2026 MLB Power Rankings: What’s Every Team’s Biggest Early-Season Flaw?

Former Red Sox manager Alex Cora didn’t assemble the team that ranks tied for last in home runs, 27th in OPS, 23rd in scoring and 20th in team ERA, but he nonetheless paid the price for the club’s early season ineptitude. Clearly, there are a lot of problems right now for a Boston team that expects to contend in 2026. The Red Sox are certainly not alone in that regard (see: Mets, Phillies, Astros, Blue Jays or Royals), but they are the first to make sweeping changes. Less than a month into the season, Cora is already out. As we wait to see which manager might be next, and as Boston tries to claw its way out of the doldrums, we’ll use this week’s power rankings to identify at least one area of concern for every team. The White Sox allowed the fifth-most runs and scored the fifth-fewest runs in MLB, so take your pick at which issue stands out most. We’ll focus here on the late-game pitching; Chicago has blown nine saves — second-most in MLB — and have a 5.58 ERA and 1.67 WHIP in the seventh inning or later, both of which rank in the bottom four in MLB. Just when it seemed like a series win against the Twins might jump start the slumping group, the Mets then went and got swept by the Rockies, scoring four runs over three games. That … can’t happen. New York’s offense ranks last in MLB in runs scored, on-base percentage and slugging. Yikes. The Phillies finally ended their losing skid at 10 games this weekend, but they still lost the series in Atlanta. The offense is a problem — they’ve scored the third-fewest runs in MLB — but the bigger and more surprising issue is a starting rotation that has allowed the most hits and runs in the sport. Their MLB-worst minus-54 run differential is …almost unfathomable. Maybe a sweep of the Angels will get them on track. Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. is finally getting going. He hit his first home run of the year on Sunday, but first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino and catcher Salvador Perez still have batting averages that start with a “1.” The bigger issue? The bullpen is 3-8 with a 5.75 ERA, the second-worst mark in MLB. The Rockies already have more wins before the end of April than they had by the end of May last year. Their bullpen has performed surprisingly well, logging a 3.61 ERA that ranks eighth in MLB; the starting rotation, however, ranks 27th in WHIP and 28th in batting average against. Don’t be surprised if that group’s 4.60 ERA continues to climb; Colorado starters have the highest expected ERA in MLB. The team can hit; It just can’t stop anyone else from hitting. The Nationals rank third in runs scored…and 29th in runs allowed. They’ve allowed the most home runs and committed the most errors in MLB. Their starters rank 29th in ERA. Their bullpen ranks 30th in ERA. Hunter Brown and Josh Hader — among many injured Astros — can’t get back soon enough. After a commendable start to the year, the Angels have now lost seven of their last eight games. One of the team’s biggest problems last year still persists: The Angels have the most strikeouts and highest whiff rate in MLB. As previously mentioned, the offense is concerning. The Red Sox rank 27th in OPS and 28th in slugging and are tied for last in home runs, even after plating 17 runs on Saturday. The bigger surprise about the team’s dismal start, though? The starting rotation ranks 27th in ERA. The Twins (shortstop Brooks Lee, 111 wRC+) and Mets (catcher Francisco Alvarez, 117) are the only teams who have just one qualified hitter batting above league average. As a team, Minnesota’s offense ranks 24th in wRC+ over the last two weeks. The bullpen, decimated at last year’s deadline, ranks 23rd in ERA on the season. The Marlins have the third-most errors in MLB and rank 29th in defensive runs saved. The Giants have the lowest walk rate in MLB and just 19 home runs on the year, tied for the fewest in MLB. That’s a tough offensive recipe for success, though the team has been performing much better lately. The most obvious flaw is the team’s health. Starting pitchers Trey Yesavage and Jose Berrios are due back shortly, but fellow starters Shane Bieber, Cody Ponce and Bowden Francis are also on the IL, as are outfielders George Springer, Addison Barger, Nathan Lukes and Anthony Santander and catcher Alejandro Kirk. Those position player absences hit the hardest, as the Blue Jays have the fourth-fewest runs scored and the highest chase rate in MLB. The five starters who’ve thrown the most innings for the Orioles this year all ERAs over 4.00. Baltimore needs to hit to its potential to mask the issues on the mound. Their pitchers have the lowest strikeout rate and worst K-BB% in MLB. They’ve thrown 182 strikeouts as a team; every other team has at least 200. Outfielder Brandon