MLB Power Rankings: Where All 30 Teams Stand 1 Month from Spring Training Games
With pitchers and catchers set to report to spring training in a matter of weeks, and the start of spring training games now less than a month away, the MLB offseason is quickly winding to a close.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have made the loudest splash of the winter, signing Shohei Ohtani to a record-setting 10-year, $700 million contract and then deferring the vast majority of that money while continuing to make other moves to bolster the team's title odds.
Meanwhile, the New York Yankees made the biggest move on the trade market, swinging a blockbuster deal to acquire star outfielder Juan Soto from the San Diego Padres.
Despite all the wheeling and dealing we've seen since free agency began, there is still a ton of talent looking for work on the open market, including 2023 NL Cy Young winner Blake Snell, former NL MVP Cody Bellinger and postseason hero Jordan Montgomery.
That means there is still plenty of potential for the MLB landscape to shift between now and Opening Day, but for now it's time for an updated look at where all 30 teams stand.
Teams are ranked based on overall talent and how complete their rosters look heading into the upcoming season.
Nos. 30-29
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30. Oakland Athletics
After losing 112 games in 2023, the Athletics seem destined for another long season as lame ducks in Oakland. Infielder Abraham Toro and veteran reliever Trevor Gott are the most notable offseason additions, and that doesn't move the needle enough to think they can avoid a third straight 100-loss campaign during their final year in Oakland.
29. Colorado Rockies
The Rockies have made some nice under-the-radar moves to shore up the starting rotation, signing Dakota Hudson after he was non-tendered by the St. Louis Cardinals and acquiring Cal Quantrill in a trade with the Cleveland Guardians. Nolan Jones, Ezequiel Tovar and Brenton Doyle look like potential long-term building blocks on the position player side of things, while Hunter Goodman is a dark-horse NL Rookie of the Year contender after back-to-back 30-homer seasons in the minors.
Nos. 28-27
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28. Chicago White Sox
The White Sox have spent the offseason slapping low-cost Band-Aids on the roster, adding Martín Maldonado, Max Stassi, Nicky Lopez and Paul DeJong on the position player side of things, while Erick Fedde, Michael Soroka and Chris Flexen will shore up the starting rotation. Is a Dylan Cease trade still coming between now and the start of spring training, or will he be toeing the rubber on Opening Day?
27. Washington Nationals
The Nationals are a team on the rise, with Josiah Gray and MacKenzie Gore penciled in atop the starting rotation, while shortstop CJ Abrams, outfielder Lane Thomas and catcher Keibert Ruiz are all long-term building blocks offensively. Slugger Joey Gallo, former first-round pick Nick Senzel and late-inning reliever Dylan Floro are this year's under-the-radar additions that could turn into useful trade chips.
Nos. 26-25
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26. Los Angeles Angels
The only notable additions the Angels have made in response to losing Shohei Ohtani so far this offseason have come in the bullpen, where Robert Stephenson, Matt Moore, Luis García and Adam Cimber were all signed in free agency. The young trio of Zach Neto, Nolan Schanuel and Logan O'Hoppe could help the offense take a step forward with another year of development, but the starting rotation looks like a clear weakness.
25. Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates are having a nice offseason on the margins, adding slugger Rowdy Tellez, starting pitchers Martín Pérez and Marco Gonzales, and flame-thrower Aroldis Chapman who will join All-Star closer David Bednar to form a dynamic one-two punch in the late innings. They also re-signed Andrew McCutchen and will welcome back a healthy Oneil Cruz to the starting lineup. Can they make a run at a winning record after last year's 76-86 finish?
Nos. 24-23
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24. Kansas City Royals
In a slow-moving free-agent market, the Royals have been as busy as anyone, signing Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Will Smith and Chris Stratton to the pitching staff, and slugger Hunter Renfroe to the middle of the lineup. Rising star Bobby Witt Jr. gives them a face of the franchise, while slugger Nelson Velázquez and left-hander Cole Ragans look like two major breakout candidates going into 2024.
