Every week, we ask a selected group of our baseball writers — local and national — to rank the teams from first to worst. Here are the collective results.Two months into a major-league season, the picture starts to clarify. We’ve got a feel for the really good teams and the really bad ones, too. We’ve got our eyes on the teams we can’t quite believe are where they are this deep into the season. And we’re setting the landscape for the individual award races that we’ll talk about the rest of the way.This week, we’re looking at the top award candidates for each team. While the MVP races might feel the slightest bit stale, the Cy Young race in the National League might be an all-timer. The Rookie of the Year races in both leagues are unusually strong. And all those surprising teams mean the Manager of the Year races are crowded with contenders, proving our preseason predictions wrong.All stats are through Monday morning unless stated. 1. Los Angeles Dodgers (Average ranking: 1.2)Record: 38-22
Last Power Ranking: 1Top awards candidate: Shohei Ohtani, NL MVPOddly enough, Ohtani probably has a better shot at MVP than Cy Young, thanks to a loaded cast of thriving NL pitchers. Cristopher Sánchez, Jacob Misiorowski, Chase Burns and Chris Sale have all been sensational, but none of them also boasts a .400 on-base percentage. So, ho hum.Ohtani remains the favorite to win his fifth MVP award, and his fourth in a row, which would tie Barry Bonds’ record (2001-04). During that stretch, Bonds’ record-setting home run binges and unparalleled walk rates and OPS marks twisted our brains into a pretzel shape. Ohtani has done similar things in recent years, as we ponder how such a prolific hitter could also thrive on the mound. Well, here he goes again, this time showcasing the arm — he has a 0.82 ERA and hitters have a .447 OPS against him — more than the bat. — Zack Meisel2. Atlanta Braves (2.2)Record: 40-20
