MLB Power Rankings: 12 teams with the most to panic about

By Tim Boyle | May 1, 2023

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - APRIL 29: Jake Bauers #61 of the New York Yankees walks off the field after slamming on to the outfield wall while fielding a fly ball against the Texas Rangers in the bottom of the first inning at Globe Life Field on April 29, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 29: Andrew Knizner #7 of the St. Louis Cardinals reacts after striking out during the third inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on April 29, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) /

2) MLB Power Rankings: Chicago White Sox

Andrew Benintendi was the big addition for the Chicago White Sox this past offseason. It’s almost laughable when you think about it. He wasn’t the best fit for what this club needed. Early results are proving they needed much more. They can’t even get Luis Robert to hustle to first base on the first pitch of the game.

The White Sox have been a massive disappointment for much longer than most fans outside of Chicago may realize. Their young crop of players have failed to meet expectations. Everything’s coming together for the White Sox to become one of this summer’s biggest sellers.

Creating a little more panic for the White Sox is how well the crosstown rival Chicago Cubs have played. This was a year when the Cubs should’ve been making improvements and not actually competing early on; that’s what the White Sox were meant to do. The 93-win season from 2021 already feels like ancient history. Fans should panic. This might be the beginning of another rebuild.

1) MLB Power Rankings: St. Louis Cardinals

Nobody should be in panic mode more than the St. Louis Cardinals. This was a team built to contend for a championship before the offseason even began. Rather than put all of the chips into the center of the table and build a much better ball club, the Cardinals put a ton of faith in their young players to execute. It hasn’t gone so well mostly because of their atrocious pitching.

Starters and relievers had a rough time on the mound for the Cardinals in April. There doesn’t seem to be any real help on the way. Steven Matz might be one of the biggest bust free agent signings the team has made in recent memory. The Miles Mikolas extension now a little over a month old looks like a massively premature decision.

The Cardinals are a good ball club on paper, however, with three other teams playing significantly better and even the Cincinnati Reds looking like they’ve improved, the Cardinals face an uphill battle nobody should be so confident they can climb up in time. If you feel sick to your stomach with how this team has performed, you’ve been paying close attention.

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