Nimmo has given the Rangers everything they could’ve asked for, and a leap forward from third baseman Josh Jung has provided a boost. But questions loom about a Texas offense that ranks 22nd in on-base percentage and 20th in OPS. The Mariners have the second-highest whiff rate and fourth-most strikeouts in baseball. Those issues can be mitigated by their ability to power away, but their slugging (21st in MLB) has been limited to this point. Catcher Cal Raleigh’s heating up, though. As is often the case, the Guardians offense lacks the pop you’d expect from a contender. They have the second-lowest hard-hit rate in MLB and rank 19th in OPS and 20th in slugging; those rankings, however, represent significant improvements from last year’s playoff team. They’re also 21st in bullpen ERA, though I’m more confident that number will improve. The Aaron Civale signing has helped, but that wasn’t going to be enough to fix a rotation that ranked 27th in ERA last year. This year, A’s starters rank 26th in ERA. The team’s bullpen, however, has been much better than expected, and the A’s are in first place despite their offense not yet playing to its potential. The Brewers rank 29th in slugging percentage and last in expected slugging percentage. It doesn’t help that outfielders Christian Yelich and Jackson Chourio and first baseman Andrew Vaughn are all injured. Over the last week, the Tigers’ bullpen has a 6.99 ERA. On the year, Detroit relievers rank 19th in ERA and 23rd in strikeout rate. The bats are heating up, though, and first baseman Spencer Torkelson’s suddenly on a home-run tear after a slow start. Starters Michael Soroka and Eduardo Rodriguez have both pitched well, but the rest of the pitching staff has not. The usual problem persists, as D-backs starters and relievers both rank in the bottom 10 in MLB in ERA. The offense, however, — led by … 34-year-old veteran Ildemaro Vargas?! — is getting it done. (Seriously, if you haven’t yet, take a look at what Vargas is doing.) The Rays’ bullpen ranks 27th in ERA, and their offense has the lowest hard-hit rate in MLB. But the lineup’s contact-heavy approach has worked to this point: Tampa Bay, with the highest zone contact rate and fifth-highest batting average in MLB, has the second-most wins in the American League. Over the last week, the Pirates have the lowest on-base percentage and slugging percentage in MLB. For the year, they’re now down to a bottom-10 OPS. Is that a sign of things to come after the hot start? It’s kind of amazing considering they lead the NL Central, but the Reds have the lowest batting average overall (.213) and batting average with runners in scoring position (.197) in MLB. The Cubs had already lost standout starter Cade Horton when star closer Daniel Palencia went down with a lat strain — no matter, they still rattled off 10 straight wins before seeing the streak snapped this weekend in Los Angeles. They’re on the rise, but the pitching depth is a concern given the injuries. Depth, both in the rotation and the field, is the team’s biggest concern. Clearly, A.J. Preller agreed, which is why the Padres just signed free-agent starter Lucas Giolito. Nick Pivetta, Joe Musgrove and Griffin Canning are all on the shelf, and while Randy Vasquez was terrific (2-0, 1.88 ERA) before a rough start on Monday night, the group gets thin after Michael King. Offensively, the Padres rank 23rd in OPS, yet they’ve won 16 of their last 20 games. The Yankees rank fifth in OPS, but Ben Rice, Aaron Judge and the heart of the order is doing most of the damage. The depth of the lineup has left some to be desired. The Yankees’ Nos. 7-9 hitters rank 24th in batting average and 16th in OPS. Outfielder Trent Grisham’s hitting .160, and catcher Austin Wells (81 wRC+), second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. (81) and third baseman Ryan McMahon (66) have been well below league-average hitters. To this point, the Braves have admirably withstood a litany of injuries, particularly in their rotation. Their biggest issue might be outfield depth. A bounce-back start to the season from outfielder Michael Harris II has been huge, but as a group, Atlanta’s outfielders have hit below league average. Ronald Acuña Jr. has yet to get going, Mike Yastrzemski has been the team’s worst hitter, and Jurickson Profar’s PED suspension could wind up being costly. Their big signings, and many of their top stars, have yet to get going. Closer Edwin Díaz has a 10.50 ERA and then underwent an elbow procedure. Outfielder Kyle Tucker has been a below-league average hitter. So has outfielder Teoscar Hernández. Shortstop Mookie Betts was hitting .179 before hurting his oblique. Catcher Will Smith has a .729 OPS. First baseman Freddie Freeman’s 118 OPS+ would be his lowest mark in a season in 14 years…and yet the Dodgers are 19-9 with the highest OPS in MLB.