MLB Power Rankings: Where All 30 Teams Stand at the 2023 All-Star Break
The unofficial midpoint of the MLB season has arrived, as the league's All-Star festivities are in full swing and regular-season games are paused until Friday.
This is the perfect time to glance back at how teams are performing relative to preseason expectations, and included in this week's power rankings is a look at where each team sat in our Opening Day rankings as well as their high and low mark to this point.
Included in this week's version is a look at the All-MLB team at the All-Star break and full midseason award ballots for MVP, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year in each league.
Keep in mind, these rankings are a fluid process, with teams rising and falling based on their recent performance relative to where they landed in the previous week's rankings.
Note: Statistics and analysis reflect games through Sunday. Team records have been updated to include Monday's results.
Nos. 30-28
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30. Kansas City Royals (26-65)
Opening Day: 25; High: 24; Low: 30
Despite losing 97 games last season, the Royals looked like a team on the rise thanks to a promising young core to build around led by Bobby Witt Jr., Brady Singer, Vinnie Pasquantino and face of the franchise Salvador Perez. Instead, they have yet to win more than two consecutive games all year, and they were the worst team in baseball during a 6-20 June.
29. Oakland Athletics (25-67)
Opening Day: 30; High: 27; Low: 30
The Athletics have gotten some nice individual performances from guys like Brent Rooker, Ryan Noda, Esteury Ruiz and JP Sears, but this is an awful team. They rank last in the majors in ERA (6.04), WHIP (1.56), batting average (.221), OPS (.652) and runs per game (3.58), but they at least strung together a seven-game winning streak in June.
28. Colorado Rockies (34-57)
Opening Day: 28; High: 20; Low: 28
As usual, the Rockies have been dragged down by a mediocre pitching staff, and their 5.72 ERA ranks 29th in the majors and last in the NL. The left side of the infield of rookie shortstop Ezequiel Tovar and third baseman Ryan McMahon has been a bright spot, and they have some solid bullpen pieces to shop at the deadline, but this team is going nowhere fast.
Nos. 27-25
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27. Washington Nationals (36-54)
Opening Day: 29; High: 25; Low: 29
The future is bright for the Nationals thanks to a quality farm system that was restocked by last summer's Juan Soto blockbuster, but the present is not pretty. This club is essentially rebuilding from the ground up, and all things considered, they have been a little bit better than expected. The starting rotation ranks 21st in the majors with a 4.57 ERA, and outfielder Lane Thomas (133 OPS+, 23 2B, 14 HR, 49 RBI, 2.8 WAR) has been a major bright spot.
26. Chicago White Sox (38-54)
Opening Day: 18; High: 18; Low: 29
The AL Central winner and a promising young title contender on the rise just two years ago, the White Sox slipped to 81-81 last year and have been a complete non-factor this season. If they decide to blow it up, Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn, Mike Clevinger, Yasmani Grandal, Reynaldo López and perhaps even Tim Anderson could all be on the move. On the bright side, Luis Robert Jr. is finally healthy and putting up MVP-caliber numbers.
25. St. Louis Cardinals (38-52)
Opening Day: 12; High: 12; Low: 28
A starting rotation that ranks 25th in the majors with a 4.74 ERA has been the Cardinals' undoing this year. They seemed to be getting on track during an 11-3 stretch of games in mid-May, but they are 17-25 with a minus-51 run differential since that solid run and are destined to be sellers at the trade deadline. Upcoming free agents Jordan Montgomery and Jack Flaherty will be their top two trade chips.
Nos. 24-22
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24. Detroit Tigers (39-50)
Opening Day: 27; High: 18; Low: 29
Despite their record, the Tigers are only 5.5 games out of first place in the AL Central race, and they have looked like a dark-horse contender at times this year. They closed out the first half on a high note with Matt Manning, Jason Foley and Alex Lange tossing a combined no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday. They could flip rental starter Michael Lorenzen and still try to make a push down the stretch.
