MLB Power Rankings: Each team's most important newcomer

It's the fourth edition of theScore's MLB Power Rankings for the 2026 season. Here we look at each team's most important newcomer through the first two months.

Jump to:
ARI | ATH I ATL | BAL | BOS | CHC | CWS | CIN | CLE | COL | DET | HOU | KC | LAA | LAD | MIA | MIL | MIN | NYM | NYY | PHI | PIT | SD | SF | SEA | STL | TB | TEX | TOR | WSH

1. Atlanta Braves

Martín Pérez: A 15-year veteran, Pérez joined Atlanta on a minor-league deal and was expected to serve as organizational depth in case of injury. Instead, he's turned back the clock to become a glue guy for the first-place Braves' pitching staff. The 35-year-old owns a career-best 2.70 ERA along with a 7.7 K/9 across 11 appearances (seven starts), helping to stabilize a rotation missing several key arms due to injuries.

2. Tampa Bay Rays

Nick Martinez: The Rays have worked their magic again. Martinez has been a good pitcher since returning to the majors from Japan in 2022, but he's taken his talents to another level in Tampa Bay. The 35-year-old ranks second in MLB with a 1.51 ERA, and he's allowed two or fewer runs in all 10 of his starts.

3. Los Angeles Dodgers

Kyle Tucker: Last offseason's No. 1 free agent is off to a mediocre start for his standards in Dodger blue. Still, he's been infinitely more productive than Edwin Díaz, the club's other marquee addition who remains sidelined long term. With Mookie Betts injured for most of the campaign, Tucker's bat has been extremely vital for L.A. It's just a matter of time before the four-time All-Star gets going offensively.

4. Milwaukee Brewers

Kyle Harrison: The Brewers continue to benefit from trades with the Red Sox. Harrison never got an opportunity in Boston, but he's making the most out of his chance in Milwaukee. The left-hander leads the team in ERA (1.77) and has pitched the second-most innings (45 2/3). He's more than made up for the production lost from trading Freddy Peralta.

5. New York Yankees

Ryan Weathers: Despite being one of only a handful of new faces brought in by Brian Cashman this winter, Weathers has managed to make a solid impact. The left-hander has provided much-needed stability and consistently strong performances with Carlos Rodón, Gerrit Cole, and Max Fried on the IL at different points. He holds a 3.14 ERA in 10 outings, and allowed two or fewer earned runs in seven of those.

6. San Diego Padres

Miguel Andujar: After reviving his career with the A's and Reds last summer, Andujar seems to have found a home in San Diego as the Padres' primary DH. The 31-year-old's 19 extra-base hits are tied for the team lead, helping to cover for Fernando Tatis Jr.'s inexplicable power outage. Andujar's making just $4 million this season, an investment that's already paid off for the Padres.

7. Cleveland Guardians

Travis Bazzana: The No. 1 pick from the 2024 draft has hit the ground running since arriving in the majors in late April, and has moved into the leadoff spot after just 24 games. Bazzana is showing great patience at the plate, recording 13 walks against 17 strikeouts and a .400 OBP. The 23-year-old also has seven stolen bases and looks to be a stud for years to come for the Guardians.

8. St. Louis Cardinals

JJ Wetherholt: The Cardinals spent the winter clearing out roster spots to give young players an opportunity, and it's paying off. Wetherholt, the club's top prospect, has nine home runs, six stolen bases, and a .758 OPS across 50 games. He leads all MLB rookies with 2.1 fWAR.

9. Philadelphia Phillies

Brad Keller: Philadelphia's decision to essentially replace Matt Strahm with Keller has worked out pretty well. The right-hander sits tied for second on the team in appearances and leads all Phillies relievers in strikeouts. His 28.4 K% and 6.8 BB% are career-best marks.

10. Chicago Cubs

Michael Conforto: The Cubs' signing of the 11-year veteran didn't stand out to many after the team made splashes with Alex Bregman and Edward Cabrera. However, Conforto's been great in a platoon role, slashing .284/.388/.537 with three homers and 11 RBIs in 32 games. The 33-year-old looks rejuvenated as a depth piece after producing the worst season of his career in 2025 with the Dodgers.

