MLB Power Rankings Week 8: Rays make top-3 debut; White Sox rising - ESPN

The eighth week of our MLB Power Rankings brings about a number of moves we haven't seen in years.

For the first time since Week 3 of last year's Power Rankings (April 17, 2025), the Rockies arenot the last team on our list. Colorado moves up one spot to 29th for the first time in over a year because of the new low the Angels have reached, as they now sit at No. 30 with the worst record in MLB.

Meanwhile, at the top of the list, the Rays continue their rise, peaking at No. 3 this week — their highest ranking of the season. In fact, this ranking is their highest since the 2023 season, when they started off 13-0 and held the No. 1 spot for 11 weeks before slipping to second in Week 16 (July 20, 2023) and dropping below third every week after that… until now.

Also new in the top 15: The White Sox, who set the record for most losses in a single season in 2024, have moved up to No. 14. The last time they were ranked that high was Sept. 15, 2022 (Week 23).

Who else cracked the top half of our list — or fell out of it — in Week 8?

Our expert panel has ranked every team based on a combination of what we've seen so far and what we already knew going into the 162-game marathon that is a full baseball season. We also asked ESPN MLB experts Jorge Castillo, Bradford Doolittle and Jesse Rogers to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.

Week 7 | Preseason rankings

Record: 34-16
Previous ranking: 1

The Braves continue to roll this season but received yet more tough injury news this week when standout DH/catcher Drake Baldwin landed on the injured list with an oblique injury. Baldwin has built on his Rookie of the Year 2025 debut to become one of the NL's top players, boosting his slash line to .303/.389/.543 with 38 RBIs. The