MLB Power Rankings: Week 1
Major League Baseball is back and so are TLDR’s MLB Power Rankings! The celebrations of Opening Day kicked off what will be a great 2023 season. As we are just a week into the season, the rankings are going to be a little chaotic as we only have a couple of pieces to a very large puzzle to base them on. I keep in mind my preseason expectations but also go off of what teams have shown in the very early season. Let’s go!
12 - New York Mets (3-4)
I don’t expect the Mets to be this low for long but let’s be honest, they haven’t played very good baseball to start the season. This is another team I am giving some grace to given their preseason expectations. They got to play better in every department and I think they will but for now they find themselves at the bottom of the rankings.
11 - Texas Rangers (4-2)
I said the Rangers are the most interesting team to watch in 2023. They could be a good team, there’s something there. I’m not sold yet if they can keep up this kind of pace for a whole 162 but I’ll give them some credit.
10 - Cleveland Guardians (4-2)
The Guardians are another team who is playing the expectations so far. They are still the favorites to win the AL Central but the division might be more competitive than we thought.
9 - Los Angeles Angels (3-2)
I think a lot of people want the Angels to succeed. Who doesn’t want to see Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani in the postseason, especially after what we saw at the WBC. So far, pretty good for the Halos. Taylor Ward, Tyler Anderson, and Patrick Sandoval need to stay productive. They are key to giving the Angels the depth they need to keep winning.
8 - Minnesota Twins (4-2)
I had the Twins as the dark horse division winner and they’re looking solid early. I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again, the Pablo Lopez acquisition was the most underrated move of the offseason. Joey Gallo looks good too. Don’t sleep on the Twins. And for the record, I hate the new logo.
7 - San Diego Padres (3-3)
The Padres are probably the team with the biggest hype going into this season. And rightfully so, they spent big money in the offseason and on paper have a roster that can win a World Series. They will win a lot of games this season but there are some concerns. There’s been clubhouse drama with the players on this team and I don’t think that’s going away. It’s easy to feel good when you’re winning but when things get tough, can this team stay together? I’m not sold.
6 - Milwaukee Brewers (5-1)
A little bit of a surprise start here from the Brewers. Most picked the Cardinals to be the best in the NL Central but there might be something brewing in Milwaukee (*wink*).The pitching has looked very good, which is what the team’s strength should be. The lineup has been very productive, especially Brian Anderson who has a 1.621 OPS (that’s very, very good). Time will tell if the bats can stay hot.
5 - Houston Astros (3-4)
As the odds on favorite to win the World Series this year, I’m giving the Astros a little grace here (though I don’t know why I’m being so nice. Probably just because I’m happy baseball is back and I should be as objective as possible here…anyway…). They almost got swept at home by the Tigers and split a four game series with the White Sox to start the season. They’ve gotten production from their stars but the depth hasn’t been great. It’s early, I don’t expect Houston to be out of the top 5 very often.
4 - New York Yankees (4-2)
Best Opening Day moment was Aaron Judge hitting a home run in his first at bat of the season after his historic 62 last year. It shouldn’t be a surprise the Yankees start the season with two series wins. They are pitching very well and getting enough offensive production to stay in the win column. New York is playing just as expected so far.
3 - Tampa Bay Rays (6-0)
The Rays are the league’s last remaining unbeaten team and hold the best run differential (+31). Now, I know they’ve played the Tigers and Nationals, so I’m not gonna overreact too much but I picked this team to win 95 games and they’re off to a great start. The pitching has been good but the bats have been even better having the best slugging percentage and second most runs scored in baseball. If they get that kind of production all season, this team will be hard to beat.
2 - Los Angeles Dodgers (4-2)
A lot of people criticized the Dodgers for not making huge moves this offseason but if you look at the early success, especially offensively, a lot of credit has to go to the new guys. Yes, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Will Smith are the anchors but JD Martinez has racked up some clutch hits, James Outman is an early Rookie of the Year candidate, and Jason Hayward already has 2 home runs and might have found there’s some pop left late in his career. Also, Kershaw’s curveball is looking as gorgeous as ever.
1 - Atlanta Braves (5-1)
The Braves came into the season as a top 3 World Series favorite and they have proved why they are elite so far. With the exception of their 8-4 win against the Cardinals, they haven’t given up more than 2 runs in any game so far. That shows great pitching depth which is key to any successful team. Matt Olson is off to a fantastic start and the entire Braves lineup is healthy (for now). Braves are scary good.