Dodgers pacing MLB
USA Today’s power rankings put the back‑to‑back World Series champion Dodgers atop the sport after a blistering start to the season, and Los Angeles opens a three‑game home series with the Mets around Jackie Robinson Day. (usatoday.com) (codysnavely.substack.com) The preview notes the Dodgers have been rolling while the Mets enter the series dealing with injuries. (codysnavely.substack.com)
The Dodgers reached Jackie Robinson Day week with the best record in the National League and the top spot in USA Today’s latest power rankings. (usatoday.com) Los Angeles opened the Mets series at 12-4 after a 4-0 win Monday night, and Major League Baseball’s official standings listed the club with a plus-39 run differential through April 13. (mlb.com) (washingtonpost.com) The Mets entered Tuesday at 7-10, three games behind the Atlanta Braves in the National League East, and they brought a six-game losing streak into Dodger Stadium. (mlb.com) This series lands on one of the Dodgers’ most visible dates of the season: the club scheduled its annual Jackie Robinson Night for Wednesday, April 15, against New York. ESPN also picked that game for its first exclusive regular-season Major League Baseball telecast of 2026. (mlb.com) (espnpressroom.com) The Dodgers’ fast start has matched the roster math. They added outfielder Kyle Tucker on a four-year, $240 million deal in January, then opened the season with a lineup built around Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Tucker. (mlb.com 1) (mlb.com 2) USA Today’s rankings described Los Angeles as “lapping the field” only 15 games into the season, with the Dodgers at 11-4 when those rankings published Monday. (usatoday.com) The Mets arrived short-handed. Major League Baseball’s Mets injury log said Juan Soto went on the 10-day injured list on April 6 with a right calf strain and was expected back in late April. (mlb.com) Monday’s opener showed the gap. Dodgers left-hander Justin Wrobleski threw eight innings of two-hit ball, and Andy Pages hit a three-run home run in the 4-0 win. (washingtonpost.com) The series continues Tuesday night in Los Angeles, and Wednesday’s finale will fold a contender’s early surge into the Dodgers’ annual Robinson tribute. (mlb.com 1) (mlb.com 2)
