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MLB Opening Day has come and gone and we have a new power rankings to kick off April. Topedo Bats were the topic of the weekend, with the New York Yankees scoring 20 runs with the new, controversial bats. The league has come out and said they're legal, so expect some big barrels from more players moving forward. From the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Chicago White Sox, we have the newest MLB Power Rankings for a new week.
#1: Los Angeles Dodgers (-)
Surprise, surprise. The Dodgers dominated the Tokyo Series without Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. They came back to LA with both of those players in tow and swept the Detroit Tigers. Teoscar Hernandez hit a big homer on Opening Day, and Mookie Betts walked it off in Game 2. Then, Tyler Glasnow was incredible in his return from injury against the Atlanta Braves. Things are looking good for the defending champions so far.
#2: Philadelphia Phillies (+2)
The Phillies jump up to number two, their highest spot in the MLB Power Rankings so far this year. They came out of camp healthy and had a solid Opening Weekend against the Washington Nationals. They also benefitted from poor weekends from their division rival New York Mets and Atlanta Braves. Bryce Harper went deep, which is always a good sign for the Phillies' offense.
#3: New York Mets (-)
Juan Soto was up with the game-tying run on first base and two outs in the top of the ninth inning. He waved at a Josh Hader slider to end the game, an uncharacteristic swing from the OBP king. He came back the next day with his first home run as a Met, but the Amazins went 1-2 in Houston. They stay put in the MLB Power Rankings thanks to a dominant win over the Miami Marlins on Monday.
#4: New York Yankees (+2)
The New York Yankees made the most headlines of any team in MLB's first weekend. Between the torpedo bats, 36 total runs, and a sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers, vibes are high in The Bronx. Their injuries could catch up with them, as Will Warren is slated to make his first start against the Arizona Diamondbacks. But for now, the Yankees are a big riser in the MLB Power Rankings.
#5: Atlanta Braves (-3)
There is no team off to a worse start to this season than the Atlanta Braves. Not only is Spencer Strider still rehabbing from his elbow injury, but they are 0-5 out of the gate and lost a key player for half the year. Jurickson Profar was suspended 80 games for violating the league's PED rules. These factors all send the Braves tumbling down the power rankings.
#6: Texas Rangers (+1)
The Texas Rangers took three out of four games from the Boston Red Sox to open their season at home. Nathan Eovaldi, Jacob deGrom, and Jack Leiter all looked great on the hill. That all came crashing down when Kumar Rocker got roughed up against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday, but it has still been a solid start for the 2023 champs.
#7: Arizona Diamondbacks (-2)
A 2-2 start is not the worst thing for the Arizona Diamondbacks but there are signs that it may be more of the same from last year. Jordan Montgomery is out for the year as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, putting more pressure on the pitchers. Zac Gallen started his contract year on the wrong foot with four earned runs through four innings. There were bad bullpen performances from Ryne Nelson, Joe Mantiply, and Bryce Jarvis. All against a Cubs team that was humbled by the Dodgers in Tokyo. The house is not on fire in Arizona, but improvements are needed in the pitching department.
#8: Houston Astros (-)
Through their 2-2 start, the Jose Altuve left field experiment has been the thing to watch for the Houston Astros. He was removed for a defensive replacement during their opening series against the New York Mets. And then, he slid back to second base on Monday against the San Francisco Giants. Is the future Hall-of-Famer a defensive liability now? Or is Mauricio Dubon that good? We'll see as the season progresses.
#9: Chicago Cubs (-)
The Chicago Cubs stay at number nine in the power rankings despite a so-so series against the Diamondbacks. Their bats came to life on Monday night with an 18-3 win over the Athletics, including a cycle from catcher Carson Kelly. The pitching left a lot to be desired against Arizona, but only giving up three runs in a new park is a sign of progress. They'll continue that series before opening Wrigley Field on Friday.
#10: San Diego Padres (+1)
As the Braves had a bad weekend, the Padres had a great one. They handed four losses to Atlanta at Petco Park and took a step up in the MLB Power Rankings because of it. Their big offseason addition, Nick Pivetta, twirled a gem in his debut for the team with seven shutout innings. A lot was made about a quiet offseason from the Padres, but maybe that was because they already had a good team to begin with.
