MLB Power Rankings: All Hail the NL Central — Five Teams in the Black
📅 April 21, 2026⏱ 8 min read⚾ MLB Analysis
The latest MLB Power Rankings reveal one of the most balanced divisional races in recent memory. The NL Central stands alone as the only division where all five teams boast a winning record — making it the most compelling storyline in baseball right now. Meanwhile, the Dodgers, Braves, and Padres form a fearsome trio at the very top of this week’s MLB Power Rankings.
Key Takeaways
- The NL Central is the only MLB division with all five teams above .500 — a historic rarity this early in the season.
- Los Angeles Dodgers lead the MLB Power Rankings at 15-6, despite a late stumble against the Rockies.
- The Reds sit in first place at 14-8 and are on pace for 103 wins, defying pre-season expectations.
- The Cardinals, widely dismissed as a contender, have surprised everyone with a 13-8 record.
- Mason Miller of the Padres has allowed zero runs all season, facing 38 batters with 27 strikeouts.
- The Mets have fallen to 30th in this week’s MLB Power Rankings, crashing 12 spots in a single week.
5
NL Central teams above .500
15-6
Dodgers record (No. 1 ranked)
27
Mason Miller strikeouts in 2025
103
Win pace for the Reds
The NL Central: A Division Unlike Any Other
When analysts build MLB Power Rankings this time of year, they are typically looking for one or two teams to separate from the pack. In the National League Central, that task is nearly impossible. No other division in baseball currently has more than three teams with a winning record — yet here stands the NL Central with all five franchises comfortably in positive territory.
The Cubs and Brewers — last year’s NLDS rivals — are both sitting at 12-9, tied for last in the division. But here’s the twist: that’s also just 1.5 games off the division lead. This kind of competitive compression is a rarity at any point in a season, let alone in April.
Watch: NL Central Highlights & MLB Live Game Coverage
Click to visit MLB.com for live match streams, highlights, and play-by-play video from every game this week.
The Brewers: Three-Time Reigning Champions
MIL
12-9
Milwaukee Brewers — The Champs
Three-time defending NL Central champions. Four division titles in five years. Despite a six-game losing streak and injury concerns, they responded with four straight wins. You write the Brewers off at your own peril in any MLB Power Rankings conversation.
The Cubs: Chicago’s Megamarket Force
CHC
12-9
Chicago Cubs — Megamarket Behemoth
The third-largest market in baseball. The Cubs, alongside the Yankees and Dodgers, represent one of just three genuine market giants in the sport. Five-game win streak entering this week, and the lineup is beginning to click. Alex Bregman and Michael Busch are expected to heat up.
The Reds: Ready for Their Next Step
CIN
14-8
Cincinnati Reds — First Place Contenders
Sitting atop the NL Central at 14-8, the Reds are on a 103-win pace. That’s despite losing their ace for half the season in spring training. They are 6-0 in one-run games, showing the kind of resilience that defines legitimate contenders in any MLB Power Rankings list.
The Pirates: An Upstart With Real Teeth
PIT
13-9
Pittsburgh Pirates — The Surprise Package
The Pirates went 71-91 last season. This year they rank fourth in OPS and sixth in runs in all of baseball. Moves to bring in Brandon Lowe and Ryan O’Hearn have paid dividends. Since their 0-2 start, they haven’t lost back-to-back games once — going 8-1 after a loss.
The Cardinals: They Weren’t Supposed to Be Here
STL
13-8
St. Louis Cardinals — The Biggest Mover (+10)
Virtually nobody had the Cardinals as a contender this year. With a youth movement underway and expectations at a low ebb, the Cardinals have surprised everyone. Jordan Walker has looked like one of baseball’s most dangerous sluggers. Their 13-8 record is no fluke — it’s one of the biggest stories in these MLB Power Rankings.
Top 10 MLB Power Rankings — Full Table
| # | Team | Record | Change | Notable Stat |
| 1 | Los Angeles Dodgers | 15-6 | — | Were 15-4 before back-to-back Rockies losses |
| 2 | Atlanta Braves | 16-7 | — | Suarez-Iglesias back-end bullpen tandem is elite |
| 3 | San Diego Padres | 15-7 | — | Mason Miller: 27 K, 0 ER in 38 batters faced |
| 4 | Arizona Diamondbacks | 13-9 | — | Haven’t lost a series since the season opener |
| 5 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 13-9 | +1 | 8-1 record following a loss |
| 6 | Cincinnati Reds | 15-8 | +3 | Pace for 103 wins; 6-0 in one-run games |
| 7 | New York Yankees | 13-9 | — | First place despite losing 7 of previous 9 |
| 8 | Milwaukee Brewers | 12-9 | — | 3-time defending NL Central champs |
| 9 | Cleveland Guardians | 13-11 | +4 | José Ramírez homered twice on Sunday |
| 10 | Chicago Cubs | 12-9 | +3 | 5-game winning streak; Bregman expected to heat up |
Biggest Movers in This Week’s MLB Power Rankings
Every edition of the MLB Power Rankings features teams that have dramatically shifted position. This week’s movement tells fascinating stories about baseball’s unpredictability.
Cardinals +10Guardians +4Cubs +3Reds +3Tigers +7Giants +8Mets -12Orioles -6Phillies -4
The Mets’ roster changed dramatically, but since June 12 of last season, they are 45-60 — a 162-game pace of 66-96. That is the defining stat of their free fall in the MLB Power Rankings.