23. Pittsburgh Pirates (41-49)
Opening Day: 24; High: 3; Low: 24
The Pirates have used 11 different rookies already this season, including former first-round picks Nick Gonzales (No. 7 overall in 2020) and Henry Davis (No. 1 overall in 2021) as the youth movement is in full swing. They looked like surprise contenders during a 20-8 start to the year, but that was followed by a 1-11 stretch, and they have been inconsistent at best the last two months. Outfielder Jack Suwinski leads the team in OPS+ (135), home runs (19) and RBI (48).
22. New York Mets (42-48)
Opening Day: 4; High: 2; Low: 24
The high-priced Mets have been baseball's most disappointing team, entering the All-Star break six games below .500 despite a record-setting $348 million payroll. They bottomed out during a 6-17 June, and while they opened July with a six-game winning streak, they sit a distant fourth in the NL East standings and could have a tough time justifying any deadline activity as buyers.
Nos. 21-19
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21. Los Angeles Angels (45-46)
Opening Day: 13; High: 6; Low: 21
With a 1-9 record in their last 10 games to close out the first half, the Angels entered the break at their lowest spot in the ranking all season. Missing the postseason for the 13th time in the last 14 years would likely be the final nail in the coffin to losing Shohei Ohtani in free agency, and they open the second half against a Houston Astros team that leads their season series 5-2 with a plus-10 run differential.
20. San Diego Padres (43-47)
Opening Day: 3; High: 3; Low: 26
The Padres are infinitely more talented than their record suggests, and a 6-2 record to begin July is a promising sign as they try to claw their way back into wild-card contention. The pitching staff has done its part with a 3.78 ERA that ranks sixth in the majors, but someone besides Juan Soto and Fernando Tatis Jr. needs to make a legitimate impact offensively, and it starts with the high-priced infield tandem of Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts.
19. Minnesota Twins (45-46)
Opening Day: 14; High: 2; Low: 19
The Twins rank near the top of the MLB leaderboard in team ERA (3.68, third) and starters' ERA (3.64, second), yet they sit a game below .500 due to a lackluster offensive attack that is lacking a reliable run producer. If Carlos Correa (92 OPS+, .225 BA) and Byron Buxton (101 OPS+, .208 BA) can play up to their potential and a few secondary players can step up, they could run away with the AL Central title.
Nos. 18-16
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18. Cleveland Guardians (45-45)
Opening Day: 8; High: 3; Low: 28
Where would the Guardians be without the contributions of rookie starters Logan Allen, Tanner Bibee and Gavin Williams? The immediate impact that those three top prospects made upon getting the call is a testament to what a great job this organization does of developing pitching. Can anyone other than José Ramírez and Josh Naylor hit the baseball?
17. Chicago Cubs (42-47)
Opening Day: 21; High: 12; Low: 28
The Cubs have a 16-11 record with a plus-34 run differential since June 9, which has at least left the door cracked on the idea of contending in the second half. A 10-game homestand to begin the second half will likely determine what road they take at the trade deadline. If they decide to sell, Marcus Stroman should fetch a huge return, while Cody Bellinger is also a useful trade chip.
16. Seattle Mariners (45-44)
Opening Day: 9; High: 9; Low: 28
The Mariners closed out the first half with three straight series wins against contending teams, going a combined 7-3 against the Tampa Bay Rays, San Francisco Giants and Houston Astros. They have not had a winning streak or a losing streak of more than four games all season, but they look poised to come out of playing host to the All-Star Game swinging in the AL wild-card race.
Nos. 15-13
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15. New York Yankees (49-42)
Opening Day: 10; High: 5; Low: 15
The Yankees are 14-17 since Aaron Judge last took the field on June 3, and there is still no timetable for his return from a toe injury. Simply put, they are just not very good without their superstar penciled into the middle of the lineup. On a positive note, Carlos Rodón finally made his long-awaited Yankees debut on Friday with 5.1 innings of four-hit, two-run ball.
