Day: May 4, 2026

We’re still several months away from the first practices of fall ball, but there are already seven teams that I believe are in a tier of their own ahead of the 2026 college football season. You can likely guess a few of them, as programs like Ohio State have become mainstays at the top of college football. But is Indiana poised to make another run in 2026? Is there another Big Ten team that might be better than those two programs? Does Georgia still run the SEC? With spring ball in the books for most of the country, let’s take a look at my post-spring top 25. There were a lot of teams I considered at No. 25, but Tennessee has been very consistent, at least on offense. Josh Heupel took over five years ago and Tennessee has been the No. 1 scoring offense in the country ever since. However, the Vols have a big question at quarterback entering the summer, which is why they aren’t ranked higher. It looks like the QB competition is down to two players, with redshirt freshman George MacIntyre and five-star freshman Faizon Brandon vying for the job. Both have little or no experience. I think Tennessee will be fine on offense, but it is a quarterback-driven offense. Defensively, Tennessee brought in former Ohio State and Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles for the same job. There’s a lot of talent in Tennessee as it’s been one of the top recruiting programs in the country. The schedule isn’t terrible, but I like that the Volunteers get three of their four toughest games at home (Texas, LSU, Alabama). This is a bet on top-end talent at important positions. It’s a make-or-break year for head coach Shane Beamer after South Carolina went 4-8 after being a top-10 team early on last season. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers came into the 2025 season as a Heisman hopeful, but that fell off. Edge rusher Dylan Stewart could be a top-10 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, and I had him ranked in my way-too-early top 10 prospects for next year’s class. The Gamecocks also brought in Kendall Briles as their new offensive coordinator, a move aimed at injecting energy into the offense. South Carolina returns the most offensive production in the SEC, but they have to overcome a really tough schedule. The Gamecocks have road games at Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma, and Clemson, plus home matchups against Tennessee, Texas A&M, and Georgia. I think new head coach Morgan Scalley keeps some semblance of continuity at Utah, even though many people in that program left with Kyle Whittingham for Michigan. Scalley had to basically replace the entire offensive coaching staff. The Utes still have quarterback Devon Dampier and running back Wayshawn Parker, but they’ve got to replace two first-round picks on their offensive line. That won’t be easy. Scalley knows how to produce on the defensive side, so that’s not a concern. Another Big 12 school checks in early on the list. I really like Houston head coach Willie Fritz after he helped the Cougars win 10 games in his second season. Conner Weigman not only returns at quarterback, but he has 26 starts in his career. The Cougars also return wide receiver Amare Thomas, who was second in the Big 12 in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns a year ago. Watch out for running back Makhi Hughes at running back, though, as he reunites with Fritz at Houston. Hughes can return to being one of the most productive running backs in the country. Another staple makes the list. Iowa isn’t sure what it’s doing yet at quarterback, but we know the Hawkeyes aren’t a quarterback-centric team. That quarterback battle is going to go on for a bit. Do we care? Yes, we kind of do. I’m more concerned with the Hawkeyes’ offensive line and how they plan to replace some key players, though. That O-line was the best in the country last year, or at least they were awarded as such with the Joe Moore Award. Brent Brennan is a hell of a head coach. Plus, quarterback Noah Fifita is back after being named first-team All-Big 12 last year. He’s got the second-most starts among all quarterbacks in the country with 34. All of those have come at Arizona. In fact, I was talking to Nick Foles, and he’s excited about Fifita and the legacy he’s building at Arizona. I thought the Huskies would take a jump in 2025, and they did. However, Washington made some key mistakes in big moments last season. Demond Williams Jr. is back at quarterback, and he’s got four of his offensive linemen from last season protecting him. I love that. The Huskies have to replace wide receivers Denzel Boston and Raiden Vines-Bright. Dezmen Rouebuck had a strong true freshman season at receiver, though. There’s also some continuity on the defensive side of the ball, namely with defensive coordinator Ryan Walters. He kind of figured things out