MLB Power Rankings Week 4: Dodgers on Top, Mets in Free Fall at #27
One month into the 2026 season, the Dodgers sit at #1, Atlanta's at #2 with the most runs in baseball, and New York's Mets have tumbled to #27 after their 12-game skid.
One month of baseball is in the books and ESPN's Week 4 power rankings show a few things we probably expected — and a few that nobody really saw coming.
The Top Five (No Big Surprises)
- Los Angeles Dodgers (16-8) — Still the standard. Holding the top spot.
- Atlanta Braves (17-8) — New to the #2 spot this week, leading all of MLB in runs scored. Braves' offense is doing what Braves' offense does.
- New York Yankees — Staying near the top despite an early-season power outage (only 13 home runs through 23 games, tied for last).
- San Diego Padres — Powered in part by what might be the most dominant bullpen performance in recent memory (more on that below).
- Chicago Cubs — Making a case for early NL contenders.
The Story of the Moment: Mason Miller, Padres
Even if you're not a Padres fan, Mason Miller is worth paying attention to. The reliever has struck out 27 of 38 batters faced across 11 appearances — a 71.1% strikeout rate. He's allowing two total hits. Two. ESPN is already drawing Cy Young comparisons.
Numbers like that are historic. Watch for Miller to be the dominant story in San Diego all summer if he keeps this up.
The Surprise: Oakland Athletics in the AL West Lead
ESPN's rankings have the Athletics — yes, the Oakland/Sacramento A's — unexpectedly leading the AL West at 13-12. Nobody had this in their preseason predictions. Whether they sustain it as the schedule gets harder is the question, but they've earned their spot for now.
The Mets at #27 (8-16)
New York's 12-game losing streak cratered them to #27 in the rankings — nearly dead last. The streak finally ended this week, but Francisco Lindor also exited Wednesday's game with left calf tightness and is getting an MRI. The Mets can't catch a break.
Shortstop injuries in late April are exactly the kind of thing that turns a rough start into a lost season. Here's hoping the MRI comes back clean.
The Bottom Line
Four weeks in, the Dodgers and Braves look like the teams to beat in the NL. The story I'm watching most closely is Mason Miller — a reliever doing things we haven't seen in a very long time. The Mets probably wish this month was already over.