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Every week,\u200b we\u200b ask a selected group of our baseball\u200b writers\u200b \u2014 local and national \u2014 to rank the teams from first to worst<\/a>. Here are the collective results.<\/em><\/p>\n Two months into the season, the New York Mets remain so much worse than we expected, while the Tampa Bay Rays are so much better than anyone predicted.<\/p>\n The all-in Detroit Tigers are somehow a last-place team in a bad division, while the rebuilding St. Louis Cardinals are legitimately competitive in a division full of winning teams. The Washington Nationals have a better offense than the Philadelphia Phillies. The Milwaukee Brewers are outpitching the Seattle Mariners. Jordan Walker and Brice Turang are in the MVP conversation, while Davis Martin is among the major league leaders in wins (and, admit it, you don\u2019t even know which team he pitches for).<\/p>\n Baseball always finds a way to catch us off guard, and while this week\u2019s Power Rankings reflect some of the surprises of the first two months, we\u2019re taking this opportunity to make a few predictions about the next two months. And, yes, we\u2019re prepared to be wrong about most of them.<\/p>\n Stats are through Monday morning unless otherwise noted.<\/em><\/p>\n Record: 34-20 In the next two months:<\/strong> Shohei Ohtani\u2019s ERA climbs over 2.00<\/p>\n The Dodgers have won every NL West title except one since Barack Obama\u2019s first presidential term, and it\u2019s getting harder to be mad about it. It\u2019s become a permanent fixture of the baseball landscape.<\/p>\n You have to remain vigilant, however! It is still unacceptable for a pitcher to say, \u201cI\u2019m going to try to win the Cy Young because it sounds neat.\u201d While Ohtani did not say this explicitly, it is widely assumed that he\u2019s actively seeking a Cy Young Award this season, and I reject the level of talent it takes for someone to make a lil\u2019 extra push for the award and have it work. Ohtani\u2019s ERA is currently under 1.00, but his FIP is nearly two runs higher. He already has all the talent; he should give whatever luck he finds to someone who needs it. \u2014 Grant Brisbee<\/em><\/p>\n Record: 36-18 In the next two months: <\/strong>This isn\u2019t a fluke<\/p>\n The Braves have the most wins and the second-best run differential in baseball. It\u2019s a modest surprise \u2014 especially considering they\u2019re in a division that was expected to be three-team Royal Rumble \u2014 but the next two months will prove that the Braves are not, in fact, overachievers. In fact, Ronald Acu\u00f1a Jr. has yet to really get going, Ha-Seong Kim has barely played at all, and the pitching staff has been so deep that losing streaks have been non-existent (the Braves have yet to lose more than three in a row and have lost back-to-back games only three times). What\u2019s going to happen in the next two months? More of the first two months. \u2014 Chad Jennings<\/em><\/p>\n Record: 34-17 In the next two months: <\/strong>Nick Martinez makes his first All-Star team<\/p>\n The Rays are doing it again. Expected to be more good than great, they\u2019ve gotten off to the best start in the American League, and the method is familiar. They\u2019ve brought impact up from the minor leagues, Yandy D\u00edaz might win another batting title, Junior Caminero is the next Evan Longoria, and their pitching \u2014 it\u2019s always their pitching \u2014 is excellent. Shane McClanahan is back and Drew Rasmussen is as good as last year, but the leader of their rotation has been 35-year-old Nick Martinez, who has the second-best ERA in the majors and could be a first-time All-Star after a long journeyman career. \u2014 Jennings<\/em><\/p>\n Record: 32-22 In the next two months: <\/strong>Pulling away from the pack<\/p>\n The Yankees are not even leading their division at the moment, but they\u2019re in position to pull away from the rest of the American League in the next two months. Cam Schlittler is an early Cy Young