during the course of the year. Rhett Lashlee has done a marvelous job as SMU’s head coach. The Mustangs have done a marvelous job of making sure Lashlee remains their head coach as well. SMU has won 31 games over the last three years. That’s the 10th-most in the country, and SMU has gone 14-2 in its last two seasons of ACC play. The Mustangs also have experienced quarterback play with Kevin Jennings returning. This is a team that’s not going anywhere. BYU has been sort of pushing its ceiling. When the Cougars faced Texas Tech last season, they didn’t play very well and couldn’t get over the hump. They did get a major boost with Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year LJ Martin opting to return to Provo, and quarterback Bear Bachmeier back after leading BYU to 11 wins as a freshman. The situation with wide receiver Parker Kingston, which led to his dismissal from the program due to some terrible accusations, hurts the Cougars’ ranking. BYU also lost its defensive coordinator, Jay Hill, to Michigan. I know I’m going to get some flak for this, but I couldn’t put Alabama higher than 16th. Alabama has slowly been slipping, and we’ve seen that with its play on the field. Head coach Kalen DeBoer just got a contract extension, which was a bit interesting, as he heads into Year 3 at Tuscaloosa. At quarterback, the Crimson Tide have two very talented, but very inexperienced options in Austin Mack (last year’s backup) and redshirt freshman Keelon Russell (a former five-star recruit). DeBoer has said he won’t name a starter until the fall. Regardless, the winner will have zero college starts. I just don’t like that in this day and age. Alabama needs wide receiver Ryan Coleman Williams to get back to what he was as a freshman. He wasn’t near what he was last year. Ultimately, this team’s identity still hinges on the defense and run game — areas that were once the program’s foundation under Nick Saban. Did you know they were 126th in yards per carry last season? Ty Simpson put them on their back, and they don’t have that anymore. This one is a lot about the schedule. There are some teams ranked behind Penn State who have better rosters, but if you look at the schedule, the Nittany Lions should be a top-15 team. Now with Matt Campbell as its head coach, Penn State has essentially become East Iowa State. He almost brought the entire Iowa State roster with him. Campbell’s going to be charged with winning big games. However, here’s the thing: they don’t have a ton of big games. The schedule falls in their favor, and they’re going to have the most experienced quarterback in the country with Rocco Becht. I think they can make a run at 10 wins. Ole Miss had a tremendous College Football Playoff run, but the Rebels lost too much from that roster for me to put them in the top 10. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss was amazing, leading the Rebels to the CFP semifinal. If you have Chambliss, you’re going to have a chance in any game. Kewan Lacy is also back at running back after rushing for 1,567 yards as a sophomore. I thought head coach Pete Golding did a good job in the CFP and hitting the portal hard to strengthen the defense. The situation with incoming quarterback Brendan Sorsby obviously isn’t ideal. We all thought that was a tremendous fit after he transferred to Texas Tech before the news broke that the NCAA was investigating his alleged sports gambling. Will Hammond played well as a backup quarterback for Texas Tech last year, but he tore his ACL, and it’s questionable if he’ll be back for Week 1. Still, Texas Tech was aggressive in the portal once again to shore up its roster. The Red Raiders lost a good bit of talent in their front seven, with edge rusher David Bailey, linebacker Jacob Rodriguez and defensive lineman Romello Height being among some of the players taken in the first two days of the draft. Michigan seems to be all over the place in other rankings. So, I placed the Wolverines relatively in the middle because it’s a wait-and-see for me on one key element: the combination of quarterback Bryce Underwood and offensive coordinator Jason Becht. Becht has been outstanding in the last couple of seasons, getting the most out of guys like Devon Dampier at New Mexico and Utah. We’ll see if he can do the same for Underwood. The schedule isn’t easy, though, and they’ve got four games against CFP teams from last season. I think Michigan can have a pretty good team, especially if the Underwood-Becht combo meshes well. Michigan is in good hands with Kyle Whittinham. I’m just not sure the Wolverines can win the Big Ten, though. Head coach Brent Venables has the Oklahoma defense exactly where he wants it. He took over defensive playcalling duties last season for the Sooners and it worked, ranking top 10 in the country. The Sooners have four returning All-SEC players on