MLB Power Rankings of where each team stands heading into Opening Day.
Raking leaves. Shoveling snow. Paying the heating company to upgrade the furnace. Since the last time baseball games counted, you may have done some of that. Our offseason MLB Power Rankings covered everything from free agency, to trade candidates, to ranking of starting pitcher staffs and more. This week, it’s about the standings.
Games begin to count on March 30 with MLB Opening Day. It’s an unofficial national holiday. Hopefully, you saved up some PTO and your kids haven’t used too many sick days from school to play hooky for an afternoon and take in a game.
As with all MLB Power Rankings, this isn’t merely a prediction for the year or where teams are necessarily going to finish. Directions of the organization, how they fared over the winter, and more are all taken into account. Who’s the best and who has room to improve?
30) MLB Power Rankings: Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies begin the year in dead-last. They may not finish there. In fact, they were pretty good at the start of last season. They eventually finished 68-94 and last in the NL West. Their spot at number 30 is primarily because of how directionless they seem. They spend money, but not enough of it. The Rockies appear to be the team most likely to unload a lot of players at this year’s trade deadline. They have some good chips. Getting this right is essential to their future.
29) MLB Power Rankings: Oakland Athletics
One could make a case that the Oakland Athletics should be further behind than the Colorado Rockies. At least they sold off their trade chips. Very few remain on their roster. Oakland has its own issues. Until they start acting like a major league team, it’s going to be tough seeing them get much higher than 25th in future MLB Power Rankings.
28) MLB Power Rankings: Washington Nationals
Last year’s worst team at 55-107, the Washington Nationals move only a little closer to number one because of the fresh start they’ll receive in 2023. It’s going to be another long season in D.C. The roster is made up of kids and a couple of veterans brought in to either rebuild their stock or eat up innings. They acted accordingly in the offseason by avoiding any major contracts. They know what they are and at the moment it’s not a very good team.
27) MLB Power Rankings: Kansas City Royals
Can points be taken away for the unnecessary Jordan Lyles contract the Kansas City Royals handed out? The Royals do seem to be building something. Exactly what that is remains a mystery. Overshadowed by the Kansas City Chiefs in the city, the 2015 World Series victory seems like it took place a century ago. A last-place finish in the weak AL Central last season doesn’t do them any favors coming into the 2023 season.
26) MLB Power Rankings: Cincinnati Reds
A horrific start made it impossible for the Cincinnati Reds to do much of anything last season. They dismantled the roster. This winter, they didn’t bring much else in either. The Reds probably have a timeline in their minds as to when they’ll compete again. It’s not now. It’s not later. Look for them to be pushovers again in the NL Central.
25) MLB Power Rankings: Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are only slightly ahead of the Cincinnati Reds to begin the year because they’re actually trying to compete. You don’t sign Carlos Santana, Andrew McCutchen, Rich Hill, and make other moves just to roll over for everyone you face. Several of their young and more exciting players have an opportunity to be much better this season. File the Pirates in the “let’s see them prove it” folder until we move them ahead.
24) MLB Power Rankings: Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers chose to have a much quieter offseason after a much more action-packed 2021-2022 winter. They’re still stuck with Javier Baez on the payroll. However, one of last season’s greatest underachieving teams has a halfway decent core in place to finish well ahead of the Kansas City Royals. It’s about all they can hope to do while nurturing their younger players.
23) MLB Power Rankings: Baltimore Orioles
Yes, the Baltimore Orioles are trending upward. The 83-79 team that almost crawled into the postseason last year deserves a lot of credit. Why rank them so low? They had a pitiful offseason. All they needed to do was add one veteran pitcher and a bat better than Kyle Gibson and Adam Frazier. It seems like the Orioles front office forgot how strongly this club finished the year. Failure to seize an opportunity drops them way down to start the season.
22) MLB Power Rankings: Chicago Cubs
Meanwhile, the Chicago Cubs believe in themselves much more than the Baltimore Orioles. They spent money on Jameson Taillon, Cody Bellinger, and even former Orioles first baseman Trey Mancini. The Cubs shouldn’t come close to sniffing the postseason. Something closer to .500 should be within their reach. They certainly seem capable of winning seven more games this season.
