MLB power rankings heading into Opening Day

Spring training is winding down, and each major league club will be departing their exhibition locations to play games that matter. Opening Day is an exciting time for fans of all 30 MLB franchises, as the prospect of a fresh start gives teams reason for optimism. We’ll power rank each club as we head towards the beginning of the regular season. Statistics are sourced from Baseball Reference.

It’s going to be a rough year for the Athletics. The team is in a state of flux, with regard to their roster and their home city. The Las Vegas Review Journal reports that the A’s won’t play in Las Vegas until at least 2028, leaving Oakland fans tortured for the next few seasons. CBS Sports believes that young pitcher Mason Miller is the moribund franchise’s most tantalizing prospect.

It’s going to be interesting to see how long Colorado sticks with Kris Bryant in a prominent lineup position. According to Denver Sports, Bryant hinted that he regretted signing with the team in the first place. He only hit .233 with a .313 on base percentage in 2023. The real positive for Rockies fans is likely the continued development of outfielder Nolan Jones.

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A couple of years ago, the White Sox seemed to be on the cusp of being a perennial playoff team, but those dreams took a nosedive in 2023. Chicago still has a lot of intriguing position player talent in their lineup, and could make a surprise run in a weak American League Central. However, the goal was made a bit more challenging after their trade of ace pitcher Dylan Cease.

Since winning the World Series in 2019, the Nationals have been trying to re-locate their footing ever since. FanSided’s District on Deck feels as if Washington will once again have a tumultuous campaign in 2024 as they hope to field a more competitive club in 2025. The team plans to have young catcher Keibert Ruiz around for a while, as they signed him to an extension in March 2023.

Sports Illustrated believes that the baseball world is sleeping on Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who has stolen 40 bases and hit 40 home runs in his first 260 career games. He might realistically take an even larger leap in 2024. Kansas City fans can also continue to enjoy the career of backstop Salvador Perez, who is entering his 13^th season on the team.

Amidst a plethora of young talent, Pirates general manager Ben Cherington wanted to bring in a trustworthy veteran to anchor the clubhouse. That experienced player was none other than Andrew McCutchen, who is looking to bounce back from an Achilles injury according to AP News. He won’t be relied upon for gaudy production, but should be worth his weight in gold as a mentor.

There’s been a lot of controversy swirling around Anthony Rendon, who was supposed to be a key piece in the Angels’ turnaround. Since coming to Los Angeles before the 2020 season, he’s hit a combined 22 home runs in four years. In his last three years with the Nationals, Rendon hit at least 24 home runs in each campaign. Bleacher Report recently called him “public enemy number one”.

The Guardians are amongst a handful of clubs in MLB that can go in either direction in 2024. It wouldn’t be shocking if things came together and they were a tough out in the playoffs, but it also wouldn’t be stunning to see them rank as one of the worst teams in the game. Sports Illustrated writes that the team is cognizant of “building up” pitcher Triston McKenzie in a strategic way in 2024.

The Mets’ pitching staff looks a lot different than it did a year ago. New York will hope that former New York Yankee hurler Luis Severino can get back to his All-Star form. If they’re going to be frisky in 2024, the Mets cannot afford prolonged slumps from anyone at the top of their lineup. They signed J.D. Martinez towards the end of spring training to assist with that goal.

Tigers fans will want to focus on the ascension of former first overall draft pick Spencer Torkelson. The Athletic reported that the young first baseman is locked in on becoming a great player, both on offense and defense. The piece pointed out that Torkelson was proficient at scooping up low throws in the infield, which saved errors and secured outs.

This is somewhat uncharted territory for the Cardinals, who are used to being in the playoff conversation each and every season. They crashed to a last place finish in the division in 2023, and have a bit of an in-between roster. Paul Goldschmidt is in the twilight years of his career, while Jordan Walker and Masyn Winn’s careers are just getting started.

The Red Sox took a huge leap of faith by signing Lucas Giolito this offseason, who had a rough conclusion to the 2023 season. New England Sports Network reports that the pitcher is excited to get back to his top-notch form in Boston, which the team badly needs him to do at the front of their rotation.

The Giants profile as one of those strange MLB clubs who might not have what it takes to make the postseason, but could also dominate in the postseason if they get there. That’s because their top two pitchers may be as good as anyone’s. Logan Webb finished second in National League Cy Young voting in 2023, and the team brought in Blake Snell during the spring.

Sporting News called the Reds the most exciting “.500-ish team” in MLB last summer, and it’s easy to understand why. Elly De La Cruz is good for a highlight a game it seems, and the young roster came into its own nicely with an improved season a year ago. It’s going to be intriguing to see if they can collectively take another step in 2024.

