The 2024 MLB season is already racing against the clock, or so it feels like.
Some teams have gained momentum (and some are severely lacking it) and every club is at least 20 games into the season, meaning we have a small sample size of action to examine. Thinking back to my rankings during spring training, a lot has changed and there appears to be some leaders I originally left out.
Here are my updated rankings for the top 10:
#1: New York Yankees
The New York Yankees have a 15-8 record and rank second for the most wins in the league this season, behind only the Cleveland Guardians, who have a 16-6 record. With a .652 winning percentage, the team has significantly improved its projected standings, especially compared to its winning percentage last season, .506.
While everything seems positive in the Bronx, the Yankees have lost an overwhelming amount of players to the injury list so short into the season. The most impactful loss is that of ace Gerrit Cole, who suffered elbow nerve inflammation during spring training but will not require Tommy John surgery. Cole has steadily improved in rehab and is expected to return in May. His comeback will give a much-needed boost to the Yankees’ rotation.
#2: Atlanta Braves
Despite the Braves losing their previously held No. 1 spot to the Yankees, Atlanta remains a battle-tested franchise and that is proven to perform at an elite level when push comes to shove. Losing their ace Spencer Strider was an extremely unfortunate loss for the team at such an early point in the season, but things still look bright moving forward for the Braves.
Atlanta is No. 1 in the NL East with a 15-6 record after this weekend’s series against the Texas Rangers in which they won two of three games. Second baseman Ozzie Albies is set to return this upcoming weekend after being added to the 10-day injury list due to suffering a fractured right big toe. The three-time All-Star was cleared for batting practice before the April 22 game against the Marlins. His expected return is April 26, which marks the beginning of a weekend series in Atlanta against the Guardians.
#3: Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers’ main issues revolve around the bullpen rotation and their current batting order but they are still favored to win a vast majority of their games this season. However, the team has lost its last three series to the San Diego Padres (1-2), Washington Nationals (1-2) and the New York Mets (1-2).
“I think it’s just a bad week, I really do,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “But with that, even with bad weeks, we still usually find ways to carve up a couple wins. But this week, we haven’t. We usually play well at home; this week, we haven’t.”
It may not be a surprise to avid baseball fans that the Dodgers are struggling to find consistency, but it is disappointing nonetheless. Were the millions of dollars spent during the offseason not enough to launch LA into greatness? Is Shohei Ohtani not the answer to all their problems? Only time will tell.
#4: Baltimore Orioles
Spearheaded by ace pitcher Corbin Burnes, the Orioles boast top-five stature again this year as they look to build upon last year’s successes and surpass 100 wins in consecutive seasons. The MLB’s top prospect Jackson Holliday, son of former MLB outfielder Matt Holliday, was called up to the majors on April 10 against the Boston Red Sox. His debut fell short of expectations and he continues to struggle with a mere .033 batting average.
More often than not, an organization is only as good as its weakest link. In Baltimore’s case—despite the rookie’s poor performance—weak links are few and far between, as their culture appears to be one of preparedness and developed professionalism.
#5: Cleveland Guardians
The Cleveland Guardians are off to a hot start this season and moving up to an extremely impressive (albeit early) record of 16 wins and six losses. This unexpected success comes as a complete surprise; the Guardians could not be found in the top 10 of most preseason rankings.
According to Sports Illustrated, the team was ranked No. 21 in November. We will see how these rankings change moving forward, as Cleveland sets out to prove that it can sustain such a spicy start.
#6: Milwaukee Brewers
Former Brewers manager Craig Counsell’s contract ended after the 2023 season and so did pitcher Corbin Burnes’. The team’s president of baseball operations, Matt Arnold, questioned whether the right-hander was a right fit for Milwaukee. Both Counsell and Burnes left the Brewers for the No. 8 and No. 4 teams respectively. The Brewers appear to be doing well under the new management with a 14-7 record and a No. 1 rank in the NL Central.
No. 2 Prospect and 20-year-old Venezuelan-born Jackson Chourio is off to a hot start, and surprisingly, so are the Brewers. After posting several impressive performances already this season, Chourio has cemented himself in MLB history as just the 4th-youngest player since 1900 with at least four home runs in their first 17 career games.
#7: Philadelphia Phillies
An 8-8 start is not what the Phillies may have wanted, but after recent wins against the Colorado Rockies and Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia is riding high and showing glimpses of past glory as they conclude a flawless week. They may not be a top-five team yet, but they are knocking on the door at 15-8.
#8: Chicago Cubs
After signing left-handed pitcher Shōta Imanaga out of Japan, the Cubs are confident that their slithery move to acquire such a hot commodity can hopefully nudge their organization in the right direction. With only four starts so far, he has a 0.84 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 21 strikeouts to begin his MLB career.
“I thought Shota pitched well,” manager Craig Counsell said of Imanaga’s recent performance against the Marlins. “He did a nice job, got us six innings in the second game with a doubleheader, which was great, and kept runs off the board. So, another good start. That’s four good starts for Shota.”
Imanaga looks ready to propel Chicago’s dark horse project to the promised land.
#9: Kansas City Royals
Kansas City has fallen a few spots on most power rankings in the aftermath of a disappointing series against the Orioles. The team lost 9-7 on Saturday and was crushed by a 5-0 shutout on Sunday that ended their nine-game home winning streak. Nonetheless, they currently are riding above .500 and have proven to have a more complete roster going into the 2024 season as opposed to 2023.
#10: Texas Rangers
Falling five spots from my preseason power ranking, the Texas Rangers are being treated like underdogs and rightfully so. The team has had a slow start to the season, but things could turn around pretty quickly with the hopeful return of starting pitcher Max Scherzer.
It has been less than five months after he had surgery to repair a herniated disk, yet he plans to return much sooner than anybody would have expected. The 39-year-old has been loosening up in the pen and could potentially begin a rehab assignment as soon as next week.
“We’re not ready to say a date, but we’re looking at early May in being able to come back,” said Scherzer when the Rangers were in Detroit earlier this week.
After a lukewarm start to the season, the defending champs are looking to show that it’s not about how you come out of the gate, but how you close in the end.
The first month of the regular season has already seen plenty of intrigue, including former No. 1 overall pick Holliday’s debut and some broken records, like Ohtani moving past Hideki Matsui for most home runs hit by a Japanese-born Major Leaguer.
Will week four see Ohtani break another record? Will Holliday find his groove and stay in the big leagues? Will the Rangers continue to climb up the ladder? We’ll have to keep watching to find out.