MLB power rankings: Dominant LA Dodgers already lapping mediocre field

Legendary NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle once floated his dream of an uber-balanced league where every team finished 8-8, a combination not totally outlandish given the abbreviated nature of the schedule.

InMajor League Baseball, 30 teams finishing 81-81 is, of course, a near-mathematical impossibility, although the 2026 season is already trending that way.

Save for one team. Guess who?

TheLos Angeles Dodgersmay already be lapping the field just 15 games into the season.

At 11-4, they're every bit the super team folks envisioned once the two-time champions added $60 million outfielder Kyle Tucker to the mix, winning at a .786 clip while leading the big leagues in home runs and OPS.

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Yet it's the performance of everyone else that truly makes the Dodgers seem a cut above.

Twenty-six of 30 teams are within 3 ½ games of each other, a massive logjam of teams between 9-6 and 6-10, with only the Dodgers and 10-6San Diego Padresand theChicago White Sox(5-10) resembling outliers of any sort.

Will the big blog of so-so teams break up eventually, and the standings gain greater definition? Perhaps. For now, though, there's little surprise at the top of USA TODAY Sports' power rankings.

A look at our updated rankings:

1.Los Angeles Dodgers(-)

• A half-dozen players with at least three homers led by, of course, Shohei Ohtani's five.

2.New York Yankees(-)

• Swept in Tampa Bay for first time since 2018.

3.Milwaukee Brewers(-)

• Curse of the City Connects? Winless in Wisco gear.

4.Philadelphia Phillies(+1)

• Zack Wheeler perhaps one more rehab start away from return.

5.Seattle Mariners(+2)

• Home sweep of Astros perhaps puts them back on track.

6. Pittsburgh Pirates (+6)

• More signs of changing times: They were 3-10 against the Cubs a year ago. They just won a series at Wrigley.

7. Atlanta Braves (+7)

• They lost an entire rotation's worth of arms so of course they lead the majors in ERA and WHIP.

8. Cleveland Guardians (+5)

• Another one: Parker Messick has a 0.51 ERA through three starts.

9. San Diego Padres (+8)

• Win eight of nine, but joy dampened by Nick Pivetta's elbow concern.

10.Arizona Diamondbacks (+8)

• 9-7 despite opening gauntlet of Dodgers, Tigers, Braves, Mets, Phillies.

11. Cincinnati Reds (-)

• All-Star Andrew Abbott has 5.85 ERA through four starts.

12. New York Mets (-8)

• Clay Holmes apparently ducks serious injury after hamstring scare.

13. Detroit Tigers (-3)

• Kevin McGonigle crosses first home run off his to-do list.

14. Chicago Cubs (-5)

• Seiya Suzuki returns and Michael Conforto sticks on roster.

15.Toronto Blue Jays(-7)

• Loss of George Springer won't help them pull out of early funk.

Cleveland Guardians players warm up as the launch of NASA's Artemis II is shown on the center-field video board at Dodger Stadium on April 1, 2026.

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Ballpark vibes and wild celebrations a during 2026 MLB season

Cleveland Guardians players warm up asthe launch of NASA's Artemis IIis shown on the center-field video board at Dodger Stadium on April 1, 2026.

16. Texas Rangers (+4)

• Jacob deGrom punches out nine Dodgers, lowers career ERA against L.A. to 2.35.

17. Baltimore Orioles (+4)

• Dean Kremer set to make season debut against Diamondbacks.

18. Miami Marlins (-3)

• Jakob Marsee off to 9-for-62 (.145) start.

19. Tampa Bay Rays (+3)

• Drew Rasmussen dominates Yankees again, lowering career ERA to 1.03 against the Bombers.

20.Athletics (+6)

• They return to Yolo County riding high after reeling off five wins against Yankees, Mets.

21. Boston Red Sox (-5)

• NL guy? Ranger Suarez finds his footing in start against Cardinals.

22. Houston Astros (-15)

• Is seven-game losing streak harbinger of times to come?

23. Minnesota Twins (+4)

• Tristan Gray has 11 RBIs, .937 OPS in eight games.

24. Los Angeles Angels (-1)

• Jose Soriano lowers ERA to 0.33, becomes first Angel since Jered Weaver to win first four starts of year.

25. Kansas City Royals (-6)

• Scored two or fewer runs in five consecutive games.

