MLB Power Rankings (Preseason)

1. Dodgers

The Dodgers have made their intentions very obvious this offseason. They want a dynasty and they have gone all in. Starting the offseason with a bang by snagging the top two available players from the open market by signing team Japan teammates Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto to recording setting megadeals. They were not only making deals with their checkbooks either by adding one of the top position players, Teoscar Hernandez, and pitchers, Tyler Glasnow, available via trade. The Dodgers are adding all this talent to nearly the same roster that won 100 games a year ago besides the loss of the slugger JD Martinez. As long as this team stays healthy, anything less than a World Series appearance would be a huge disappointment.

2. Braves

It feels crazy to have the Braves at the 2 spot. They are coming off an all time great offensive campaign and have made a major addition to their rotation. The addition of Chris Sale should not be underappreciated. His surface numbers were not great last year with an ERA over 4, but that inflated ERA seemed to be a result of bad luck and small sample size rather than real regression. Health will continue to be an issue for Sale, but if he can stay healthy, the Braves could have a rotation nearly as strong as their vaunted offense. I do think their ability to replace the impact of Eddie Rosario could end up being a big story because Rosario played a crucial role in connecting the powerful top of the lineup to their bottom third. He was capitalizing on the Braves on base abilities so losing out on that kind of production could lead to a major step back for this powerful offense.

3. Yankees

The 3 slot may seem a bit high for the Yankees, but I am sliding them in here with the most optimism surrounding the Gerrit Cole situation. First let's start with the offense. I love the Juan Soto addition. Soto is in line for a career year as he moves into a home park that boosts power especially for lefties, do not be surprised when he easily pushes past the 40 HR mark. They also added Alex Verdugo to really round out the lineup and while Stanton, Rizzo and LaMahieu are not getting any younger, they still have enough juice in them to make the Yankees one of the most dangerous offenses in the AL. The rotation is one of the bigger question marks surrounding this team. Will Gerrit Cole be able to make a quick and speedy recovery? Can Carlos Rodon and Nestor Cortes be able to bounce back from disastrous 2023 campaigns and regain their elite form? Will Marcus Stroman be able to make through a whole season healthy? If all these questions go right, the Yankees are the obvious favorites in the AL.

4. Rangers

An already talented offense is about to get even better. No one questions the abilities of the teams top trio of Semien, Seager and Garcia; but the emergence of a powerful young trio could catapult the defending champs' offense to even new heights. Josh Jung already proved himself a producer over his rookie campaign; Evan Carter was a late season call up and immediately made his presence known and played a crucial role in the Rangers' ability to hoist the trophy; and now they get Wyatt Langford a prospect with so much hype you would think he is soon to be the face of this franchise even with all the talent that is already featured on this team. This offensive core should have Rangers excited about the present and the future. The main thing holding the Rangers back is their rotation which has plenty of talent, but just as many health issues. If the Rangers can go into the postseason with a rotation headlined by DeGrom, Scherzer and Eovaldi they will be hard to beat, but that is a big IF.

5. Astros

The Astros return a team that many are familiar with which won a World Series just 2 years ago, but they are not getting any younger. A core of Altuve, Bregman, Alvarez and Tucker will no doubt be productive, but with all the improvements made by the top teams around them, do they still have enough talent to be a true contender? Only time can tell.

6. Phillies

Like the Astros, the Phillies did not have a big offseason, but they did not need to since they already featured an elite offensive core. This Phillies offense could be even better this year if Trea Turner is able to provide his late 2023 form and deliver it a full season. The Phillies do feature a solid top to their pitching rotation headlined by Zach Wheeler and Aaron Nola, but I do not think they have the pitching depth necessary to be considered serious World Series contenders.

7. Orioles

I love the direction this team is going. Instead of trading away some of their top prospects, which they've had many of, they stood pat and it looks like it will pay huge dividends in this season and for years to come. Even with all the youth this team features, they are already one of the top offenses in the American League so can you imagine if just one or two of these young guys take a huge step forward? They would be a real contender for the pennant. The addition of Corbin Burnes is a huge X factor for this club because while he will undoubtedly bring a consistent outing every fifth day; if he recaptures his Cy Young form, watch out.

8. Mariners

Like the Orioles, the Mariners are a team on the up and up. It all starts with their rotation. I believe this group of 5 has the ability to be the top rotation in all of baseball. Luis Castillo remains one of the most unappreciated pitchers in the MLB with elite production over the past 2 seasons. Logan Gilbert and George Kirby have already proven themselves as great pitchers with high end potential. Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo had flashes of dominance during their rookie year, but failed to find consistency. The offense is a bit of an unknown, but the addition of Jorge Polanco should not go under the radar as he brings a level of consistency this team desperately needed. If Julio Rodriguez takes the final steps in his development and becomes the MVP level player he is bound to become; the Mariners will become an instant contender that could make waves in the postseason with a powerful pitching staff.

9. Twins

In a division that could easily be confused for the International League, the Twins have all but punched their ticket to the postseason. They have a formidable top of the rotation with Ryan and Lopez providing consistent production and a lineup that features plenty of established and burgeoning talent. Royce Lewis will be the key guy to watch because if he continues to develop; he could be a world carrier and take this team to new heights.

10. Blue Jays

The 2024 Blue Jays will be entirely dependent on the success of Alek Manoah. Okay that may have been a bit hyperbolic, but given the talent this team has in the rest of this rotation and lineup, can you imagine how good this team could be if Manoah is able to be anywhere close to as good as his 2022 form. Overall this is a team that lacks consistency but oozes potential so if everything goes right for the Jays do not be surprised if they make a decent postseason run.

11. Cubs

We have now entered the NL Central range. The Cubs are the epitome of the current state of the division since they lack truly elite talent but also do not feature any obvious holes. Both the Cubs offense and pitching is painfully average, but they are truly an elite defense, a trait that will help them capitalize on their opponents' mistakes and win a lot of close games. Do not expect any huge splashes from the Cubs in October but they will win a lot of games this summer and provide great vibes to the North Side of Chicago.

12. Rays

The Rays always seem to find a way to prove their doubters wrong, but I am starting to become a doubter. How is a rotation that only features one proven veteran going to hold up against this stacked AL East? How is a lineup that is basically just two different platoons going to find any consistency? These are serious questions that the Rays have had ample answers to in the past, but this season may be the turning point for the franchise. But you can never count out Kevin Cash so this team will probably win 95+ games in spite of all these issues. 

13. Diamondbacks

I like the rotation A LOT. I like the offensive core A LOT. The only problem is will this team find any sort of real consistency. They got hot down the stretch last season and turned that momentum into a World Series run, but do not let that success fool you. This is still a team that lacks a lot of experience so will they be able to handle the higher expectations and not crumble under the pressure? I do not think they are quite ready for that just yet, but they will still provide fans with plenty of excitement.

14. Mets

The Mets went all in last season and utterly failed, but a lot of those pieces that caused a lot of preseason hype a year ago are still in place. The rotation is the team's obvious weakness with no one who can be relied on for consistent production behind Kodai Senga. Aside from the rotation, I really like this team. The offense will be great with the additions of JD Martinez and Harrison Bader and the reacquisition of Edwin Diaz from injury will shorten games and lead to a bunch more wins for this team. If this team actually wants to compete they will need to add at least 2 starters over the season, but there is potential with this team.

15. Tigers

This may seem high for the Tigers but they actually seem to be building something here. They have a premier ace in Tarik Skubal and a solid top of the order. While this would not result in consistency in most divisions, the Tigers will be able to get a lot of cheap wins in the AL Central and win more games than most people expect.

16. Padres

After a disappointing 2023, the Padres not only failed to take a step forward, but actually took a step back over the offseason. Sure, adding Dylan Cease helps to ease the bleeding, but it will take a lot to effectively replace the reigning CY Young, the best closer in baseball and Juan Soto. The offense should still be potent with Fernando Tatis leading the way but without a deep pitching staff, expectations cannot be too high for this team.

17. Giants

The Giants have further improved their already solid pitching rotation, but I still do not think that is much of a needle pusher for this team. The Giants have always had good pitching, but it has only been when the offense also clicks that this team finds real success. Sure the Giants also made some additions to their offense, I just do not think they have added enough juice to be a winner.

