The player ratings in MLB The Show 26 reflect individual strengths and weaknesses, and team ratings tell a similar story. Clubs with higher overall numbers offer a decent snapshot of which squads are positioned as the most formidable in 2026. It stands to reason that the eventual World Series champion is very likely to emerge from this top tier.

Based on the composite team ratings in MLB The Show 26, here are the 10 highest-rated clubs heading into the season.

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

• Roster: 80.7
• Rotation: 89.0
• Bullpen: 75.5
• Power: 67.2
• Contact: 73.3
• Speed: 51.2
• Farm: 63

Dodgers roster is stacked with star power - Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and the list goes on. From the lineup and the bench all the way through the bullpen, there are virtually no glaring holes. This is arguably the most talent-laden group in Major League Baseball, and plenty of fans are genuinely wondering who is supposed to take them down this year. Dodgers also require the most MLB The Show 26 stubs of any team if you wanted to build a complete Dodgers team within Diamond Dynasty.

The club made key additions over the winter, though the early going has seen some uneven performances. Newcomers Edwin Díaz and Kyle Tucker wasted no time making an impact in the season's opening series. Even so, the offense has yet to find a consistent rhythm.

2. Philadelphia Phillies

• Roster: 75.7
• Rotation: 78.5
• Bullpen: 69.6
• Power: 64.1
• Contact: 71.2
• Speed: 63.7
• Farm: 39

Anchored by 90 OVR Zack Wheeler, Phillies boast a formidable rotation. They also have plenty of capable options when it comes to putting the ball in play and moving on the bases.

That said, the early part of the season has exposed some sloppy defense and an offense that occasionally goes missing - they were held hitless through five innings in one particularly rough stretch. A portion of the fanbase is already feeling a bit uneasy, though history suggests this is a group that tends to flip the switch once October approaches.

3. New York Mets

• Roster: 78.0
• Rotation: 82.2
• Bullpen: 73.2
• Power: 70.8
• Contact: 69.6
• Speed: 52.0
• Farm: 52

On paper, Mets have a high-end pitching staff, but the results have been shaky to start the year, as they stumbled into an early losing skid. Injuries have been a recurring issue, Francisco Lindor has looked off his usual form, and the entire offensive unit has yet to generate much sustained pressure.

4. Atlanta Braves

• Roster: 77.1
• Rotation: 70.8
• Bullpen: 73.8
• Power: 58.6
• Contact: 64.2
• Speed: 42.0
• Farm: 55

Despite carrying the weight of injury concerns that have lingered over the franchise for several seasons, Braves have looked steady out of the gate. They posted a 3-2 mark across their first five contests. The starting rotation has outperformed early expectations, and Matt Olson is seeing the ball extremely well, delivering consistent production and notching multiple hits in several games. Ronald Acuña Jr. has also contributed with both a home run and a stolen base.

5. Boston Red Sox

• Roster: 76.7
• Rotation: 84.6
• Bullpen: 71.5
• Power: 60.4
• Contact: 67.8
• Speed: 65.2
• Farm: 49

The early returns in Boston have been rough, despite the presence of highly-rated arms like 90 OVR Sonny Gray and 85 OVR Garrett Crochet. The club matched its worst record ever through the first ten games of a season and found itself at the bottom of the league standings. A silver lining came when Ranger Suárez tossed six scoreless innings against Cardinals to earn his first victory in a Red Sox uniform, offering a momentary halt to the slide.

6. Seattle Mariners

• Roster: 76.9
• Rotation: 85.6
• Bullpen: 71.6
• Power:65.7
• Contact: 69.9
• Speed: 49.4
• Farm: 42

The starting rotation remains Mariners' biggest weapon, but a lineup-wide power outage has severely undermined the win-loss column. The offense has been a glaring weakness, posting a team batting average of just .184 en route to a 4-9 start.

Despite the grim opening stretch, a significant portion of the fanbase remains optimistic. The prevailing sentiment is that if the bats can warm up even a little, this team is still very much in the conversation for AL West title.

7. New York Yankees

• Roster: 76.0
• Rotation: 81.0
• Bullpen: 68.9
• Power:73.5
• Contact: 66.2
• Speed: 48.3
• Farm: 61

Yankees' pitching staff looked dominant during the opening days, with newcomer Max Fried turning in strong performances and the rotation establishing a rhythm. However, the first week of April brought a sharp reversal of fortune, including a five-game losing streak and a demoralizing sweep at the hands of Red Sox in a key early-season series.

8. Chicago Cubs

• Roster: 77.2
• Rotation: 80.7
• Bullpen: 71.8
• Power: 65.4
• Contact: 68.9
• Speed: 63.0
• Farm: 50

Cubs' roster looks potent enough to cruise past 90 wins and run away with NL Central, but the reality on the field has been a struggle. There is, however, a vein of promising young talent on this squad. If and when they settle into a groove, there could be some eye-catching results later in the year.

9. Texas Rangers

• Roster: 73.9
• Rotation: 82.7
• Bullpen: 66.7
• Power: 62.8
• Contact: 63.3
• Speed: 59.1
• Farm: 44

Texas turned in a respectable record on their season-opening road trip, with both the offense and starting rotation showing positive signs. The bullpen, however, remains a recurring headache when it comes to locking down the final outs. The team is guided by a veteran core, but because the front office didn't add any major difference-makers over the offseason, there is a palpable lack of long-term confidence surrounding the club.