defense, including defensive tackle David Stone, who is already generating early first-round buzz for the 2027 draft. We all know quarterback John Mateer can be really good when he’s healthy as well. He was the Heisman front-runner before that injury to his hand. They just need to run the ball a bit better. Truth be told, when I got to 16, there was a line. So, from BYU to my 30th- or 35th-ranked team, there were a lot of teams I considered placing in the top 25. Then, from No. 15 to No. 8, there was another grouping of teams I found difficult to order. So, while we hold the top 10 in high regard, I just wanted to make the delineation clear. USC gets in at No. 10 as I’m bullish on the Trojans. I think they fixed the line of scrimmage. Lincoln Riley knew at some point they needed to improve in the trenches, and they brought back their entire starting offensive line. That was an offensive line that helped USC’s run-game improve in 2025. Riley’s teams have also been really good when they can run the ball. Running back Waymond Jordan was spectacular last season before he got hurt. There are some questions at wide receiver, but Riley’s offenses always develop pass-catchers. I really love what head coach Mike Elko has done in his first two seasons at College Station. Last season didn’t end well, though, but I think that just means the Aggies will be even more motivated in 2026. They started out 11-0 before losing to Texas and Miami (Fla.) in the playoff. This is a team that’s built under the right things. They’re built on their defense, which will still be very good. There will be some changes on the offensive side, with offensive coordinator Colin Klein leaving to become Kansas State’s head coach. They do get quarterback Marcel Reed back for his third season as a starter, and he’ll be able to throw to wide receiver Mario Craver. That’s a big deal for them. This is the top team of my second tier, and this is a major nod to Lane Kiffin. Sure, the way he left Ole Miss was a disaster, but Kiffin can coach. LSU’s offense has the potential to be among the best in the country after an aggressive overhaul in the transfer portal. The Tigers brought in roughly 40 transfers, highlighted by quarterback Sam Leavitt, one of the top available players at the position. They also added wide receiver Jayce Brown, offensive tackle Jordan Seaton, and edge rusher Jordan Ross. Kiffin also retained defensive coordinator Blake Baker. That was a great move. Now, we get into the cream of the crop. I think the national champion will be one of these seven teams, starting with Texas. Some will be higher on Texas, and some might even be lower. Arch Manning is obviously the headliner as he enters Year 2 as the Longhorns’ starting quarterback. I think he’ll play really well because his play late in the season suggests that. He finished with 20 total touchdowns and just two turnovers in his final six games. Head coach Steve Sarkisian revamped the offense with some portal players, including wide receiver Cam Coleman. Watch out for Coleman, who I think can have a monster year and made my way-too-early top-10 2027 draft prospect list. You can see guys like wide receiver Ryan Wingo also having a big year, too. The offensive line was also revamped, and Will Muschamp returned as defensive coordinator. Edge rusher Colin Simmons joined Manning and Coleman on my way-too-early top-10 2027 draft prospects list as well. That Ohio State game early in the year will determine who has the inside track of being ranked No. 1 or 2 in the country and a CFP berth. Miami was one drive away from winning the national championship last season, and I think getting quarterback Darian Mensah from Duke (however the Hurricanes got him) was huge. He led Duke to the ACC title last season, and he now has talented players like running back Mark Fletcher Jr. and wide receiver Malachi Tooney around him. The offensive line should still be good because head coach Mario Cristobal knows how to build an offensive line. And I also believe in Cristobal as he showed improvement in his game-managing skills last season. It’s easy to take Georgia for granted, isn’t it? The program hasn’t won a title in three years, so we think Georgia isn’t what it used to be. But Kirby Smart recruits his butt off and in those three seasons, the Bulldogs have gone 36-6. They’ve also won two SEC titles in that stretch. Sure, they haven’t won a playoff game in that time, but they still have players. The SEC still goes through Athens. Quarterback Gunnar Stockton is back, along with several other key players like center Drew Bobo and safety K.J. Bolden. I really wanted to rank Indiana higher than this. However, the three teams ranked higher than the Hoosiers just have so much returning talent. But the Hoosiers aren’t going anywhere as long as Curt Cignetti is at the helm, especially if offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan and defensive coordinator Bryant Haines are still there. The big portal addition was ex-TCU quarterback Josh Hoover. All eyes will be on him as he replaces Fernando Mendoza. He’s almost a Mendoza clone, though, as Hoover was only second to Mendoza for the most run-pass option throws in college football last season. Indiana also got former Michigan State wide receiver Nick Marsh, who will line up on the outside with Charlie Becker. The offensive line and defensive should be very good, too. Quarterback Julian Sayin and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith headline the returning players for Ohio State. Sure, there might be more turnover than usual in Columbus, but the Buckeyes have their Heisman finalist quarterback and the best player in college football returning. There is a new offensive coordinator as Arthur Smith will likely run a more pro-style offense for Sayin. I think the best part about Ohio State, though, is that four of its offensive linemen and running back Bo Jackson returned. So, this offense could be as good as any in college football. The Buckeyes hit the portal hard defensively to make up for the lost talent on that side of the ball. Sure, they had three players on defense picked in the top 11 of the NFL Draft, but they just showed last year that they can replace that level of talent in an offseason. I love a team that’s pissed off, and Notre Dame is going to be ready from Jump Street. You think Marcus Freeman’s not going to have the attention of his team after the way last season ended? That was a team that felt like it could make a run to the national championship. This will be an offense more centered around quarterback CJ Carr, with running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price going to the NFL. But Notre Dame does have its two top receivers returning (Jordan Faison, Jaden Greathouse) and got two really good wide receivers in the portal (Quincy Porter, Mylan Graham). The Fighting Irish have a ton of experience coming back in the trenches. Four returning starters on the offensive line to go with a defense that will probably be the top defense in all of college football. They’ve got five of their seven starters back up front. Oregon remains in the top spot after I ranked the Ducks No. 1 in my way-too-early poll at the start of the offseason. When you look at the teams that have won the last three national championships, Oregon fits the blueprint those teams followed to a tee. The Ducks are a veteran-led team with talent returning everywhere while holding the best defensive line in the country, an experienced quarterback and the ability to be explosive. They’ve also inched closer and closer to getting over the hump. They only have three losses over the last two seasons, and all three were to the eventual national champion — one loss to Ohio State in 2024 and two losses to Indiana in 2025. Every year that Dan Lanning has been the head coach, Oregon moves one step forward. And just look at the talent this team is returning. It starts with quarterback Dante Moore, but continues with the likes of wide receiver Dakorien Moore, wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan, running back Jordon Davison, tight end Jamari Johnson, edge rusher Matayo Uiagalelei, defensive tackle A’mauri Washington, defensive tackle Bear Alexander, edge rusher Teitum Tuioti and cornerback Brandon Finney Jr.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Are the Stallions charging like Cherie DeVaux’s Golden Tempo? After losing four straight, Birmingham took down Orlando on Sunday afternoon at Inter&Co Stadium, leaving Storm head coach Anthony Becht standing akimbo. The St. Louis Battlehawks rocked the Louisville Kings like a GenX dad at a Flock of Seagulls concert. Louisville’s offensive line played like a monarchy in free fall, while the Battlehawks’ defense looked desperate for a Derby Classic in its trophy hall. In other action, the Houston Gamblers’ offense looked like it needed an intervention, while the Columbus Aviators performed their best Top Gun imitation. The Dallas Renegades continue to swing between dominant and invisible, and the DC Defenders left no doubt about where they rank. Here’s a look at my sixth UFL power rankings list of the season: Week 6 result: Lost to Columbus, 24-17Current odds to win 2026 title: +5000 It’s tough to win in this league without steady quarterback play, and the Houston Gamblers proved it in their loss to the Columbus Aviators. Houston lost starter Nolan Henderson at halftime, then saw backup Taulia Tagovailoa leave after a third-quarter sack. That forced wideout Jontre Kirklin to take snaps at quarterback. The sideline shuffle overshadowed strong defensive outings from former Auburn linebacker Eugene Asante (10 tackles, two for loss) and Texas A&M product Anthony Hines III (11 