Sports

Rising teams in the MLB

Zach Everett and Maximiliano Garcia • May 27, 2026

Hello, Tigers! Today we are going to be discussing the top 3 Major League Baseball teams. This list will be ordered by record and point differential and expectations based off of previous seasons.

Atlanta Braves

With a 33 and 16 record, the Atlanta Braves have proven to be a solid or even a good team. As it is still early in the season, they still have a lot left to prove. Currently, in batting average, they are being led by Drake Baldwin (.303). This is a pretty good average for this high of a level considering the fact that the league-wide average is .241. Batting average means that, if someone went up to bat 10 times and they managed to get a hit in 4 of those 10 at bats, their batting average would be .400. Ozzie Albies currently has 197 at bats and 54 hits. Likely the most influential person on the offense of the Braves is Drake Baldwin. Drake Baldwin can be seen as one of the best hitting catchers in the league. To add onto what we previously said, he currently has hit 13 home runs. Finally, the last big player on their offense is Matt Olsen. Matt Olsen is the tank for the team. He currently has 14 home runs, one of the highest on-base percentage (.353) among the rest of his teammates, and leads his team in runs batted, in which he currently has 42. Pitching wise for this team, their ace would likely be veteran Chris Sale or Bryce Elder. Bryce Elder currently has a 2.01 earned run average and Chris Sale has a 1.89 earned run average. Overall, this team has had the hottest start and should continue to thrive.

Austin Riley, Matt Olson hit back-to-back homers in Braves' win — Matt Olsen and Austin Riley were celebrating together in this picture after they both likely scored. (MLB)

New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are a team that often perform well, so seeing them in this list shouldn’t be too much of a shocker. This team is led by Ben Rice as he has a batting average of .288. This team is full of hitters, including Aaron Judge. Aaron Judge currently in third place in the league for home runs, in which he has 16 home runs. Cody Bellinger is also another important piece of this team, as he leads the team in hits. This team is a very offensive heavy team and you should be ready to hear the bat a lot when they are in the box. Cam Schlitter is probably their most dominant pitcher with a current 1.50 earned run average. This bullpen has a solid amount of known names such as David Bednar, Max Fried, Camilo Doval, and Luis Gil. The Yankees haven’t gotten blown out yet by any team as their biggest loss is a 7 run deficit which is definitely pushing it but it isn’t a full blown whooping. Their middle infield is pretty good with the combination of Jazz Chisolhm, Jr. and Jose Caballero.

Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs are a little bit of a shocker of a team to be on this list. They currently have a 29-21 record, and they are a rising team. On paper, this team doesn’t seem the greatest but they get their way with getting a win. They are currently led by Seiya Suzuki with a .269 batting average, along with Seiya, Nico Hoerner leads leads his team with 42 hits. On defense, Hoerner is also a pretty good player as he currently has a .995 fielding percentage. Other players on this roster with that high of a fielding percentage is Pete Crow-Armstrong. Pete currently has a .980 fielding percentage and many kids look up to him. Pete has a style that attracts people and potentially makes others want to replicate it. Michael Busch is another player with a fielding percentage that high, currently with a .998 fielding percentage he holds the highest one besides one man. Seiya Sezuki, although Seiya has less chances probably than the others, he currently is at a 1,000 fielding percentage, this is a great fielding percentage and if he holds that he is of extremely high value for his position. The Cubs also have some pretty good arms in Shota Imanaga and Edward Cabrera. Both of these pitchers are pretty cool and if it interests you, check them out.

Michael Conforto walk off blast extends Cubs home win streak to 12 - Yahoo Sports — Conforto hits a walk off home run to win the game for the Cubs and help improve their record. (Yahoo Sports)

In conclusion, these top 3 teams may or may not shock you, like how the Braves had some injuries that might hold them back but are also still persevering, or how the Cubs have been a middle of the road team but are now one of the best teams. Regardless, no single team has had it easy this year.

References:

ESPN Internet Ventures. (n.d.). MLB standings – 2026 regular season overall standings. ESPN. https://www.espn.com/mlb/standings/_/sort/wins/dir/desc/group/overall

Major League batting year-by-year averages. Baseball. (n.d.). https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/majors/bat.shtml

Jaffe, J. (2026a, April 29). After a dreadful 2025 season, the Braves are so back. FanGraphs Baseball. https://blogs.fangraphs.com/after-a-dreadful-2025-season-the-braves-are-so-back/

2025-2026 Final Issue

Donate to The Tiger

Your donation will support the student journalists of Elmwood Park High School. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.

About the Contributors

Zach Everett, Staff Reporter

Hi, my name is Zachary Everett, and I am a sophomore at EPHS. I participate in baseball and football for our school. This year, I hope to keep people entertained and happy. For college, I am really hoping to go to the University of Oregon. Personally, it would be nice to play baseball or football at the collegiate level there. I also hope to become a sports medicine physician later in life.

Maximiliano Garcia, Staff Reporter

Hi, my name is Maximiliano Garcia, and I’m a freshman at Elmwood Park High School. This is my first year in journalism. My hobbies include sports and spending time with my friends and family. For EPHS, I play football, wrestle, and play baseball. I have played sports most of my life, and they are a really important part of my life. My goal is to go pro in football or baseball and be a sports journalist when I grow up.