11. Seattle Mariners

Colt Emerson: The Mariners' top prospect struggled over his first six big-league games before a four-hit, three-double performance Sunday in Kansas City bumped his early slash line to .286/.375/.571. But the significance of Emerson's arrival goes beyond his early stats. Seattle has already rewarded the 20-year-old with a $95-million extension, and his presence will likely push J.P. Crawford off shortstop. We're seeing the passing of the torch.

12. Pittsburgh Pirates

Brandon Lowe: The Pirates desperately needed power this winter, and Lowe has provided that and more. The two-time All-Star second baseman leads the club in homers (13), slugging (.547), extra-base hits (25), and OPS (.898). In addition to the bat, Lowe's has also been excellent defensively, helping to solidify a position that's been an issue for the organization for years.

13. Arizona Diamondbacks

Nolan Arenado: A move to the desert was just what the doctor ordered for Arenado, who's fully shaken off his career-worst 2025 season. In addition to his usual flawless defense at third base, the 35-year-old's .819 OPS ranks fourth among primary third basemen. That's his highest OPS since 2022, when he was an NL MVP finalist. Not bad for a guy who was essentially sold off by his former team in a salary dump.

14. Athletics

Jeff McNeil: While he's yet to fully rediscover the form that won him the NL batting title in 2022, McNeil's been a steady veteran presence in the Athletics' lineup - which is exactly why they traded for him. The 34-year-old is the only qualified A's hitter not named Shea Langeliers or Nick Kurtz with an OBP above .340, and he's been a rock at second base. McNeil's presence in the infield is even more important with Jacob Wilson and Max Muncy sidelined.

15. Chicago White Sox

Munetaka Murakami: Murakami mania has taken the South Side of Chicago by storm, as the former NPB Triple Crown winner has more than lived up to the hype. His 17 homers are tied with Aaron Judge for the AL lead while also sitting top-10 in his league in slugging (.530), OPS (.906), runs scored (36), and total bases (97). Murakami's 151 wRC+ also tops all rookies by a wide margin. Many teams passed on him in free agency, but it now seems like the White Sox - who landed the slugger on a two-year deal - got the steal of the offseason.

16. Toronto Blue Jays

Dylan Cease: This is why the Blue Jays were so confident in making Cease the highest-paid free-agent pitcher signed this winter. The right-hander leads MLB in strikeouts and is an early Cy Young contender. Although he left his most recent start with a hamstring issue, Cease has stabilized an injury-plagued Blue Jays rotation overall. They can't afford to lose him long term.

17. Texas Rangers

Brandon Nimmo: Texas has to be thrilled with its half of the return from this winter's Nimmo-Marcus Semien swap. Nimmo's been a steady presence atop the team's lineup, and he's one of only two Rangers players (along with Josh Jung) sporting an OBP above .340. Given Evan Carter's regression and Corey Seager's injury woes, Nimmo's consistency has been all the more important for Skip Schumaker's club.

18. Minnesota Twins

Taylor Rogers: The veteran reliever is back in a high-leverage role with Minnesota, where he pitched for the first six years of his career and earned an All-Star nod in 2021. Rogers is once again an option to close games in the Twins' volatile bullpen. The left-hander is putting up solid numbers in his age-35 season, authoring a 2.62 FIP without allowing a homer over 22 appearances.

19. Cincinnati Reds

JJ Bleday: The fourth pick in the 2019 draft has yet to reach his full potential, but things look to be clicking early on in Cincinnati. Signed to a one-year deal, Bleday is slashing .271/.376/.576 with six homers and 20 RBIs through 24 games. He's crushing the ball harder than ever, and numerous indicators suggest his hot streak is sustainable.

20. Miami Marlins

Esteury Ruiz: Selecting a player for the Marlins was tricky since Owen Caissie and Joe Mack have struggled, while Chris Paddack has already been designated for assignment. As a result, Ruiz - a speedy bench piece - gets the nod. The 2023 AL steals leader is 8-for-8 in stolen base attempts this season, to go along with two homers and a .745 OPS.