14. Boston Red Sox (48-43)
Opening Day: 20; High: 6; Low: 20
Riding a five-game winning streak and with an 8-1 record in their last nine games, the Red Sox were playing some of their best baseball of the season to close out the first half. If they can find a reliable veteran starter to slot alongside Brayan Bello and James Paxton in the starting rotation and at least one other useful arm, they have the offensive firepower to make a second-half run.
13. San Francisco Giants (49-41)
Opening Day: 23; High: 5; Low: 27
The Giants' peak position at No. 5 in these rankings came just a few weeks ago, but they suffered three straight series losses before taking two of three from the Colorado Rockies to wrap up the first half. The emergence of catcher Patrick Bailey as an impact offensive player and the primary catcher was one of the more surprising storylines of the first half.
Nos. 12-10
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12. Philadelphia Phillies (48-41)
Opening Day: 5; High: 5; Low: 30
The Phillies were 25-30 at the end of May, but they are once again looking like bona fide contenders, and their 23-11 record since the beginning of June trails only the division-rival Atlanta Braves (27-6) for the best mark in the NL during that span. The emergence of Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh, along with a bounce-back season from Nick Castellanos, has given them a productive offense even with some of their biggest stars underperforming.
11. Milwaukee Brewers (49-42)
Opening Day: 15; High: 2; Low: 17
The Brewers were never more than two games out of first place in the NL Central at any point during the first half, and they are 10-5 in their last 15 games to help keep pace with a red-hot Cincinnati Reds squad. Left fielder Christian Yelich is hitting .313/.405/.509 with 26 extra-base hits and 16 steals in 60 games since the beginning of May, and finally looking like something resembling his MVP self once again.
10. Houston Astros (50-41)
Opening Day: 1; High: 1; Low: 18
This is not the same dominant Astros team we saw last season, and that was evident during a 13-14 June that included an ugly 3-10 stretch of games. That said, they still rank third in the AL with a plus-49 run differential and sit just two games behind an upstart Texas Rangers team in the AL West standings. Yordan Alvarez took on-field batting practice on Friday for the first time since a strained oblique landed him on the injured list on June 8, and getting him healthy will be huge.
Nos. 9-7
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9. Toronto Blue Jays (50-41)
Opening Day: 6; High: 5; Low: 22
The Blue Jays went 5-1 on a road trip against the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers to wrap up the first half, and with that they finally moved above .500 away from the Rogers Centre this season. A strong return to the big leagues for Alek Manoah (6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER) on Friday could be huge in shoring up the starting rotation for the stretch run.
8. Los Angeles Dodgers (51-38)
Opening Day: 7; High: 2; Low: 15
The Dodgers were probably not expecting to need rookies Bobby Miller, Michael Grove, Emmet Sheehan and Gavin Stone to make a combined 23 starts during the first half of the season, and with Dustin May now out for the year, they will continue to lean heavily on their young arms. Adding a veteran starter and kicking the tires on a shortstop upgrade figure to sit atop the trade deadline to-do list.
7. Texas Rangers (52-39)
Opening Day: 16; High: 1; Low: 16
The Rangers lead the majors with 5.84 runs scored per game, and they also check in third with a 3.71 ERA from the starting rotation, but they have gone just 17-19 since the beginning of June and could use a few secondary pieces at the deadline. They have already added Aroldis Chapman to a bullpen that has converted 16 of 32 save chances but could use another quality relief arm or two for the final push.
Nos. 6-4
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6. Arizona Diamondbacks (52-39)
Opening Day: 17; High: 5; Low: 19
The D-backs have held at least a share of the NL West lead since June 1, and after entering the season as a popular dark horse to contend for a wild-card spot, they have instead been one of the best teams in the National League. Getting swept by a struggling New York Mets squad last week is the only thing that kept them from entering the break as a top-five team.