26. San Francisco Giants (-1)

• Casey Schmitt on a heater, with 11 hits in last 19 at-bats, five for extra bases.

27. St. Louis Cardinals (-3)

• Yes, Jordan Walker leads the majors wtih seven home runs.

28. Washington Nationals (+2)

• James Wood had a week: A four-hit game, three home runs and a steal of home.

29. Chicago White Sox (-1)

• A decent chance that the Pope Hat won't be their lone highlight of the year.

30.Colorado Rockies (-1)

• Ryan Ritter produced a 27-game hit streak at Class AAA.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:MLB power rankings: Dodgers top NL West standings with hot start

byAnio Baumeister

in

April 14, 2026

MLB power rankings: Dominant LA Dodgers already lapping mediocre field

Legendary NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle once floated his dream of an uber-balanced league where every team finished 8-8, a combination ...

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Kristi Yamaguchi Gets Candid About Olympics, Alysa Liu and Rediscovering Herself After Ending a 23-Year Marriage (Exclusive)

Kristi Yamaguchi looks back on her journey as an Olympian in a wide-ranging interview with PEOPLE

NEED TO KNOW

• The star says watching Alysa Liu bring home the gold was "inspiring"

• Yamaguchi also opens up about her next chapter after ending her marriage with Bret Hedican last year

More than three decades after she became an Olympic gold medalist,Kristi Yamaguchiis going through a rebirth of sorts.

In 1990 Yamaguchi, now 54, competed in the World Figure Skating Championships held in Halifax, Canada, and came in fourth place for the singles event and fifth in pairs with Rudy Galindo. The following year, after dropping out of the pairs competition, the figure skater received her first-ever world championship title in 1991.

At just 20 years old, Yamaguchi won the gold medal in women’s singles figure skating at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, and became the first Asian-American woman to do so in any Winter Olympic sport.

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In a wide-ranging interview, Yamaguchi tells PEOPLE that watching Liu win Olympic gold after her free skate program set toDonna Summer’s “MacArthur Park Suite” was thrilling.

“Closing out the Olympics with Alysa Liu and her incredible feat, for her to come out and skate the way she did so joyously and with such positivity all around was inspiring,” Yamaguchi says.

“I’ve seen her skate since she was very, very young, and I’ve just always had amazing respect and admiration [for her],” she continues. “The way she always brought so much — I mean, I know this word gets overused with her, but it’s pure joy... I’ve always watched her with a smile on my face, even from the time she was little.

“The fact that under the incredible pressure that she skated under, coming in as world champion with the hopes that she could come away with the win... It was a lot, but she handled it amazingly,” adds Yamaguchi. “I’m so proud of her and so proud of the way she’s represented herself. It’s been awesome to see her accomplish what she has.”

Supporting Team USA’s figure skating team at the Winter Olympics, Yamaguchi says, made her nostalgic and reflect on her own career as a figure skater.

“Once an Olympian, always an Olympian,” she explains. “Those emotions and those moments when you’re representing your country at an Olympics game is life changing, and you remember it forever.”

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Though Yamaguchi retired from competing at the Olympic level after she struck gold at the 1992 games, she went on to win several more championship titles at the 1994, 1996 and 1997 World Figure Skating Championships. She was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 2005.

Aside from her athletic achievements, Yamaguchi has devoted her career to philanthropy. In 1996 she launched theAlways Dream Foundation, a nonprofit committed to inspiring a love for reading in children.

Over the past couple of decades, Yamaguchi alsoembraced her role as a wife and mother. In 2000, she married two-time Olympian and former NHL player Bret Hedican, 55. The pair, who first met at the 1992 Winter Olympics, share two daughters: Keara, 22, and Emma, 20.

In the past year, Yamaguchi and Hedican divorced, a decision she says was amicable.

“After 23 years together, we had an amazing marriage and loving family — especially bringing up our two daughters together — but I think it got to a point where we amicably thought maybe we aren’t at our happiest and we’d be happier separating,” Yamaguchi says. “We decided to separate and eventually divorce.”

Now, the Olympian says she is excited for this next phase of life and period of self-discovery.

