MLB Power Rankings (Week 2)

1. Braves

Losing Spencer Strider is a humongous blow, but they were still able to rally together and have a heck of a weekend. The late inning heroics show how complete this team is and that they are never truly out of a game no matter what the score is and what inning it is. If Strider is truly out for the season, the Braves will need to acquire another starter to remain atop the league.

2. Dodgers

The Dodgers are still an amazing team, but a chink is their armor was exposed this weekend. They obviously have an offense that rivals any other team's, but their pitching was exposed a bit by the Cubs. In their two losses, the Dodgers allowed a combined 16 runs which is not a winning recipe. The Cubs are a good offense so it is not like they got beat by some nobodies; but if the Dodgers eventually want to topple the Braves, they will need a pitching staff that rivals their offense.

3. Yankees

This is going to be a really, really good team once Gerrit Cole returns from injury. They have faced three very talented teams to open the season making their 8-2 record even more impressive. Juan Soto is a man on fire who brings an on base ability to this offense that was severely lacking. They can keep pace with just about anyone offensively so when they get their ace back they may become the most complete team in baseball especially if Spencer Strider remains out.

4. Rangers

The Rangers are so good they may appear a bit boring. They do all the little things perfectly. They get on base a bunch. They do not strike out a lot. They are always moving the runners over even when they are getting out. This kind of methodical production leads to constant offense just not in the way that typically captivates the audience's attention. Alluring or not, the Rangers are a great team and will only get better as they add injured starters back to their club.

5. Orioles

The Orioles may be coming off a series loss to the Pirates, but they are still providing enough offensive production to overlook this temporary setback. The top of this lineup has become as good as any in baseball. They all get on base at a high clip and can slug too, showing that this production is not likely to slow down anytime soon. The pitching remains a somewhat murky situation with no truly consistent pitcher to be found beyond Corbin Burnes, but this offense is good enough to carry this team until that issue is addressed.

6. Diamondbacks

Playing the Braves is always brutal, but blowing two late inning leads against them is way rougher. The DBacks do have a losing record but two of their first three series were against two of the MLB's top teams. The DBacks have far more wins than losses ahead of them.

7. Astros

We all know the Astros are good, but they are not showing it to begin the year. They do have a 3-7 record but their run differential is just -4 so they have lost a lot of close games that will likely balance out as the season rolls on so better days are ahead.

8. Cubs

The Cubs had a very impressive week. They swept the Rockies and won a series against the Dodgers. Their weekend series was particularly impactful because not only did they beat the Dodgers, but they dominated them. In their two wins against the Dodgers they basically led from the get go and never looked back. And their one loss was a result of a single poor inning by a middling early relief pitcher. The Cubs showed this weekend that they can beat any team at any time.

9. Brewers

Even without Craig Counsell, the Brewers have still been working their magic. They have figured out how to maximize their matchups and always come away with the upper hand in any given matchup. They have won a lot of close games with a run differential of just +8 so luck has obviously played a bit of a role in their early success so we will see if their winning ways persist.

10. Guardians

The Guardians still lack a lot of depth in this offense but the top heavy lineup has been ultra productive to start the season and has carried the squad to an excellent opening record. The loss of Shane Bieber will really hurt this team and likely prevent them from being true playoff contenders. But they are in the AL Central and the Twins look to be floundering so Guardians seem like the new favorite at the moment.

11. Tigers

I have a feeling this is the last time that the Tigers will be this high but they can enjoy it while it happens. Matchups against the A's, Mets and White Sox is as easy as it gets, but they still have capitalized on schedule which cannot be ignored.

12. Phillies

This team really needs to round out their pitching staff because behind Zach Wheeler and Aaron Nola, this rotation is a big liability. The offense remains elite so they will remain competitive even if this pitching staff tries to hold them back, but they will not be a true World Series competitor until they add another starter or two.

13. Pirates

An 8-2 record is undeniable success. It is easy to look at their series wins against the Marlins and Nationals and scoff at the Pirates still. After winning a series against the Orioles, the Pirates talent is becoming undeniable. The scary part is this team is so young so they have not even begun to scratch at their full potential.

14. Rays

Both the pitching and hitting for this team is meh, but I have too much faith in Kevin Cash and the Rays executives though. They will maximize the talent on this team and end up with a winning team at the end of the season.

15. Red Sox

The Red Sox have the third best record in the American League so a big jump in the rankings was inevitable, but it may be a little too soon to call them a true playoff contender. The Red Sox have only played the A's, Mariners and Angels; three teams you will find further down these rankings so there are not really any marquee wins for the Red Sox to hang their hats on yet.

16. Twins

The loss of Royce Lewis has really hurt this team. After scoring 4 runs in his one game with the team, the Twins have scored just 2.8 runs per game. Byron Buxton is actually healthy but he is not producing. Carlos Santana has been an absolute dud of an acquisition so far. This offense needs to move some things around because their current formation just is not working.

17. Blue Jays

The Blue Jays offense is too talented to be this bad. They are scoring just 3.6 runs per game. This lineup needs some kind of spark because they are letting the pitching staff and this team down. 

18. Giants

I do not know what to make of this team at this moment. Their pitching staff has always been the focal point of this team, but they have been bad to start the season. The Giants have the 6th highest team ERA in the MLB. It has been their hitting that has been carrying the load. If their pitching can turn it up and reverse their woes while the offense continues this production, this could be a very good team.

19. Padres

The offense has been solid to start the year scoring 5 runs per game, but the pitching has left a lot to be desired. Dylan Cease is yet to truly establish himself in this rotation. He has failed to work deep into games and has not displayed his usual strikeout dominance. Joe Musgrove has also taken a step back due to his inability to keep the ball out of harm's way. The good news is that these are players with a bunch of talent so they could turn it around at any moment.

20. Angels

The Angels have gotten off to a surprisingly strong start with a 5-4 record. They have gotten strong performances from the core of their lineup, Mike Trout and Taylor Ward, while also getting a few strong outings from their lefties, Tyler Anderson and Reid Detmers. I do not think this will be a trend though especially the performance of their starting pitchers so enjoy the success while you can.

21. Reds

I wish this team had another pitcher or two because they are on the precipice of being really good. They are smacking the ball right now lasering extra base hits all over the field and ranking 8th in the MLB in slugging percentage. The inexperience of the team is also limiting them as they are failing to capitalize on runners in scoring position and striking out way too much, but there is a lot of potential on this squad.

22. Cardinals

The Cardinals seem like they are sleep walking to start the season. Goldschmidt and Arenado are combining for a .237 average and look like they are just cashing checks at this point. They have been getting some solid efforts from youngsters like Ivan Herrera, but this team is past its prime and too old to truly be a playoff contender.

23. Royals

The Royals have been hitting the ball extremely hard, especially Bobby Witt Jr., which has led them to a decent opening to the season. I just do not think this pitching staff has staying power. Brady Singer, Cole Ragans and Michael Wacha are decent options, but they will not win on a regular basis and the rest of the rotation are not going to be long term major league starters.

24. Mariners

It has been a steep fall for the Mariners this week, but it is well deserved. They have scored the 6th fewest runs in the MLB and they have allowed the 7th most runs to opponents. This is not a recipe for success. The runs allowed is especially concerning since the rotation is supposed to be the team's strength. The Mariners are in need of a major shake up in order to provide them a spark to capitalize on their obvious talent.

25. Nationals

The Nationals offense has not looked horrible getting decent production out of the top two thirds of the lineup, but their pitching leaves a lot to be desired. I mean what is going on with Josiah Gray?

26. Mets

I do not know what is wrong with this offense. They are hitting .193 as a team and Francisco Alvarez looks like the only truly competent hitter at the moment. This team does have plenty of talent in their lineup so they will inevitably turn it around at some point, but they are a very hard watch right now.

27. Athletics

The pitching and fielding is an absolute mess (well except for Paul Blackburn), but the top half of this lineup has been producing, especially future superstar Zack Gelof. Gelof has reached base in 11 of his 26 April plate appearances and he will only continue to grow as he continues to just get his feet wet in the majors.

28. Rockies

The Rockies have not just been getting beat, they have gotten clobbered. They have the worst run differential by a large margin with a -34 figure. Their best pitcher, Kyle Freeland, has a 27.00 ERA through 2 starts and he is yet to play at Coors Field. It is going to be a long year.

29. Marlins

Man is this Marlins pitching staff horrible. The starters have a combined ERA of 4.66 over the first week plus of play and the bullpen has been even worse with a 6.11 ERA as a unit. Until the Marlins improve their pitching, do not expect many wins.

30. White Sox

I must admit, Garrett Crochet is going to be good. His fastball, slider combination is absolutely devastating. I have absolutely nothing positive to say about the rest of the team, even Luis Robert is struggling with just 6 hits so far this season.