5. Cincinnati Reds (50-41)
Opening Day: 26; High: 3; Low: 27
The Reds are 23-8 since Elly De La Cruz made his MLB debut on June 6, and the buzz surrounding his promotion has completely transformed a team that was largely an afterthought in the postseason race. It's a testament to their offense that they are nine games over .500 with a 5.69 ERA that ranks 28th in the majors, and if they are serious about contending they have to shore up the starting rotation at the deadline.
4. Miami Marlins (53-39)
Opening Day: 22; High: 4; Low: 29
The Marlins have made enough improvements offensively to raise their OPS from .657 a year ago to .727 this season, and with a rock-solid pitching staff that has vaulted them into postseason contention. Their 19-8 record in June trailed only the Atlanta Braves (21-4) among all teams, and unfortunately that means they are still 8.5 games back in the NL East race.
Nos. 3-1
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3. Baltimore Orioles (54-35)
Opening Day: 19; High: 2; Low: 19
For 12 straight weeks, the Orioles have not fallen lower than No. 7 in these rankings, and their willingness to pull talent from a deep farm system to aid in this year's push has been a refreshing change of pace from the usual service time manipulation. This team would benefit as much as anyone from adding someone like Lucas Giolito or Marcus Stroman at the deadline, and they have the prospect talent to do it.
2. Tampa Bay Rays (58-35)
Opening Day: 11; High: 1; Low: 11
The Rays spent 12 weeks ranked in the No. 1 spot during the first half, but they were finally overtaken by the Atlanta Braves last week. The offensive core of Wander Franco, Randy Arozarena, Yandy Díaz and Isaac Paredes has been fantastic, and Zach Eflin has quietly been one of the best free-agent signings of the offseason as a workhorse in the starting rotation. Will they go get another arm at the deadline?
1. Atlanta Braves (60-29)
Opening Day: 2; High: 1; Low: 7
The Braves closed out the first half with a 20-3 record in their final 23 games, outscoring opponents by a 160-81 margin during that time to firmly establish themselves as baseball's best team. The fact that they have been so good while Max Fried and Kyle Wright have pitched a combined 44.2 innings is amazing, and while they will no doubt explore upgrades at the deadline, it's hard to find a glaring fault in the current roster.
Complete Rankings
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Complete Rankings
1. Atlanta Braves
2. Tampa Bay Rays
3. Baltimore Orioles
4. Miami Marlins
5. Cincinnati Reds
6. Arizona Diamondbacks
7. Texas Rangers
8. Los Angeles Dodgers
9. Toronto Blue Jays
10. Houston Astros
11. Milwaukee Brewers
12. Philadelphia Phillies
13. San Francisco Giants
14. Boston Red Sox
15. New York Yankees
16. Seattle Mariners
17. Chicago Cubs
18. Cleveland Guardians
19. Minnesota Twins
20. San Diego Padres
21. Los Angeles Angels
22. New York Mets
23. Pittsburgh Pirates
24. Detroit Tigers
25. St. Louis Cardinals
26. Chicago White Sox
27. Washington Nationals
28. Colorado Rockies
29. Oakland Athletics
30. Kansas City Royals
Biggest Remaining All-Star Snubs
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As players dropped out due to injury or other reasons, many of the biggest All-Star snubs were rectified with a replacement spot. However, there are still several deserving players on the outside looking in for tonight's festivities. Here are the three biggest remaining All-Star snubs:
2B Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks
After a dip in his power production last season, Marte has rebounded nicely to post a 133 OPS+ with 15 home runs and 44 RBI in 84 games. He is one of only 14 position players across baseball this year with more than 3.5 WAR, and he has a better All-Star case than Ozzie Albies (117 OPS+, 2.9 WAR) despite his superior power production.
3B Isaac Paredes, Tampa Bay Rays
Paredes has the highest OPS+ of any qualified hitter not named to the All-Star team this year. The 24-year-old has a 145 OPS+ with 16 home runs and 56 RBI while hitting in the middle of a Tampa Bay lineup that has been among the best in baseball this season. Third base in the American League is a deep position, but Paredes should be in Seattle.