23. Detroit Tigers
The Tigers went 39-34 after the All-Star break last year, including a 17-10 record in September, so they could surprise some people in 2024. Veterans Kenta Maeda and Jack Flaherty were added to a starting rotation that will be fronted by a healthy Tarik Skubal, while a middle-of-the-order of Riley Greene, Spencer Torkelson, Kerry Carpenter and newcomer Mark Canha will be the key to an improved offensive attack.
Nos. 22-21
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22. Miami Marlins
The Marlins were the biggest surprise among the 2023 postseason field, claiming the final NL wild-card spot with an 84-78 record before getting swept by the Philadelphia Phillies in the Wild Card Round. They ranked 26th in the majors with 4.11 runs scored per game, and have thus far done nothing to address that lackluster offensive attack. Controllable pitchers Jesús Luzardo and Edward Cabrera have been popular names on the trade market and could be used to add a young bat.
21. Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers made a splash on Wednesday, signing slugger Rhys Hoskins to a two-year, $34 million deal, but it's still debatable whether this team has gotten worse this offseason. The starting rotation has Wade Miley, Colin Rea and Joe Ross penciled in behind Corbin Burnes and Freddy Peralta, while the offense is leaning heavily on young hitters Jackson Chourio, Sal Frelick, Garrett Mitchell and Brice Turang to make an impact.
Nos. 20-19
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20. San Diego Padres
There is still a ton of star power on the Padres roster, but after trading away Juan Soto and letting Blake Snell, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and Josh Hader depart in free agency, this team is retooling. Nothing has been done to address two huge holes in the outfield alongside Fernando Tatis Jr., and the starting rotation has two spots up for grabs behind Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove and newcomer Michael King.
19. Cleveland Guardians
The Guardians will go as far as the starting rotation of Shane Bieber, Triston McKenzie, Tanner Bibee, Logan Allen and Gavin Williams can carry them in 2024. Nothing has been done to address an offense that ranked 27th in runs scored (662) and 30th in home runs (124), making it difficult to slot them any higher in the rankings. Can young hitters Bo Naylor, Kyle Manzardo and Brayan Rocchio help the offense take a step forward?
Nos. 18-17
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18. Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox have made some nice additions to the roster this offseason, signing Lucas Giolito to a two-year, $38.5 million deal that could wind up being a huge bargain, while outfielder Tyler O'Neill and young infielder Vaughn Grissom both have untapped upside offensively. They could still use another bat to help ease the loss of Justin Turner and some viable starting pitching depth, and it's fair to wonder whether enough has been done to bridge the gap to the rest of the AL East.
17. San Francisco Giants
After entering another offseason with lofty expectations for high-profile additions, the Giants have thus far walked away with KBO star Jung Hoo Lee, reliever-turned-starter Jordan Hicks and injured former Cy Young winner Robbie Ray who will be sidelined until midseason. Shortstop Marco Luciano and left-hander Kyle Harrison should both break camp with starting roles, so those are two names to watch in the NL Rookie of the Year race.
Nos. 16-15
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16. Chicago Cubs
The Cubs plugged a hole in the starting rotation when they signed Japanese League standout Shōta Imanaga to a four-year, $53 million deal, but they have not yet done anything to address an offense that stands to lose its best hitter in Cody Bellinger. They have been linked to Bellinger and third baseman Matt Chapman throughout the offseason, but until they get a deal done with one or both of them, it's tough to view them as anything more than a middle-of-the-pack team.
15. Cincinnati Reds
With a dynamic young offensive core, the focal point of the offseason for the Reds was improving the pitching staff. They have added starters Frankie Montas and Nick Martinez, as well as relievers Emilio Pagán and Brent Suter. Considering what a weakness the starting rotation was a year ago, they now seem to have as much depth as anyone, with Hunter Greene, Graham Ashcraft, Andrew Abbott, Nick Lodolo, Brandon Williamson and Connor Phillips all in the mix for rotation spots alongside Montas and Martinez.