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The Cubs believe that they may have an edge in the dugout that had been missing in prior years. Chicago gave new manager Craig Counsell a five-year contract worth over $40 million this offseason, and are very familiar with his work. Counsell led the Milwaukee Brewers to a 707-625 record in nine seasons with the National League Central rivals.

Sports Illustrated called the 2023 edition of the Padres “an epic failure.” It’s a harsh but understandable critique for a team that expected to make a run to the World Series. 2024’s club is a tweaked but still very talented version of a potential contender. Their addition of Dylan Cease in mid-March gives them a potentially scary rotation.

The Marlins are no longer the laughingstocks they were a few years ago, and have the potential to take another step forward in 2024. While they’ll have to do that without injured ace pitcher Sandy Alcantara, Miami has enough talent elsewhere to remain relevant. Leadoff hitter Luis Arraez is as dangerous a contact hitter as there is in MLB, as Slate pointed out last year.

MLB’s website conveys a prevailing theme about the Brewers that they might take a step back in 2023. The loss of manager Craig Counsell, trade of ace pitcher Corbin Burnes, and injury to pitcher Brandon Woodruff has left the team in a precarious state. However, they did sign Rhys Hoskins this offseason, who figures to add some thump to Milwaukee’s lineup.

Fans of the Blue Jays are hoping that 2024 is the year that everything comes together. The promise of a golden generation of prospects needs to eventually translate into victories when it counts, which will put the onus on Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Bo Bichette and Cavan Biggio to perform in big games. Toronto is also crossing their fingers that pitcher Alek Manoah regains his old form.

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli told the Star Tribune that losing pitchers Kenta Maeda and Sonny Gray is going to be a tough hurdle to overcome, but that the team plans to find different ways to win. Those alternative routes to victories might involve Pablo Lopez emerging into an ace, and the versatile Byron Buxton putting the team on his shoulders for a month or two this year.

The Yankees are going to have to navigate the loss of defending American League Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole for a certain period of time. New York’s World Series chances would dramatically reduce if Cole missed extended time, but Yankees fans are excited by the damage new acquisition Juan Soto might do in a contract year.

The New York Times wrote in May 2023 that the Rays are “better than everyone, at everything.” That was penned during a scalding hot start to the season last year, which tapered off as the campaign wore on. The institutional intelligence Tampa Bay features is usually good enough to get them to October; it’s what they’ve done there (or not done) that has left fans wanting more.

Sports Illustrated and others have highlighted the slow starts Philadelphia has gotten off to in each of the last two seasons. Granted, they’ve overcome them by playing lights out baseball down the stretch, but the organization is hoping not to have to rely on a feverish comeback in 2024. They may have the luxury of finding themselves once more in a middling division.

The Mariners were within a whisker of making the playoffs in the American League, which was a dramatically depressing end to an enthralling season. Seattle is hoping they can be that much better in 2024, because the playoff drought has worn on the fanbase. According to Seattle Spectator, they’ve missed the postseason in 21 of the last 22 seasons.

The Diamondbacks had a magical run to the 2023 World Series, appearing in the Fall Classic for the first time since 2001. Not many thought they would represent the National League in the championship series, but Arizona has not rested on their laurels heading in 2024. They made one of the biggest splashes in free agency by signing lefty pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez.

The Orioles were a buzzsaw in 2023, proving to the world that their young talent could make a difference right away. Baltimore’s future is as bright as any team in baseball, and their ceiling might have been raised by their acquisition of Corbin Burnes. Sports Illustrated also points out that some of their best prospects haven’t even reached the majors yet.

The Braves seem to be a step ahead of their opponents when it comes to identifying, developing and retaining talent. Atlanta has made it a habit of keeping their stars by signing them to extensions early on. The reigning National League East champs are hoping that Chris Sale can stay healthy this season, signing the ace to a two-year, $38 million deal in the offseason.

The Houston Chronicle did a feature on Astros new manager Joe Espada, who was elevated into the role after the retirement of Dusty Baker. The trove of talent that Espada has to work with is pretty remarkable, but he will be tested later in the season when Houston tries to fend off Seattle and the Texas Rangers for a division title.

At this point, the Dodgers are expected to win 100 regular season games year in and year out. Los Angeles was the talk of the offseason as well, spending over a billion dollars on free agent contracts for Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The franchise has only one thing in mind in 2024; World Series or bust.

Sports Illustrated wrote a piece in December 2023 about why the Rangers won’t win the World Series again. They’ll face fierce competition to defend the title, but their accomplishment puts them at the top of the list for now. There’s a chance that Texas could get Jacob DeGrom, Max Scherzer and Tyler Mahle back this summer, which would make them a legitimate threat to repeat as champions.

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