LHP Blake Snell, San Diego Padres
With a 0.68 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 14.3 K/9 and a .155 opponents' batting average in 53 innings over his last nine starts, Snell has been the best pitcher on the planet since late May. The free-agent-to-be now has a 2.85 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 132 strikeouts in 98 innings on the year, and even with a rocky start, his overall numbers are All-Star worthy.
First-Half All-MLB Team
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C Sean Murphy, ATL
164 OPS+, .306/.400/.599, 34 XBH (17 HR), 55 RBI, 42 R, 3.7 WAR
1B Freddie Freeman, LAD
153 OPS+, .320/.396/.556, 49 XBH (17 HR), 61 RBI, 72 R, 3.6 WAR
2B Luis Arraez, MIA
150 OPS+, .384/.434/.471, 22 XBH (3 HR), 42 RBI, 40 R, 3.9 WAR
3B José Ramírez, CLE
142 OPS+, .289/.364/.506, 41 XBH (14 HR), 53 RBI, 55 R, 3.3 WAR
SS Corey Seager, TEX
178 OPS+, .353/.413/.613, 38 XBH (12 HR), 52 RBI, 41 R, 3.9 WAR
OF Ronald Acuña Jr., ATL
162 OPS+, .331/.408/.582, 47 XBH (21 HR), 55 RBI, 79 R, 5.0 WAR
OF Mookie Betts, LAD
155 OPS+, .276/.379/.586, 50 XBH (26 HR), 62 RBI, 72 R, 4.1 WAR
OF Luis Robert Jr., CWS
143 OPS+, .271/.330/.569, 49 XBH (26 HR), 51 RBI, 62 R, 4.1 WAR
DH Shohei Ohtani, LAA
182 OPS+, .302/.387/.663, 53 XBH (32 HR), 71 RBI, 63 R, 4.0 WAR
SP Framber Valdez, HOU
7-6, 2.51 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 116 K, 111.0 IP, 3.3 WAR
SP Shane McClanahan, TB
11-1, 2.53 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 101 K, 96.0 IP, 3.0 WAR
SP Clayton Kershaw, LAD
10-4, 2.55 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 105 K, 95.1 IP, 3.2 WAR
SP Nathan Eovaldi, TEX
10-3, 2.83 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 109 K, 117.2 IP, 3.0 WAR
SP Gerrit Cole, NYY
9-2, 2.85 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 123 K, 117.0 IP, 3.8 WAR
RP Alexis Díaz, CIN
26/27 SV, 2.03 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 61 K, 40.0 IP, 2.4 WAR
Midseason AL Award Rankings
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AL MVP
1. Shohei Ohtani, LAA
2. Wander Franco, TB
3. Corey Seager, TEX
4. Bo Bichette, TOR
5. Luis Robert Jr., CWS
6. Marcus Semien, TEX
7. Yandy Díaz, TB
8. Randy Arozarena, TB
8. José Ramírez, CLE
10. Adolis García, TEX
AL Cy Young
1. Framber Valdez, HOU
2. Shane McClanahan, TB
3. Nathan Eovaldi, TEX
4. Gerrit Cole, NYY
5. Luis Castillo, SEA
AL Rookie of the Year
1. Josh Jung, TEX
2. Masataka Yoshida, BOS
3. Hunter Brown, HOU
Midseason NL Award Rankings
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NL MVP
1. Ronald Acuña Jr., ATL
2. Corbin Carroll, ARI
3. Freddie Freeman, LAD
4. Mookie Betts, LAD
5. Juan Soto, SD
6. Luis Arraez, MIA
7. Sean Murphy, ATL
8. Matt Olson, ATL
9. Fernando Tatis Jr., SD
10. Christian Yelich, MIL
NL Cy Young
1. Clayton Kershaw, LAD
2. Blake Snell, SD
3. Justin Steele, CHC
4. Marcus Stroman, CHC
5. Zac Gallen, ARI
NL Rookie of the Year
1. Corbin Carroll, ARI
2. Spencer Steer, CIN
3. Eury Pérez, MIA