favorite, Gerrit Cole just returned from the IL \u2014 with six scoreless innings \u2014 Carlos Rod\u00f3n is back, and the rotation was already humming with Ryan Weathers and Will Warren. Aaron Judge is Aaron Judge, Ben Rice is for real, Cody Bellinger is even better than last season, and the Yankees\u2019 farm system has enough pieces to make a splash at the deadline. The Yankees have been inconsistent, but by the time they face the Dodgers in the first series after the All-Star break, it could be a showdown between the two best teams in baseball. \u2014 Jennings<\/em><\/p>\n Record: 31-20 In the next two months: <\/strong>An All-Star record for The Miz<\/p>\n This prediction is a two-parter: First, it relies on Jacob Misiorowski being named the starter for the NL All-Star team. That doesn\u2019t feel like a huge stretch \u2014 the 24-year-old struck out 12 and took a no-hitter into the sixth inning on Sunday, and leads the league in strikeouts (100) and K\/9 of 14.06, which is bordering on absurd.<\/p>\n That\u2019s where the second part of the prediction comes in. Looking back over every All-Star Game starting pitcher, the highest K\/9 was Randy Johnson, who was at 13.7 K\/9 when he started the 1999 All-Star Game.<\/p>\n But even if Misiorowski doesn\u2019t start the All-Star Game, he could still set a first-half record: Jacob deGrom\u2019s 14.28 K\/9 in 2021 was the highest first-half mark ever (just holding off Spencer Strider\u2019s 14.27 in 2023). \u2014 Levi Weaver<\/em> Record: 29-25 In the next two months: <\/strong>Two turnarounds and a problem<\/p>\n Going into Monday\u2019s game, I noticed an odd thing on the Cubs\u2019 Baseball-Reference page<\/a>. Of the nine players listed as starters, only three had OPS marks of sub-.700: Alex Bregman, Dansby Swanson and Pete Crow-Armstrong.<\/p>\n Not that any of the three have been immune to slumps in their career, but it feels unexpected that they would be the team\u2019s three worst hitters. Nevertheless, here we are encroaching on June, and the numbers are right there for all to see.<\/p>\n I think all three of these players are better hitters than we\u2019ve seen this year. But I also think it seems overly credulous to suggest that all of them will break out in the next two months. So I think we\u2019ll see two of the three looking more like themselves by the All-Star break, with one giving Cubs fans severe agita by the deadline.<\/p>\n Which one? Absolutely no idea. \u2014 Weaver<\/em> Record: 31-22 In the next two months: <\/strong>Fernando Tatis Jr. hits a home run.<\/p>\n There have been a lot of players in recent seasons to go homerless over their first 50 games. Heck, Jos\u00e9 Iglesias did it for the Pads just last season. It\u2019s a different story when the player involved is a perennial MVP candidate and power hitter, though. If you exclude famously feckless batters like Ben Revere and Juan Pierre from the homerless-through-50-games club,<\/a> you\u2019re left with little more than cautionary tales (Anthony Rendon, Jos\u00e9 Abreu) close to the end of their career. (Delmon Young did it once when he was 23, but I\u2019m not sure which side of the cautionary\/reassuring ledger that goes on.)<\/p>\n So, hey, Fernando Tatis, Jr: cut it out. Baseball\u2019s confusing enough without stuff like this. Hit a danged dinger. (And if you want to remember some feckless middle infielders, friend, is this the link for you<\/a>.) \u2014 Brisbee<\/i><\/p>\n Record: 28-26 In the next two months:<\/strong> I\u2019m sorry, are you saying \u201cByers?\u201d Like, that kid from \u201cStranger Things?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n No, sorry. I know it\u2019s been a while since you\u2019ve heard this word in Pittsburgh, but what you\u2019re hearing is the word B-U-Y-E-R-S. As in, \u201cacquiring more talent at the trade deadline,\u201d rather than trading it away for prospects.<\/p>\n What\u2019s that? No, no, no, I assure you it\u2019s entirely legal \u2026 yes, even in Pittsburgh; there are no city ordinances that I\u2019m aware of. No, Paul Skenes is not going to be kidnapped by a demogorgon \u2014 again, it\u2019s buyers.