By Grant Brisbee, Andy McCullough and Kaitlyn McGrath
Every week, we ask a selected group of our baseball writers — local and national — to rank the teams from first to worst. Here are the collective results.
For baseball clubs, Memorial Day Weekend represents a significant turning point. This is the point at which a lot of the early-season material may be taken seriously. The early-season flukes are starting to appear much more enduring. It is possible that the clubs which had a poor week and a poor month are having a terrible season.
Does that imply that these power rankings have greater significance and importance? We present these power rankings with great solemnity because we would not be telling the truth if we said they were not the most important and pertinent ones you have read this season, if not ever.
The data on whether teams are ranked first or last in their league, if not all of baseball, is this week’s focus. There will be more enjoyable ones and less enjoyable ones. Let us look for the sport’s extremes.
All stats are through Sunday’s games.
Record: 38-17
Last Power Ranking: 3
Superlative statistic: Best winning percentage in baseball
Statistics can sometimes reveal more than they can explain. The Phillies have been playing well for some time now. The squad had not dropped a series since the opening few days of April before it lost a series to Colorado this past weekend. The last time the team has dropped consecutive games was on April 23–24. The starting rotation has been excellent, with big-money pitchers Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola performing as they are paid to, and Ranger Suárez developing as a contender for the Cy Young Award. It is still Bryce Harper, baby. Alec Bohm appears to be headed toward his first All-Star game. It appears that the National League East is their division to lose. — Andy McCullough
Record: 37-18
Last Power Ranking: 2
Statistical superlative: 81 homers (first in MLB)
The Yankees are performing just as you may have predicted and are off to an incredible start. Sorry for the technical lingo, but it seems like the Yankees are hitting ding-dong dingers with their bing-bong bats more often than any other club. Twenty-two teams do not have a player with 13 home runs or more, but they have three.
The Yankees have walked more batters than any other club in the AL, and they are currently 30 walks ahead of second place, so it makes sense that pitchers are afraid of them. The Yankees are leading the world in double plays (52 of them), which is a drawback to the whomp-forward strategy. However, you have to take the good with the bad and combine the two, and that is how the Yankees manage to remain atop the AL East. — Brisbee Grant
Record: 33-22
Last Power Ranking: 1
Statistical superlative: Best offensive walk rate in baseball
After a shocking recent losing streak of six games in a row, Dodgers supporters are probably searching for reasons not to worry. “It is baseball,” Freddie Freeman remarked following Sunday’s series sweep at the hands of Cincinnati. The man is not in error. So why not get frantic? It is unlikely that this offense’s ability to wear down rival pitchers over the course of a long season would diminish. There can be times when the Dodgers fail to capitalize on runners in scoring position. In the clutch, the offense can stumble. However, the squad should still create a lot of opportunities because of its collective patience and the opponents’ typical caution when facing Freeman, Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, and the others. McCullough
Record: 34-18
Last Power Ranking: 4
Statistical superlative: 174 extra-base hits (first in AL)/ 9 percent extra-base hit percentage (first in MLB)
Baseballs can be slugged by the Orioles. No club has been more proficient at hitting for extra bases than the Baltimore Orioles, although still trailing the Yankees in the series’ overall home run total (77 vs. 81). It demonstrates the Orioles’ formidable bat and ball hitting abilities. Their average exit velocity of 90.1 mph and hard-hit percentage of 42.7 percent both rank highest in the AL. Their 72.5 percent average bat speed, on the other hand, leads the league. Eno Sarris of The Athletic recently stated that increased bat speed equates to increased power. Thus far, the Orioles have demonstrated this formula. — Kaitlyn McGrath
Record: 36-18
Last Power Ranking: 6
Statistical superlative: Biggest difference in BaseRuns winning percentage
BaseRuns is a statistic that combines various fundamental hitting and pitching events for a team, such as singles allowed, singles hit, stolen bases for, stolen bases against, etc. The result is a slurry that roughly represents a team’s predicted winning % when it plays all those baseball games. Although not flawless, it is beneficial.
