The loudest roar of the weekend probably came when Konnor Griffin cracked an RBI double in his first major league at-bat. Yet for the Pittsburgh Pirates, silence has been golden.
Arguably the game’s most downtrodden franchise the past three decades, the Pirates have roared from the gates in 2026, winning six of their first nine games and soaring 12 spots in USA TODAY Sports’ MLB power rankings.
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And in sweeping the Baltimore Orioles in their home-opening series, the Pirates got deftly-pitched games from Mitch Keller and Braxton Ashcraft, 4 ⅓ scoreless relief innings in a 10-inning walk-off and a three-run homer from free agent slugger Ryan O’Hearn, his third of the year.
Imagine that: A sweep of a good team, and Paul Skenes had nothing to do with it.
A look at our updated rankings:
Konnor Griffin entered 2026 as MLB’s consensus No. 1 prospect.
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Mookie Betts’ oblique strain means lots of run for Miguel Rojas on his farewell tour.
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This guy is trouble: Cam Schlittler hasn’t allowed a run in his first 11 ⅔ innings.
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Third team’s the charm? Kyle Harrison with 14 punchouts in his first two starts.
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Lindor’s not hitting, Soto’s ailing, Bichette’s adjusting – and they’re 6-4.
5. Philadelphia Phillies (-3)
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As Zack Wheeler builds up in the minor leagues, Taijuan Walker’s giving up rockets in games that count.
6. Houston Astros (+6)
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A great start spurred by red-hot Yordan Alvarez, but ace Hunter Brown’s shoulder ailment very concerning.
7. Seattle Mariners (-4)
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Cal Raleigh is 5-for-38 with a 52.6% strikeout rate.
8. Toronto Blue Jays (-4)
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Just a bummer that Cody Ponce’s return from Korea derailed by ACL tear after seven outs
9. Chicago Cubs (-3)
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OK so maybe Milwaukee will be a problem again.
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10. Detroit Tigers (-2)
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Justin Verlander battling a bum hip and the age (43) on his driver’s license.
11. Cincinnati Reds (+5)
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Chase Burns: One earned run in 12 innings pitched.
12. Pittsburgh Pirates (+12)
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The starting rotation has yet to give up a home run.
13. Cleveland Guardians (+6)
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Sure, Chase DeLauter is nice but of course the pitching (3.48 ERA, fourth in AL) has been absurd.
14. Atlanta Braves (+7)
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Drake Baldwin tied for NL lead with four home runs.
15. Miami Marlins (+7)
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Get used to these fellows as they won’t be going away soon.
16. Boston Red Sox (-7)
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2-7 and Roman Anthony’s defense wedges him at DH. Not a great start.
17. San Diego Padres (-6)
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Jackson Merrill looking more like his rookie self.
18. Arizona Diamondbacks (-)
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Zac Gallen outdueled Tarik Skubal and that’s probably a good sign for the rest of the year.
19. Kansas City Royals (-2)
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“I’m going to set a million alarms to make sure I’m up,” says rookie Carter Jensen after oversleeping leads to benching.
20. Texas Rangers (-6)
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Jake Burger hopes seeing red leads to better results.
21. Baltimore Orioles (-6)
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Chris Bassitt rocked for 10 earned runs in first two starts.
22. Tampa Bay Rays (-2)
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The Trop is open for business once again.
23. Los Angeles Angels (+3)
24. St. Louis Cardinals (-1)
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Other than Dustin May’s struggles, a fine start so far.
25. San Francisco Giants (-12)
26. Athletics (-1)
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Nick Kurtz (4-for-27, no homers) not quite picking up where he left off in Yolo County.
27. Minnesota Twins (-)
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Byron Buxton hits 10 years of major league service.
28. Chicago White Sox (-)
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Just swept the Blue Jays! Convincing? Not quite.
29. Colorado Rockies (+1)
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Mickey Moniak lights up the Phillies for two home runs.
30. Washington Nationals (-1)
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Hard to do: Miles Mikolas gives up Nationals-record 11 earned runs in one start.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB power rankings: Pirates sweep top prospect Konnor Griffin’s debut
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