#11: Cleveland Guardians (+1)
The Cleveland Guardians' season started on a sour note when Opening Day starter Tanner Bibee was scratched with illness. But Ben Lively subbed in and Cleveland got the extra-innings win over the Kansas City Royals. They ended up taking the road series over their division rivals but dropped the first game against the San Diego Padres on Monday. Jose Ramirez missed a game after an awkward slide but came back and hit a homer on Monday.
#12: Baltimore Orioles (+1)
Last year, the Orioles' bats went silent down the stretch. On Opening Day, they raked against the Toronto Blue Jays. Adley Rutschman and Cedric Mullins combined for four home runs in a 12-2 win. They ended up splitting the series, but Rutschman quelled a massive concern. Tyler O'Neill has been a great addition as well, with an Opening Day homer and a 4-4 day to start his Camden Yards career on Monday.
#13: Boston Red Sox (-3)
The 2025 Boston Red Sox came into this season with the highest expectations since 2019. They have responded with a 1-4 start, driven by Rafael Devers' brutal start to the season. He is 0-19 with 15 strikeouts and four walks. After a dramatic spring training where he said he was not a designated hitter, that is all he has been so far this year. He needs to figure it out quickly for Boston to turn it around. They did extend Garrett Crochet after his great debut with the Red Sox.
#14: San Francisco Giants (+1)
The San Francisco Giants opened their season by winning two of their three games against the Cincinnati Reds. Then, they shot down to Texas and beat the Astros in the first game of that series. Matt Chapman and Heliot Ramos both have four RBIs so far and Jordan Hicks dominated in his first start. Justin Verlander was excellent in his Giants debut and he has big shoes to fill with Blake Snell on the Dodgers. So far, so good for the 3-1 Giants.
#15: Seattle Mariners (+1)
The biggest issue for the Mariners last year was the offense. They had the second-worst team batting average in baseball, and that has not improved so far this year. Seattle has won two of their first five games with a dismal .188 batting average. They bump up one spot in the power rankings because their pitching has carried over, but this offense won't be enough to get to the playoffs. Logan Gilbert had among the best starts of any pitcher this weekend, with seven innings of one-run ball against the Athletics.
#16: Toronto Blue Jays (+4)
The Toronto Blue Jays are the biggest risers in the power rankings this week because of their split with the Baltimore Orioles. After a brutal 12-2 Opening Day loss, they bounced back with a few impressive wins. Andres Gimenez leads the way with three homers and five RBIs in addition to his phenomenal glove. Chris Bassit, Bowden Francis, and Kevin Gausman were all awesome in their first starts. If Jose Berrios bounces back, this could be a solid rotation in the American League.
#17: Milwaukee Brewers (-2)
The Milwaukee Brewers debuted Nestor Cortes Jr on Saturday as their new number two starter. He allowed three home runs on the first three pitches against his former team, the New York Yankees, in a 20-9 loss. Then, the Brewers came home and lost to the Kansas City Royals 11-1 in their home opener. Things are bleak in Wisconsin, and they need to turn it around to compete in the National League Central. A -32 run differential won't get it done for the Brew Crew.
#18: Kansas City Royals (-1)
The Kansas City Royals are 2-2 but take a step back in the MLB Power Rankings because of losses to the Cleveland Guardians. They will need every division win possible to overtake Cleveland in the AL Central. Vinny Pasquantino hit a massive home run on Opening Day, Bobby Witt Jr has three stolen bases already, and Salvador Perez has three RBIs. The Royals have high hopes for this season and should take momentum from that 11-1 win on Monday.
#19: Tampa Bay Rays (+2)
The Tampa Bay Rays played Opening Day at Steinbrenner Field on Friday. They will play at the Yankees' spring training facility all year and it's been a solid start there. They walked off the Rockies on Opening Day, took two of three total from Colorado, and beat the Pirates on Monday. Even with ace Shane McClanahan starting the season on the injured list, the Rays are off to a hot start. Their easy schedule comes to a screeching halt after the Pirates series when they hit the road to play the Rangers.
