MLB Power Rankings: One Surprising Performer From Every Team

In this week's rankings, we highlight 30 unexpected bright spots.

Cardinals pitcher Riley O'Brien is enjoying a breakout season during his age-31 season. | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Baseball is a sport that can surprise you every day. Just take a look at the standings—entering play Thursday, only two American League teams with winning records (the Guardians made it three with their 8–5 win over the Royals). The entire NL Central is above .500, and that’s with the Reds riding a seven-game losing streak. Meanwhile, three teams are tied for the league lead with 26 wins, and none of them are the Dodgers.

Let’s jump straight into MLB’s latest pecking order, and highlight the biggest surprise performer from each team.

1. New York Yankees (Last: 3)

SS Jose Caballero

Plenty has been said about Ben Rice’s breakout season, but Jose Caballero has shaken off a slow start and been playing brilliantly of late. Tied for the American League lead in stolen bases with 13, Caballero has a .903 OPS over his last 13 games, with 14 hits, three home runs and just six strikeouts in that span. He’s playing well enough that the Yankees feel comfortable keeping Anthony Volpe down in Triple A to keep Caballero in the lineup daily.

2. Atlanta Braves (Last: 1)

SS Mauricio Dubon

Mauricio Dubon has been great since arriving in Atlanta this offseason. He’s sporting a career-best .748 OPS and has been effective defensively while splitting time between shortstop and the outfield. He’s had several clutch at-bats already, playing a big role in the Braves’ best start to a season since they were known as the Beaneaters.

3. Chicago Cubs (Last: 5)

RHP Ben Brown

The Cubs’ scorching hot streak has been largely fueled by one of the league’s most high-powered offenses. But a beaten-up pitching staff has gotten plenty of contributions from unlikely places, and Brown is high on the list. The righthander has bounced back and forth between the rotation and bullpen over the past two seasons with mixed results, posting a 5.12 ERA in 161 ⅔ innings. So far this year, he’s worked strictly out of relief and been much more effective, with a 2.50 ERA in 12 games. Brown’s 25 ⅔ innings as a reliever are the second-most out in MLB, trailing only Colorado’s Chase Dollander, a starter who piggy-backs after an opener. It’s possible Brown’s long-term future is still in the rotation, but for now, he’s been vital to Chicago’s fast start.

4. Los Angeles Dodgers (Last: 2)

OF Andy Pages

We’re six months removed from Pages hitting .078 during the Dodgers’ run to a World Series title and being benched during the Fall Classic. Look at him now. The 25-year-old is slashing .336/.376/.569, with eight home runs and an MLB-leading 33 RBIs. He ranks fourth in fWAR (1.9) and sports a 161 wRC+. He’s gone from a light-hitting defensive replacement to the most impactful hitter on a team that features Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Kyle Tucker and more. So, yeah, I’d say you could qualify that as a surprise.

5. San Diego Padres (Last: 4)

DH Miguel Andújar

The Padres signed Andújar for $1.5 million in early February, and he may have already paid for himself. The 31-year-old has made 26 appearances, mostly at DH, and is slashing .308/.337/.495 with two home runs, seven doubles, two triples and a wRC+ of 145. So far, he has been the right-handed bat that San Diego was missing. 

6. Tampa Bay Rays (Last: 8)

RHP Nick Martinez

In 40 pitching appearances last season, Martinez had a 4.45 ERA, splitting time between the bullpen and the starting rotation for the Reds. Martinez owns a 1.71 ERA and has walked just 10 batters in 42 innings in his first seven starts this year for the Rays. He hasn’t surrendered more than two runs in a single outing this year, helping lead the charge for Tampa Bay as it sits second in the AL East, winner of 12 of its last 13 games. 

Brewers pitcher Kyle Harrison is fulfilling his former top prospect status. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

7. Milwaukee Brewers (Last: 7)

LHP Kyle Harrison

Harrison’s strong start has been another pitching development win for a Brewers organization that’s specialized on that front for a while now. The talented lefthander bounced around from the Giants to the Red Sox and finally to Milwaukee, where he’s harnessed his top-of-the-rotation stuff. He’s striking out batters at a 29.2% clip, and has yet to allow more than two runs in any of his six starts.

