Is anyone really surprised that the Los Angeles Dodgers still sit in the No. 1 spot in the latest MLB Power Rankings?

The Dodgers didn't really do much to deserve being bumped down the list of all 30 MLB clubs.

For its latest MLB Power Rankings, The Athletic has Los Angeles sitting pretty and looking down to the rest of the teams.

Dodgers fans watched Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and other Dodgers players get off to a slow start at the plate. But it's not really something to worry about because Los Angeles has a powerful lineup from top to bottom.

Here's a statistic that The Athletic's Grant Brisbee pointed out as a real meaningless statistic right now: A .222 team average, 0.00 bullpen ERA.

"It’s not like everyone on the Dodgers is cooking," Brisbee wrote. "Shohei Ohtani hasn’t gotten much to swing at, and he hasn’t done much with the swings he’s gotten off. Four of the everyday players — Mookie Betts, Teoscar Hernández, Kyle Tucker and Ohtani — were under the Mendoza Line for the first series of the season."

Seeing those four hitting below .200, which is the definition of the Mendoza Line really should not worry Dodgers fans. It's early in the season and everyone probably knows that those four players are not going to be at that level all season long.

"This makes it more than a little terrifying that the Dodgers are still rolling, still laying waste to everyone in their path," Brisbee continued. "At some point, and soon, they’ll really start hitting."

That will happen. Brisbee also pointed out that the Dodgers' bullpen has been lights out early this season, especially with closer Edwin Diaz just blowing opposing batters away.

"As for what won’t last, consider the Dodgers’ bullpen, which hasn’t allowed a run as of this writing," Brisbee wrote. "It’s a fine bullpen, and it might even be an excellent bullpen. But it has to be a tired bullpen, what with the extra month of baseball they have to play every season, the poor devils. Eventually, they’ll give up a run. Maybe."

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts must look at his lineup every day and have a big smile on his face. He gets to fill out a lineup card with Ohtani, Betts, Freddie Freeman, and others on the team.

Already, the Dodgers are flexing their muscles and sitting atop the National League West Division standings. Sure, it's early in the 2026 MLB season, but Los Angeles is already making noise.

For the rest of the majors, that's some bad news.

The Dodgers are just going to keep on getting better and better. This team is filled with superstars. Only a lot of injuries sidelining a bunch of players for a long period of time probably will derail them from another division title.

Yet everyone in the City of Angels wants to see the Dodgers have a third straight World Series celebration.

After the first week this season, they are well on their way.

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