MLB Power Rankings: Preseason
12. Minnesota Twins
The Twins are coming off an AL Central Division Championship and finally won a postseason game for the first time since 2004. Royce Lewis shined in the postseason and will be the face of this franchise moving forward. They also have a top 5 pitcher in the league, Pablo Lopez, to lead the rotation. The AL Central is expected to be more competitive than it was last year but I still see the Twins as the best team in that division.
11. Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays are expected to take a little bit of a step back this season. After one of the best starts in MLB history in 2023, Tampa Bay got sent home early in the postseason at the hands of the Rangers. Injuries and off the field issues have damaged this team’s star power heading into 2024. It could end up being a very bad season but one thing you can never do is count the Rays out because they are the best run small market team in the league and they will find a way to stay competitive.
10. Arizona Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks surprised everyone by winning the NL Championship and reaching the World Series. This young core, led by Rookie of the Year, Corbin Carrol, will be a force for the foreseeable future. They also spend some money in the offseason, adding to their pitching with Eduardo Rodriguez and Jordan Montgomery. They join Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly to become one of the best rotations in the league.
9. Toronto Blue Jays
This is a make or break season for the Blue Jays. They have the talent to be a great team. We have been expecting them to make a deep run in the postseason for a couple of years now but they have yet to make it happen.
8. Seattle Mariners
The Mariners took too long to start winning last season. They made a great run at the end but ultimately fell short of making the postseason. There is no doubting this team’s ability to pitch with a rotation featuring Luis Castillo, Gorge Kirby, and Logan Gilbert. The question will be how much can this offense produce behind Julio Rodriguez. I think the team we saw at the end of 2023 is the team we’re going to get in 2024.
7. New York Yankees
The Yankees ran into a ton of injury issues last season and ended up missing the postseason. They went out and traded for one of the best player in baseball, Juan Soto, to pair with Aaron Judge to lead the offense. Injuries are already a problem this season, as their ace and reigning AL Cy Young, Gerrit Cole, is out for several weeks with the forearm injury. Hopefully once he returns, he stays healthy, because the Yankees are going to need him to stay in the hunt in the very competitive American League East.
6. Houston Astros
The Astros continue to be one of the most consistent teams for the past decade in both the regular and postseason. Justin Verlander is expected to make his return early in the season and the usual stars on offense, Yordon Alvarez, Kyle Tucker, Jose Altuve, and Alex Bregman will be back to fight for another division title.
5. Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies season ended in heartbreaking fashion, losing games 6 and 7 at home in the NLCS to the Diamondbacks. They have proven they can be a great postseason team and all of those pieces are back in 2024 including their top 2 pitchers in Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler. Trea Turner is expected to have a much more productive second season and Bryce Harper will be fully healthy playing first base. Philadelphia’s roster is a little top heavy but they will be ready to roll once October hits.
4. Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles broke out last season with a division title and 101 win season. They went out and traded for an ace in Corbin Burnes to add to an already great rotation. The young talent on this team is plentiful and there is still more expected to arrive from the farm system. Baltimore should be considered a heavy favorite to win the American League Championship in 2024.
3. Texas Rangers
The defending champions start the year third in the power rankings. They had a historic run to the World Series last year and most of that team will be back in 2024. Corey Seager is one of the most underrated players in the game and they will see the return of both Max Sherzer and Jacob deGrom this season. It will be interesting to see how well this team will do with all those stars healthy but they also have a good corp of young talent to balance out the vets in what should be another highly competitive season.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers won the offseason, now can they win the postseason? That is the biggest question they will face with the additions of Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Teoscar Hernandez to an already great roster. Walker Buehler and Clayton Kershaw will also make their returns later this season. It should be another 100+ winning season in LA, but we all know what really matters for this team is winning the last game of the season.
1. Atlanta Braves
The Braves are top 5 in offense, starting pitching, and bullpen. On paper, they have the best roster in baseball. Ronald Acuna Jr. had a historic season that landed him the NL MVP and there’s no doubting he will be a front runner for the award again. He along with Matt Olsen, Austin Reilly, Ozzie Albies, Michael Harris, Marcell Ozuna, and Sean Murphy assembled one of the best offenses in MLB history. The pitching will be healthier to start the year led by Spencer Strider and Max Fried. The Chris Sale addition will be an intriguing one to watch. There’s no doubting the Braves as the top threat for a World Series title heading into 2024.