Sure, the Los Angeles Dodgers are unbeaten in five games and the New York Yankees can't stop hitting home runs, but let's pause to consider what the San Diego Padres have pulled off.
It's not even April, and they've already clinched the season series against the Atlanta Braves - and cracked the top five in USA TODAY Sports' first power rankings installment.
Oh, it probably won't matter, but it's worth pondering that the most significant feat of this opening weekend was the Padres sweeping four games against Atlanta, marking six consecutive victories over them at Petco Park, dating to their wild-card steamrolling during last year's playoffs.
Perhaps you might remember that: The Braves, New York Mets and Arizona Diamondbacks all had to wait until hurricane-delayed Games 161 and 162 were played to determine the final NL playoff spots. Sure, most tiebreakers don't come into play, but with the Padres and Braves very likely slotting in wild-card spots this year, it's not entirely meaningless.
Of greater note, San Diego's throttling of Atlanta might at least force observers to recalibrate their expectations for both teams, with the Padres perhaps providing resistance to the Dodgers in the West, while the Braves are already a pace behind what should be an excellent three-team race in the East.
Then again, 158 games remain for both.
A look at our updated rankings:
