How much can change in a week?
One week after the excitement of opening day, our first regular-season rankings of the season offer a reality check for some and hope for others.
Is your favorite team off to a fast start or is it going to be a long time before you see them again?
Our 10-voter panel combined for an initial order based on what we have seen so far and what we already knew about the full baseball season. The experts were asked to give an early assessment of all 30 teams.
The preseason MLB power rankings.
The record was 3-2.
1 was the previous ranking.
The Dodgers season- opening road trip could not have gone better. After missing last year's playoffs because of a problem with his elbow, the Dodgers ace twirled seven perfect frames on only 80 pitches and looked like he was in control. Bellinger, who was batting.235 last year, had two extra-base hits, including a home run, and was 2-for-14 to start the season.
The record was 4-2.
The previous ranking was 5.
The Astros showed no sign of decline this first week despite having turned over a couple of key lineup slots. The replacements for George Springer have been very productive, and so far in 2022, they have been identified. The bigger story has been the emergence of Jeremy Pena, who has taken over a position held down for years by Carlos Correa. While he did commit his first big league error in the field, his overall metrics were positive as he had a strong first week at the plate.
The record was 4-2.
The previous ranking was 2.
A team that narrowly missed out on the playoffs last year is clearly more confident in its abilities this season, as one can see by walking around the locker room. The trajectory of this team will be determined by how young players like Bo Bichette grow into their leadership roles.
The record was 4-1.
The previous ranking was 4.
The front offices that scored big with major moves to the clubs that failed completely were graded.
David Schoenfield is a person.
Why did your team not add a new player?
With injuries to Lance Lynn and Lucas Giolito, and a season-ending injury for high-leverage lefty Garrett Crochet, the Chicago pitching staff opened the season with more eyes on its injured list than on what was happening on the field. The first week of the season saw the White Sox pitch the ball well. Dylan Cease is one of the pitchers on the staff that keeps an eye on it. Cease keeps pushing his strikeout rate into the highest echelons of starting pitchers by mixing in his slider more than ever. Cease could join that club this season in a rotation full of perennial Cy Young candidates.
The record was 4-2.
The previous ranking was 9.
In the sweep of Baltimore, Franco went 6-for-11 with a double and three runs. In an ultracompetitive division, the 21-year-old will need more of the same from his team as he plays his first full season in the bigs.
The record was 3-4.
The previous ranking was 3.
The Braves began the season with a six-man rotation that included a promising young pitcher, who looked good against the Nationals until fading in the sixth and serving up back-to-back home runs to Juan Soto and Josh Bell. It makes sense to stick with the six-man rotation for a few turns because of the extra workload the pitching staff had last October and the short spring. The Braves have 14 straight days of games to start the season and only one off day until May 5.
The record was 3-3.
The previous ranking was 6.
There is no one in baseball who hits line drives harder. In a game against Boston, he went 5-for-13 with two homers and four runs, and nearly every ball he hit screamed off the bat. So goes the Yankees offense.
The record was 5-2.
The previous ranking was 8.
In his first two starts, Tylor Megill has looked like a potential rotation force, not allowing a run or a walk in either of them. He has averaged 96.4 mph with his fastball and touched as high as 99.1, while throwing a changeup that often sits in the low 90s. He has to show he has the strength to go deeper into games, but the stuff and control are impressive.
The record was 4-3.
The previous ranking was 12.
The Padres offense has been looked upon as a major concern heading into the season because Fernando Tatis Jr. will spend most of the first half recovering from surgery to his left wrist. Through the first week of the season, two of their biggest questions were at first base and left field. Eric Hosmer and Jurickson Profar, who were pressed into semi-regular playing time after occupying utility roles in recent years, both hit.406/.472/.688 through the team. If the Padres are going to survive in the future, they will need premium production outside of Jake Cronenworth. Hosmer and Profar have provided it.
The record was 3-3.
The previous ranking was 13
Alec had an adventurous first week. He made three errors in the first three frames on Monday and was caught on camera saying "I hate this place." He pinch-hit on Tuesday and received a standing ovation from the fans. Who knew you had it in Philadelphia? You have to think that the Phillies will eventually want to use Stott at third base, either in Triple-A or in the big leagues. The defense was an issue before the three-error game, so don't be surprised if Camargo ends up playing a lot.
The record was 4-2.
The previous ranking was 10.
The ability to cobble together an elite starting rotation seemingly on the fly was one of the most remarkable elements of the Giants. Is it possible they could do it again? Their two new additions, Alex Cobb and Carlos Rodon, combined to allow three runs and strike out 21 batters in their season debut. Joey Bart reached base eight times in his first 15 plate appearances.
The record was 3-3.
The previous ranking was 7.
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Passan's season predictions
When the Brewers were knocked out of the playoffs by the Braves last fall, they asked if there was enough offense. The Brewers were shut out twice in their first four games. The Brewers hope that a shortened spring of preparation can explain why the first turn through the rotation for Brandon Woodruff and Corbin Burnes didn't go as planned.
The record was 3-3.
The previous ranking was 11.
The Yankees were swept in the Bronx in the first week of the season, but Boston was able to avoid that on Sunday. The weekend series gave a glimpse of how the American League East could change this season, with a lot of really competitive teams leaving each other little breathing room.
The record was 3-1.
The previous ranking was 15.
So far this year, what is the highlight of St. Louis? Albert Pujols went deep for the first time this season on Tuesday against the Royals. The obvious hallmarks of a serious contender would be solid hitting, pitching and defense, and the Cards are already showing why they might be the class of the division.
