Figuring out which team is Major League Baseball’s worst right now doesn’t take much effort. Determining the best is another story.
We’re more than a month in, and no team has clearly separated itself from the pack. For that reason, there’s been plenty of shuffling toward the top of our power rankings over the first handful of editions, and this week is no exception.
Here are the latest rankings, including some of the best and worst from each club after April’s action.
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Sure, we know they’re quite clearly the second-worst team in MLB, but they did just take a series from the Astros and have now won three of their last four games. Miguel Vargas and Luis Robert Jr. are both heating up — an important development if the White Sox hope to deal Robert for an impactful prospect package at the deadline — and Shane Smith has the lowest ERA (2.23) among all qualified rookie starters.
Oneil Cruz leads the National League in steals and ranks in the top 20 in MLB in home runs and OPS. He, along with Paul Skenes and Andrew Heaney, are about the only good things going for a Pittsburgh team that has lost 11 of its last 15 games after dropping a series to the Cubs and getting swept by the Padres last week. The Pirates scored five runs total during that sweep and, to no one’s surprise, rank 29th in slugging, 28th in runs scored, OPS and home runs and 27th in batting average.
The Marlins were never going to contend this year. They’ve surrendered the most runs in MLB and their starters have a league-worst 6.63 ERA, but the club is peskier than most cellar dwellers. The offense has been more than serviceable, especially in clutch situations. They have four walk-off wins and six comeback victories, and in a year that’s strictly about evaluating young talent, Kyle Stowers (.928 OPS), Agustin Ramirez (.825), Griffin Conine (.790) and Max Meyer (3.92 ERA) are providing some reasons for optimism. It would help their cause — and their prospect pool at the deadline — if Sandy Alcantara (8.31 ERA) started to perform.
Remember when the Angels got out to a 9-5 start? Ah, good times. Well, they were just swept in a two-game set by Seattle, got outscored 34-11 while losing a series to Detroit and have now dropped 15 of their last 19 games. Their minus-64 run differential is the worst in the American League. They have the worst walk rate, the lowest on-base percentage, and the second-highest strikeout rate in MLB. Oh, and Mike Trout is hurt again. On the bright side, Zach Neto has provided a boost since his return from injury, and Logan O’Hoppe has nine home runs.
The good news? They’re 8-5 in their last 13 games, Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez both look terrific, and the team now sports a positive run differential. The bad news? Five of those eight wins came against the White Sox and Angels, they were 7-15 before their mini-run, they’re again dealing with a litany of injuries, and Byron Buxton can only do so much to lift an offense that ranks 22nd in OPS. Maybe the pitching staff can save them.
The return from the Juan Soto trade continue paying dividends. James Wood has a .926 OPS, CJ Abrams has an .856 OPS, and, most surprisingly, MacKenzie Gore leads the majors in strikeouts. But the rest of the Nationals rotation has struggled, the bullpen has amassed a gruesome 6.55 ERA, and Dylan Crews has yet to take the leap forward that many hoped to see (though the batted-ball data still suggests better days ahead).
The concerns about the rotation entering the year have been validated. Orioles starters have a 5.69 ERA and have served up more taters than an Idaho diner. Their bullpen, meanwhile, also has an ERA over 5.00, though Felix Bautista (6-for-6 in save chances) has looked good. Much more surprisingly, the offense ranks in the bottom five in batting average, on-base percentage and OPS, despite strong work from Ryan O’Hearn (.979 OPS) and Cedric Mullins (.870).
Their offense ranks fourth in batting average and seventh in on-base percentage, Masyn Winn and Willson Contreras are both trending up after slow starts at teh dish, and the Cardinals lead MLB defensively in outs above average. There aren’t as many superlatives for a pitching staff that ranks 22nd in ERA and 27th in strikeout rate with the most runs allowed in the NL Central.
If William Contreras, Jackson Chourio and Christian Yelich are all going to hit around or below league average, it’s going to be a tough year in Milwaukee. I don’t imagine it’ll stay that way. Currently, though, the Brewers offense ranks last in barrel rate and 26th in slugging. Jose Quintana (even after one blow-up outing his last time out) has given the Brewers’ rotation a needed boost, but they need to hope Freddy Peralta’s groin issue isn’t serious. He remains the starring attraction of the otherwise nondescript group.
Jeff Hoffman has an argument as the best reliever in MLB, the Toronto bullpen has the best strikeout-to-walk ratio in MLB, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has finally added some home runs to his tally. The offense, however, has been one of the least powerful in MLB. Blue Jays hitters rank last in home runs and 27th in slugging percentage, and the pitching staff (4.24 ERA) hasn’t been good enough to make up for the lack of pop.
