2026 ClutchPoints MLB Power Rankings, Vol. 6: Wild opening weekend in the books

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2026 ClutchPoints MLB Power Rankings, Vol. 6: Wild opening weekend in the books

Christopher Hennessy, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Mon, Mar 30, 2026 ·

15 min read

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2026 ClutchPoints MLB Power Rankings, Vol. 6: Wild opening weekend in the books appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

The 2026 MLB season is underway, and the Opening Day fireworks were electric. From walk-off homers to electric team debuts, there was great baseball all weekend long. The New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers are among the remaining undefeated teams in the MLB Power Rankings . Where do both teams, and the other undefeated squads, fall in the rankings?

#1: Los Angeles Dodgers (-)

The Dodgers swept the Diamondbacks in a three-game series, keeping their position at the top of the MLB Power Rankings. They were losing in all three games by multiple runs, coming back to win each game. They are just the seventh team to win their first three games with multi-run comebacks since 1901 and the first since 1999. Kyle Tucker is off to a bit of a rough start, going 2-for-11 with two walks in the series. The Dodgers host the Cleveland Guardians before visiting the Washington Nationals next.

#2: Toronto Blue Jays (-)

The Toronto Blue Jays got off to a great start to their American League championship defense, sweeping the Athletics at home. They won on Opening Day 3-2 and followed that up with an Ernie Clement walk-off win on Saturday . Despite allowing three home runs to Shea Langaliers in the three-game set, they pulled out all three wins. Kasuma Okamoto and Jesús Sanchez both hit homers in their first set as Blue Jays. The Colorado Rockies come to town before Toronto hits the road to face the Chicago White Sox .

#3: Seattle Mariners (-)

The Seattle Mariners split a four-game set with the Cleveland Guardians to start their season. There is some concern around Cal Raleigh , however, who did not continue his 60-homer form to start the season. The MVP runner-up went 2-for-15 with three walks and 10 strikeouts against Cleveland. Only one of those hits went for extra bases, and it was a double. While they are off to a decent start, Raleigh has to turn things around for the Mariners to reach their expectations this year. They host the Yankees before visiting the Los Angeles Angels , coming up.

#4: Philadelphia Phillies (-)

The Philadelphia Phillies did not get off to the best start to the season, losing a three-game series to the Texas Rangers . Justin Crawford started all three games in centerfield, marking the biggest change to the roster from years past. Carl Crawford 's son, Justin, went 3-9 with a walk and three strikeouts, but did not steal any bases. Cristopher Sanchez was brilliant on Opening Day, throwing six shutout innings. But their depth will be challenged this year, and Jesús Luzardo and Aaron Nola both struggled. They host the Washington Nationals before visiting the Rockies this week.

#5: Detroit Tigers (+2)

The Detroit Tigers went on the road and took two of three from the San Diego Padres to start the season. Their offense did not show up on Sunday, getting shut out with a chance to sweep. But there were plenty of great things to take away from the opening set, namely Kevin McGonigle . The shortstop had five hits in 12 at-bats in the series, knocking in four runs along the way. They visit the Arizona Diamondbacks before Opening Day in Detroit against the St Louis Cardinals .

#6: New York Yankees (+2)

The New York Yankees swept the San Francisco Giants , allowing just one run in the three games at Oracle Park. Max Fried and Cam Schlittler both led shutouts to start the set, and Will Warren followed by allowing just one run. Aaron Judge did not hit for average, but both of his hits were long home runs. The Run It Back Yanks showed out to start the season, but tough American League competition awaits with the Seattle Mariners up next. Then, they open Yankee Stadium for the year with a series against the Miami Marlins .

#7: Chicago Cubs (-1)

The Chicago Cubs lost two of three to the Nationals, losing 10-4 on Opening Day and dropping a rubber match 6-3 on Sunday. The good news is that Pete Crow-Armstrong was strong offensively, picking up four hits in 13 at-bats, knocking in two runs, and stealing two bases. Bad news was aplenty, however, as Matthew Boyd allowed six runs in 3.2 innings on Opening Day. The Cubs did give Nico Hoerner a $141 million extension this week, keeping the core together. They look to flush that result with the Los Angeles Angels coming to Wrigley before visiting the Cleveland Guardians.

#8: Milwaukee Brewers (+1)

The Milwaukee Brewers swept the White Sox to begin their season, capping it off with a comeback win on Sunday. Christian Yelich hit a pinch-hit home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the team the lead. They move up the MLB Power Rankings because they have proven themselves offensively, which was no guarantee coming into the season. Andrew Vaughn is on the injured list with a hamate bone injury , so time will tell how that impacts them. Next up, they host the Tampa Bay Rays and visit the Kansas City Royals .

#9: San Diego Padres (-4)

The Padres are the first big fallers in the MLB Power Rankings, moving down four spots. They dropped two of three to the Tigers, and very few players ended up with good stat lines. Ramon Laureano went 5-for-12 with a homer and two RBIs, and Manny Machado walked four times. Mason Miller was electric out of the bullpen on Sunday, but the offense needs to step up to give him more opportunities. That must start now, with the Giants coming to town before they visit the Boston Red Sox .

