2024 MLB Power Rankings

Here’s a year-end power ranking of all MLB teams, with a critique on their 2023 regular season and their prospects looking ahead to 2024. 

2024 MLB Power Rankings for Every MLB Team

30 – Oakland Athletics (50-112) 

Not much of a surprise here, with the worst record in baseball. Management traded off all their best veteran players, and left them with basically a AAA roster to justify moving the team to Las Vegas. Team owners will need the approval of 75% of MLB owners at the winter meeting in November. 

Even after they move to Sin City, it’ll take time to build the new ballpark and generate revenue to afford a higher payroll. This will make it tough to attract good free agents, so the A’s may have to rely on young players in their farm system.

29 - Colorado Rockies (59-103)

They finished with the worst season in franchise history, and I don’t see much hope for better baseball in the Mile High City in 2024. That’s because ownership doesn’t seem to have a clear vision of the type of team they want. The offensive stats are depressing, as the Rox were 20th in team OPS, 26th in walks and home runs - at the most hitter-friendly park in MLB. This isn’t the Blake Street Bombers of the late 90s and they don’t play “small ball” very well, either. 

Pitching is also dreadful as they were dead last in both team ERA and WHIP. Until we see new ownership or a fresh approach in the front office, I don’t expect much from Colorado in 2024 or beyond. 

28 – Kansas City Royals (56-106) 

The Royals are a smaller market team with a limited payroll, a mixture of talented young players and a few veterans. However, team management doesn’t seem to have a vision for how they want their team to look - just as long as they’re affordable. Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinny Pasquantino are a couple of talented young players, but KC needs a lot more help to field a competitive team. 

27 - Chicago White Sox (61-101) 

Just two years after winning the AL Central, it looks like the White Sox will be in rebuilding mode for next year. Luis Robert Jr. was the only bright spot with 38 home runs and an .839 OPS. It’s uncertain if Tim Anderson will remain in the Windy City. 

26 - Los Angeles Angels (73-89) 

It looks like Ohtani will be playing somewhere else next year, and Mike Trout’s future is uncertain, so we could see a total rebuild in 2024. Outfield prospect Nolan Schanuel is the only bright spot on the Halos’ horizon, and it will take time to get this team competitive. 

25 - Washington Nationals (71-91)

The Nats didn’t have a great 2023, but have some good current players as a long-term foundation. Pitchers MacKenzie Gore and Josiah Gray, along with OF Lane Thomas, were the shining stars of this season. Prospects James Wood and Dylan Crews look like they could join the parent club in 2024, and give fans in the District some realistic hope for next year. 

24 - St. Louis Cardinals (71-91)

One of the most disappointing teams in baseball this season. The offense took longer than usual to get on track, and the pitching staff was a disaster with a 24th-best team ERA. Plus, the front office didn’t seem to have a good plan to replace aging and ineffective starters like Adam Wainwright and Miles Mikolas. 

Until they improve their pitching, I’m not optimistic about the short-term future of this team.  

23 - New York Mets (74-87)

Spending $355 million on high-priced free agents didn’t work out the way owner Steve Cohen had planned. The Mets have some good young talent in the form of starting pitcher Kodai Senga and catcher Francisco Alvarez, and promising prospects in the farm system. 

Will Mets ownership have the patience to wait for younger talent to develop, or will they try to buy their way to baseball success? 

22 - Boston Red Sox (78-84)

This team was a Wild Card contender at the end of August with a 69-65 record, then a disastrous 9-19 run in September caused them to miss the playoffs. Their offense looks promising for next year, but they need more good pitching besides Nick Pivetta and Brayan Bello. 

21 - San Francisco Giants (79-83)  

Similar to the Red Sox, they were in contention for the playoffs until a late-season slide ended their hopes. The Giants’ pitching staff was solid with an 11th-best team ERA, but they needed more production at the plate. That should be the top priority for the front office in the offseason.

20 - Pittsburgh Pirates (76-86)  

The Pirates got off to a great start to the season, but weren’t able to maintain that red-hot performance. Starter Mitch Keller and closer David Bednar were All-Star selections, and it’s likely that highly-touted pitching prospect Paul Skenes will make his way from AA to the bigs sometime in 2024. 