Nos. 14-13
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14. St. Louis Cardinals
The bulk of the heavy lifting for the Cardinals was done at the onset of the offseason, with Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson signed to bolster a starting rotation that was a glaring weakness in 2023. Young hitters Nolan Gorman, Jordan Walker, Lars Nootbaar and Masyn Winn will be counted on to make an impact, and the offense has a ton of upside. Have they done enough to improve on the pitching side of things?
13. New York Mets
It hasn't been the same splashy offseason Mets fans have seen in recent years, but the front office has done a nice job making marginal improvements, setting the team up for contention in 2024 without mortgaging the future. Luis Severino, Sean Manaea and Adrian Houser will round out the starting rotation, while center fielder Harrison Bader has a chance to be one of the steals of the offseason on a one-year, $10.5 million deal.
Nos. 12-11
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12. Toronto Blue Jays
It's been a quiet offseason for the Blue Jays, who re-signed center fielder Kevin Kiermaier, added versatile Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and rolled the dice on right-hander Yariel Rodriguez with a four-year, $32 million deal to compete with Alek Manoah for the No. 5 starter job. That leaves some combination of Davis Schneider, Cavan Biggio, Santiago Espinal and Kiner-Falefa to battle for playing time at second base and third base.
11. Seattle Mariners
The Mariners addressed their need for corner outfield help when they acquired Luke Raley and Mitch Haniger in a pair of trades on the same day in early January, and they also added some middle-of-the-order pop when they signed Mitch Garver to a two-year, $24 million deal. There is still some question of whether Luis Urías and Josh Rojas will produce enough to handle the starting second base and third base jobs, so they could use another infield depth piece.
10. Minnesota Twins
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The Minnesota Twins have only made two additions to the 40-man roster this offseason, with hard-throwing reliever Josh Staumont signed while he recovers from thoracic outlet surgery and Ryan Jensen claimed off waivers from the Miami Marlins.
Starting pitchers Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda both departed in free agency, and while a healthy Chris Paddack can fill one spot in the rotation, they could use further depth to compete with Louie Varland for the No. 5 starter job.
Offensively, this has a chance to be one of baseball's highest-scoring teams, with a full season of Royce Lewis and a healthy Byron Buxton providing a major in-house boost.
9. Tampa Bay Rays
12 of 20
The Tampa Bay Rays have been busy once again maximizing their limited financial resources by retooling the roster with a handful of under-the-radar moves, trading away Tyler Glasnow, Manuel Margot, Luke Raley and Andrew Kittredge.
In return, they received young starter Ryan Pepiot, versatile infielder José Caballero and outfielders Richie Palacios and Jonny DeLuca, and all four of those players figure to fill a crucial spot on the Opening Day roster.
Top prospects Curtis Mead and Junior Caminero could both play their way into a starting role with a strong spring, especially with the shortstop position in flux and both players possessing significant offensive upside.
8. Baltimore Orioles
13 of 20
Signing closer Craig Kimbrel to a one-year, $13 million deal and claiming outfielder Sam Hilliard off waivers from the Atlanta Braves are the only notable moves the Baltimore Orioles have made this offseason on the heels of a 101-win season.
Making a splash to sign a top-of-the-rotation starter would have plugged a major hole on the roster, but spending big is not how they have built this team into a sustainable contender, so the relative silence is not particularly surprising.
The competition between Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday, Jordan Westburg, Jorge Mateo, Ramón Urías, Joey Ortiz and Coby Mayo for playing time at second base, shortstop and third base this spring will be among the most compelling in baseball.
7. Arizona Diamondbacks
14 of 20
On the heels of their surprising run to the World Series as an 84-win wild-card team, the Arizona Diamondbacks have added a much-needed No. 3 starter in Eduardo Rodriguez to follow Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly in the rotation. That leaves young right-hander Brandon Pfaadt as the No. 4 starter and an open competition for the fifth spot.
Slugger Eugenio Suárez was also acquired to replace departing veteran Evan Longoria at third base, while Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was re-signed on a reasonable three-year, $42 million deal.
The final piece of the puzzle this offseason could be a veteran bat to fill the designated hitter role, with J.D. Martinez, Jorge Soler, Justin Turner and Brandon Belt among the potential fits, while a reunion with Tommy Pham is also a potential option.