#10: Baltimore Orioles (-)

The Baltimore Orioles were among the most disappointing teams in the league in 2025. But they made changes in the offseason that are already paying off. They took two of three from the Minnesota Twins , waging a comeback from down 4-0 on Sunday to take the series. Pete Alonso , Adley Rutschman , and Coby Mayo all knocked in runs in the seventh to secure the win. Things are looking up in Baltimore after a dismal season. They look to continue that against the Rangers before hitting the road to face the Pittsburgh Pirates .

#11: New York Mets (-)

The New York Mets had one of the more fascinating Opening Day games in MLB this year. Hamilton star Christopher Jackson messed up the National Anthem, and Freddy Peralta allowed two runs in the first inning. It looked like things were going south for the Amazins until they knocked Paul Skenes out of the game with five first-inning runs . An extra-inning win and an extra-inning loss gave them the series win. Bo Bichette is off to a rough start with an NL-high eight strikeouts, and is already hearing the boos. Next, the Mets host the St Louis Cardinals before heading west to face the Giants.

#12: Texas Rangers (+2)

The Rangers took two of three from the Phillies to start the season, which is great news. But Jacob deGrom was scratched from his Saturday start with neck stiffness. The oft-injured ace finally made 30 starts last year, pitching to a 2.97 ERA, but now has an injury concern. He said his neck felt "much better" on Sunday , according to Kennedi Landry of MLB.com. Through a nice start to the season, Rangers fans are already watching the deGrom news. They visit the Orioles next before Opening Day in Arlington against the Cincinnati Reds .

#13: Houston Astros (-1)

The Houston Astros split a four-game series with the Angels to open their season. Replacing Framber Valdez was always going to be difficult, and Tatsuya Imai was tasked with doing that in the offseason. In his first start on Sunday, he allowed four earned runs in 2.2 innings, but his offense lifted him and picked up the win. The Astros host the Red Sox before visiting the Athletics this week.

#14: Boston Red Sox (-1)

The Red Sox dropped their opening series to the Cincinnati Reds, losing the last two games by just one run. Garrett Crochet was brilliant on Opening Day, throwing six three-hit innings in a 3-0 win. Sonny Gray did not have a great Boston debut, allowing four runs in four innings. And Greg Weissert allowed a massive Eugenio Suarez homer in Game 3. The Red Sox did get some great offense from Roman Anthony and Wilyer Abreu , so the sky isn't totally falling. They visit the Astros before opening Fenway Park for the season against the San Diego Padres.

#15: Cincinnati Reds (+2)

The Reds took the series from the Red Sox, largely thanks to their offseason addition. Suarez welcomed himself back to Great American Ballpark with a massive three-run homer in Game 3. He slugged 49 homers and knocked in 118 runs last year, and is now playing in a hitter-friendly park. The offense has to step up with Hunter Greene on the shelf, and they did that against Boston. The Reds host the Pirates before visiting the Rangers.

#16: Cleveland Guardians (-1)

The second half of the MLB Power Rankings starts off with the Guardians, who split a series with the Mariners. But what happened on Sunday night was deeply concerning. They were no-hit through six innings by Emerson Hancock and made some brutal defensive plays. In the past, they won games by playing perfect defense. If the defense goes and the offense is not going to be elite, it could be a long season for Cleveland. They visit the Dodgers before their home opener against the Cubs.

#17: Atlanta Braves (+1)

Congratulations to the Atlanta Braves, who will not start 0-7 for the second consecutive season. They took their opening series against the Kansas City Royals, taking the first game 6-0 and winning the second game 6-2 on a walk-off grand slam. Dom Smith hit that winning homer and revealed afterwards that his mother recently passed away from cancer. A heartwarming story, and a great start to the year for Atlanta. They look to keep the pace against the Athletics at home before visiting the Diamondbacks.

#18: Arizona Diamondbacks (-2)

The Diamondbacks opened their season with a tough test, facing the Dodgers on the road as they celebrated their World Series title. They lost all three games, largely thanks to more bullpen collapses. Taylor Clarke ruined any chance at a comeback on Opening Day, and Juan Morillo blew the game in the 8th inning on Sunday. The bullpen was a problem a year ago, and they did not step up in the opening series. They are now well behind the 8 Ball with the Tigers and Braves coming to the desert next.

#19: Miami Marlins (+5)

The Miami Marlins are the biggest risers in the MLB Power Rankings after sweeping the Rockies. No one is going to make playoff declarations after beating the Rockies, but what the Fish did was very impressive. They capped it off with an Owen Caisse walk-off home run in their throwback teal jerseys on Sunday, which was an incredible sight. Both Sandy Alcantara and Eury Perez threw seven innings, quelling any concerns about starting pitching. They host the White Sox next before heading north to face the Yankees.