10. Pittsburgh Pirates

• Roster: 73.3
• Rotation: 80.1
• Bullpen: 69.1
• Power: 57.7
• Contact: 66.7
• Speed: 63.2
• Farm: 41

Paul Skenes (90 OVR) had a forgettable Opening Day outing but bounced back nicely with his April work. Meanwhile, rookie Konnor Griffin (90 OVR) turned heads with a stellar Major League debut. While Pirates may not rank among the elite in MLB The Show 26, this is a team with serious upside.

These rankings may change due to shifts in team performance and official adjustments, but this uncertainty is part of the fun of the sport, both in games and in real life.

Some of the changes introduced in PoE 3.28 have completely revolutionized the way players approach the game. One particularly notable change is the new ability for players to utilize pseudo 7-link gear, thereby significantly boosting their character’s power during the endgame phase.

For veteran Exiles, you are likely well aware that, under normal circumstances, items in Path of Exile are limited to a maximum of six sockets, a privilege typically reserved only for two-handed weapons and body armor. Most other gear slots are generally restricted to just three or four sockets.

Within these sockets, players can empower a skill gem by slotting it alongside up to 5 support gems in the remaining slots. Once all these support gems are linked together, they form what is known as a 6-link gem setup, the most powerful configuration available in the game.

However, PoE 3.28 Mirage League introduces a new currency item, Djinn Coin, that allows you to easily corrupt a skill gem, imbuing it with a random support enchantment to create a pseudo 7-link setup. While the process of obtaining a pseudo 7-link may seem straightforward, it is entirely dependent on RNG; therefore, securing your ideal configuration may ultimately come down to pure luck.

Next, let’s take a closer look at how to craft a pseudo 7-link and how exactly they function. This knowledge could be the key to helping you construct the most powerful character builds in PoE 3.28!

How to craft a Pseudo 7-Link?

In Path of Exile 3.28 Mirage League, the pseudo 7-link mechanic is of paramount importance. By effectively providing a free Level 1 support gem, it delivers a massive and incredibly cost-efficient damage boost, thereby substantively upgrading a standard 6-link setup into a 7-link configuration.

However, as previously mentioned, this effect is achieved through a unique mechanic specific to the new league: Coins of Knowledge, Power, or Skill. By using one of these coins to corrupt a Level 20 skill gem, you can generate a pseudo 7-link. This process grants the gem the effect of a random Level 1 support gem, effectively providing a 7th functional link for your primary skill. Consequently, this allows you to significantly boost your character’s damage potential in the endgame without incurring the high cost typically associated with acquiring expensive 6-link gear.

Djinn Coin system, exclusive to Mirage League, corrupts a Skill Gem, randomly adding an active Support Gem effect based on Strength, Dexterity, or Intelligence. This grants you a free, additional damage multiplier (equivalent to a seventh link) without requiring specific 6-link gear or special affixes.

However, since the added Support Gem is always Level 1, and the outcome is random, the process is akin to gambling; it requires repeated attempts to find the optimal Support Gem and successfully craft a pseudo-7-link.

For instance, after using a Coin of Skill to corrupt Split Arrow, we immediately gained the effect of a Level 1 Vicious Projectiles Support Gem. Crucially, this transformation does not occupy a socket slot on your weapon or armor, leaving those slots free for other Support Gems. Essentially, this creates a 2-link setup which, when combined with five other external Support Gems, results in a pseudo-7-link gem configuration.

How do you obtain these Djinn coins?

In PoE 3.28, players primarily acquire Djinn Coins by defeating Afarud Necromancers to gain access to Mirage League zones. Before entering a Mirage zone, you can select a specific Djinn Wish from Varashta; this choice determines the type of Djinn Coins that monsters within that specific Mirage zone will drop.

You can obtain these Djinn Coins simply by defeating monsters within Mirage zones. It is worth noting that Mirage mechanic is influenced by Atlas Tree Passives and Scarabs, which can increase the frequency with which you encounter Mirages within your maps. Furthermore, Mirages can replicate other league-specific mechanics present in the map, thereby increasing monster density and potential loot drops.

Important Considerations

While the process of constructing a 7-link gem setup is not inherently complex, there are still a few important points I must bring to your attention.

First, you must be prepared for the fact that, although a 7-link setup can be incredibly powerful, the final result may not always be the one you desire. This is because the corruption effect can add any Support Gem effect compatible with Skill Gem; as we all know, every Skill Gem has a mix of both highly beneficial and less-than-ideal Support Gem interactions.

Additionally, the game doesn't allow players to equip two skill gems corrupted by coins simultaneously to prevent players from using two pseudo-6-links, which would disrupt game balance. Furthermore, only Level 20 gems can form a pseudo 7-link; gems below Level 20 will not be affected by Djinn Coins.

Is that extra link worth sacrificing a Level 21 gem? Whether you are playing Tornado Shot or Lacerate, master the new crafting mechanics of the 3.28 league to immediately push your build to its absolute limits!