With three weeks gone in this 2024 Major League Baseball season, the picture is starting to come into focus. Good teams are racking up wins, surprise hot-starters are coming back to earth and bottom-feeders are already waiting for September. Where did your team land in this week's MLB Power Rankings? Read on to find out.
Though the Atlanta Braves maintained their vise grip on the top spot, there's a decent amount of movement in the rankings this week. The Baltimore Orioles leapfrogged two teams to take over the number two spot, the Philadelphia Phillies vaulted into the top five with an undefeated week and the Pittsburgh Pirates plummeted 12 spots, the biggest single-week movement of any team all season.
1. Atlanta Braves (no change)
The Braves are the model of consistency, proving early and often that they've mastered baseball's regular season. A 5-1 week against last season's two ALCS participants gave Atlanta the NL's best record, while Ronald Acuña Jr. and Matt Olson finally started heating up at the plate. The loss of Ozzie Albies to the IL hurts, sure, but as was the case with Spencer Strider's injury, no team is better built to withstand a blow to one of its key contributors.
2. Baltimore Orioles (+2)
The Orioles possess a lineup that makes nearly every other fan base green with envy. Colton Cowser and Jordan Westburg each hit their fifth home runs of the season to cap off a series win Sunday—and those two were batting seventh and eighth, respectively. Cedric Mullins, Gunnar Henderson, and Anthony Santander all launched huge clutch dingers this week as well, though Jackson Holliday continues to scuffle. As good as the Yankees have looked at times, the O's are still the class of the AL East, and ahead of their rivals in these MLB Power Rankings.
3. New York Yankees (no change)
Though they no longer own the best record in baseball, the Yankees proved this week that they can handle adversity. Down 4-1 and on the verge of being swept in Toronto, the Yanks staged a dramatic comeback, kicked off by a Juan Soto homer and capped off by an Aaron Judge two-run, go-ahead single. If Judge can ever get his bat going for real in 2024, the Yankees will continue to roll.
4. Los Angeles Dodgers (-2)
It was far from a banner week for the superstar-laden Dodgers, who quietly lost seven of ten before winning the final game of their series against the Mets. But the losses haven't uncovered any major long-term concerns and L.A. managed to keep a comfy lead in the NL West through the struggles. Plus, Shohei Ohtani broke Hideki Matsui's MLB record for homers by a Japanese-born player Sunday, so the Dodgers continued their dominance in the pageviews department, if not in these MLB Power Rankings.
5. Milwaukee Brewers (no change)
The Brewers responded in style to their first series loss of the season, sweeping the Cardinals in St. Louis over the weekend. It's a team finding the perfect balance between youth, experience, timely hitting, and lockdown pitching. Though they'll never boast the star power of the teams at the top of this list, the Brew Crew have proven they'll give anyone a fight from the first pitch to the final out.
6. Philadelphia Phillies (+2)
The Phillies took on the Rockies and White Sox this week and they did exactly what a good team should do to the Rockies and White Sox. A pair of sweeps, including back-to-back no-hit bids, put the Phillies six games over .500 and in position to have their best April in the Bryce Harper era. Now Philly will look to continue the momentum from an 8-2 homestand as they head to Cincinnati.
7. Cleveland Guardians (+5)
It's officially time to start taking the Guardians seriously. After a 6-1 week, Cleveland finds itself with the best record in MLB, three games clear atop the AL Central. Josh Naylor had himself a series against the Athletics, Will Brennan is hitting the best he ever has and the starting rotation, in spite of losing ace Shane Bieber, has been rock-solid. First-time manager Stephen Vogt is quickly becoming the front-runner for Manager of the Year honors.
8. Texas Rangers (-1)
Beating the Braves on Sunday Night Baseball kept the Rangers in first place over the suddenly surging Mariners in what has been a very sluggish start to the race in the AL West. The bullpen made a statement in that 6-4 win, slamming the door on the middle of Atlanta's powerhouse lineup in a potential game-tying situation in the bottom of the eighth, while Evan Carter and Andrew Knizner hit big home runs. Now, Texas will face off with the aforementioned Mariners for the first time this season looking to reestablish their dominance in the division and climb back up these MLB Power Rankings.