tackles). Week 6 result: Defeated Houston, 24-17Current odds to win 2026 title: +3500 The Columbus Aviators rode a 21-point first half and a defense that bowed up in the fourth quarter to secure the win. Quarterback Jalan McClendon was efficient and in control, completing 20 of 26 passes for 186 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. The victory pulls Columbus even in the standings with four weeks remaining in the regular season. Week 3 result: Lost to St. Louis, 16-3Current odds to win 2026 title: +2500 The Kings offense did next to nothing against the Battlehawks defense, surrendering six sacks of quarterback Chandler Rogers, who finished 15 of 32 for 154 yards. Louisville also managed just 12 yards on 13 carries. Head coach Chris Redman has his work cut out if the Kings expect to contend for a playoff spot and keep any hopes of a United Bowl run alive. Week 6 result: Lost to DC, 24-6Current odds to win 2026 title: +700 The Dallas Renegades look like a team in free fall, dropping three straight after a 3–0 start. Facing the league’s hottest team, they trailed 24-0 by halftime. Quarterback Austin Reed threw for 258 yards with a touchdown and an interception, but the once-explosive Dallas offense reached the red zone just twice against the Defenders. Dallas is clinging to the league’s final playoff spot — for now. Week 6 result: Defeated Orlando, 20-17Current odds to win 2026 title: +900 Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA football’s all-time leader in total offense, brought the lightning against the Storm, delivering a performance that snapped the Stallions’ four-game skid. He finished 19 of 27 for 271 yards and a touchdown. Eleven of those completions went to Justyn Ross (seven catches, 135 yards, TD) and Jaydon Mickens (four catches, 75 yards). The Stallions’ win over one of the league’s top teams, combined with the Renegades’ slide, drives their rise in this week’s power rankings. Week 6 result: Defeated Louisville, 16-3Current odds to win 2026 title: +400 The Battlehawks’ defense showed out on Saturday with six sacks and nine tackles for loss, while allowing just 166 total yards of total offense. St. Louis quarterback Harrison Frost looked like he found his form, completing 22 of 40 passes for 236 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Five different Battlehawk players caught at least three passes in the victory. The win allowed St. Louis to remain in contention for a playoff spot with just a month left in the regular season. Week 6 result: Lost to Birmingham, 20-17Current odds to win 2026 title: +600 Jack Plummer wasn’t the problem for the Storm. The former Louisville Cardinals quarterback was sharp, completing 26 of 37 passes for 324 yards and two touchdowns. But even with one of his best outings of the season, the Storm dropped their second loss of the year to a resurgent Stallions team. Week 6 result: Defeated Dallas, 24-6Current odds to win 2026 title: -110 The Defenders have asserted themselves in 2026, quieting any talk that their 2025 UFL title was a fluke with five straight wins. Behind the arm and legs of former Ole Miss star Jordan Ta’amu, DC has topped 45 points in half its games and scored at least 24 in each of its five victories.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

If the season ended today, the National League batting title would not belong to Trea Turner as it did last year or Luis Arraez as it did for the two years prior. Nope, it’s Ildemaro Vargas — yes, Ildemaro Vargas — who leads all of Major League Baseball in batting average. And it’s not particularly close. If you weren’t already, it’s time to pay attention to the Diamondbacks infielder, who entered this year worth 1.8 wins above replacement over his first nine big-league seasons with a career .646 OPS. This year, the 34-year-old is already worth 1.5 bWAR. Vargas leads MLB with a .382 batting average and the National League with a 1.063 OPS, a number that trails only Ben Rice and Yordan Alvarez for the best mark among all qualified MLB hitters. He also just completed a 27-game hitting streak that was the longest in MLB since Turner’s 27-gamer ended in April 2022. In a nod to Vargas’ extraordinary start, this week’s power rankings include one player from every team who deserves more attention. (Sorry for the Arizona spoiler.) The White Sox occupied the bottom spot in these rankings for a bit, so getting swept by them is a good way to swap positions. At least the Angels always have a chance when José Soriano is on the mound. He leads MLB with a 0.84 ERA through seven starts. Yes, Nolan McLean is the most valuable pitcher on the team. But veteran Clay Holmes leads the team in innings pitched and has the fourth-lowest ERA (1.69) among all qualified MLB pitchers. This is not the same version of Antonio Senzatela that you might remember. After posting a 6.65 ERA