8. St. Louis Cardinals (Last: 13)

RHP Riley O’Brien

O’Brien was solid as a late-blooming rookie last season, but he’s enjoying a full-blown breakout now in his age-31 season. He’s walked just one batter in 17 games, with a 28.4% strikeout rate and 10 saves. O’Brien’s sinker helps him maintain a 61.4% ground ball rate, and he has yet to allow a hit against his sweeper all season. The Cardinals have been surprise contenders in a loaded NL Central so far, and O’Brien could be the key to keeping the team in the hunt. If St. Louis eventually falls out of the race, though, he could be a valuable trade chip at the deadline.

9. Pittsburgh Pirates (Last: 9)

LHP Gregory Soto

Pittsburgh’s bullpen has been a bit of a roller coaster ride, with the team’s seven blown saves standing as the third-most in the National League. With several pitchers passing the baton around, Soto has recently emerged as perhaps the primary shareholder for save opportunities. The lefthander made two All-Star teams with the Tigers, but posted a 4.40 ERA while appearing for three different teams from 2023–25. So far this season, he has 17 scoreless appearances in 19 games, including Thursday’s save against the Diamondbacks. If Soto can continue providing stability in the ninth inning, the Pirates will continue to look like legitimate contenders.

10. Seattle Mariners (Last: 12)

RHP Emerson Hancock

The Mariners were projected to have one of baseball’s best rotations in 2026, but no one was projecting Hancock to lead it. The No. 6 pick from the 2020 MLB draft has become a bit of a late bloomer. Now at 26, he looks like the guy he was projected to be when he came out of Georgia. Through seven starts, Hancock is 2–1 with a 2.59 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 46 strikeouts against just six walks. His strikeout rate has jumped from 16.6% to 28.9%, and he has already produced 0.7 fWAR after entering 2026 with -0.3 in his three-year career. After a long wait, Hancock has arrived.

11. Cincinnati Reds (Last: 6)

1B Nathaniel Lowe

After several productive seasons with the Rangers, Lowe suffered through the worst season of his career with the Nationals and Red Sox last season, posting a 91 wRC+ in 153 games. That led to him settling for a minor league deal with Cincinnati, where he’s rediscovered his power stroke. Lowe is batting .270/.349/.581 with six homers in 83 plate appearances, serving primarily as the team’s DH against righties. For a team that ranks 27th in wRC+, Lowe’s production has been crucial in an area of need.

12. Detroit Tigers (Last: 10)

RHP Keider Montero

With Tarik Skubal out for a while and Framber Valdez dealing with ineffectiveness (and now a suspension), Detroit is in need of any quality innings it can get. Montero has provided that, with a 3.48 ERA over six starts. The 25-year-old owned a 4.57 career ERA prior to this season, spending time in between the rotation and bullpen. His emergence as the Tigers’ most consistent starter has been the key for the team being able to stay in the mix in what’s been a wide-open AL Central race.

Royals center fielder Kyle Isbel is finally producing at the plate. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

13. Kansas City Royals (Last: 20)

OF Kyle Isbel

On a team starved for offense, Isbel has produced out of the bottom of the lineup so far. Through 101 plate appearances, the center fielder has a 112 wRC+ compared to a career mark of 78 prior to this season. The key has been a slight uptick in bat speed and a higher rate of swings over 75 mph—or what a hitter might refer to as his “A” swing—which has produced more line drives and fewer ground balls. With his stellar defense, a league-average hitting season from Isbel would make him a very valuable piece for the Royals.

14. Texas Rangers (Last: 11)

3B Josh Jung

Jung is another former first-rounder figuring it out, which is becoming a bit of a theme here. Through 33 games, he’s slashing .323/.375/.516, all of which would be career highs. He has four home runs, 19 RBIs, a wRC+ of 150 and 1.0 fWAR. What’s the third baseman’s secret? He’s dropped his strikeout rate from 25.2% to 16.2%. He’s hitting the ball more often and harder, while whiling 7.4% of the time vs. 5.3% in 2025. As a result, his xwOBA is up to .390, almost 100 points higher than last season. It’s been a remarkable turnaround.