21. Baltimore Orioles

Pete Alonso: The four-time All-Star has been pretty good for Baltimore, even though a lot more is expected from one of baseball's top sluggers. He's hit 10 homers, and leads the Orioles in both RBIs (32), and extra-base hits (22, tied with Gunnar Henderson). However, the 31-year-old's .437 SLG is significantly lower than his career mark of .512. An adjustment period was expected for Alonso since he switched leagues, but the Orioles need him to be better if they're to rebound from a poor start.

22. Washington Nationals

Foster Griffin: The Nationals signed Griffin to a one-year deal in the offseason, taking a chance on a player who hadn't pitched in the majors since 2022 after he spent three stellar seasons in Japan. He's rewarded their faith by emerging as a leader of the young team's pitching staff, sporting a team-best 3.63 ERA and 1.13 WHIP along with an 8.7 K/9 rate. Unlike fellow free-agent addition Miles Mikolas, who's been one of the worst pitchers in baseball, Griffin's performance should allow Washington to flip him for prospects at the deadline.

23. Houston Astros

Kai-Wei Teng: The 27-year-old's emergence has been a revelation for an Astros pitching staff hammered by injuries. With Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, Lance McCullers Jr., and Ronel Blanco sidelined, Houston stretched out Teng to join the rotation. He's responded with 11 shutout innings and 13 strikeouts over his last two starts, lowering his ERA to 2.19.

24. Boston Red Sox

Willson Contreras: Things would look even worse for the Red Sox if it weren't for Contreras. He leads the team in homers (11), RBIs (33), OBP (.376), slugging (.522), and OPS (.898) - with his OPS almost 100 points higher than Boston's next best hitter. Not only have his offensive contributions been important, but Contreras has also played excellent defense at first base. If the Red Sox continue to struggle, he might get flipped at the deadline.

25. Detroit Tigers

Kevin McGonigle: The 21-year-old shortstop has lived up to the billing as baseball's second-best prospect. McGonigle leads all AL rookies with 2.0 fWAR thanks to a .282/.386/.410 slash line with three homers, 19 RBIs, and eight steals. His maturity and discipline as a hitter are well beyond his age, as he's drawn more walks (31) than strikeouts (30). McGonigle has a chance to blossom into one of MLB's top players.

26. New York Mets

Freddy Peralta: The two-time All-Star has been solid but unspectacular as the Mets' new ace, owning a 3.52 ERA over 61 1/3 innings amid the club's disappointing start. Notably, his 9.2 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 are the worst of his nine-year career. Peralta, an impending free agent, will likely be one of the top targets at this year's trade deadline if New York doesn't get its act together.

27. Kansas City Royals

Matt Strahm: The veteran left-hander returned to where his career started following three great seasons in the Phillies bullpen, which included a 2024 All-Star selection. Strahm, who's currently on the injured list, owns a 3.86 ERA for the Royals, though his strikeout rate has dipped (9.4 K/9) and his walks have increased (3.9 BB/9). Kansas City will lean on the 34-year-old in big spots this summer if it can right the ship.

28. San Francisco Giants

Luis Arraez: The Giants' offense has been terrible, but don't blame Arraez. He sits among the league leaders in both hits (his 63 knocks are tied for second in the majors) and batting average (tied for third at .323). This performance is to be expected from the contact wizard whose game is a great fit for spacious Oracle Park. But Arraez has also suddenly shed his reputation as a poor defender and is putting up positive defensive numbers at second base - a position he hadn't played regularly since 2023.

29. Colorado Rockies

TJ Rumfield: You probably didn't notice in January when Colorado traded reliever Angel Chivilli to the Yankees for Rumfield, an unknown Triple-A first baseman. But the Rockies saw something in him, and it's turned out to be a major win for their new president of baseball operations, Paul DePodesta. Rumfield cracked the Opening Day roster and has since solidified first base by putting up a .807 OPS with, 18 walks, seven homers, and 27 RBIs in 212 plate appearances.

30. Los Angeles Angels

Walbert Ureña: While José Soriano's breakout season has rightfully gotten more attention, Ureña has quietly given his club a much-needed solid No. 2 starter. The 22-year-old rookie has allowed only two homers in 38 1/3 innings and is second to Soriano on the team in most pitching categories despite not yet being qualified. Ureña's the rare bright light from an otherwise barren Angels farm system in what's shaping up as yet another forgettable summer in Anaheim.