MLB Power Rankings: Week 3
12. Cleveland Guardians (8-3)
The Guardians have gotten off to a hot start thanks mostly in part to a fairly easy schedule. The loss of their ace, Shane Bieber, with a UCL injury is a major blow to the pitching side. It’s been the offense though that has really been shining early with Steven Kwan, Jose Ramirez, Andres Gimenez, and Josh Naylor all coming out of the gates hot. I don’t expect the Guardians to make the postseason at the end but right now, they’re playing good baseball.
11. Detroit Tigers (7-4)
I have a good feeling about this team. There’s a lot to like and in a winnable division, this could be a team that surprises people. To be honest, they haven’t been playing incredible individually yet and they still have a winning record. If they start to play up to their potential, the Tigers could be a consistent team on the power rankings.
10. Kansas City Royals (7-4)
A third straight NL Central team on the power rankings!? You better believe it! This division is much improved and the Royals have also gotten out to a good start. They played tough against the Orioles then went on to sweep the White Sox last week. Bobby Witt Jr could be a MVP this season and the pitching, which was a major issue last season, has looked miles better early in 2024.
9. Philadelphia Phillies (6-6)
An up and down season is about what you would expect from the Phillies. This group believes they can with the NL East this season but they’re gonna have to play much more consistently to make that happen with how good the Braves are. It’s gotta start with Bryce Harper, who apart from a 3 home run game, has not looked good to start the season.
8. Milwaukee Brewers (7-3)
The Brewers have gotten off to a surprisingly good start. Their rookie phenom, Jackson Chourio, has been part of a great offense. Christian Yelich has also looked the best he has in a while. This is another team I don’t expect to be on the power rankings for long but for now, they deserve this spot.
7. Pittsburgh Pirates (9-3)
Pittsburgh is repeating the same great start they did last season. After about a month or two, they fizzled out and ended with another losing season. How this start will play out this year is still a question. There’s improvement there, especially on the offensive side, one that is top 5 in the league right now in most categories. Their series win against the Orioles was also a big confidence boost.
6. Chicago Cubs (7-4)
The Cubs have gotten off to a solid start, including a series win against the Dodgers. Hopefully the Justin Steele injury won’t keep him out for long because they need his arm to lead this rotation.
5. Texas Rangers (6-5)
The defending champs have looked great to begin the year. The offense is mashing baseballs and the pitching has been very solid with more help on the way with Max Scherzer expected back sooner than later. The AL West is looking like the Ranger’s division to lose with how poorly the Astros have played but it is still very early.
4. Baltimore Orioles (6-4)
Other than a series loss to the Pirates, the Orioles have gotten off to a very consistent start. Their consistent play last year is what led them to the best record in the American League. Corbin Burnes has looked great in his first two outings as an Oriole. Jackson Holiday made his MLB debut this week. Things are looking good in Baltimore.
3. Atlanta Braves (7-3)
The Braves offense has picked up where it left off last season, leading the league in batting average and slugging percentage early in 2024. The pitching, which was a weak spot last year, is still a concern. Spencer Strider is likely out for a significant amount of time with a UCL injury, a huge blow to the rotation. They’ll need to figure it out on that end but they have just as good of depth as any team in the league.
2. New York Yankees (10-2)
Juan Soto and the Yankees are off to a blazing start. Marcus Stroman, Nestor Cortes, and Carlos Rodon have all looked solid to start the year. They’ll need to continue their good pitching to give this rotation much needed depth with Gerrit Cole out for some time.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers (10-5)
I don’t know if there’s a single Dodger bat that is slumping right now. The big 3 - Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, and Freddie Freeman have looked great to start the season. Add in great starts from Teoscar Hernandez and Will Smith and you have a lineup that is going to be hard to beat any night. Tyler Glasnow has also looked like a Cy Young to start the year and more help is on the way with the return of Walker Beuhler on the horizon.