15. Athletics (Last: 16)

OF Carlos Cortes

Cortes’s hot start has been shocking. The 28-year-old outfielder has had success in the big leagues before, but nothing like this. In 28 games, he’s slashing .372/.437/.615 with four home runs and 13 RBIs. Cortes’s 1.052 OPS would rank third in the AL if he had enough at-bats to qualify and his wRC+ of 191 would be second, ahead of Aaron Judge (188) and Yordan Alvarez (187). I sincerely doubt anyone had that on their 2026 MLB bingo card. He has become an indispensable bat in a lineup built around Nick Kurtz, Shea Langeliers and Tyler Soderstrom. 

16. Cleveland Guardians (Last: 14)

OF Angel Martínez

Cleveland has been desperately trying to develop homegrown hitters to support franchise cornerstone José Ramírez, and this season has seen a few successes. Chase DeLauter, Brayan Rocchio and Daniel Schneeman are among the group of players off to strong starts, and so too is Martínez. The 24-year-old outfielder put up a 77 wRC+ through his first two seasons, but so far is hitting .270/.311/.468 through 35 games. Martínez has improved his contact rate and is barrelling the ball more often, and while his aggressive approach suppresses his on-base percentage, getting more out of his contact has made him a more valuable hitter overall. Combined with his elite defense in left field, he looks like he’s on his way to settling in as an everyday player.

17. Philadelphia Phillies (Last: 28)

OF Brandon Marsh

Marsh has been a bright spot amid Philadelphia’s rough start, which has shown signs of abating, logging a .875 OPS with four home runs and 19 RBIs in 33 games. His 0.8 fWAR leads all Phillies hitters, and he leads the team with 40 hits and his .336 batting average. Over his last 12 games, as Philadelphia shakes off its slow start, Marsh has 19 hits, including six extra-base hits, and has a 1.166 OPS.

18. Chicago White Sox (Last: 25)

RHP Davis Martin

The White Sox’s rotation has played a huge role in the team’s journey toward .500, and Martin has been the standout of the group. In his first full season in 2025, the righthander went 7–10 with a 4.10 ERA and 17.3% strikeout rate in 142 ⅔ innings. This season, he’s 5–1 with a 1.64 ERA—third-best in the league—and has bumped his strikeout rate up to 25.4%. Martin throws six pitches at least 10% of the time, and has particularly leaned on his cutter much more often than a year ago. That change seems to have helped his slider play up—hitters are whiffing a ridiculous 59.2% of the time against the slider. While his raw stuff doesn’t stand out as much as other elite starters, Martin’s revamped pitch mix has him performing like a true ace. 

19. Minnesota Twins (Last: 21)

RHP Taj Bradley

Bradley has been among the biggest standout performers of the young season. Acquired at last year’s deadline from the Rays, the righthander was unable to find consistency in Tampa, and looked like a candidate to move into a relief role. Minnesota has stuck with him as a starter, and he’s rewarded the organization’s faith in him. Bradley has a 2.87 ERA through his first eight starts after posting a 5.05 mark last year, giving the Twins another impact arm at the top of the rotation alongside Joe Ryan. Under club control through 2029, Bradley looks like a core member of the next contending Minnesota team.

Diamondbacks infielder Ildemaro Vargas has been perhaps the season's biggest surprise. | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

20. Arizona Diamondbacks (Last: 18)

INF Ildemaro Vargas

Until this season, Vargas has been a journeyman utility guy for the bulk of his 10-year career. Now he’s leading the majors in batting average (.364) and is coming off a 27-game hitting streak. The 34-year-old also has a 1.013 OPS, and his 180 wRC+ ranks sixth in baseball, miles better than his previous best of 94. The 1.4 fWAR he’s produced through 28 games is already a career high. No one saw this coming. 

21. Washington Nationals (Last: 23)

LHP Foster Griffin

After spending the last three seasons in Japan, Griffin returned to MLB and has been lighting it up for the Nationals. The 30-year-old has a 2.27 ERA in his first seven starts, striking out 33 hitters in 39 ⅔ innings. His underlying metrics, such as his 4.32 FIP, suggest he’s been a bit fortunate with his results, but he’s off to a really impressive start nonetheless.