“I'm looking forward to what is around the corner, or what the future could look like,” Yamaguchi says. “There’s a lot of life left to live, whether it's starting to date or new relationships, but also just personally enjoying where I am right now and the opportunities ahead. [I have] absolutely no regrets from the past. We’ve got a beautiful family and incredible memories, but I’m looking forward to creating new ones.”

Yamaguchi shares that she is also enjoying life as an empty nester, now that her daughters are in college.

“Being a mom andseeing them grow upand pursuing their own passions now, it’s been very rewarding and fun to see happen,” she says. “It’s bittersweet because you feel, as a mom, they’ve grown up so fast. You so vividly remember them as toddlers,starting grade schooland those moments. But, it’s so fulfilling to see how they’ve grown up and are going after their dreams now.”

“It’s fulfilling to see them spreading their wings,” she adds.

Read the original article onPeople

byAnio Baumeister

in

April 14, 2026

Kristi Yamaguchi Gets Candid About Olympics, Alysa Liu and Rediscovering Herself After Ending a 23-Year Marriage (Exclusive)

Kristi Yamaguchi looks back on her journey as an Olympian in a wide-ranging interview with PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW The...

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“Love on the Spectrum”'s Madison Marilla Had a Dream She'd Find Love with 'a Country Boy' Years Before Engagement to Tyler White

Love on the Spectrum stars Madison Marilla and Tyler White opened up about their engagement in a new interview

NEED TO KNOW

• Madison revealed that she had a dream that she'd find love with "a country boy," years before meeting Tyler

• The pair got engaged during episode 6 of the Netflix series' latest season

Love on the Spectrum'sMadison Marillais sharing how the "stars aligned" when it came to her romance with fiancéTyler White.

The reality TV couple, who got engaged during episode 6 of the Netflix series' latest season, opened up about their love story and wedding plans in a new interview with Tampa Bay outletFox 13. Madison revealed that she once had a dream that hinted at her future relationship.

"So, when I was a senior in high school, I had a dream that I was dating a country boy. Little did I know the stars aligned eight years later in 2024," she said.

"When I first saw Tyler, I [noticed] his cowboy hat and his cowboy boots, and I thought, 'Wow, I forgot I had that dream,' " she continued, referring to meeting Tyler on a blind date during season 3 ofLove on the Spectrum.

Madison explained that not long before having the dream as a teen, she watched the 2010 movieCountry Strong. "And I was like, 'I want a country love story like them someday,' " she explained. "And little did I know, it's happening right in front of me."

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Reflecting on her bond with Tyler, Madison said she loves him because "he's a great Southern Christian gentleman who treats me like a queen."

In response, Tyler — who was wearing his signature cowboy hat — declared, "That's right. Just the way my mom and daddy raised me."

Asked about their wedding plans, the couple said they have yet to set a date for the big day.

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"We've had to keep it a secret because of television," Tyler said of the engagement. "We're going to take our time planning this. Also, I want to get my music career going."

As Netflix cameras captured the moment for season 4, Tyler popped the question to Madison in the exact spot where they met one year earlier. The pair returned to the Sunken Gardens in Tampa, Fla., to celebrate their one-year anniversary.

To surprise Madison, Tyler had decorated the area with a "Christmas in July" theme. He asked Madison to check the "letters for Santa" mailbox, and inside was a heartfelt letter he had written for her.

"I knew in my heart when I met you, that I found someone special, unique and precious," the letter read. "With this being our one-year anniversary, I would like to give you a gift to express just how much you mean to me. From the moment I met you, I knew I had met my person and I don't want to wait another moment to let the world know just how I feel."

Tyler then got down on one knee and popped the question. "I can't believe it," a stunned Madison repeated, before saying that it was "the easiest yes."

Following the engagement, Tyler told PEOPLE it was an "emotional" moment for him. "I mean, once she started tearing up reading that letter, I started crying, and you know, I couldn’t help but cry,” he said. “I’m getting emotional just thinking about it right now.”

“It’s an amazing feeling,” Madison added of being headed to the altar with Tyler.

Love on the Spectrumseason 4 is streaming now on Netflix.

Read the original article onPeople

byAnio Baumeister

in

April 14, 2026

“Love on the Spectrum”'s Madison Marilla Had a Dream She'd Find Love with 'a Country Boy' Years Before Engagement to Tyler White

Love on the Spectrum stars Madison Marilla and Tyler White opened up about their engagement in a new interview NEED TO KNOW ...