The record was 2-4.
The previous ranking was 14.
The key to Seattle's season is getting production from young outfielders. Kelenic had a four-strikeout game. Rodriguez missed Triple-A in order to make the opening day roster. Kelenic had not played much above Class A when he was called up last year.
The record was 2-4.
The previous ranking was 17
The Twins offense couldn't put it together consistently over the first week, but there were flashes that the bounce-back season Minnesota was hoping for is in its early formation. While the trade of closer and key clubhouse presence Taylor Rogers shook things up a bit, his eventual replacement may have already emerged. Over his first two appearances in the majors, Jhoan Duran flashed triple-digit velocity and a solid arsenal of secondary pitches. After seeing him for the first time, Carlos Correa gushed about him, and by the end of the season, he may prove to be prophetic.
The record was 3-3.
The previous ranking was 16.
The best lineup trio in the sport right now is Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon. That has not been the case early on. Ohtani, Trout and Rendon combined for just nine hits and 17 strikeouts. If all three are healthy, those numbers will go up a lot. If Ohtani, Trout and Rendon don't all produce like stars, the Angels have little chance of ending their playoff streak. Their roster is not talented enough to make up for it.
The record was 4-2.
The previous ranking was 20.
During the first week of the season, the offense looked meager on paper, but it had some exciting moments. It will be remembered as the week of Steven Kwan, who reached base a record 18 times over his first five games, but struck out for the first time against Cincinnati on Wednesday. Jose Ramirez could post a huge total in 2022. No one is capable of maintaining what he has been doing over a full season, but in a sense he is doing what he has always been doing, going back to his days at Oregon State. The rest of us can't help but notice that he is doing it on a stage.
The record was 2-4.
The previous ranking was 18.
Where did your team's best young players land?
Top 100 prospects.
The 30 MLB farm systems are ranked.
The team-by-team lists are for the American League and the National League.
It has been a rough start for the Tigers offense, but manager A.J. Hinch told reporters that it is too early to panic. The lineup that added top producers was expected to be better. During the opening homestand of the season, the only tigers hitting were Meadows and Baez. Spencer Torkelson is off to a slow start, which doesn't mean anything. Akil Baddoo, who was setting the majors on fire a year ago, had just one hit over the first five games this year. The two outfielders combined for less than half of the total bases.
The record was 3-2.
The previous ranking was 22.
There is renewed excitement in Chicago due to the arrival of Seiya Suzuki. The outfielder made headlines with his first two-homer game in a 2-1 win over Pittsburgh on Tuesday, but it was the walks that have shown his maturity as he laid off several borderline pitches to keep rallies alive. Suzuki is the first player since 1920 to record at least eight RBIs and four walks in his first four MLB games.
The record was 4-1.
The previous ranking was 26.
Kris Bryant, who shocked the industry by signing a seven-year, $182 million contract with the Rockies, is batting.350/.391/.500 through his first 23 plate appearances. The best moment so far was turned in by Grichuk, who leaped against the fence at Globe Life Field, lifting his elbow up over the railing, to rob Seager of a home run. It is the play of the year so far. It might still be by the end.
The record was 2-2.
The previous ranking was 23.
Young starting pitchers were the focus of the Royals rebuild. This is the season when the strategy would start to pay off. The Royals had the worst pitching and defense in the majors over the first week. That is not good. Most of the damage was done by the foundation guys. After their first outings, Kris Bubic, Brady Singer, Daniel Lynch, and Jackson Kowar all had double-digit strikeouts.
The record was 1-4.
The previous ranking was 19
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In appreciation of the pitcher at-bat: good, bad, or ugly.
Jesus Luzardo was the bright spot in a slow start. He allowed two hits and one run and struck out 12. His four-seamer averaged 98.6 mph, and he fanned nine batters with his curve. This was the pitcher who was a top prospect with the A's as opposed to the one who struggled in the big leagues last season. The franchise record for a lefty was tied by the 12 K&s. It is one start, but something to dream about.
The record was 2-4.
The previous ranking was 25.
On the same day that CEO Phil Castellini said he was going to retool the Reds, they got no-hit into the sixth and then gave up six runs in the ninth of a 10-5 loss to the Guardians. Cincinnati had a bad home opener. Joey Votto started the season just 3 for his first 17 at-bats as he and Jonathan India are the anchors for a team void of great hitters.
The record was 1-4.
The previous ranking was 21.
After a few games, how did the money spent on the middle infield pay off? Seager has seven hits, but only one went for more than a single. Marcus Semien is 2-for-22. The Rangers are off to a bit of a slow start but in reality it is the pitching that has let them down, and it is the second worst in the American League after five games. Spencer Howard, Martin Perez and the rest of the staff need to be better.
The record was 3-4.
The previous ranking was 24.
The biggest news for the Nationals was reports that the family that purchased the team in 2006 is exploring the possibility of selling it. The franchise is worth $2 billion according to Forbes. Steve Cohen bought the Mets for $2.4 billion in 2020. The family hired an investment bank to research potential investors and buyers, but the managing principal owner said it was an exploratory process.
The record was 3-3.
The previous ranking was 28.
The team is being torn down by the departures of Matt Chapman, Matt Olson, Chris Bassitt, and Sean Manaea. Which players will make up Oakland's foundation moving forward is a question now. One of the few established big leaguers left on the team is Frankie Montas, and Oakland could look to move him as well. Montas was 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217
The record was 2-4.
The previous ranking was 27.
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