Three weeks into the MLB season, the American League is starting to make a difference, as the National League continues to dominate the top of our Power Rankings.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and New York Mets are all red hot American League teams. The Chicago White Sox have lost eight games in a row. Is there a new team at No. 30?
Our expert panel has combined to rank every team in baseball based on what we have seen so far and what we already knew going into the full baseball season. The experts were asked to give an early assessment of all 30 teams.
Week 2 of the preseason rankings.
The record was 12-6).
1 was the previous ranking.
Remember back to the start of the season when we talked about the Dodgers' only weakness? Through the first three weeks of the season, the Dodgers have the best starting-pitcher ERA. Walker Buehler, Andrew Heaney and Tony Gonsolin have all performed to the level of their expectations. May is on his way back. The Dodgers are on a good pace.
The record was 13-6.
The previous ranking was 3.
They got you again, right? You looked at the Giants roster and noted some missing players, but you didn't see dominance in them. Three weeks into the season, they have the second-best winning percentage and are tied with the Dodgers for the highest run-differential in the majors. The Giants seem to find a way. Carlos Rodon and Joc Pederson are two savvy additions from the off-season.
The record was 12-7.
The previous ranking was 4.
The Blue Jays are living up to expectations. Bo Bichette is one of the few weak spots in the lineup, but the young star knocked a go-ahead grand slam to beat the Red Sox on Monday. One of the team's best contributors so far has been catcher Zack Collins, who came over from the Chicago White Sox via trade before the season.
The record was 14-6).
The previous ranking was 2.
The Mets won their first six series for the first time in their history, because their starting pitchers beat up on the struggling lineups of the Nationals and the D-backs. The upcoming homestand against the Braves and thePhillies will be a great chance to extend their lead in the NL East. Jacob deGrom was given the go-ahead to begin strengthening exercises after hisMRI showed he had healed from his stress reaction.
The record was 12-6).
The previous ranking was 7.
The bounceback start from Cole, who struck out nine and allowed four hits and one walk, was a major development for the Yankees. Another bright spot so far is infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who is off to a strong start at the plate and is one of the top position players on the team through the early part of the season.
The record was 10-8.
The previous ranking was 10.
As advertised, Wander Franco is just as good. One of the best players in the league so far in April is the Rays infielder, who is hitting.319 in 17 games and ranking in the top-5 in baseball for WAR.
The record was 11-7.
The previous ranking was 15.
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In his first four starts, Gilbert has allowed just one earned run. He has allowed just two extra-base hits and some of the advanced metrics aren't quite as impressive. Gilbert was in the middle of a game against the Rays on Tuesday when his family and friends from the Florida area came to see him. He is throwing his offspeed pitches much harder while maintaining his 95-mph fastball.
The record was 10-7.
The previous ranking was 11.
St. Louis averaged just 2.71 runs per game in their last seven games, before they beat the Mets 10-5 on Wednesday. They pitched well until the ninth, when they gave up five runs to the Mets and lost the game. They hit one home run in seven games but still won four of seven.
The record was 12-7.
The previous ranking was 8.
The Padres are near the top of the majors in three-true-outcome percentage. The Padres had received little production outside of the three who had been great. If Jake Cronenworth and Trent Grisham can get going, the Padres should have enough to keep their heads above water.
The record was 12-7.
The previous ranking was 13
The Brewers played in Philadelphia on Sunday and then traveled back to Milwaukee for a late afternoon game against the Giants on Monday, and then on to Pittsburgh for a series on Tuesday. They went 3-1 in those four games and are near the top of the NL central. Brandon Woodruff is looking more and more like his 2021.
The record was 8-11.
The previous ranking was 9.
The offense has only been middle of the pack despite strong starts from several players. After undergoing eye surgery to correct blurred vision, Eddie Rosario will be on the disabled list for eight to 12 weeks. Adam and Dansby have combined for 54 strikeouts, but neither have cleared the fence entering Thursday.
The record was 9-9
The previous ranking was 6.
Over the first month of the season, the Astros offense has not looked like an Astros offense. Balance has been the calling card of the elite Houston attack. Hit for average, hit for extra bases, own the strike zone. The Astros have mostly scored via the longball, or they have struggled to score. The Astros had a batting average of.267 over the course of the year. The Astros hit.206 over their first 18 games. This version of the Houston offense has been different from what we have come to expect from the Astros.
The record was 12-7.
The previous ranking was 14.
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Through his first 14 games, Mike Trout has a.365/.476/.808 slash line. The Angels starting pitching has triggered the most encouragement with regards to three men not named Shohei Ohtani. Each of the three pitchers have a 1.71 ERA through their first three starts.
The record was 10-8.
The previous ranking was 16.
C.J. Cron signed a two-year, $14.5 million extension over the winter. The power-hitting first baseman holds a.336/.454/.661 slash line at Coors Field last year and is batting.350/.372/.800 there this year, while helping to carry an offense that has lifted the Rockies among the sport's biggest.
The record was 8-11.
The previous ranking was 12.
Boston is currently at the bottom of the American League East due to their inconsistent pitching staff. The team needs better performances from Nick Pivetta, who has struggled through his first three starts after the front office placed high expectations on him.
The record was 7-10.
The previous ranking was 5.