with an 11.8% strikeout rate as a starter last year, the Rockies have changed the veteran right-hander’s fastball usage (a lot more cutter and sinker, a lot less four-seamer) in a relief role and have now seen him post a 1.21 ERA while more than doubling his strikeout rate. A league-average batter last year, 27-year-old Casey Schmitt has been the best hitter on the Giants this year. That also says something about the rest of a San Francisco lineup that has scored the fewest runs in MLB. Not being able to score or hold leads is the kind of rough combination that can lead to a six-game skid. Among MLB hitters with at least 95 plate appearances this year, Austin Martin has by far the best on-base percentage as well as the third-highest walk rate behind only Mike Trout and Nick Kurtz. After a couple of wins to start the Chad Tracy era, the Red Sox are back to demonstrating that they’re still not a very good team right now. But in a year of turmoil, the decision to trade for Willson Contreras looks like a prudent one. He leads the team in homers, RBI, slugging and OPS and has been one of the most valuable first basemen in MLB at a position that has given the Red Sox trouble for years. Most importantly, Christian Walker seems OK after getting hit in the head by a pitch over the weekend. He also happens to be the team’s second-best hitter on the Astros this year behind Yordan Alvarez and one of the most valuable first basemen in MLB. This is more like what Houston envisioned when it gave him a three-year, $60 million deal before last season. With Munetaka Murakami leading the league in home runs, Colson Montgomery might be flying under the radar. After hitting 21 home runs in just 255 at-bats last year, Montgomery has another nine this season while ranking third defensively among all qualified MLB shortstops in outs above average. On a pitching staff that leaves a lot to be desired, Foster Griffin is performing well. After spending the last three years in Japan, Griffin is back in the big leagues with a 2.27 ERA that ranks 10th among all MLB starters. The Nationals starter has a fastball in the low 90s, but he features three different versions of the pitch among a diverse arsenal. He has mixed well enough to hold his opponents to two earned runs or fewer in five of his seven starts. The Don Mattingly Phillies are 5-1 after Jesus Luzardo struck out 10 on Sunday. After allowing nine runs (eight earned) against the Cubs on April 15, Luzardo has a 1.50 ERA with 21 strikeouts and four walks over his last three starts. His expected ERA (3.25) is almost two runs better than his actual ERA (5.09), and the underlying numbers would suggest better days ahead. At 36, Seth Lugo is still getting it done. He has a 2.68 ERA on the year, and that includes a seven-run clunker against the Angels last month. In his other six starts, he has a 1.45 ERA. Lugo’s six innings of two-run ball this weekend was part of a Royals sweep in Seattle. It was a bad weekend in New York for Adley Rutschman (and the rest of the Orioles roster), but he had an OPS over 1.000 going into the series against the Yankees and has the highest hard-hit rate of his career. Really encouraging stuff after his offensive struggles the last two years. It’s time more people know about Otto Lopez. The 27-year-old is tied for the MLB lead in hits (45) and has the highest batting average (.341) and third-highest slugging percentage (.500) among all qualified shortstops. In a year in which the Rangers desperately need some of their talents in their 20s to take a leap forward, Josh Jung is doing his part. He’s on a 12-game hitting streak and has an OPS over 1.000 since the start of April.  Jung leads all qualified A.L. third basemen in every slash-line category, and strong underlying numbers back up his .916 OPS. After a slow start to the year in his transition from NPB, Kazuma Okamoto has a 1.169 OPS over his last 11 games with six home runs over the span. He homered four times this weekend against the Twins and is suddenly hitting 15% better than league average. Okamoto leads all MLB third basemen in RBI (22) and is tied for first at the position in home runs (nine). While Bryan Woo (4.61), Logan Gilbert (4.03) and Luis Castillo (6.29) all surprisingly have ERAs over 4.00, Emerson Hancock leads the Mariners rotation with a 2.59 ERA and just struck out a career-high 14 batters this weekend in Kansas City, though his work didn’t prevent a Royals sweep. Hancock, who has 46 strikeouts and six walks this year, has the second-best strikeout-to-walk ratio among all qualified MLB pitchers. Scroll back up to the top for Vargas. He was never even a league-average hitter in any of his first nine MLB seasons, and now he’s the best hitter in the league through a month of Year 10. One of the stories of the year for a Diamondbacks team that otherwise is not yet hitting to its