MLB Power Rankings: Week 3
12 - Los Angeles Angels (8-8)
There were a lot of teams I could have gone with for the 12th and 11th spots but I went with the Angels here at 12. Gio Urshela and Hunter Renfroe have been great. Ohtani is playing like the MVP he is and the pitching as a whole is performing well. With the Astros off to a very poor start, the AL West is anyone’s game right now.
11 - Cleveland Guardians (9-7)
The Guardians are doing their best to keep pace with the Twins hot start in the AL Central. One area of concern is the offensive lack of power - they rank 27th in the league in Slugging Percentage. Jose Ramirez just hit his first home run of the season last week. The new rules this year have allowed “small ball” to be more effective but the power numbers need to be better for Celevland to stay in the hunt.
10 - Chicago Cubs (8-6)
Coming off a week with two series wins against the Mariners and Dodgers, the Cubs find themselves in 2nd place in the NL Central. You can’t ignore how good Chicago is playing right now. The starting pitching has been great and the offense is getting production from a lot of different players. The only question is - can they keep up this level of play?
9 - Texas Rangers (9-6)
The Rangers are looking like a legitimate threat early in 2023. The offense is scoring runs at an incredible pace and the pitching they spend a lot of money on in the offseason is doing pretty well. It looks like the deGrom injury scare isn’t that serious and if the rest of the team can stay healthy (after Seager returns from his hamstring strain), Texas is in a good spot.
8 - Los Angeles Dodgers (8-8)
It’s been a very inconsistent start to the season for the Dodgers as a team. There’s some concern in the bullpen and depth at starting pitching. But there’s also a lot of good signs, including Max Muncy seeming to have found his power swing again and Tony Gonsolin returning soon from his ankle injury. The Dodgers should find more consistency as the season goes along.
7 - Minnesota Twins (10-6)
The Twins continue to lead the AL Central behind stellar pitching. They lead the league in team ERA and WHIP and are 2nd in BAA. Sonny Gray, Pablo Lopez, and Joe Ryan are looking like a three-headed monster that’s going to be tough to beat. Minnesota also locked up Pablo Lopez with a 4-year, $73.5 million extension. The Twins aren’t going anywhere.
6 - New York Mets (10-6)
I gave the Mets some criticism last week and they responded by going on a 5-game win streak. I’m glad I could provide some motivation. This is a team, like the Dodgers, that is battling some inconsistency right now. I also expect them to play better as the season progresses.
5 - Toronto Blue Jays (10-6)
The Blue Jays were the first team to beat the Rays this season and went on to win the series. Matt Chapman continues his insane great start and the offense is playing very well. The pitching, on the other hand, has been shaky at best. Alek Manoah needs to be better but all in all this team is playing great.
4 - Milwaukee Brewers (11-5)
The Brewers have lost only one series all year and are playing great baseball all around. They rank in the top 10 in most batting and pitching categories and they are building a division lead early. Hopefully the Corbin Burnes injury isn’t too serious.
3 - New York Yankees (10-6)
The Yankees are one of the few teams whose season is starting exactly as expected. The pitching is stellar, the offense is top heavy, and Aaron Boone is yelling constantly at umpires. Oh and Stanton got hurt. New York is keeping pace is a very competitive AL East. It’s business as usual in the Bronx.
2 - Atlanta Braves (12-4)
I kind of wish I was a Braves fan right now. There’s so much to like about this team. Coming off two sweeps of the Reds and Royals, the Braves look as great as ever. They are healthy and lethal. All they have to do is be this team come October and I don’t think there will be another team favored to win more.
1 - Tampa Bay Rays (14-2)
The Rays finally lost a couple of games last week to the Blue Jays. It was bound to happen but you have to tip your cap to the historically great start they’ve had. They continue to pitch and hit at a league best rate. It might be a while until this team falls from the top spot in the rankings.