#20: Detroit Tigers (-2)
The Detroit Tigers had the difficult task of opening the season on the road against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Teoscar Hernandez and Mookie Betts hit clutch homers to win close games and stay undefeated. Detroit did snag a win against the Mariners to get on the board on Monday, which was huge for their morale. Gleyber Torres is already on the injured list, and Justyn-Henry Malloy is up with the big club.
#21: Cincinnati Reds (+1)
Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain went crazy for the Reds on Monday against the Texas Rangers. Their 14-3 win was a palate cleanser after a tough opening series at Great American Ballpark. They blew a two-run lead in the ninth inning on Opening Day and gave up two eighth-inning runs in a 6-3 loss in the third game. But with an explosive offense, they should be around the playoff line come September.
#22: Minnesota Twins (-3)
The Twins have tumbled in the MLB Power Rankings as one of the few winless teams left in the league. They have high expectations for this season but need to stay healthy to meet them. Royce Lewis is already on the injured list, continuing a frustrating start to a promising career. Starters Chris Paddack and Bailey Ober combined to pitch six innings and allow 17 runs in the third and fourth games of the season. It's been a tough start for Minnesota so far.
#23: St Louis Cardinals (+2)
The Cardinals swept the Twins in their opening series. They still sit behind Minnesota in the MLB Power Rankings because of pre-season expectations. With a Nolan Arenado trade seeming inevitable, the Cardinals are not going to rise too much after just a few wins. But if they keep it up with a strong April, maybe they can surprise everyone and make a playoff run.
#24: Los Angeles Angels (-1)
The Angels took two of three from the Chicago White Sox and beat the Cardinals on Monday to start the season 3-1. But their offense has been lackluster, with only five extra-base hits and ten runs scored in the four games. The results have been there but their stats imply the bottom is about to fall out. Mike Trout in the lineup is great, but his .077 batting average is not. Jose Soriano dominated his first start and Ben Joyce has allowed one base runner in two appearances.
#25: Pittsburgh Pirates (-1)
The Pirates suffered three walk-off losses to the Miami Marlins in their opening series. Then, they traveled to Tampa and lost the first game of that series on Monday. Paul Skenes was stellar on Opening Day but without Jared Jones behind him, it is hard to build momentum through a series. Without the big offensive addition they needed this offseason, it could be a long year in the Steel City.
#26: Washington Nationals (-)
The Washington Nationals lost their opening series to the Phillies and Monday's game to the Toronto Blue Jays. They have eight home runs through four games, including two from new addition Nathaniel Lowe. Mitchell Parker and Mackenzie Gore both had excellent starts in their season debuts. But the bullpen has struggled, especially Colin Poche, who has allowed six runs in 1.1 innings across three appearances.
#27: Athletics (-)
The Athletics opened Sutter Health Park in Sacramento to MLB play with a solid series against the Seattle Mariners. But an 18-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs shows how little pitching depth they have. They stay put in the power rankings because of that dreadful loss, but could move up if their pitching gets better behind Luis Severino and JP Sears.
#28: Miami Marlins (-)
The Marlins won three out of four against the Pittsburgh Pirates to open their season, all on walk-offs. They proved just how unsustainable that was with a 10-4 loss to the New York Mets on Monday. They will put Sandy Alcantara back on the hill Tuesday amid trade rumors. The former Cy Young Award winner could be moved before the end of the season, which would complete the sell-off the Marlins started last year. There is not much room for them to go down in the MLB Power Rankings, but they would if they traded Alcantara
#29: Colorado Rockies (-)
The Colorado Rockies have only scored nine runs in four games to start the season. Their only win was a 2-1 triumph over the Rays on Saturday. Other than that, it has been an unsurprising tough start for the Rockies so far. They picked up Mickey Moniak just hours before their first game, and he has one of their two home runs so far in just three plate appearances. On the positive side, Kyle Freeland and German Marquez were both excellent in their starts.
#30: Chicago White Sox (-)
For the first time since April 2023, the Chicago White Sox are .500. Two big wins and two close losses have them at 2-2 through four games. They lost a record 121 games last year and traded Crochet, who was their best pitcher last year. Things could get ugly on the Southside this year, but their solid start could be a sign of a slight change. They started their second series with a win over the Twins on Monday.
