The Dodgers Are Untouchable Right Now, and the Pirates Are Actually Scary

Welcome to the 2026 regular season, and we're already seeing some wild early trends that are going to shape how we talk about this league all summer. The Dodgers are doing Dodgers things. The Yankees rotation is filthy without their two best arms. And yeah, the Mariners are having a rough go of it so far.

Let me break down what's actually happening around baseball right now, because after just over a week of games, some real stories are already emerging.

The Dodgers Are Borderline Unfair

Look, the Dodgers have the best hitter on the planet right now. Andy Pages is off to an absolutely ridiculous start. Three straight three-hit games last week? That's the kind of opening act that makes you sit up and pay attention. And this comes after Pages had a rough go in the postseason last year, so vindication tastes even sweeter. The best part is that Pages is carrying this load while Mookie Betts is sidelined with an oblique injury. That's depth. That's scary.

The Yankees Rotation Is Unreal Without Cole and Rodón

Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón both started the year on the shelf, and everyone had legitimate questions about whether New York could stay afloat. Spoiler alert: they're thriving. The Yankees rotation holds an MLB-best 1.81 ERA through nine games. Even with Ryan Weathers having a rough outing against his former team on Saturday, this group is doing exactly what you need it to do early in the season.

The Mariners Are Fighting Uphill Right Now

Here in Seattle, it's been a brutal start for Cal Raleigh. Saturday brought one of those gut-punch moments when Jo Adell made an incredible defensive play that robbed Raleigh of what would have been his first home run of the season. Things got worse on Sunday as Raleigh struck out with the bases loaded in the 11th inning, and the Mariners fell to the Angels 8-7. That's the kind of loss that stings.

The rest of the league is seeing some interesting things too. The Brewers are scoring runs at an incredible clip without Jackson Chourio in the lineup. The Braves are getting elite rotation work despite missing Spencer Strider and Spencer Schwellenbach. And the Astros have Yordan Alvarez reminding everyone why he's one of the elite hitters in baseball, even as they deal with Hunter Brown's shoulder strain.

It's early, but the Dodgers look like they're in a different stratosphere right now. The question is whether anyone else can keep pace.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.