9. Chicago Cubs (-3)
Splitting a four-game set with the Marlins feels like a series loss, but the Cubs are still playing solid ball through their first 22 games. One major concern, though, is the closer role. Adbert Alzolay, who has blown four saves already, all on home runs, was removed from the role Sunday, pitching in the eighth inning of a 6-3 loss in the series finale.
10. Toronto Blue Jays (+6)
Though they missed out on two chances to earn a series sweep this week, the Blue Jays are playing some excellent baseball right now. Daulton Varsho finally looks like the player the Jays thought they were getting in the trade with Arizona and Davis Schneider proved he doesn't just hit bombs with his incredible catch against New York on Tuesday. If only Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette would start carrying their share of the load!
11. New York Mets (+10)
Sure, they took a shellacking from the Dodgers on Sunday, but the week hardly could have been better for the Mets. They swept the Pirates, took the series in L.A., and reinvigorated a fanbase that had little optimism about their ballclub early in the season. Plus, they dropped their City Connect uniforms to mostly positive feedback, which not many teams have been able to say of late.
12. Tampa Bay Rays (-3)
Tampa Bay became the latest team to experience the cruelty of the AL East when they dropped into last place Sunday afternoon despite a 12-11 record. They made two valiant comeback attempts at Yankee Stadium over the weekend, but maybe next time, they'll score some runs before the game reaches the seventh inning. This is still a team in wait-and-see mode as they enter their fourth week of the young season.
13. Arizona Diamondbacks (-2)
Arizona's 11-12 record may be something of a disappointment, but it's also misleading, as the Diamondbacks' +28 run differential is the third-best in the National League. They fought hard to earn a split in San Francisco and got a gem from Jordan Montgomery in his D-Backs debut. Heading on the road to St. Louis and Seattle this week, Arizona will look to get its season record back above .500.
14. Kansas City Royals (-1)
The Royals dropped two out of three in their showdown with the Orioles this weekend, but they looked far from overmatched. Bringing in veteran starters Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo has done wonders for this rotation, with Cole Ragans and Brady Singer both on the precipice of breakout seasons. It's clear the Royals are building something exciting long-term, but are they ready to compete for a division title right away?
15. Seattle Mariners (+3)
The Mariners finally had a good week, winning five of seven against the Reds at home and Rockies on the road. Luis Castillo picked up a much-needed win on the mound, his first of the season, while Bryce Miller continued to shove. Mariners fans tire of hearing it, but this team's Achilles Heel continues to be its offense. Seattle is one of just a handful of teams without a qualified hitter over a .800 OPS, though, and Julio Rodríguez continues to slump at the dish.
16. Cincinnati Reds (+4)
Elly De La Cruz is making it his mission to make each and every one of his doubters into a believer by the end of the month. He's up to six home runs on the young season and showed his improved plate discipline with four walks on Saturday. The Reds will need to dodge an injury bullet with Frankie Montas, who was hit by a comebacker in the win Sunday, but the vibes are mostly immaculate for this club after its sweep of the Angels.
17. San Diego Padres (no change)
The Padres became the first team to win a series against the Brewers early in the week but nearly were swept by the Blue Jays when they returned home for the weekend. Though they remain in second place and gained ground on the Dodgers this week, San Diego has yet to fully prove they're destined to be better than the .500 team they were a year ago—and still are to this point in 2024.
18. Boston Red Sox (no change)
It was a week of twists and turns for the Red Sox, who dropped three of four at home against Cleveland, only to turn around and sweep the Pirates in Pittsburgh. Rafael Devers and Tyler O'Neill look ready to return, but Triston Casas would be an enormous loss if his oblique injury keeps him out longer than the length of his original IL stint. And somehow, in spite of everything else, the Sox just keep pitching, with Tanner Houck and Kutter Crawford delivering gems this week.
19. Detroit Tigers (-5)
At this moment, the Tigers look like the clear-cut third banana in the AL Central. They did well to take two of three from the Twins this weekend, but a tough series against the Rangers early in the week erased most of the progress Detroit had made in getting above .500 early in the season. The bats need to pick up soon, or the Tigers won't be serious threats to make a playoff berth until at least 2025.