Pittsburgh needs a lot of help in their lineup as they finished with an anemic 28th-best team OPS. 

19 - Cleveland Guardians (76-86)  

Pitching was the Guardians’ calling card this season, finishing 9th in team ERA. They really need help in their lineup as they were dead last in team OPS. Cleveland has some good young pitchers that may allow them to deal Cal Quantrill and/or Shane Bieber to shore up their offense. 

They’re still one of the youngest teams in baseball, so there’s some hope for improvement next season. 

18 - Detroit Tigers (78-84)

Similar to Cleveland, the Tigers have a promising starting rotation that includes Eduardo Rodriguez and Tarik Skubal. E-Rod turned down a trade to the Dodgers this year, so it’s likely that he’ll stay in the Motor City for awhile. The offense is still a work in progress, but it’s anchored by 2020 first-round draft pick Spencer Torkelson, who had 34 homers and 91 RBI. 

17 - New York Yankees (82-80)

General Manager Brian Cashman loaded up the team with a lineup with a lot of power, but didn’t hit well for average. The Bronx Bombers were 9th in OPS, but 29th in team batting average. Pitching was solid with the 10th-best team ERA, and their bullpen had the lowest ERA in baseball. 

16 - Cincinnati Reds (82-80)

Management’s plan to go with younger players paid off in the Queen City, as eight rookies on the roster had a combined 13.2 WAR (Wins Above Replacement). Although they had some bad slumps during the year, they made up for it with red-hot streaks of really good baseball. 

The front office has work to do in the offseason with the starting pitching. If they can upgrade their arms, this could be a fun team to watch in 2024. 

15 - Chicago Cubs (83-79)

The north-siders have a solid core of players that includes Seiya Suzuki and Justin Steele. Pete Crow-Armstrong could be a star in the making. However, their late-season collapse in September had to affect the confidence of this club. If they can shake it off, they can still be an NL Central and playoff contender next year. 

14 - San Diego Padres (82-80)  

On paper, this is one of the most talented teams in baseball, but they were never able to put it together on the field in 2023. Team chemistry doesn’t seem to be working, and if I were in the Padres front office, I would trade at least one of Juan Soto, Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis, Jr. 

Changes will be made in the Friars’ roster, and possibly the front office. Bob Melvin is an experienced manager who led Oakland to 97-win seasons in 2018 and 2019, so I don’t think his job is in jeopardy. If they can get the right mix of players in the clubhouse, this can be a very dangerous team in 2024. 

13 - Seattle Mariners (88-74)  

This team has a solid foundation of top-tier starting pitching and a great talent in Julio Rodriguez. A slow start and inconsistent offense the first half of the season was a little too much to overcome, as they missed the last Wild Card spot by a single game. If Seattle can get more help in their lineup and get off to a better start, they should make the playoffs in 2024. 

12 - Miami Marlins (84-77)

While they’ve always had good pitching, the Fish finally got some help at the plate in the form of Luis Arraez and Jorge Soler. The addition of Jake Burger from the White Sox was a big boost to their lineup, and got them into the playoffs. And with Eury Perez and Jesus Luzardo as their top starters, they should make the postseason again next year. 

11 - Toronto Blue Jays (89-73)

Although they’re a talented squad that made the playoffs, this was one of the most frustrating teams to follow in baseball as they had the talent and stats you’re looking for. They had the 4th-lowest staff ERA, 11th-best OPS and 8th-lowest bullpen ERA. But they finished 12 games behind Baltimore in the AL East. 

While this division is arguably the toughest in MLB, the Jays could have easily been a 95-win team if they avoided slumps and poor performances in a number of games. However, the talent is still there for Toronto to contend for the AL East crown.

10 - Arizona Diamondbacks (84-78)

The Snakes were my preseason favorite to make the playoffs, because I liked how they were coming into form at the end of 2022. GM Mike Hazen did a great job rebuilding this team. Corbin Carroll had a great rookie season, and could be a foundational player with this franchise for years to come. The only question for 2024 is the starting pitching, and if the D-Backs can get a quality third starter to pitch behind Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly. 