22. Boston Red Sox (Last: 24)

OF Wilyer Abreu

As Boston attempts to turn its season around, Wilyer Abreu has been lighting it up at the plate. He owns an .848 OPS with a team-high 41 hits and a .299 batting average. He’s quickly racked up 1.3 fWAR and 135 wRC+, both of which rank second on the team. He’s walking more and striking out less than last season, having been one of the few consistent players for Boston thus far. 

23. Baltimore Orioles (Last: 19)

RHP Rico Garcia

Baltimore’s veteran reliever has been sensational early on this year. In 18 appearances, Garcia, 32, has struck out 19 batters and owns a 0.53 ERA. He has a pair of saves and has surrendered just one run––a solo shot. Garcia spent time with three different teams last year and has never had a season with a sub-3.00 ERA, but he’s been dominant on the mound thus far. 

24. Miami Marlins (Last: 15)

C/1B Liam Hicks

Hicks has been fantastic in his second MLB season, leading the Marlins with eight home runs and 32 RBIs. His strikeout percentage dropped from 14.4% to 8.8%, and his hard-hit percentage increased from 27.9% to 41.6%. Hicks has a 1.1 fWAR in 34 games after registering a 1.0 fWAR through 119 games last season, and his slugging percentage is up to .567 after he posted a .346 mark in ’25. 

25. Toronto Blue Jays (Last: 17)

LHP Patrick Corbin

Corbin’s struggles over the years have been well documented. Six starts into his Blue Jays tenure, he’s looked rather sharp. He owns a 3.60 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 30 innings and has a 2.4 HR% on the mound, his best mark since his 2018 All-Star campaign. Toronto has struggled after reaching the World Series last year, but Corbin has been one of their lone bright spots. 

26. Los Angeles Angels (Last: 26)

INF Oswald Peraza

Mike Trout’s return to prominence could rank as a surprise, but Peraza’s offensive contributions have been far more unexpected, especially since he had a wRC+ of 32 in 2025. He’s almost 90 points higher so far this season at 121, while slashing .278/.340/.454. The 25-year-old infielder has found a home in Anaheim, where his 0.8 fWAR ranks as the best among hitters not named Trout.

27. San Francisco Giants (Last: 30)

DH/1B Casey Schmitt

Schmitt had a career OPS of .667 entering this season, so his .883 mark this season is pretty shocking. Through 31 games, he’s slashing .296/.344/.539, each of which is obliterating a previous career high, as has his wRC+ of 146. His six home runs are halfway to a career high, and his 0.9 fWAR has already topped his best single-season mark (0.7). On a Giants team that has been terrible this season, Schmitt is one of the few reasons to stay optimistic.

28. Houston Astros (Last: 27)

RHP Peter Lambert

The Astros have a litany of injuries across the roster, and their pitching staff has been decimated—you can bet they never expected Lambert to be their best starter. So far, however, the 29-year-old is 2–2 with a 2.42 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP in four starts. This is a guy the Rockies released in 2024, and whom Houston signed to a minor league deal after he went 3–11 with a 4.26 ERA for the Yakult Swallows in the NPB last season. The Astros actually released him on March 26 before re-signing him the next day. They have to be pretty happy they decided to.

29. Colorado Rockies (Last: 22)

OF Mickey Moniak

It took a decade and a move to Coors Field, but Mickey Moniak is finally looking like the guy the Phillies took with the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft. The 27-year-old has been one of baseball’s best hitters this season and his 182 wRC+ ranks second in the NL, and his 1.090 OPS is second in baseball. He’s hitting .327 and slugging an absurd .720, with 11 home runs and 31 RBIs. Given that the Rockies aren’t going anywhere, don’t be shocked if Moniak is a hot name at the trade deadline.

30. New York Mets (Last: 29)

Nolan McLean

McLean has picked up right where he left off after a terrific rookie season in ’25. While the Mets as a whole have struggled mightily, McLean has been nasty. He’s registered a 1.5 fWAR with 51 strikeouts in 39 ⅔ innings and owns a 2.97 ERA. What’s more impressive is the underlying metrics, as he owns a 2.12 FIP, suggesting he’s been a bit unlucky despite his already strong numbers. 

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