21) MLB Power Rankings: Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks can surprise a lot of people this year. The young players should help make them a contender soon enough. They’re just not quite there at the present moment to rank them any higher. A timid offseason should have fans cautious about thinking they’ll be able to finish higher than fourth. They definitely can. If you’re looking for a dark horse playoff team in the National League, these are your guys.
20) MLB Power Rankings: Miami Marlins
Let’s give some credit to the Miami Marlins. Many of their additions last year were utter failures. It didn’t stop them from doing things like trading for Luis Arraez and A.J. Puk. Even the Yuli Gurriel signing should be applauded. The Marlins usually play a pest-like role in the NL East. The same framework will apply to their role in 2023. Maybe they can punish at least one of the three teams ahead of them.
19) MLB Power Rankings: Boston Red Sox
It does look like the Boston Red Sox could either be a horrendous team or a sneaky-good one. Everything in between is also an option. They brought in a lot of veterans. Corey Kluber, Kenley Jansen, and Justin Turner all bring something special to the roster. One major question is whether or not age will catch up with each of them. You’re not wrong to doubt the rest of the team around those three.
18) MLB Power Rankings: Chicago White Sox
The Detroit Tigers underachieved the most last season, however, it’s the Chicago White Sox who disappointed the most. They felt like one of the worst 81-81 teams in modern history. Despite Dylan Cease having his awesome season, the White Sox were never really in the playoff hunt. Their weak offseason will set them back. This has a team with the potential to rise up future MLB Power Rankings. They could just as easily fall down nearer to the bottom.
17) MLB Power Rankings: San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants missed a lot this winter. They do get some credit for taking action even if Michael Conforto is nowhere close to Aaron Judge and Carlos Correa will probably end up playing all 162 games. The Giants don’t appear to be in line for a postseason spot this season. There just isn’t enough talent on the roster compared to other teams around the league.
16) MLB Power Rankings: Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins have persisted in their aggressiveness from last winter through the trade deadline and again in these most recent offseason months. Carlos Correa ended up back with them. It does little to help their epic collapse in the latter part of the 2022 season. They may be the second-best team in the AL Central but the distance between them and the Cleveland Guardians is pretty immense.
15) MLB Power Rankings: Los Angeles Angels
The World Baseball Classic featured both of the Los Angeles Angels stars with a Shohei Ohtani vs. Mike Trout matchup finishing it off. The performance does little to help them in the MLB Power Rankings. What puts them in the middle is how the club didn’t fold in the offseason. With an up-and-coming rotation and a healthy Anthony Rendon, the Angels should be much better.
14) MLB Power Rankings: Texas Rangers
On the topic of much better, the Texas Rangers are expected to compete this season. They fall out of the top dozen teams to begin the year which means a playoff spot is within reach yet not quite on the tips of their fingers. The Rangers had a disappointing season in 2022. An offseason highlighted by overhauling the starting pitching staff should lead to better results.
13) MLB Power Rankings: Tampa Bay Rays
It’s difficult to ever buy into what the Tampa Bay Rays are doing. We need to give them credit for what they accomplish nearly every season on a low budget. They get the unlucky number 13 spot in the MLB Power Rankings to begin the year. Don’t worry, Rays fans. They are baseball’s ultimate underdog. Put them against the ropes and they’ll punch out of it. Let’s see what the front office has cooked up this offseason to reinvent the game.
12) MLB Power Rankings: Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers fell just shy of a playoff berth last year. With much of the roster intact and a few different players added in, they’ll need a bit more from star players like Christian Yelich if they’re going to return to the postseason. The Brewers are a team with a chance to swing in either direction. If the pitching doesn’t hold up, they could be doomed. If the arms do their job, don’t rule out a division title.
11) MLB Power Rankings: Cleveland Guardians
The Cleveland Guardians are the best team in their division not because they have the most stacked roster but because they continually prove they are worthy. They were one win away from advancing to the ALCS last season. They may not have the same firepower as some other clubs. Still, this is a club we shouldn’t sleep on. Jose Ramirez is already in the MVP conversation and Andres Gimenez looks like he’ll turn into an absolute stud.