9 - Minnesota Twins (87-75)

The Twins had the lowest ERA for starting pitchers at 3.82, anchored by Sonny Gray and Pablo Lopez. Their lineup has plenty of power as they were 7th-best in team OPS, but only 21st in batting average. The biggest challenge for Minnesota is keeping key players off the IL, as Byron Buxton only played 85 games and Royce Lewis only saw the diamond in 58 games. 

If these two potential stars can stay healthy - or the front office can find young players or free agents who can hit for better average - they could be a serious contender for the AL pennant. 

8 - Texas Rangers (90-72)

The offense was the secret to the Rangers’ success in 2023 with the 3rd-best team OPS, and they had good enough pitching, finishing 18th in staff ERA. Corey Seager has been the team’s MVP with a great stat line and 6.2 WAR, even though he missed 43 games due to injury. 

If they get decent pitching and the offense keeps performing at a high level, they could do some damage. Texas should add another quality starter and get help for their bad bullpen to improve in 2024. 

7 - Houston Astros (90-72)

They’re still a solid, veteran team with a potent lineup, and an experienced trio of starters with Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier and Justin Verlander. But they struggled to make the postseason after a 3-9 stretch, and only got in with series wins over Arizona and Seattle. 

Houston had an up-and-down September, so we’ll see if they can regain their championship form. Looking ahead to 2024, they should look to find another quality starter to replace Verlander when he decides to call it a career. 

6 - Philadelphia Phillies (90-72)

While Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper are the bigger offensive names, 2B Bryson Stott has quietly become one of the most valuable players in the Philly lineup with a 4.4 WAR. Zach Wheeler and Aaron Nola are the top two starters, and Cristopher Sanchez has been a pleasant surprise with a 3.44 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 18 starts. 

5 - Milwaukee Brewers (92-70)  

The Brew Crew has a three-headed pitching monster with Corbin Burnes, Freddy Peralta and Brandon Woodruff, who could be the best No. 1-3 starters in MLB. Their bullpen had the second-lowest ERA. Their lineup was inconsistent in 2023, with just the 23rd-best team OPS. However, they were aggressive on the basepaths, as they had the 11th-most stolen bases. 

4 - Tampa Bay Rays (99-63)

Even when they lost pitchers Shane McClanahan, Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen for the year, the Rays showed again why they’re one of the best organizations in MLB. Adding Zach Eflin to the rotation proved to be a wise move as he logged a 16-8 record with a 3.50 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP and 186 strikeouts in 177.2 innings. 

Tampa Bay keeps reloading with great talent, as top prospect Curtis Mead performed well in the 24 games he played with the Rays in September. He should be a key contributor in 2024. 

3 - Los Angeles Dodgers (100-62)  

Los Angeles has one of the best lineups in baseball with Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman leading the way. However, their starting pitching has some question marks with Lance Lynn, Ryan Pepiot and Bobby Miller as the No. 2-4 starters behind Clayton Kershaw. 

Walker Buehler should return from Tommy John surgery in 2024. While they’re still one of the best teams in MLB, they may have to lean on their offense more than usual. 

2 - Baltimore Orioles (101-61)

Their front office and scouting department have done an excellent job to develop a winning team. The O’s have a lot of good, young talent that includes Rookie of the Year candidate SS Gunnar Henderson and C Adley Rutschman. Kyle Bradish and Grayson Rodriguez emerged as quality starters. 

It may take them time to learn how to win in the postseason, however, this club looks like a serious contender in the AL East for years to come. 

1 - Atlanta Braves (104-58)

No surprise here, they’re an offensive juggernaut with the most home runs, highest batting average and OPS. The crazy thing about the 2023 Braves: Their lineup put up video game-like numbers without Freddie Freeman or Dansby Swanson. 

While their pitching hasn’t been as good as in years past, Atlanta has a solid trio in Max Fried, Spencer Strider and Charlie Morton. If they can keep their lineup intact and get better performances from their backend starters, the Braves should be near or at the top of the NL East in 2024.