ESPN ranked the Los Angeles Dodgers as the best team in baseball through the first week of the 2026 MLB season.
The Dodgers are off to a 4-2 start after sweeping the Arizona Diamondbacks in their first series of the season and snagging a game from the Cleveland Guardians to close their home stand. One of the main reasons the Dodgers are so high on the list is the upside they have despite some unfavorable results in their most recent series.
“Roki Sasaki was a disaster in spring training, allowing 26 of the 52 batters he faced to reach base, 15 of which did so via walk,” ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez wrote. “When he took the mound for his regular-season debut Monday, many expected the worst. And then he was … fine.
“Sasaki pitched into the fifth inning and allowed just one run and two walks. It certainly wasn’t dominant, but it was clearly a building block — an exceedingly important one, given that Sasaki said he had ‘no confidence at all’ going into that start. The Dodgers have made it clear that they’re going to give Sasaki every opportunity to start for them, but he needs to continue to make progress.”
Mar 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (16) and pitcher Edwin Diaz (3) celebrate the victory against the Cleveland Guardians at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
The Dodgers started the year strong against the D-Backs, taking a commanding 8-2 win in the first game of the season following their banner ceremony.
They also took one-run wins in the final two games of the series, with the offense doing just enough to take the wins. Los Angeles’ offense tailed off against the Guardians, and they dropped two games during the series.
The Dodgers’ offense ranks just above league average in terms of wRC+ at 101, but that’s a far cry from their results during the 2025 season—during which they won the Team Silver Slugger award. Stars like Shohei Ohtai and Kyle Tucker are yet to go yard in the young season, but the Dodgers have shown they have the ability to break out of short-term slumps before.
Andy Pages has helped mitigate the top of the lineup’s struggles so far this season, though, and LA’s big bats will look to contribute more in the remainder of the season.
They have firm control over the NL West due to slow starts elsewhere in the division, and will look to further extend their lead at the top throughout the remainder of the season.
Do you think the Dodgers will keep the top spot?
