value will solely depend on his work in the batter’s box, unlike struggling teammates Willy Adames and Matt Chapman. He’s severely lacking there and may actually be getting lucky. His xwOBA is .270, 25 points lower than his actual result, while his xSLG is .362, more than 30 points lower what he’s actually slugging. That means his rebound could actually be a mirage.

25. New York Mets (Last: 30)

2B Marcus Semien

The acquisition of Semien has provided a defensive upgrade for the Mets in the middle infield, but his struggles at the plate have largely outweighed the value he provides on defense. Semien owns a 66 wRC+ and has just two home runs in 42 games. Semien is striking out more (20% strikeout rate) and walking less (6.7% walk rate) than he has in the last four seasons, and his -0.2 fWAR is last among Mets position players with at least 100 plate appearances.

Boston Red Sox, Trevor Stor — Shortstop Trevor Story is one of many Red Sox hitters who have been disappointing this year. | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

26. Boston Red Sox (Last: 22)

SS Trevor Story

Story had his best season in Boston in 2025, when he hit 25 home runs and drove in 96 RBIs while stealing 31 bases. This year has been a completely different… Story. The Red Sox’ shortstop has a dismal wRC+ of 51, sixth-worst in all of MLB among qualified hitters, and has just 10 extra-base hits in 40 games. The whole team has been off to an abysmal start, but Story’s season-long slump is a key reason the team has been unable to get things going.

27. Toronto Blue Jays (Last: 25)

DH George Springer

Injuries have impacted Springer at the start of this season, but even when he’s been healthy, he hasn’t looked like the Springer of the past. The 36-year-old’s OPS has cratered from last year, going from an elite .959 mark to a discouraging .612 through 25 games. It’s a small sample, but Springer was a key catalyst in Toronto’s World Series run last year, and is a major player in the team’s early struggles in ’26.

28. Los Angeles Angels (Last: 26)

3B Yoán Moncada

Few were expecting Yoan Moncada to tear it up at the plate this season, but he's been bad enough to warrant inclusion. The 30-year-old is slashing .190/.309/.305 for the woeful Angels, with three home runs, nine RBIs and a wRC+ of 79. That’s far off the marks he produced in 2024 (118) and ‘25 (117). His strikeout rate has popped up to 35%, a career worst and nine points higher than last season. L.A.’s entire lineup needs to get going, but Moncada is the most disappointing of the bunch.

29. Colorado Rockies (Last: 29)

SS Ezequiel Tovar

A few weeks ago, the Rockies looked like they could surprise people this year. We’re back to the status quo. While Tovar has always been field over hit, the team’s franchise shortstop has been shockingly bad at the plate for someone who plays half of his games at Coors Field. Through 42 games, he is slashing .196/.247/.273 with one home run, 11 RBIs and a wRC+ of 33, which is the second-worst in baseball. Tovar has produced -0.6 fWAR. On any other team, he’d be in danger of losing his job, but the $63.5 million extension he signed two years ago makes a change unlikely.

30. Houston Astros (Last: 28)

RF Cam Smith

Injuries have hammered the Astros and, frankly, that’s the reason they’ve been so bad. That said, Smith isn’t helping. After showing promise as a rookie, he finished out his first big league season with a wRC+ of 90 and an OPS of .671. It has only gotten worse in 2026. Smith is slashing .203/.294/.324 with four home runs, 17 RBIs and a wRC+ of 82. His strikeout rate is far too high at 28.7%. Despite excellent bat speed, he simply isn’t making contact enough. There are a lot of things wrong in Houston this year, and Smith’s is one of the team’s long-term concerns.

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