Are the two-time defending World Series champions still looking like the team to beat this season?
The 2026 MLB campaign is barely two weeks in, but the Dodgers remain on target for a historic three-peat. That’s not to say some other teams are making things interesting in these early days.
Dontrelle Willis List His Current Top-5 Power Rankings 🚨
FOX Sports MLB analyst Dontrelle Willis reveals who his top five teams are right now, which includes two American League teams and three from the National League. Here’s who made the cut.
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(Photo by Brandon Sloter/IOS/Getty Images)
The AL Central-leading Guardians (8-6) check in at No. 5 on Willis’ list. They’ve only won three of their past six games, but Willis is convinced that there’s no cause for concern, as they’re riding the Chase DeLauter wave.
“They’re still able to win ballgames even though José Ramírez has not checked in,” Willis added. “You know, it starts and ends on the mound for me. Mr. [Gavin] Williams, he is gonna proceed to have a monster 12 months.”
Final week, Cleveland rattled off back-to-back wins in opposition to Kansas Metropolis. On Wednesday, Guardians left fielder Angel Martinez went 4-for-5, together with hitting a four-bagger to clear the bases with one swing of the bat within the backside of the eighth. It was an enormous early divisional win in an AL Central race that’s probably going to be tight this 12 months.
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(Photograph by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Pictures)
The Braves (9-5) started the 12 months with out an off day by means of their first 13 video games and a rotation lacking Spencer Strider (indirect pressure), Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow surgical procedure), Hurston Waldrep (elbow surgical procedure) and Joey Wentz (torn ACL). That stated, they’ve emerged from this beginning stretch in first place within the NL East, with the bottom ERA in MLB (2.03) and tied for one of the best run differential in MLB (+34). What’s extra, they’ve managed to do that all with out relying fully on the arm of Chris Sale. Atlanta is within the midst of a three-game win streak, defeating its opponents by a mean of five-plus runs over that span. That is greater than sufficient to land them at No. 4 on Willis’ record.
“They’re lastly wholesome, so far as the core group of the fellows that play day by day [goes],” Willis stated. “[Second baseman] Ozzie [Albies] is lastly wholesome. [Catcher] Drake Baldwin is a monster. His bat-to-ball abilities and his recreation calling and throwing behind the plate [skills are] the most effective in all of baseball.”
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(Photograph by John Fisher/Getty Pictures)
Even with out Freddy Peralta and Caleb Durbin, Milwaukee is 8-5 and sits atop the NL Central. Regardless of the Brewers dropping their previous three video games, Willis is not able to push the panic button. As a substitute, they land at No. 3 on his record.
“[Coach] Pat Murphy has these guys on the prime of the [NL] Central taking part in his model of baseball,” Willis stated. “[Left fielder] Christian Yelich appears to be like like MVP Yelich. He appears to be like — lastly — wholesome. [Center fielder Garrett] Mitchell in that lineup [is] offering some pop.”
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Earlier this month, Milwaukee finalized an eight-year contract with prospect Cooper Pratt, including the prized 21-year-old shortstop prospect to the 40-man roster and optioning him to Triple-A Nashville. The cope with Pratt consists of membership choices that might hold him with the Brewers by means of the 2035 season. Pratt is among the many prime prospects in a Brewers farm system that ranks among the many finest in MLB. He was rated by MLB Pipeline because the No. 60 general prospect.
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(Photograph by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Pictures)
Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt began the season on the injured record, but it surely doesn’t appear to be an enormous issue. Boosted by 25-year-old Cam Schlittler — who has 22 strikeouts, no walks and a 1.62 ERA by means of three begins — a Yankees’ rotation that has appeared like one of the best in baseball within the early going. What’s extra, 2024 AL Rookie of the Yr Luis Gil is able to be part of after they want a fifth starter. Nonetheless, the AL East-leading Yankees (8-5) have dropped three in a row and are aiming to get again on observe this weekend.
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“My New York Yankees, who I have been backing for the final couple [of] weeks, have been struggling on the plate,” Willis stated. “I do know it, however Aaron Choose is beginning to warmth up.”
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(Photograph by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-Information by way of Getty Pictures)
“The world champions,” Willis stated when requested which crew is his clear-cut No. 1. “The wealthy get richer!”
On the finish of final season, the Dodgers grew to become the primary back-to-back World Sequence champs because the Yankees received three in a row from 1998 to 2000. As well as, it was the Dodgers’ third championship previously six years.
The NL West-leading Dodgers (10-3) currently have the best odds to win the 2026 World Series at +230, adopted by the Yankees (+1000).