<\/p>\n Yes, I\u2019m sure you do have questions for Bob Nutting; I can\u2019t say for sure if he forgot that the playoffs existed, or if he was doing some avant-garde performance art about austerity amongst the billionaire class, or if there was some other reason that the Pirates haven\u2019t won the division since 1992 (and since then, have only made the playoffs in 2013, 2014 and 2015).<\/p>\n But yes, I think the Pirates will be buyers. Don\u2019t worry, there\u2019s time to read up on the concept between now and then. \u2014\u00a0Weaver<\/em> Record: 32-24 In the next two months: <\/strong>Austin Hedges won\u2019t still lead Guardians catchers in OPS<\/p>\n While I think the ABS system will gradually change this in the coming years, here in 2026, a catcher can still keep a job for a long time without being able to hit much \u2014 assuming their defense and leadership are above-average.<\/p>\n That\u2019s how Hedges has stayed in the league since 2015. (No, it\u2019s not that his visage and career slash line of .186\/.246\/.313 (.559 OPS) make it seem like Charlie Kelly from \u201cIt\u2019s Always Sunny in Philadelphia\u201d made it to the big leagues.)<\/p>\n But so far this year, Hedges and his respectable .659 OPS have led Guardians catchers. Bo Naylor (.438) is in the minors. Patrick Bailey (.482) hasn\u2019t been the answer since a trade from San Francisco.<\/p>\n So what\u2019s the solution? I dunno man, this kid Cooper Ingle is ripping it up in Triple A<\/a>. Maybe it\u2019s time to see what he\u2019s got? \u2014\u00a0Weaver<\/em><\/p>\n Record: 29-24 In the next two months: <\/strong>Geraldo Perdomo gets scorching hot<\/p>\n Sometimes, when a young player\u2019s numbers dip, the answer is simple: be patient, and with the benefit of youth and additional experience, the numbers will return to normal. With Perdomo, it\u2019s hard to know what his \u201cnormal\u201d actually is. When he was 24, he had a .718 OPS and 3 home runs. When he was 25, he had a .851 OPS and 20 home runs, finishing fourth in the MVP voting. Now he\u2019s 26, and his numbers (.222\/.340\/.341, two home runs) sure look a lot like the ones from two seasons ago. Maybe that\u2019s the real Perdomo?<\/p>\n Not buying it. There\u2019s a reason why his MVP-caliber season was so convincing last year. He has the talent to be a superstar, and we know this because he already was one. He goes back on the list. \u2014 Brisbee<\/em><\/p>\n Record: 26-29 In the next two months: <\/strong>They reclaim their spot at the top<\/p>\n It could be Cal Raleigh shaking off whatever needs to be shaken off, it could be Colt Emerson becoming an instant superstar, it could be Luis Castillo reclaiming his past form. It could be all of the above.<\/p>\n All I know is that I\u2019ve reviewed the applications for the other teams in the AL West, and they do not fit with our needs at the current time. These other teams are welcome to resubmit their applications in the future, but for now, everything would make more sense if the talented-but-struggling Mariners stopped all the danged struggling. Of all the teams that don\u2019t make sense on paper, they might be at the top. \u2014 Brisbee<\/em><\/p>\n Record: 29-23 In the next two months:<\/strong> A few stumbles as the league adjusts<\/p>\n The Cardinals are a supremely young team, with 27-year-olds like Alec Burleson and Pedro Pag\u00e9s the grizzled veterans of the lineup, and they\u2019re surpassing expectations by a bunch. You can imagine a spirited, youthful clubhouse that\u2019s too inexperienced to know that they shouldn\u2019t be doing this, not unlike the Road Runner being able to defy gravity if he never looks down.