potential. A third-round pick by the Mets in 2018, Carlos Cortes was let go at the end of the 2024 season and picked up by the Athletics on a minor-league deal. He now has an OPS over 1.000 in a limited sample this year. Among all MLB hitters with at least 80 plate appearances, the diminutive outfielder ranks first in batting average and has the fourth-lowest strikeout rate. He doesn’t chase, he doesn’t whiff, and he hits the ball with force. That’s a fruitful concoction. Top prospects Chase DeLauter and Travis Bazzana have both arrived to give the Guardians offense a lift, but they’re not alone. Daniel Schneemann, who had a .636 OPS last year, has an .890 OPS this season while also providing elite defense. He has been one of the most valuable players on the Cleveland roster this year. The American League Rookie of the Year race will be a fascinating one to watch. Murakami leads the majors in homers, Okamoto is heating up, and DeLauter and Parker Messick are both starring in Cleveland. But Kevin McGonigle might still have the inside track. At 21, the Detroit phenom already ranks first in on-base percentage, second in batting average and third in OPS among all qualified MLB shortstops. Four of the five pitchers who have started a game for the Reds this year have ERAs over 5.00. Then there’s Chase Burns (3-1, 2.20 ERA). Impossible to overstate what the 23-year-old has meant for this Cincinnati rotation, which has been without Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo to this point. The Pirates bounced back from a four-game sweep in St. Louis by turning around and sweeping Cincinnati while outscoring the Reds by 19 runs over three games. Oneil Cruz tallied his 11th stolen base of the year on Sunday and is on a 40-50 pace. Congrats, Milwaukee. Because I get to make the rules, you get both a hitter and a pitcher here. Brice Turang just generally deserves more attention for being one of the best second basemen in MLB. The former Platinum Glove Award winner has an OPS over .900 and ranks fourth in MLB in on-base percentage and top 10 in fWAR among all qualified position players. Meanwhile, on the mound, Jacob Misiorowski ranks 44th in MLB in innings pitched yet leads the majors in strikeouts. It has officially all come together for Jordan Walker, the 2020 first-round pick who entered this year with a career .680 OPS and currently ranks 10th in MLB with a .964 OPS. It is also coming together overall for Chaim Bloom’s Cardinals, who followed a four-game sweep of the Pirates by winning a series against the Dodgers. For a rebuilding squad, the Cardinals are better than anybody would have projected. The $280 million contract will always loom over him, but Xander Bogaerts has been the best hitter in a San Diego lineup that’s still waiting for Fernando Tatis Jr. to hit his first home run of the season. The Padres have jumped out to their strong start despite an offense that ranks 25th in OPS, so Bogaerts’ stability at the plate has helped. Veteran Nick Martinez was available for anyone to sign entering February. Right before spring training, he agreed to a one-year, $13 million in Tampa Bay. The 35-year-old has proceeded to rank fifth among all qualified MLB starters with a 1.70 ERA. Credit to the Rays. We figured their pitching would keep them competitive, but this seemed likely to be a rebuilding year. Instead, they have the second-most wins in the American League. Shota Imanaga ranks in the top five among all qualified MLB pitchers in both WHIP (0.85) and opponents’ average (.169). Imanaga has gone at least six innings and allowed one or no runs in four of his last five starts. He ranks second among qualified starters in chase rate and is providing vital innings for a Cubs pitching staff missing a ton of pieces. The L.A. lineup has gone cold, scoring 11 runs over the last five games, but Justin Wrobleski stopped the Dodgers’ four-game skid on Sunday in St. Louis with six shutout innings. Wrobleski only has 15 strikeouts in 36 innings this year, but the Dodgers’ sixth starter has continually missed barrels. In his five starts this season, he is 5-0 with a 0.56 ERA. This is clearly the best team in the American League, and it helps having arguably the best hitter and pitcher in MLB to this point. While Ben Rice leads baseball in OPS, wRC+ and fWAR, Cam Schlittler ranks first among starters in WHIP, fWAR and K/BB and has a 0.45 ERA over his last three starts. After back-to-back down years offensively, Ozzie Albies is in the midst of the best offensive season of his career. He’s tied with Shea Langeliers, Otto Lopez and teammate Drake Baldwin for the MLB lead in hits and also leads all qualified second basemen in slugging and OPS. Albies is on an Atlanta team that leads MLB in OPS and now leads these power rankings for the first time this year.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports