MLB Power Rankings: Astros, Orioles, Pirates Vault into Top 10 After Strong Weeks
The Tampa Bay Rays remain the clear No. 1 team in baseball, but right behind them, there are a number of clubs jockeying for position inside the top 10.
That second-tier group includes upstart young Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates squads who went a combined 12-0 last week, and they will look to solidify their standing as legitimate contenders in the coming weeks.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals continue to fall short of expectations and rank among the biggest disappointments of the first month.
As the season progresses, the rankings will look distinctly different from the standings, as hot and cold streaks play major roles in where teams land. But for now, each club's placement is largely reflective of its record, while run differential was also key in determining where teams fell.
Note: Statistics and analysis reflect games through Sunday. Team records have been updated to include Monday's results.
Nos. 30-26
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30. Oakland Athletics (5-18)
Previous Rank: 30
With series losses to the Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers last week, the Athletics continued what is shaping up to be a historically awful season.
The pitching staff has allowed double-digit runs nine times and owns a 7.97 ERA.
29. Kansas City Royals (5-18)
Previous Rank: 29
The Royals snapped a seven-game losing streak with an 11-8 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday, but the brutal start continues, and the offense has already been shut out five times through 22 games. Veteran reliever Aroldis Chapman has thrown eight scoreless innings, allowing just two hits with a 15-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
28. Colorado Rockies (7-17)
Previous Rank: 27
After a 5-6 start, the Rockies went 1-11 in their next 12 games, including a 1-6 showing last week in which the Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies outscored them by a combined 27 runs. Kris Bryant, he of the $182 million contract, finally hit his first home run at Coors Field on Monday, but he had to exit Saturday's game with an injury.
27. Chicago White Sox (7-16)
Previous Rank: 26
The White Sox are still searching for consecutive wins for the first time this season after going 1-5 last week, including a three-game sweep at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays over the weekend. On a positive note, former top prospect Jake Burger (46 PA, 175 OPS+, 5 HR, 10 RBI) is making the most of his opportunity filling in for the injured Yoán Moncada at third base.
26. Washington Nationals (7-14)
Previous Rank: 28
The trio of Josiah Gray (4 GS, 3.74 ERA, 21.2 IP), Trevor Williams (4 GS, 3.38 ERA, 21.1 IP) and MacKenzie Gore (4 GS, 3.43 ERA, 21.0 IP) have helped give the Nationals a better-than-expected starting rotation that ranks 19th in the majors with a 4.74 ERA. A weekend series win on the road against the Minnesota Twins moves them up a few spots in the rankings.
Nos. 25-21
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25. Cincinnati Reds (8-15)
Previous Rank: 22
The Reds lost six straight to close out last week, scoring just six runs during that span while getting shut out on Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday. The young trio of Jonathan India, Spencer Steer and TJ Friedl are all off to strong starts at the plate, but the rest of the lineup has been a disaster, and their .657 team OPS ranks 26th in the majors.
24. San Francisco Giants (9-13)
Previous Rank: 25
With back-to-back wins against the New York Mets on Saturday and Sunday, the Giants salvaged a four-game split and posted their first winning streak of the season. They lead the majors with 226 strikeouts offensively, and they have used 20 different starting lineups through 21 games, so finding some consistency at the plate will be key going forward.
23. Detroit Tigers (8-13)
Previous Rank: 24
The Tigers ran their winning streak to five games while taking both ends of a doubleheader against the Cleveland Guardians last Tuesday, but that was immediately followed by a four-game losing streak to wrap up the week. Left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez threw a pair of gems against Cleveland (8.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 10 K) and Baltimore (7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 6 K), and he now has a 2.32 ERA and 0.84 WHIP in 31 innings.
22. St. Louis Cardinals (9-14)
Previous Rank: 21
With a stacked offense and a quality bullpen, it's the starting rotation that is holding the Cardinals back. It ranks 26th in the majors with a 5.57 ERA, and outside of Jordan Montgomery (2.88 FIP, 22.1 IP), every starter has a 4.87 FIP or worse. Veteran Adam Wainwright will make his 2023 debut soon, and prospect Matthew Liberatore is off to a strong start at Triple-A Memphis, so there are in-house reinforcements.
21. San Diego Padres (12-12)
Previous Rank: 20
After an ugly 1-6 stretch of games, the Padres tossed their first shutout of the year against the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday and then took three of four from the Arizona Diamondbacks on the road. After missing the first 20 games of the year, Fernando Tatis Jr. went 3-for-18 with one home run in his first four games back from suspension while starting in right field and hitting primarily leadoff.
Nos. 20-16
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20. Los Angeles Angels (11-12)
Previous Rank: 19
The trio of Mike Trout (196 OPS+, 5 HR, 13 RBI), Hunter Renfroe (150 OPS+, 6 HR, 18 RBI) and Shohei Ohtani (128 OPS+, 5 HR, 13 RBI) needs the rest of the Angels lineup to start pulling its weight, and losing rookie catcher Logan O'Hoppe to a torn labrum is a major blow. After going 2-5 on the road against the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, they took two of three from the Kansas City Royals over the weekend.
19. Seattle Mariners (10-12)
Previous Rank: 18
After getting swept by the Milwaukee Brewers to begin last week, the Seattle Mariners rebounded to take two of three from the St. Louis Cardinals as part of a 15-game stretch against National League foes. It might be time to consider replacing Chris Flexen (0-4, 8.86 ERA) in the starting rotation, with Easton McGee the leading in-house candidate at Triple-A.
18. Philadelphia Phillies (11-12)
Previous Rank: 23
The Phillies went 5-2 against the Chicago White Sox and Colorado Rockies last week for their first winning week of the year, and they made a nice jump up the rankings to the middle of the pack as a result. With Brandon Marsh enjoying a breakout season and Bryson Stott settling in as the leadoff hitter, they have done a solid job overcoming the losses of Bryce Harper and Rhys Hoskins offensively.
17. Cleveland Guardians (11-12)
Previous Rank: 10
Series losses against the Detroit Tigers and Miami Marlins sent the Guardians tumbling out of the top 10 and down to the middle of the rankings, and they entered play on Monday with a minus-six run differential. They are dealing with some key injuries on the pitching side of things, so a strong MLB debut on Sunday from top prospect Logan Allen (W, 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K) was a welcome boost.
16. Minnesota Twins (13-10)
Previous Rank: 7
Another AL Central contender that struggled through a down week, the Twins dropped two of three against the Boston Red Sox and Washington Nationals to fall to 2-6 since their terrific 10-4 start to the year. A healthy Jorge Polanco should give the offense a boost after he missed the first 19 games of the season; he went 3-for-4 with a home run in a win on Sunday.
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Nos. 15-11
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15. Boston Red Sox (12-12)
Previous Rank: 16
With three straight series wins, the Red Sox are playing well right now; they took two of three from the Minnesota Twins and Milwaukee Brewers last week. Former top prospect Jarren Duran is 9-for-23 with four doubles since he was promoted from Triple-A, and he could stake a long-term claim to the center field job if he continues to swing a hot bat.
14. Chicago Cubs (12-9)
Previous Rank: 12
The Cubs were threatening for a spot inside the top 10 after sweeping the Oakland Athletics to improve to 11-6 on the year, but they dropped three of four against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Wrigley Field to close out the week. Early struggles from offseason addition Michael Fulmer have left the closer's role up in the air.
13. Los Angeles Dodgers (12-11)
Previous Rank: 15
With Miguel Rojas (hamstring) joining Gavin Lux (torn ACL) on the injured list, Mookie Betts made his first career MLB start at shortstop on Sunday. The Dodgers will need to continue getting creative to address the position. They dropped two of three against the New York Mets before their series win over the Cubs, and they have yet to build any legitimate momentum.
12. Miami Marlins (12-11)
Previous Rank: 14
Led by the trio of Luis Arraez, Jorge Soler and Bryan De La Cruz, the Marlins have done just enough offensively to support a strong starting rotation and post a winning record thus far, moving over the .500 mark with series wins against the San Francisco Giants and Cleveland Guardians last week. With Trevor Rogers sidelined with a biceps strain, Bryan Hoeing will get the start on Tuesday after posting a 20-to-2 strikeout to walk ratio in 17.1 innings at Triple-A.
11. Arizona Diamondbacks (13-11)
Previous Rank: 9
Veteran starter Madison Bumgarner (4 GS, 10.26 ERA) was designated for assignment on Thursday with roughly $34 million remaining on his contract. That would seem to suggest the D-backs are serious about contending in 2023, and with an exciting young core and more up-and-coming talent on the way, this is only the beginning. They went 3-4 last week but remain in the thick of the NL West race.
Nos. 10-6
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10. New York Yankees (13-10)
Previous Rank: 6
The Yankees have done a good job navigating a rash of early injuries, showcasing the organization's depth and treading water with a winning record while they work toward getting everyone healthy. They went 3-3 last week with a series win over the Los Angeles Angels and a series loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.
9. Toronto Blue Jays (14-9)
Previous Rank: 5
The Blue Jays took two of three from the Yankees, but only after they dropped a three-game set with the Houston Astros in a tough week of games on the road. Third baseman Matt Chapman is hitting .367/.438/.684 with 10 doubles, five home runs and 17 RBI; he'll add some zeroes to his asking price this offseason in free agency if he keeps it going.
8. Houston Astros (12-11)
Previous Rank: 17
The Astros took a big step toward reestablishing themselves as a top-tier team by going 5-1 against the Blue Jays and Atlanta Braves—two teams that cracked the top five in our rankings a week ago. It was only a matter of time before the pieces fell into place, and their slow start could very well be a distant memory a few weeks from now.
7. Pittsburgh Pirates (16-7)
Previous Rank: 13
The Pirates went 7-0 last week against the Rockies and Reds, and while those two teams are expected to reside near the bottom of the NL standings all year, it was an impressive showing nonetheless. With a 3.63 ERA that ranks eighth in the majors, a largely unheralded pitching staff has been the team's biggest early strength. Can they keep it up?
6. Baltimore Orioles (15-7)
Previous Rank: 11
Similar to the Pirates, the Orioles had an undefeated week, but it came against the Nationals and Tigers. Dominating the teams you're supposed to beat is part of being a legitimate postseason contender, and the O's are quietly 8-1 in their last nine games entering play on Monday. Don't sleep on this team as a real postseason threat.
Nos. 5-1
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5. Milwaukee Brewers (15-8)
Previous Rank: 4
The Brewers have still not lost consecutive games all season, though they did drop their second series of the year when the Red Sox took two of three at American Family Field over the weekend. An already-thin outfield was dealt a blow when Garrett Mitchell suffered a shoulder injury and top prospect Sal Frelick went on the minor league injured list with a thumb sprain.
4. Texas Rangers (14-8)
Previous Rank: 8
The Rangers rank second in the majors with a plus-60 run differential, and last week they went 5-1 against the Royals and A's while outscoring those cellar-dwellers by a 55-15 margin. The new-look pitching staff ranks fifth in the majors with a 3.37 ERA and will be the key to the team taking the next step toward contention.
3. Atlanta Braves (15-8)
Previous Rank: 2
After ripping off an eight-game winning streak, the Braves lost four straight to close out last week, including a three-game sweep against the Astros. That's enough to drop them behind the New York Mets in the rankings for the top spot among National League teams, and those two NL East rivals will square off for a four-game series at Citi Field starting on Friday.
2. New York Mets (14-9)
Previous Rank: 3
A series win against the Dodgers and a four-game split with the San Francisco Giants was enough for the Mets to leapfrog Atlanta and move into the No. 2 spot in the rankings. Left-hander Joey Lucchesi tossed seven shutout innings in his first start of the year at the MLB level on Friday while filling in for the injured Carlos Carrasco.
1. Tampa Bay Rays (20-3)
Previous Rank: 1
The Rays had their 13-game winning streak snapped with back-to-back losses against Toronto two weeks ago, but they flexed their muscles again last week with a 5-1 record against Cincinnati and the Chicago White Sox and a pair of walk-off victories. They still lead the majors in ERA (2.71), OPS (.890) and run differential (+88) by a wide margin and look like a complete roster from top to bottom, even with some key injuries.
Complete Rankings
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Complete Rankings
1. Tampa Bay Rays
2. New York Mets
3. Atlanta Braves
4. Texas Rangers
5. Milwaukee Brewers
6. Baltimore Orioles
7. Pittsburgh Pirates
8. Houston Astros
9. Toronto Blue Jays
10. New York Yankees
11. Arizona Diamondbacks
12. Miami Marlins
13. Los Angeles Dodgers
14. Chicago Cubs
15. Boston Red Sox
16. Minnesota Twins
17. Cleveland Guardians
18. Philadelphia Phillies
19. Seattle Mariners
20. Los Angeles Angels
21. San Diego Padres
22. St. Louis Cardinals
23. Detroit Tigers
24. San Francisco Giants
25. Cincinnati Reds
26. Washington Nationals
27. Chicago White Sox
28. Colorado Rockies
29. Kansas City Royals
30. Oakland Athletics
Highlight of the Week: Tampa Bay Rays Set Consecutive Game HR Record
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The Tampa Bay Rays have been built around pitching for years, but this season, it has been the offense leading the charge.
They led the majors in OPS (.890), batting average (.282) and home runs (48) through their first 22 games.
When Randy Arozarena launched a first-inning home run off Chicago White Sox starter Dylan Cease on Saturday, it marked 21 straight games with at least one homer by the team to start the year, a new record.
Luke Raley and Harold Ramirez both homered on Sunday, extending the streak to 22 games, and now they are within striking distance of the record for most games with a home run at any point in the season.
There are eight players on the roster with at least four home runs; Yandy Díaz and Brandon Lowe lead the way with six homers each.
Team of the Week
9 of 10
C Willson Contreras, STL
(8-for-19, 4 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI)
1B Yandy Díaz, TB
(10-for-24, 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI)
2B Nico Hoerner, CHC
(13-for-33, 2 2B, 2 HR, 8 RBI)
3B Max Muncy, LAD
(7-for-18, 5 HR, 7 RBI, 9 BB)
SS Willy Adames, MIL
(7-for-23, 2 2B, HR, 4 RBI)
OF Adolis García, TEX
(8-for-20, 2 2B, 4 HR, 14 RBI)
OF James Outman, LAD
(11-for-28, 2 2B, 4 HR, 9 RBI)
OF Cody Bellinger, CHC
(11-for-27, 3 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI)
DH J.D. Martinez, LAD
(7-for-27, 2 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBI)
SP Eduardo Rodríguez, DET
(2 GS, W, ND, 15.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 16 K)
SP Drew Smyly, CHC
(1 GS, W, 7.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K)
SP Zac Gallen, ARI
(1 GS, W, 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 11 K)
SP Luis Garcia, HOU
(1 GS, W, 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 K)
SP Alek Manoah, TOR
(1 GS, ND, 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K)
RP Josh Hader, SD
(4 G, 4/4 SV, 4.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K)
Way-Too-Early Award Rankings
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AL MVP
1. Matt Chapman, TOR
2. Mike Trout, LAA
3. Randy Arozarena, TB
NL MVP
1. Ronald Acuña Jr., ATL
2. Max Muncy, LAD
3. Brandon Marsh, PHI
AL Cy Young
1. Shohei Ohtani, LAA
2. Gerrit Cole, NYY
3. Luis Castillo, SEA
NL Cy Young
1. Zac Gallen, ARI
2. Marcus Stroman, CHC
3. Spencer Strider, ATL
AL Rookie of the Year
1. Hunter Brown, HOU
2. Esteury Ruiz, OAK
3. Logan O'Hoppe, LAA
NL Rookie of the Year
1. James Outman, LAD
2. Corbin Carroll, ARI
3. Spencer Steer, CIN
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