10) MLB Power Rankings: St. Louis Cardinals
A quick bounce from last year’s playoffs does hurt the St. Louis Cardinals slightly as we begin the year. At least they can say it happened against the National League Champions? There is no excuse for the Cardinals this year. The roster is stacked with more depth than maybe anyone else. Take advantage of having Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado. One day they’re going to wake up and won’t be quite the same.
9) MLB Power Rankings: Toronto Blue Jays
These days, the Toronto Blue Jays are a regular season threat yet never a pennant winner. They haven’t been to the World Series since 1993. Certainly capable of winning the AL East and going much further, looking good on Opening Day isn’t enough to award them with a spot any higher than this. Their mix of young talent and veterans must come together and deliver results on the field.
8) MLB Power Rankings: Seattle Mariners
The team that took down the Toronto Blue Jays in last year’s playoffs, the Seattle Mariners come across as a similar club. This is a franchise in need of a World Series trip. They’ve been to the playoffs only five times since inception in 1977. Young players and pitchers in their prime like Luis Castillo can turn the franchise’s fortunes around. It’s about time.
7) MLB Power Rankings: New York Yankees
The defending AL East Champions start off the season in a hole. The New York Yankees had a good yet imperfect offseason where they’ve left a ton of questions at several positions. Some big injuries before the start of the year hurts some of their projections and puts them behind several other big clubs to begin the year. They can definitely outshine even the most pessimistic of predictions. They’ll need help beyond just Aaron Judge.
6) MLB Power Rankings: Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers always seem to be right in the thick of everything. They’re regular season heroes who rarely get to leave with all of the glory. Their offseason is questionable with many of their moves looking like downgrades or lateral moves at best. We all know never to doubt them. This isn’t the worst place to be in the MLB Power Rankings to start the season. The Dodgers will need to take a “business as usual” approach to quickly climb.
5) MLB Power Rankings: New York Mets
We’ve entered the rest of the NL East. The New York Mets fall into third within the division because of how evenly matched the clubs are and the atrocious ending to the 2022 season. They were one-hit in Game 3 at home. While they’ve made some upgrades, they had a somewhat similar offseason as the Los Angeles Dodgers. Minus Edwin Diaz for the whole season, they’ll need to put a lot of faith into the rest of their team to make a dominant closer an unnecessary part of the puzzle.
4) MLB Power Rankings: Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies may not be any better than the New York Mets. Last year’s regular season standings suggested as much. However, as the reigning NL Champions, they get a little more benefit to kick off the year. They’ll do it without Bryce Harper in the beginning and will have to navigate all season without Rhys Hoskins. Offense will come from other places. Getting enough from the pitching is the far bigger question.
3) MLB Power Rankings: Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves won the 2021 World Series and took the division again in 2022. Although they fell to the Philadelphia Phillies in the postseason, they do look mightier heading into this season. Atlanta has some pretty good starting pitching depth and a lineup that compares to just about everyone. Even if they’re going to go with the less popular choice of keeping Vaughn Grissom off the Opening Day roster, the Braves will be a force in the league yet again.
2) MLB Power Rankings: San Diego Padres
Sorry, Los Angeles Dodgers fans. The San Diego Padres eliminated your team in the postseason and only got better this offseason. Their already stacked starting lineup only got better with the addition of Xander Bogaerts. The Padres aren’t going to win a World Series with ease or even cruise into the postseason without a fight. Maybe the hungriest team for a championship out there, let’s put the pressure on the Padres to deliver early on.
1) MLB Power Rankings: Houston Astros
There’s no question who deserves the number one spot. The Houston Astros remain an incredible ball club. An injury to Jose Altuve might have put a slight damper on their hopes and dreams of repeating. He’ll be back in a few weeks and they’ll make do without him until then. With a very similar roster as last season with maybe the biggest difference being the loss of Justin Verlander, the young pitching staff will have their chance to prove they don’t need him.