6. Texas Rangers
15 of 20
It's tough to rank the defending World Series champions any higher with so much up in the air with their starting rotation to begin the year.
Max Scherzer (back surgery), Jacob deGrom (Tommy John surgery) and free-agent signing Tyler Mahle (Tommy John surgery) will all open the year on the injured list, leaving Nathan Eovaldi, Jon Gray, Andrew Heaney, Dane Dunning and an open competition for the No. 5 starter job.
They have also yet to make a move to replace slugger Mitch Garver in the designated hitter role, though Ezequiel Durán, Sam Huff and Justin Foscue are solid in-house candidates to keep an eye on.
5. Houston Astros
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With Héctor Neris, Ryne Stanek and Phil Maton gone in free agency and Kendall Graveman sidelined following shoulder surgery, the Houston Astros addressed a depleted relief corps by signing All-Star closer Josh Hader to a five-year, $95 million deal.
Regardless of roles, the trio of Hader, Ryan Pressly and Bryan Abreu will shorten a lot of games during the 2024 season, helping to support the starting rotation while they wait on the returns of Lance McCullers Jr. and Luis García.
One of the big storylines this spring will be potential extensions for José Altuve and Alex Bregman, who are both set to reach free agency next offseason.
4. New York Yankees
17 of 20
The New York Yankees made one of the biggest splashes of the offseason when they acquired Juan Soto from the San Diego Padres, and they also added Alex Verdugo and Trent Grisham to address the outfield around face of the franchise Aaron Judge.
Veteran Marcus Stroman was also signed to plug a major hole in the starting rotation, though the roster is sorely lacking in depth behind their top five starters, and a lot is still riding on Carlos Rodón and Nestor Cortes both returning to the form they showed in 2022.
If everyone can stay healthy, this team has the pieces to be a legitimate title contender, but a general lack of quality depth raises some questions about their ability to weather the injury bug.
3. Philadelphia Phillies
18 of 20
The Philadelphia Phillies didn't have any major holes to fill once they re-signed Aaron Nola to a seven-year, $172 million deal in November, and the only additions to the 40-man roster this offseason have been pitchers Kolby Allard and Michael Mercado, who are both projected to start the year in the minors.
The starting lineup is set with Bryce Harper making the full-time move to first base and Johan Rojas staking claim to the everyday center field job, while the starting rotation is in good shape assuming Cristopher Sánchez can hold down the No. 5 job.
The biggest remaining need is to find a suitable replacement for Craig Kimbrel at the back of the bullpen, ideally a right-handed reliever to pair with lefties José Alvarado and Gregory Soto in a potential closer-by-committee situation.
2. Atlanta Braves
19 of 20
The Atlanta Braves filled the two biggest holes on the roster by trading for outfielder Jarred Kelenic and left-hander Chris Sale, and they will open the season with one of the most complete rosters in baseball.
Bryce Elder will need to prove his dip in effectiveness after the All-Star break was a fluke to hold off AJ Smith-Shawver, Huascar Ynoa, Dylan Dodd, Darius Vines and others for the No. 5 starter job this spring.
If there is one remaining need to address, it's finding a right-handed-hitting platoon partner for Kelenic in left field, and a versatile bench piece like Whit Merrifield or Enrique Hernández could be a nice finishing touch.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
20 of 20
By deferring almost all of the 10-year, $700 million contract they gave to Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers have essentially found the baseball equivalent of an infinite money glitch, at least in the short term while they chase a World Series title.
As the market continues to move at a snail's pace, they have added secondary pieces to the mix as well, signing slugger Teoscar Hernández and starter James Paxton to one-year deals to fill out an already stacked roster.
Newcomers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow will be asked to anchor the starting rotation ahead of a healthy Walker Buehler, while the Paxton signing means up-and-coming young starters Emmet Sheehan, Gavin Stone and Michael Grove can be utilized as high-upside depth.
The team that wins the offseason doesn't always live up to the hype, but this looks like the team to beat heading into 2024.
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