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Nicole Kidman Reveals Surprising New Career Path: Becoming a 'Death Doula'

Nicole Kidman has shared that she's learning to become a death doula

NEED TO KNOW

• The actress explained during a talk on Saturday, April 11, that she had the idea after her mother died aged 84 in 2024

• "As my mother was passing, she was lonely, and there was only so much the family could provide," she explained

Nicole Kidmanhas a new career in mind.

The actress, 58, shared that she's learning to become a death doula during a talk at the University of San Francisco's War Memorial Gym on Saturday, April 11,theSan Francisco Chroniclereported.

Speaking to investigative journalist and USF graduate Vicky Nguyen as part of the school's Silk Speaker Series, she explained that the idea "may sound a little weird," but that her plans first came about after her mother, Janelle Ann Kidman,died aged 84in September 2024.

"As my mother was passing, she was lonely, and there was only so much the family could provide," Kidman told attendees, via theChronicle. TheHollandactresshas four children, while her younger sisterAntonia Kidman, 55, has six.

She continued, "Between my sister and I, we have so many children and our careers and our work, and wanting to take care of her because my father wasn't in the world anymore, and that's when I went, ‘I wish there was these people in the world that were there to sit impartially and just provide solace and care.' "

"So that's part of my expansion and one of the things I will be learning."

Death doulas, also known as end-of-life doulas, provide support to people and their loved ones toward the end of life. Per theInternational End-of-Life Doula Association, "An end-of-life doula advocates self-determination and imparts psychosocial, emotional, spiritual, and practical care to empower dignity throughout the dying process."

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Kidman, meanwhile, has often discussed the grief she felt after losing both her mom and her dad,Dr. Antony Kidman, who died in 2014.

A month after losing her mom, Kidmandescribed her as a "compass"and a "major guide" in her life, while she said shortly after that she would sometimeswake up "crying and gasping"amid the loss of both parents.

She learned of her mother's death while at theVenice Film Festivalahead of an appearance for her filmBabygirlandleft early to be with her family.

At the time, the film's director, Halina Reijn, read a letter on Kidman's behalf during what would have been her acceptance speech for best actress.

In the letter, Kidman stated that she traveled to Venice to learn "shortly after that my beautiful, brave mother, Janelle Ann Kidman, has just passed."

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In March 2025, shepaid tribute to her momon what would have been her 85th birthday. “Missing Mumma and Papa so much on what would have been her birthday today,” she wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of her parents smiling together, adding a red heart emoji. Shepaid tribute again a year later, writing, "Remembering my Mumma on her birthday. Always in my heart."

Read the original article onPeople

byAnio Baumeister

in

April 13, 2026

Nicole Kidman Reveals Surprising New Career Path: Becoming a 'Death Doula'

Nicole Kidman has shared that she's learning to become a death doula NEED TO KNOW The actress explained during...

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John Donaldson, the father of Denmark's Australian-born Queen Mary, dies at 84

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — The father of Denmark'sAustralian-born Queen Mary, John Donaldson, has died in Tasmania, the royal house in Copenhagen said Sunday. He was 84.

Denmark Obit Queen's Father

Donaldson died in Hobart, a royal statement said, without giving further details. It said that his health had been declining over the past few years, and that the queen last visited him at the end of March.

John Dalgleish Donaldson, born in Scotland on Sept. 5, 1941, was a professor of applied mathematics.

Mary became Denmark's queen in January 2024 after two decades as crown princess when her husband became the Scandinavian country's monarch. Hewas proclaimedKing Frederik X following the abdication of his mother,Queen Margrethe II.

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Frederik and Mary met during the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. They married in 2004.

Sunday's statement quoted Mary as saying that “my heart is heavy.”

“But I know that when the grief settles, the memories will brighten my day, and what will remain strongest is love and gratitude for everything he gave me and taught me,” she added.

Mary's mother, Henrietta Clark Donaldson, died in 1997. Her father married Susan Moody in 2001.

The statement said the family will hold a private memorial service for Donaldson “at a later date.”

byAnio Baumeister

in

April 13, 2026

John Donaldson, the father of Denmark's Australian-born Queen Mary, dies at 84

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — The father of Denmark'sAustralian-born Queen Mary, John Donaldson, has died in Tasmania, the royal house...

Read More