The 2026 Major League Baseball regular season is nearing its end, and with the playoffs fast approaching, it is time to talk about where the Los Angeles Dodgers rank in terms of star power.

Recently, ESPN MLB Insider Kiley McDaniel released his annual rankings for all 30 clubs based on the strength of their core, with players who are under contract for at least two seasons. So, where did the Dodgers rank?

This probably does not come as a surprise for anyone who has paid attention to baseball in recent seasons, but the Dodgers take the top spot on this list for the third year in a row.

In 2022 and 2023, Los Angeles finished in third and second place, respectively. But since the addition of Shohei Ohtani ahead of the 2024 season, no team has been able to take their place.

McDaniel breaks each team down into three subcategories: elite, plus and solid. Ohtani is just one of two players on the roster occupying the elite space, with his countryman Yoshinobu Yamamoto joining him.

Below them is the plus category, which is occupied by center fielder Andy Pages, third baseman Max Muncy, shortstop Mookie Betts and catcher Will Smith. Beyond that is the solid category, which is taken up by just about every other player on the 40-man roster.

When the Dodgers acquired Kyle Tucker and Edwin Diaz in the offseason, it would have been hard to envision them in any category besides "elite" or "plus," but they fell outside of both.

Tucker and Diaz were included in the solid category. When both were acquired, they were supposed to push the Dodgers over the top with their All-Star caliber talents. Instead, Tucker has produced some of his lowest numbers since his rookie season in 2018, while posting a .684 OPS, which is also the lowest mark since his first year in the big leagues.

Diaz’s season has been a true disaster. Between injuries and poor play, he has limped to a 2-2 record with an egregious 11.85 ERA through 16 appearances at the time of writing. He has allowed more hits (25) than he has strikeouts (19), and his 18 earned runs are not helping his stat line either.

The money sunk into both Tucker and Diaz has hardly seemed worth it, and they are in it for the long haul. Overall, though, the Dodgers are in a good spot in terms of their talent for years to come.