15) MLB Power Rankings: Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins are punching above their weight class. Luis Arraez plans to hit .400 this season. Can enough pitchers stop him? In a season where defending National League Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara has gotten tuned up, it’s amazing that the Marlins are playing this well. Credit the competent starting staff and a slew of relief pitchers who all made a pact to have a career year together.
14) MLB Power Rankings: San Diego Padres
It’s almost too generous to put the San Diego Padres this high in the MLB Power Rankings. Xander Bogaerts might be wondering what he got himself into. He’s getting very little help from a team with such high hopes. Seth Lugo has been the staff’s ace and the real strength of the pitching staff is in the late innings when the starters have exited. Joe Musgrove’s return from the IL is cause for celebration. The Padres have too much talent to be this average.
13) MLB Power Rankings: Los Angeles Dodgers
Do you know what good team had a really inconsequential offseason? It’s the Los Angeles Dodgers. The rise of James Outman. The return of Max Muncy. It’s all getting overlooked because the Dodgers aren’t pounding their opponents into submission. They should consider themselves fortunate that the Padres have looked worse. The Dodgers are surviving the early stages of the season. They just won’t win the division as easily as they did in 2022.
12) MLB Power Rankings: Arizona Diamondbacks
Tip your cap to the Arizona Diamondbacks. They may actually be one of the better teams in the division. We can already see how bad the Colorado Rockies are and that the San Francisco Giants are nothing special. With the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres getting in their own way, the Diamondbacks have a chance to win the division. There’s nothing all that incredible about them. Having now moved on from Madison Bumgarner, we’re getting a signal from the front office that they are mean business.
11) MLB Power Rankings: Houston Astros
The Houston Astros were a bad week away from getting roasted in this week’s MLB Power Rankings. They didn’t want to eat those insults. They decided to start winning. Despite some weak outputs from key players like Jose Abreu and Alex Bregman, the Astros are tracking well. They’ve eaten their toast and coffee to get over the World Series hangover. Prepare for the Astros to get red hot. They swept the Atlanta Braves this weekend. Next is to take on the Tampa Bay Rays.