#20: San Francisco Giants (-1)

The Giants laid an egg in their first series against the Yankees . They managed just one run and 13 hits across the three games. Logan Webb got crushed by the Bombers, allowing five runs in the second inning on Opening Night. There are reasons to be disappointed with both the offense and the pitching, and new manager Tony Vitello has a challenge on his hands already. They can flush that performance with a road series against the Padres before a home set against the Mets.

#21: Kansas City Royals (-1)

The Royals dropped two of three to the Braves to open the season, and the offense was a serious problem. They scored just two runs in the first two games, managing only ten hits along the way. But they scored four runs on seven hits to close out the series on top, and Vinnie Pasquantino was a big reason why. From hitless in the first two games to two hits with an RBI in the third game, he needs to be the Robin to Bobby Witt Jr's Batman. Their home opener is on Monday against the Twins, and the Brewers come to town right after.

#22: Los Angeles Angels (+3)

The Angels only won two of their four games against the Astros, but it was just about a dream come true in every other way. Mike Trout was sensational in the series, going 6-for-13 with two home runs and three RBI. He also leads baseball with seven walks in four games. If Trout is back, the Angels will be an incredible watch for the remainder of the season. They head north to face the Cubs this week before their home opener against the Mariners.

#23: Athletics (-1)

The Athletics came into this season with high expectations and fell flat on their face in their opening series. They lost all three games to the Blue Jays in Toronto to start the year despite three home runs from Shea Langaliers. The negative was Nick Kurtz , who went 1-for-9 with seven strikeouts in the series, stumbling to start his sophomore season. Pitching is still a concern for the A's, too, with none of their starters getting out of the sixth inning. They visit the Braves before their home opener against the Astros.

#24: Pittsburgh Pirates (-1)

Another team with high expectations saw it all come crashing down on Opening Day. Paul Skenes did not get out of the first inning, and the Pirates suffered an embarrassing loss to start the season. They did pull off an extra-innings win thanks to RBI singles from Ryan O'Hearn and Henry Davis on Sunday. Andrew McCutchen was brilliant for the Rangers while Marcel Ozuna was silenced for the Pirates, making that decision look more confusing. But they can bury it quickly against the Reds before their home opener against the Orioles.

#25: St Louis Cardinals (-1)

The Cardinals do not have high expectations this season, but they gave their fans a player to watch immediately on Opening Day. JJ Wetherholt hit his first home run and went 4-for-13 in his first three MLB games. The rebuild is on in St Louis, but they did start the season with a 2-1 record after taking a series from the Rays. Can they stun the world and put together a competitive season this year? That journey starts with the Mets coming to town before they hit the road to face the Tigers.

#26: Tampa Bay Rays (-5)

The Rays are in a transitional phase and play in arguably the toughest division in the sport. Losing a series to the Cardinals is not a great start, but there are some positives to take away. According to Cespedes BBQ on X, formerly Twitter, they hit 35 singles over their first three games , the most singles in a team's first three games since the 1952 Dodgers hit 38. The 1952 Dodgers lost the World Series in Game 7. If Jonathan Aranda keeps up the offense and Junior Caminero joins him, they could be dangerous. They stay on the road for series against the Twins and Brewers before reopening Tropicana Field next week.

#27: Washington Nationals (+1)

The Nationals took two of three from the Cubs to start their season, and they have the best hitter in the league so far. Joey Wiemer has not gotten out yet, going 6-for-6 with two walks against the Cubs. He has a triple and a home run, so he leads in slugging and OPS, too. The Nationals are building for the future and may have found a diamond in the rough with Wiemer. They'll look to keep it up against the Phillies before their home opener against the Dodgers.

#28: Chicago White Sox (+1)

The White Sox are moving up in the MLB Power Rankings despite getting swept by the Brewers to open the season. They should be thrilled with the performances of Munetaka Murakami, who slugged his first MLB homer , and Colson Montgomery . Their bullpen collapsed on Sunday while looking for their first win. But the arrow is pointing up for the Southsiders as they head to Miami to face the Marlins before their home opener against the Blue Jays.

#29: Minnesota Twins (-2)

The Twins went to Baltimore and dropped two of three against the Orioles. They could have taken the series, but their bullpen collapsed on Sunday, allowing the O's to mount a comeback and pick up the win. That could be happening more often, as the twins dismantled their bullpen at last year's trade deadline and did not replace them in free agency. Things could get ugly for the Twins, but Royce Lewis is healthy and slugging homers, which is a good sight. They visit the Royals before their home opener against the Rays later in the week.

#30: Colorado Rockies (-)

Finally, the Rockies land at 30 after getting swept by the Marlins to open the season. Even on the road, their starting pitching left a lot to be desired. All three of their starters, Kyle Freeland , Jose Quintana , and Michael Lorenzen , pitched exactly 4.1 innings and allowed a total of seven runs. Their bullpen cleaned up the remaining 14 innings, allowing just three runs. Hunter Goodman had a nice series, while Jordan Beck had four RBI. But it was not enough to pick up a win. The Rockies visit the Blue Jays before their home opener against the Phillies.

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