Well the first three series of the season are in the books. And it’s time to start the weekly countdown known simply as “3 Up & 3 Down.” You don’t really want to start this countdown with only the first technical week of games because you down really start to get any semblance of quantifiable data until at least like ten games in for teams. That being said, many teams haven’t exactly hit the ten games mark, but we’ll run with the “close enough” mantra, even though as Frank Robinson once said “Close don’t count in baseball. Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.” So if you’re new to the Baseball Banter Broadcast, 3 Up & 3 Down is our weekly examination of three teams playing well, three teams that aren’t. And we add in a team to “Be On the Look Out” for (or BOLO) just for good measure. So let’s examine “week one” of 3 Up & 3 Down.

FIRST UP: LOS ANGELES DODGERS

While some may think it’s easy to just name the team that’s ranked number one by all preseason prognostications as the first up, there’s more than goes into it. When you examine the first “week” of Dodgers’ baseball you will see that they are 7-2 over their first nine games and sporting a run differential of +20. Beyond just the record itself, the Dodgers are also riding a three game winning streak. And while that may not seem like much, it is not easy to sweep a series, especially when you’re on the road. For Los Angeles, even though the Nationals are a rebuilding team, they are still employing Major League caliber players. And while you would expect the Dodgers to be victorious, they still have to go out and win. Now, that’s not to say that there aren’t concerns for the reigning defending undisputed World Champions of baseball. As Mookie Betts, their starting shortstop, was placed on the injured list with an oblique strain, and there presently is no timeline for his return. A loss like this to one of their best players is going to be difficult to manage. However, the Dodgers are the team best equipped to handle it with the level of depth they’re built up over the years.

FIRST DOWN: WASHINGTON NATIONALS

Speaking of the Dodgers’ most recent matchup, the Washington Nationals are the first down this week. The Nats find themselves with a 3-6 record. And while they only possess a -4 run differential, they are the unwilling holders of a five-game losing streak. Washington was always going to be facing a tough challenge this season. However, starting the season against three straight 2025 postseason teams is not the easiest draw.

SECOND UP: MILWAUKEE BREWERS

The second up this week will feature another team with a 7-2 record, the Milwaukee Brewers. Milwaukee is also currently featuring MLB’s best run differential at +28. The Brew Crew are always an underrated squad and often overlooked. Despite this fact, the Brewers play an extremely solid brand of baseball. And it’s not surprising to see Milwaukee get off to a good start.

SECOND DOWN: TORONTO BLUE JAYS

The Toronto Blue Jays are expected to be a strong team in 2026 and viewed as a World Series contender. And many Jays fans will likely say it’s not how you start it’s how you finish. And it’s far too early to start worrying about a team that won 94 games a season ago. That being said, while a 4-5 start might not be a cause for alarm, the Blue Jays make this down portion of the countdown because they are the unfortunate holders of a four-game losing streak. It’s likely that Toronto will bounce back even as quickly as by next week’s countdown. Because Toronto is sitting at only -8 in the run differential column. And a team this powerful and capable should easily overcome and surpass that source of differential deficit. Don’t expect Toronto to be on the down side of this countdown for too long. But for this first installment, they find themselves as the second down.

THIRD UP: NEW YORK YANKEES

The third and final up this will is the third and final 7-2 team to begin the season the New York Yankees. New York has played some very solid baseball to begin the season. The Yankees first three series were matchups against a believed to be potential wildcard team in the San Francisco Giants, and a postseason expected favorite in the Seattle Mariners, and the third series was better than you thought Miami Marlins team. Over the course of the first nine games, like the other two “up” teams on this list, New York dropped only two contests. The Bronx Bombers also find themselves holding the American League’s best run differential at +25. (Side note at the time of this writing, the Yankees are one of only four teams in the AL with a positive run differential. Only the Yanks (+25), the Houston Astros (+15), the Detroit Tigers (+9), and the Mariners (+3) are in the positive this category.) There is still a long way to go for the Yankees this season. However, if they can maintain a .778 winning percentage for the season that would be a ridiculous record of 126 wins and just 36 losses. Obviously, that is not going to be the case all season long, but it’s a good start to get off to if you’re a fan of the Yankees, Brewers, or Dodgers.

THIRD DOWN: TEXAS RANGERS

Much like with the Blue Jays before them, the Texas Rangers are also the holders of a four-game losing streak. And thus they also find their way to the down side of this countdown. Now, while the outlook for the Blue Jays is much higher, the view on the Rangers is a bit more perplexing. The Rangers are looked at as a team that would likely finish over .500 and potentially threaten for a wildcard spot. But the overall presence of the team is doubtful for a lengthy postseason run, should they get there. Now, obviously, the game isn’t played on paper, and the players must go out and perform. But if Texas is going to have a shot at, not just getting back to the postseason but potentially shocking the world again and winning the World Series. There will need to be a change in the misfortunes of their losing ways.

BE ON LOOK OUT FOR (BOLO): PITTSBURGH PIRATES

For once in the offseason Pittsburgh Pirates fans had something to be excited about, as the team addressed some needs. Pittsburgh went out and spent some money, including handing out the first multiyear contract (Ryan O’Hearn) since Ivan Nova back in 2016. And while the offseason acquisitions are incredibly noteworthy and deserve their own space and time to be delved into, the bigger news for Pittsburgh is the call up of top prospect, Konnor Griffin. Griffin’s call up is a massive story and reason to get excited, not just if you’re a fan of the Pirates but if you’re a fan of baseball. Since the start of the season, the Pirates hold a 6-3 record and own the Major League best (at the time of this writing) five-game winning streak. Pittsburgh also maintains a +11 run differential and while it’s ridiculously too early to state this, if the season ended today, Pittsburgh would be back in the postseason. There’s reason to be excited in Pittsburgh and that’s why they are the team to be on the look out for after “week one.”