The Pitcher List MLB Power Rankings finally caved with a new number one, but with the dominance of the Atlanta Braves having been well-documented, we highlight a new member of the contender section—while in the National League, one specific team seems to be taking advantage of their schedule to bolster their playoff chances.
Every week, the Pitcher List team will publish an update to our power rankings, highlighting three teams among the different tiers of contention. As always, the full rankings can be found at the bottom of this article, but where’s the fun in that?
Contender
No. 6 Cleveland Guardians (32-24, +15)
Standing out as the American League’s third-best team behind the two AL East leaders, the Cleveland Guardians seem to be upping their game to fend off the surprisingly solid White Sox in the race for the AL Central lead. As much as one might point to that solid but unspectacular run differential as an indicator that Cleveland could take a couple of steps back, a look at their offense in particular shows that they’ve merely scratched the surface of what this team can accomplish. The Guardians have not one but two outstanding prospects firmly establishing themselves with terrific rookie campaigns in Chase DeLauter and Travis Bazanna, and yet, their attack only has a 97 OPS+, making pitching the driving force behind this record.
The reason for this offense’s shortcomings, to a certain extent, is that Ramírez has been more good than great for the first time in a while, even if his league-leading 20 stolen bases would hint that a decline isn’t in the cards. But more importantly, and more surprisingly, Steven Kwan has been a liability after years of stability. Eight games over .500 with questionable production from its most experienced hitting duo, the Guardians have room to grow. And if we look at their recent record, just last week they won four separate games without surpassing three runs scored, outpitching the Tigers and Phillies.
While they may not be the flashiest one-two combo, Gavin Williams and Parker Messick are right up there with the best starting pitching duos in 2026, combining for a 13-4 record as Williams’ seven wins lead the league. Early last week, Williams led the Guardians to a statement win over Philadelphia, going toe-to-toe with Cristopher Sánchez in an amazing pitching duel, completing eight innings of scoreless ball with 11 strikeouts on just 99 pitches. Both starters kept the 0-0 score through eight, and each team used their elite closer in the ninth, and it was a Kyle Manzardo solo shot off Jhoan Duran that gave Cleveland the win. Speaking of, Manzardo is another talented yet underperforming hitter who can take this lineup to a whole new level if he starts fulfilling his potential.
The Middle
No. 17 Arizona Diamondbacks (29-24, +11)
Perhaps no team is better equipped to take advantage of the low floor of its division than the Diamondbacks. Sure, facing the likes of the Dodgers and Padres is extremely challenging, but unlike teams in the NL Central, a division with currently all five teams above .500, the Diamondbacks get basically a couple of freebies when they square off against the last-place Colorado Rockies and the struggling San Francisco Giants.
Facing solely those two teams over their last 11 games, the Arizona Diamondbacks have won nine of them to insert themselves as NL Wild Card contenders, even if just momentarily. After a dismal start to the year with an OPS below .700 through the end of April, Ketel Marte looks back to his old ways and has been maybe the most dangerous hitter in the game over the past week or so, going 17 for 29 in his last seven games, including three home runs. Marte has a .957 OPS this month and has finally joined Corbin Carroll with the kind of dominating production one might expect from this lineup’s core hitters. Depth remains an issue, but the emergence of Ildemaro Vargas and the resurgence of Nolan Arenado at the infield corners have sustained this offense.
The pitchers have really taken well to this opportunity of facing the Giants and Rockies, allowing no more than three runs in eight of their 11 games against the bottom two in the NL West. Coming off back-to-back seasons with an ERA over 5.00, left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez is finally showcasing the potential that had Arizona make a long-term commitment to place him at or near the top of its rotation. Rodríguez isn’t the only Arizona pitcher dramatically moving off their recent track record to spearhead this staff, as the same could be said about Michael Soroka and closer Paul Sewald, whose 0.776 WHIP would indicate that his 3.72 ERA is a bit too punitive and likely to come down if he maintains the same level of performance.
Wait ‘Til 2027
No. 23 Detroit Tigers (21-33, -25)
No Tarik Skubal equals plenty of problems. Losing a starter, even if he is inarguably the best one in baseball over the past two seasons, shouldn’t be enough to take a team that’s supposed to challenge for first place in its division to the bottom of it. That, however, is where we are with a Detroit team, swept at home by the Guardians on a four-game set that saw them average two runs per game and, more recently, losers of two out of three against the Orioles.
Skubal’s absence has a bigger impact when the man signed to be his sidekick, known for his season-to-season stability over the years, seems on his way to a career-worst campaign as a full-time starter in Framber Valdez. Valdez has a 4.28 ERA and isn’t the only veteran arm off his game in this Tigers rotation. Even if you account for the low expectations most had of Jack Flaherty in 2026, his level of performance has been so poor that one can’t afford to be surprised by it, currently with a 0-6 record that’s more than justified by the 39 runs (31 earned) he has allowed in just 47 innings. Moving over to the bullpen, things aren’t any better—responsible for one of the losses against the Orioles with a blown save, Kenley Jansen is well off the mark in bringing the stability to the closer role that the Tigers thought they were getting with the veteran.
Amidst all of this, it’s actually the offense that’s been the bigger disappointment, with very little to show for it beyond Riley Greene and Kevin McGonigle, making it all the more concerning considering these are the Tigers’ most important bats. Spencer Torkelson hasn’t lived up to the breakout of last season, and the need to utilize Jahmai Jones frequently as the DH despite an OPS in the .500s is the type of move with a massively negative impact.