— MLB Power Rankings Analysis, April 2025
Teams 11–20: The Volatile Middle of the MLB Power Rankings
| # | Team | Record | Change | Key Note |
| 11 | Detroit Tigers | 12-11 | +7 | Won 8 of 9 to wake up |
| 12 | St. Louis Cardinals | 13-9 | +10 | Biggest mover; Jordan Walker is a revelation |
| 13 | Tampa Bay Rays | 12-10 | +1 | Won 9 of 11 before facing the Pirates |
| 14 | Texas Rangers | 11-11 | +4 | Need MacKenzie Gore to step up as No. 3 |
| 15 | Oakland Athletics | 11-11 | +4 | Tied for AL West lead at exactly .500 |
| 16 | Minnesota Twins | 11-11 | +1 | 4 straight losses after winning 8 of 9 |
| 17 | Los Angeles Angels | 11-12 | +4 | Only the Dodgers have more home runs |
| 18 | Baltimore Orioles | 10-12 | -6 | Lost 5 of 6 after a thrilling comeback |
| 19 | Seattle Mariners | 10-13 | — | 1-8 on the road; ALCS losers last season |
| 20 | Philadelphia Phillies | 8-13 | -4 | Lost 9 of 11; defense remains a concern |
Teams 21–30: Struggling Franchises in the Latest MLB Power Rankings
| # | Team | Record | Change | Key Note |
| 21 | Miami Marlins | 11-12 | +3 | Kyle Stowers returned with an immediate impact |
| 22 | San Francisco Giants | 9-13 | +8 | Win only in waves; no consistent stretches |
| 23 | Washington Nationals | 10-13 | — | CJ Abrams: .320/.429/.600, MVP-caliber start |
| 24 | Boston Red Sox | 9-13 | +1 | Garrett Crochet has a 7.88 ERA in 2025 |
| 25 | Chicago White Sox | 8-14 | +1 | Murakami: 8 of 15 hits are home runs |
| 26 | Toronto Blue Jays | 8-13 | -2 | Lost 12 of 15 before Sunday’s offensive explosion |
| 27 | Houston Astros | 9-15 | -2 | Yordan: 10 HR, 21 RBI — yet team is 9-15 |
| 28 | Colorado Rockies | 9-13 | +1 | 6-3 at home; just beat the mighty Dodgers 2 straight |
| 29 | New York Mets | 7-15 | -12 | Biggest drop in the MLB Power Rankings this week |
| 30 | Kansas City Royals | – | — | Bobby Witt Jr. has scored just 4 runs all season |
Standout Individual Performances Shaping MLB Power Rankings
Beyond team records, individual player performance drives how analysts adjust their MLB Power Rankings each week. Several players are commanding attention in ways that transcend statistics alone.
Mason Miller, San Diego Padres
The Padres closer has faced 38 batters and struck out 27 of them. He has allowed just two hits, two walks, and zero earned runs across all his appearances. In a game increasingly defined by late-inning volatility, Mason Miller represents a cheat code that makes San Diego genuinely dangerous in close games.
José Ramírez, Cleveland Guardians
Ramírez continues cementing his franchise legacy, ranking in the top three for runs, hits, total bases, doubles, home runs, RBI, and stolen bases in Cleveland history. He homered twice on Sunday, keeping the Guardians in first place in the AL Central.
CJ Abrams, Washington Nationals
Despite his team’s mediocre record, Abrams has been one of baseball’s most productive hitters: .320/.429/.600 with six home runs, 19 RBI, and four stolen bases in just 21 games. He even leads the majors in hit-by-pitches with five — a sign that pitchers aren’t treating him lightly.
Jordan Walker, St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals’ young slugger has been the defining reason for their shocking rise in this week’s MLB Power Rankings. Walker’s emergence as one of baseball’s best power threats has given the Cardinals an identity they didn’t have entering the season.
Bobby Witt Jr. has only scored four runs all season — three of those in one game. That means the Royals’ offensive catalyst has only crossed home plate in two of their 22 games.
— 2025 MLB Power Rankings, Week 4 Analysis
The Bottom of the MLB Power Rankings: Cautionary Tales
Not every team can thrive in a league with this much parity. The bottom tier of the current MLB Power Rankings features some genuinely alarming situations that could define franchise trajectories for seasons to come.
The Houston Astros present perhaps the most troubling case. Yordan Alvarez is putting up a candidate for the AL MVP — hitting .333 with 10 home runs and 21 RBI — yet the Astros sit at 9-15. When your best hitter is this dominant and the team still loses, the problems are systemic and deep.
The New York Mets experienced the single largest drop in this week’s MLB Power Rankings, falling 12 spots to 29th. Their 45-60 record since last June represents one of the most sustained collapses in recent memory, regardless of how dramatically the roster was reshaped this offseason.
FAQ: Your MLB Power Rankings Questions Answered
How are MLB Power Rankings determined?▾
Why are the NL Central teams all ranked so closely?▾
Are the Dodgers still considered the best team in baseball?▾
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Conclusion: The NL Central Rules, the Top Three Reign
This week’s MLB Power Rankings paint a vivid picture of a season already full of surprises. The Dodgers, Braves, and Padres form a genuinely elite top tier where any ordering is justifiable. Below them, the NL Central stands alone as the most balanced — and most entertaining — division in baseball.
Whether it’s the defending champion Brewers, the upstart Pirates, the first-place Reds, the resurgent Cardinals, or the powerful Cubs, the NL Central is delivering exactly what baseball fans want: meaning in every game, unpredictability in every series, and no easy outs anywhere in the standings.
Keep checking back for weekly updates to these MLB Power Rankings as the race for the playoffs begins to take shape. In a season this competitive, the next big move is never far away.
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