The lack of offense in Texas is mystifying. The Rangers rank 29th in runs, 28th in on-base percentage and 27th in OPS. Now, changes are afoot. Jake Burger has been optioned, offensive coordinator Donnie Ecker has been fired, and Leody Taveras was placed on outright waivers. The club’s struggles are not at all the result of the pitching, which has been excellent. Rangers starters have the lowest ERA in the American League.
Suddenly, the Braves are an average and not abysmal offense. A series defeat at the hands of the Dodgers took some wind out of the sails of Atlanta’s storm back toward contention, but it’s no longer just Marcell Ozuna carrying the lineup. Austin Riley is back to doing his thing, Alex Verdugo has provided a boost, and Chris Sale has been much more productive lately for an Atlanta rotation that needs him right. Braves starters have a 4.51 ERA as a group, which ranks 26th in MLB. The lack of depth is still apparent, at least until Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider return.
Their plus-34 run differential would suggest a better record than the one they possess, though a 24-2 win on the ledger will do that. All around, from the offense to the starting pitching to the bullpen, they’ve been more solid than spectacular. We know what Elly De La Cruz and Hunter Greene can do, but the consistency of the supporting pieces will determine how far the Reds go. We should find out a lot more about this team on the upcoming road trip to Atlanta and Houston.
I don’t really know what to do with the Rays. They were swept by Kansas City then went to the Bronx and took two of three last week, which is maybe the right encapsulation of their season. Their offense has started to nosedive — over the last 15 days, they rank 28th in OPS and 27th in runs — but their speed on the basepaths (especially with rookie Chandler Simpson) brings a dynamic element, their pitching staff remains solid, they lead the majors in defensive runs saved, and they still have a positive run differential.
The A’s are surging. Four straight series wins have them in second place in the AL West, despite a 4-9 record against teams .500 or better, a pitching staff with a 4.42 ERA and a minus-22 run differential. Early home run leader Tyler Soderstrom has hit a power lull, but others have helped pick up the slack. It’s all about the offense in Sacramento.
Hunter Brown looks like a legitimate Cy Young Award contender, Jeremy Pena has taken a leap forward, Hayden Wesneski has helped stabilize the Astros rotation, and their bullpen looks like one of baseball’s best. Still, it can’t be easy for Astros fans to watch their average offense or see their average record while Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman look like two of the most valuable position players in baseball (they rank ninth and 10th, respectively, in fWAR) with their new clubs.
The potential for greatness is still there. The results, so far, have not been there. The offense has the second-most strikeouts and third-highest whiff rate in MLB and just lost Triston Casas for the season, the defense leads the league in errors, and the pitching staff has been mediocre overall. There are still plenty of reasons for optimism. Kristian Campbell looks like the best rookie in the sport, new additions Garrett Crochet and Alex Bregman have looked like stars, and eventually top prospect Roman Anthony should enter the fold. I still expect better days ahead.
The Royals are on the rise. After sweeping in Tampa Bay and taking a series in Baltimore, they’ve now won 11 of their last 13 games despite an offense with the sixth-lowest OPS and second-fewest homers in MLB — and that’s after launching seven homers on Sunday. The ascension of Maikel Garcia (.319/.379/.496) is coming at an important time, and both the starting pitchers (3.26 ERA) and relievers (2.98) have been terrific.
Again, the Diamondbacks boast one of the most dangerous lineups in baseball. And, again, their pitching staff is holding them back. Their starters and relievers both rank in the bottom 10 in ERA, and Corbin Burnes, AJ Puk and Justin Martinez are now dinged up. Corbin Carroll is hitting the ball harder than ever and back to looking like one of the game’s impact talents, but the Dbacks have dropped seven of their last 11 games even after taking a series in Queens last week. Getting Ketel Marte back should provide a boost, but he can’t fix the pitching.
At this point, maybe we just shouldn’t question it? They have the lowest hard-hit rate in MLB, their rotation ranks 27th in ERA, and their Pythagorean win-loss% is .427. But a minus-23 run differential on the season (just one run better than the White Sox!) hasn’t stopped the Guardians from jumping out to a .588 winning percentage. They win close games — they’re 8-1 in one-run contests — and Kyle Manzardo’s power has helped make up for the loss of Josh Naylor, but it’ll be hard to keep stacking wins while playing this way.