In six games over five days against Cleveland and Minnesota, the White Sox were defeated by an average of four runs. The man went down with an injury. Tony LaRussa created a negative stir when he put out a lackluster lineup in one game. Anderson made six errors in three games. The White Sox are not as bad as they looked during their losing streak. The White Sox looked bad during their losing streak.
The record was 10-8.
The previous ranking was 22.
After a slow start out of the gate, the Twins had to be worried. The Minnesota Twins have a modest winning streak that pushed them into first place in the American League Central. There are two reasons for the sudden change in face: a starting rotation and a division race that looks very winnable. The Twins were the biggest question mark entering the season, but the rotation has been terrific in the early going. The starting pitchers rank in the top 10 of most key metrics, save for a mediocre strikeout rate. The revelation has been low-key free-agent pickup Dylan Bundy, who went3-0 with a 0.59 in his first three outings.
The record was 9.
The previous ranking was 19
The sub-.500 start is explained by the fact that the Phillies are 1-6 in games started by Nola and Wheeler. In his last start against the Brewers, Nola allowed one hit and the Philadelphia lost. Wheeler saw his fastball velocity creeping back to its 2021 level after he gave up four runs. The potential for a very good rotation is still there, but it needs to get going. They play the Mets seven times in nine games, followed by a road trip to Seattle and the Dodgers.
There was a record from 7-13.
The previous ranking was 20.
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The Cleveland offense has cooled off but still ranks high in a number of key categories. The attack that has seen a lot of change over the last couple of years has shown signs of being less of a take-and-rake offense. According to Statcast, they are third in collective sprint speed, and in the top 10 by most team defensive metrics.
The record was 10-9.
The previous ranking was 23.
The Raiders have been competitive so far in the early part of the season despite being weakened this off-season. The team's starting pitching has been one of the bright spots, with strong performances from the likes of Cole Irvin and Paul Blackburn.
The record was 6-11.
The previous ranking was 17
Over the last week, the Tigers and Miggy enjoyed a bit of history when Miggy reached 3,000 hits. Even if you only look at the Detroit portion of his career, you can see that he has reached the top of his game. According to baseball-reference.com, the fifth-ranked run creator as a Tiger is, of course, Triple Crown winner and reigning American League batting champ, Asdrubal Iglesias. He is third behind Kaline and Heilman as a righty hitter and has a chance to catch Heilman before his career is over.
The record was 9-8.
The previous ranking was 21.
The Marlins are not going anywhere unless they start to hit. Both were hitting under.200 and had only hit one home run each. Since Don Mattingly has started Bryan De La Cruz in left field, Soler has been a double liability because of his strikeout-to-walk ratio.
There was a record of 10.
The previous ranking was 18.
The Cubs played the Pirates over the weekend. They lost 3 of 4 and were outrun by 17 runs. They had 21 in their only win but only 8 in their three losses. The Cubs lead the majors in batting average. A lot of that has to do with Seiya Suzuki. He cooled off a little last week, but is still getting on-base over 45% of the time.
The record was 6-10.
The previous ranking was 25.
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At a certain point, you have to wonder if and when the Royals will bait Carlos Santana. At 36, the reality is likely that this is just what Santana is at this point, someone who draws walks but doesn't produce much on contact to be an overall positive producer to the attack. In Triple-A, first base prospect Nick Pratto is off to a slow start, but fellow first base prospect Vinnie Pasquantino has hit well and features Santana-like plate discipline. Santana needs to demonstrate that he has something left in the tank sooner than later.
There was a record of 10.
The previous ranking was 27.
The Pirates deserve credit. They came back the next day and won 4-3, but nothing happened. They played well in winning 3 of 4 in Chicago, but fell to the Brewers on Tuesday. The former player won a game with a home run, while the current player had strong weeks for the Pirates.
The record was 6-12.
The previous ranking was 26.
The Rangers are starting to play better baseball after a slow start. Texas got good starts from Glen Otto and Martin Perez last week. Otto was impressive in his season debut after a taste of the big leagues. He shut down Oakland last Friday. It is an encouraging sign that the staff was near the bottom in the last seven days.
The record was 6-14.
The previous ranking was 24.
The lineup has only gotten worse since we mentioned it last week. The Nationals have lost seven in a row and haven't scored more than three runs in any of them. Their win before that was a single point victory. They have allowed the most runs in the National League. The Nationals record of 103 losses in 2009 looks like it will be in play, and don't discount the franchise record of 110, set back in the 1969 expansion season.
The record was 8-11.
The previous ranking was 28.
Only one of the 13 players who have absorbed the most plate appearances on the D-backs has an adjusted OPS over 120. The D-backs have only scored three runs per game and have the second-lowest on- base percentage in the sport, but they have received some nice contributions from three of their starting pitchers. Where you can, you take the positives. The D-backs are poised for another 100 loss season if the Rockies are better than expected.
The record was 6-12.
The previous ranking was 30.
John Means will have Tommy John surgery and will miss the rest of the season. Bruce Zimmermann has been one of the team's biggest surprises so far, with a 1.20 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in 15innings pitched across three starts.
The record was 3-15.
The previous ranking was 29
Cincinnati won a game. The worst team in baseball won for the first time in 11 games on Sunday. You know things are bad when Joey Votto is talking about his hitting slump. The Reds are 30th in both categories. The team was stripped of star players other than Votto and India.
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