<\/p>\n The Cards aren\u2019t sneaking up on anyone anymore, though, which means there are going to be adjustments to be made against the rookies and the newly ascendant players like Jordan Walker, and they\u2019ll have to adjust to the adjustments. Don\u2019t count them out. The actual roadrunner can just <\/a>\u2026 fly,<\/a> you know. \u2014 Brisbee<\/em> Record: 24-29 In the next two months:<\/strong> A direction for 2027-28-29 is determined<\/p>\n If the Rangers played in the NL Central, they\u2019d be a last-place team with a few imminently tradable starting pitchers and relievers to kick-start their next rebuild. In the AL West, they\u2019re 2 1\/2 \u00a0<\/span>games out of first place.<\/p>\n So once Corey Seager and Wyatt Langford and the Joshes Jung and Smith are healthy \u2026 and Seager and Evan Carter and Danny Jansen get those batting averages above .200 \u2026 and Jacob deGrom stops leading the AL in home runs allowed \u2026 and \u2026<\/p>\n Look, there\u2019s a lot that needs to start going right, but nearly the entire AL is bad, and the West is chief among the divisions without a single good team. Both the division and a wild-card berth are in play.<\/p>\n Also in play: Realizing that it\u2019s time to set your sights on a rapid turnaround while you still have tradable assets. I don\u2019t think that decision has been made yet, but I do think it needs to be made before the trade deadline. \u2014 Weaver<\/em> Record: 27-27 In the next two months:<\/strong> Kyle Schwarber builds his legacy<\/p>\n Only one player came through the weekend with more than 17 home runs, and it was Schwarber with 20. His last two homers moved Schwarber ahead of Yogi Berra and Johnny Mize on the all-time list, and his next home run will tie Joe DiMaggio. If he hits another 20 in the next two months, he\u2019ll move ahead of \u2014 among others \u2014 Ralph Kiner, Todd Helton, Gill Hodges and Jeff Kent, and he\u2019ll be on the verge of passing Jim Rice, Ryan Howard and Larry Walker. Schwarber just keeps doing it, and all around him, Bryce Harper and Cristopher S\u00e1nchez, the rest of the Phillies have at last shown signs of life again. \u2014 Jennings<\/em><\/p>\n Record: 25-29 In the next two months:<\/strong> A pivotal stretch determines the direction<\/p>\n The Blue Jays should be better than this, but they\u2019ve been too injured to put their best foot forward. Some of their role players have stepped up \u2014 Brandon Valenzuela, Louis Varland, Patrick Corbin \u2014 but this team is built on star power, and too much of it is missing. What determines their next two months (and their direction at the trade deadline) might be a 12-game stretch in mid-June when they face the Phillies, Yankees, Red Sox and Cubs. That\u2019s a potentially tough spell, but the defending AL champs are supposed to be up for that kind of challenge. If they can hold their own \u2014 even short-handed \u2014 it could get the ball rolling in the direction they intended heading into this season. \u2014 Jennings<\/em><\/p>\n Record: 27-27 In the next two months: <\/strong>Carlos Cortes keeps it going<\/p>\n Back when Twitter was Twitter, this tweet would occasionally reappear in my timeline without notice, retweeted by a frustrated Mets fan:<\/p>\n The #Mets<\/a> have non-tendered Scott Atchison, Jeremy Hefner, Omar Quintanilla, Justin Turner and Jordany Valdespin.<\/p>\n \u2014 New York Mets (@Mets) December 3, 2013<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Every generation of Mets fan gets the Justin Turner they deserve. While Cortes didn\u2019t leave in minor-league free agency with some weird vibes left behind<\/a>, he\u2019ll fit perfectly with the ennui and general energy of the franchise\u2019s recent history.<\/p>\n While Cortes\u2019 .350 batting average is more than a little unsustainable, the bat-to-ball skills seem legitimate, and he\u2019s walking more than he\u2019s striking out. Whatever the A\u2019s told him to do, it\u2019s worked. Even the batted-ball data loves him<\/a>. He\u2019ll have a multi-year run as the great what-if for a Mets franchise that always needs at least one, and the A\u2019s will just enjoy the excellent production, completely oblivious to their part in a larger cosmic drama. \u2014 Brisbee<\/em><\/p>\n Record: 26-28
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