20. San Francisco Giants (+5)
It was a 4-3 week for the Giants, which will get you somewhere in the long run if you do it with consistency. Patrick Bailey just needs every day to be his bobblehead day, as the backstop went 4-4 with a home run into a kayak in the San Francisco Bay when they handed out his figurines to fans on Saturday. There's a lot the Giants still need to clean up, but they've got the talent to figure it out.
21. Washington Nationals (+6)
Though it's too early to declare the Nationals “good,” they're definitely building something in the nation's capital. CJ Abrams looks like a 40-40 candidate, Jesse Winker keeps reminding us of his 2021 self and Mitchell Parker came up from AAA this week and shut down the Dodgers and Astros for a pair of wins. It's getting easy to be very, very excited about the Nats in 2025 and beyond.
22. Pittsburgh Pirates (-12)
We rewarded the Pirates last week with a spot in our MLB Power Rankings top ten and this is how they repay us? An 0-6 week completely erased all the goodwill the Buccos had built up with their hot start and now they find themselves all the way down in fourth place in the NL Central. The bats have gone ice cold, the mood is icier, and the Pirates desperately need to string a couple of wins together before the front office decides it's another year of sell mode at the deadline.
23. Minnesota Twins (-1)
The Twins just can't hit anything right now. Their .195 team batting average and .610 OPS are both second-worst in the league, ahead of only the White Sox. Though they won the division a season ago, these Twins might be the first of the four presumed challengers for the AL Central crown to fall out of the race.
24. Houston Astros (-9)
It's time to panic in Houston. The Astros' series loss in Washington didn't look like a contender struggling to find their early-season footing against an inferior opponent, it looked like the Nationals were fully the better team. The lineup is scuffling, the bullpen is coughing up games left and right and the rotation is in shambles, with Cristian Javier becoming the latest injury victim. This could be a lost season if the Astros can't find answers, and soon.
25. St. Louis Cardinals (-2)
Will it ever come together for the Cardinals in the Oli Marmol era? St. Louis is 9-13, two games back of every other team in the NL Central and six back of the Brewers, who just came into Busch Stadium and embarrassed their hosts. If the Cards don't start getting contributions from Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado, it's going to be another year full of misery and another campaign stuck at the bottom of the MLB Power Rankings.
26. Los Angeles Angels (-1)
It was an ugly week for the Halos, punctuated by a three-game sweep in Cincinnati and an injury to Anthony Rendon. Patrick Sandoval has been a huge disappointment on the mound, taking his third loss in a seven-run beating from the Reds on Saturday. Any hopes of a surprise Wild Card run are fading fast.
27. Oakland Athletics (-1)
The Athletics scored more than two runs just once this week, which was also the only game they managed to win. They might not be as bad as they were a year ago, but they're certainly far from good. And benching Esteury Ruiz after consecutive games with a home run makes absolutely no sense, which is exactly why it does make sense that the A's did that on Friday.
28. Miami Marlins (+1)
There hasn't been a lot of positivity in Miami to start this season, but the Marlins did manage a series split at Wrigley Field over the weekend thanks to some late-game heroics from Bryan De La Cruz, who has been crushing the ball of late. They've still yet to win a series, of course, but it's all about baby steps when you're struggling as mightily as the Fish have in 2024.
29. Colorado Rockies (-1)
A walk-off win Sunday was good for morale, but the Rockies are still among the dregs of MLB Power Rankings at the moment. They got dummied by the Mariners in the nightcap and fell to 5-17 overall, on pace for 37 wins in this disastrous season. It's not going to get better unless the entire team starts hitting and pitching at a different level than they've proven they can.
30. Chicago White Sox (no change)
It's no longer a contest for the distinction of worst team in the MLB Power Rankings. The Whtie Sox have that title on lock with the way they're playing right now. They spent the entire week giving up moonshots to the opposition while flirting with being no-hit on back-to-back nights. It's going to be a season of pain for White Sox fans, at least those who haven't already turned off their television sets.
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