18. Brewers

The Brewers have been the top team in the NL Central for most of the past decade but that success has been built off the back of a strong rotation but the days of that strong rotation seem to be fading. They lost their former Cy Young. Brandon Woodruff is injured. Freddy Peralta is now the only top end arm that remains on this team putting a lot more strain on this mediocre offense. The loss of Craig Counsell cannot be ignored either because he definitely had a way of working his magic with this team so expect a big step back from this team.

19. Reds

Potential. That is the word that immediately comes to mind when thinking about the Reds. Their season has already been partially derailed by a suspension and some major injuries, but this team has plenty of young talent who is willing to step up at any moment. Given the inexperience of this team, there will be plenty of mistakes that will cost them in close games so they likely will not be contenders quite yet but the future is bright.

20. Cardinals

If this team was assembled 5 years ago, they would be world series favorites, but it is too little too late for them. Their corner infielder will of course be productive, but their pitching leaves a lot to be desired. After being let down by their pitching a year ago, they just threw some bandaids at the issue instead of finding a true solution. They now feature a rotation of aging veterans who have zero chance of staying healthy for the entire season which is already evident by Sonny Gray's preseason injury. Do not expect anything more than mediocrity for the Red Birds.

21. Pirates

The Pirates have a lot of nice pieces within the organization but they are still 2 or 3 years away from fitting together. Oneil Cruz is going to be the team's next star, well at least until Paul Skenes comes onto the scene. Hopefully Mitch Keller and Bryan Reynolds will still be in Pittsburgh and able to contribute when the youth movement fully takes over, but even if they do not end up with a winning record, they will still be a fun team to watch.

22. Guardians

The 2023 season was a huge disappointment for the Guardians with multiple keys players taking a step back. It started with their ace Shane Bieber who had his highest ERA since his rookie season and continually failed to work deep into games. Two of their breakout stars form the 2022 season, Andres Gimenez and Triston McKenzie, completely regressed and started to become liabilities. And even though Emmanuel Clase led the league in saves, he did it while struggling through his worst season in the majors. If all these guys can bounce back in serious ways, the Guardians could go shooting up this list but they are in a position where they can no longer be given the benefit of the doubt and need to prove it.

23. Red Sox

The Red Sox rotation will be one of the most interesting storylines as the 2024 season goes on. They do not have any proven pitchers but all 5 of the pitchers featured are very nasty and can beat any hitter in a one on one matchup. I doubt all of them will be able to put it all together this season hence the low ranking but there is a silver lining here.

24. Royals

Bobby Witt Jr. may very well push for AL MVP this season but it will not be because of his team's record. The Royals do not have proven pitchers so it will be nearly impossible for Witt and his surrounding young talent to keep pace with their opponents all season long.

25. Athletics

I know everybody hates the As and has them dead last in the league, but I do like some of the moves this team has made. The top 4 of their lineup is looking pretty juicy with Esteury Ruiz setting the table and stealing bases at will. JJ Bleday and Brent Rooker have a good blend of contact and power to be consistently good hitters. But the true excitement comes from Zack Gelof who blasted on the scene with both power and speed. In his abridged rookie year, he was on pace for a 30/30 season if he had played a full season. Do not get wrong, I do not expect this team to win many games, but at least there will be some excitement in the East Bay for once.

26. Angels

Hopefully Mike Trout can stay healthy right? I think that is just about the only hope Angels fans can have this season, oh and maybe getting rid of Anthony Rendon. The Angels have some exciting young starting pitchers, but there is not enough talent around them to allow them to truly shine.

27. Marlins

Just wait a year, Marlins fans. The rotation has some long term injuries but once they get fully healthy, they will be one of the top rotations in all of baseball. It is going to be an ugly year though.

28. Nationals

I like a lot of the pieces that Nationals team have accumulated over the past couple seasons. McKenzie Gore looks like he will be an ace one day. CJ Abrams is a big time playmaker at the start of the lineup. Keibert Ruiz looks like he will be one of the top offensive catchers in the MLB over the next decade. While they do have pieces in place, this team is nowhere close to competing so enjoy the fireworks these youngsters provide but do not get your expectations up just yet.

29. Rockies

I do not understand this team's plans. They overspend on middling free agents and trade away anyone who shows anything close to real talent. This is obviously a directionless team, but at least they get to play at Coors so fans still get to see plenty of offense even with a lackluster lineup.

30. White Sox

Where is this team going? NOWHERE. Sell the team.