Even by his extraordinary standards, the start to this season is otherworldly for Aaron Judge, who leads MLB in hits, WAR, RBI and every slash line category. He’s hitting 163% better than league average by OPS+. Just, let that sink in. Add on the positive impacts of Ben Rice, Trent Grisham and Paul Goldschmidt, and the offense has by far the best OPS in MLB one year after losing Juan Soto. The rotation, meanwhile, has clear issues behind Max Fried and Carlos Rodon. Series losses last week to Baltimore and Tampa Bay drop them a couple spots.
The Phillies bullpen has actually been much better of late, though it didn’t look that way Sunday as it squandered away a chance to sweep the Diamondbacks. The late innings have been a problem this season — the bullpen has a 4.71 ERA and leads MLB in blown saves — but newcomer Jesus Luzardo and the Phillies’ elite starters have helped counterbalance those issues. The rotation has the best strikeout-to-walk ratio in MLB, while the offense has been more good than great. The last time the Phillies ranked outside the top 10 in home runs was in 2021, which also happened to be the last time they missed the playoffs. They’re currently 17th in homers, despite still ranking in the top 10 in OPS.
The bullpen is clearly one of the best in baseball. How long can that lift a pedestrian rotation and offense? The lineup has the second-lowest hard-hit rate in MLB, but the group has built a penchant for performing in the clutch, and maybe the Rockies helped cure Willy Adames’ slow start in San Francisco.
We were wondering if any AL West team would start to separate, and that’s what Seattle is beginning to do behind their … offense? Wait, what? The Mariners have won each of their last eight series, in part because they’ve scored more runs than any team in their division and rank in the top five in MLB in walks (first), homers (fourth) and OPS (fifth), despite doing very little this offseason to meaningfully fix their lineup. Cal Raleigh leads MLB in homers, and the only big leaguer with at least 80 plate appearances and a higher OPS than Jorge Polanco is Aaron Judge. Consider me a bit skeptical that all of the above continues, but the powers of Edgar Martinez and Kevin Seitzer compel me.
Sure, the NL is far more formidable this year than the AL. But overlook the Tigers at your own peril. Their offense ranks fifth in slugging and sixth in OPS, though it does strike out a lot. Their pitching staff is third in ERA. Last year taught us about the aptitude of their bullpen, but the return of Jack Flaherty and leaps forward from Casey Mize and Rookie of the Year contender Jackson Jobe have made this rotation dangerous. Add on the resurgence of Spencer Torkelson and center fielder (!?) Javier Baez, and there’s a lot to like from the team with the best run differential in MLB. Now, can the offense sustain this level of play?
Jackson Merrill and Jake Cronenworth are getting closer to a return, which is important for a Padres club that isn’t as deep as recent iterations of the club. No matter, though — San Diego is coming off a 5-0 week, Michael King and newcomer Nick Pivetta both rank in the top 10 among qualified starters in ERA, the bullpen has been the best in baseball, the pitching staff overall has the lowest hard-hit rate in MLB, and Fernando Tatis Jr. continues to look like a top MVP contender after a hit by pitch scare.
Who would’ve predicted the Mets’ rotation would have the best ERA in MLB more than a month in? I certainly was not among the believers, but they’re making me (and many others) look silly. The bullpen has shown some cracks lately, and back-to-back series losses to the Diamondbacks and Cardinals bump them down a couple spots, but reigning Player of the Month Pete Alonso continues to bang. He has the highest OPS in the National League.
Kyle Tucker has been every bit the transformative MVP-caliber star the Cubs could have hoped for … and yet he’s not the team’s leader in wins above replacement. That honor goes to Pete Crow-Armstrong, who ranks third among all MLB players in fWAR. Leaps forward from Crow-Armstrong and Michael Busch, plus plenty of offensive production from Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ, have helped make the Cubs — who lead MLB in runs and steals — one of the most dynamic offenses in MLB. Last week, they recorded three homers in one inning against Paul Skenes, who had never before allowed three home runs in a full game as a big leaguer. Can they keep slugging their way past their pitching uncertainties?
After a litany of pitching injuries limited them to just three starters they trusted throughout October last postseason, the Dodgers threw money at the problem. Unfortunately for them, the issues persist. The Dodgers currently have 12 pitchers (including two members of their Opening Day rotation in Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow) on the injured list, and that’s not including Shohei Ohtani, who’s not particularly close to a return to the mound. And yet, the Dodgers still have more wins than any team in MLB. It helps when reigning Pitcher of the Month Yoshinobu Yamamoto is playing at a Cy Young level. Finally, the offense is kicking into gear, too.
Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on X at @RowanKavner.
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