New York, May 5, 2026, 08:16 (ET)
- Atlanta now sits atop the latest MLB.com and FanGraphs power rankings, bumping Los Angeles from the No. 1 spot.
- The Braves showed up Tuesday sitting at 25-11, holding MLB’s top winning percentage and already up 8.5 games in the NL East.
- The Dodgers have lost their grip as the clear early-season favorite, but projection systems continue to peg them as a serious October contender.
The Atlanta Braves now lead the major MLB power rankings, snapping the Los Angeles Dodgers’ hold on No. 1 after Atlanta surged and the Dodgers stumbled to start May. MLB.com slotted the Braves in first—a spot they hadn’t held in over three years. FanGraphs’ latest model shows the same pecking order, bumping Atlanta above the Yankees, Cubs, and Dodgers.
This isn’t just another routine media cycle anymore. Atlanta came into Tuesday sitting at 25-11, boasting a plus-80 run differential — that’s runs scored minus runs allowed — and holding an 8.5-game cushion atop the NL East. The Dodgers, Yankees, and Cubs are all still closely bunched among the game’s top early contenders.
The first month of the season now draws clearer lines: Braves out front, Yankees making a strong push in the AL, Cubs turning Wrigley into a tough stop, and the Dodgers—still in the mix, but not ruling the leaderboard solo. Just in Week 5, ESPN’s rankings had the Dodgers at No. 1, then Braves, Yankees, Cubs—highlighting how the order has already shifted.
Will Leitch at MLB.com noted Atlanta’s jump back to the top spot after “two years of injuries, struggles and plain misfortune.” The Braves climbed from third to first, pushing the Dodgers down to third. Yankees kept their grip on second, the Cubs held steady in fourth, while the Padres locked in the fifth position. Mlb
FanGraphs arrived at much the same result, although by a separate approach. Jake Mailhot’s rankings rely on a tweaked Elo rating system—a points-based framework adapted from chess, factoring in wins, losses, and quality of opposition. Atlanta landed at the top with a 1603 power score and playoff odds of 95.5%. Trailing behind: the Yankees, Cubs, then Dodgers.
The Braves’ argument practically writes itself. CBS Sports analyst Matt Snyder didn’t hedge, saying “there is no question” Atlanta stands as baseball’s top club at the moment. Backing that up: a 25-10 start, the best record in the majors and the National League, plus a cushion ahead of the two-time defending champion Dodgers. CBS Sports
It’s Atlanta’s offense driving the surge. According to CBS, the Braves top MLB in runs, batting average, and OPS—on-base plus slugging, that catch-all hitting stat. Pitching hasn’t lagged: the club sits second in team ERA, measuring earned runs surrendered per nine innings.
Standing out in the American League, the Yankees draw attention as a top challenger. MLB.com flagged Ben Rice’s 1.214 OPS as the highest in the majors when the list came out, while FanGraphs highlighted both Rice and Aaron Judge slugging three home runs apiece that week. Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón, FanGraphs added, might also give the rotation a push soon.
The National League field just got tighter, with the Cubs muscling in as contenders. According to MLB.com, Chicago has strung together 11 straight wins at Wrigley Field—best home streak since 2008. The Cubs sit at 23-12 atop a jammed NL Central, edging out the Cardinals, Reds, Pirates and Brewers on the current leaderboard.
It’s not so much a meltdown for the Dodgers as some bad timing. Los Angeles dropped four in a row before grabbing a win to close out their set in St. Louis, MLB.com reported. Shohei Ohtani went hitless in 14 at-bats over that skid. Even so, the team rolled into Tuesday 22-13, boasting a plus-68 run differential and sitting atop the NL West.
Calling this one early comes with obvious risk. Ronald Acuña Jr. is on the injured list with a hamstring problem, according to FanGraphs, but their latest projected standings still show the Dodgers at 97 wins—outpacing the Yankees (95) and Braves (93). To put it simply, the model credits Atlanta with momentum right now, though Los Angeles carries more weight in the forecasts.
Right now, the Braves hold the edge—both in narrative and in the standings. After overtaking the Dodgers on more than one front, Atlanta’s blazing start has translated into a real lead, not just in the rankings but in run prevention too. The Yankees and Cubs aren’t far back, keeping things tight at the top.