The Guardians are not just winning more than they usually should, according to BaseRuns; they are outperforming the rest of baseball with eight additional victories. At the right moment, they are both receiving and avoiding hits.
As a fan of the Guardians, should you be concerned about this? Oh my god, no. Laugh and flip double birds at the numbers until everything stops, which is not necessary. You know, they do not have to return these victories. Furthermore, their current winning streak may have been sufficient to win them a division championship. Brisbee
Record: 30-21
Last Power Ranking: 5
Superlative statistic: Lowest home-run rate for starting rotation in baseball
Look elsewhere for a bright spot following Ronald Acuña Jr.’s most recent knee injury. Baseball is suffering as a result. The Braves are screwed. For Acuña, who appeared rather dynamic in the summer after regaining his balance from a prior knee operation, it is really harsh. Baseball season progresses, and Atlanta still has the talent to take home the championship. (As they did in 2021 without Acuña.) Even after Spencer Strider blew out his elbow, the rotation has held strong. Chris Sale appears to be the same demon who stalked the American League in the previous ten years. Max Fried made a comeback after a slow start. Since leaving a relief duty, Reynaldo Lopez has been nothing short of brilliant. Charlie Morton appears to be
Record: 34-21
Last Power Ranking: 10
Statistical superlative: 10 bunt hits (first in AL)
The best thing about the Royals’ comeback is that it comes in a cozy, familiar package. They are causing things to happen and zipping around like a swarm of waterbugs. Would you believe that FanGraphs says they have the greatest defensive metrics? You would, of course. They are the actual Royals. You will then inform me that their productive-out percentage is the highest, which, aaaahhhh, it is! My heart can only grow so full—stop, stop!
Not only are they hitting the ball hard, but they are also winning in a manner that you are probably accustomed to, and it is a lot of fun. Brisbee
Record: 31-22
Last Power Ranking: 7
Statistical superlative: 21 home runs with RISP (tied for first in NL with the Phillies)
The offense of the Brewers has been outstanding so far this season. Milwaukee’s collective OPS is third in the NL, behind only the Dodgers and Phillies, and the team is second in MLB in runs per game (4.96), trailing only the highly motivated Phillies. But when it counts most, the Brewers are doing a remarkable job of hitting for damage.
Putting it another way, more than a third of Milwaukee’s 61 home runs have come from high-leverage opportunities, which is a productive and efficient approach to score a lot of runs. Of those 61 home runs, 21 have occurred with runners in scoring position. It makes sense that the Brewers are still atop the NL Central, and they have a chance to separate from the Cubs this week by winning a crucial four-game series. McGrath
Record: 29-24
Last Power Ranking: 11
Statistical superlative: 24.8 percent strikeout rate (first in AL)
The Twins’ season has been strangely uneven. After a sluggish beginning, an exciting 12-game winning streak ensued. The Twins once more found themselves in the murky middle of the AL Central after those returns were undone by a seven-game losing streak. The Twins lead the AL in several categories, including the strikeout % of their pitchers. With 480 strikeouts overall, their staff has the third-highest strikeout rate among major leaguers (9.39 strikeouts per nine). Although several Twins pitchers, including as relievers Griffin Jax, Cole Sands, Jhoan Duran, and Brock Stewart, have nasty stuff, it has not been enough to make up for the team’s other inconsistency problems this season. McGrath
Record: 29-26
Last Power Ranking: 8
Statistical superlative: 548 batter strikeouts (last in MLB)
The Mariners’ ability to maintain their top spot in the AL West is mostly due to their strong pitching staff, as Seattle’s offense is among the lowest in the majors. The White Sox are the only AL team with less runs scored (202) than the Mariners.
The Mariners strike out more than any other club, which is one of the main problems. Good things happen when you put the ball in play, as the adage goes, but the Mariners, who rank worst in MLB in balls-in-play percentage, have not been doing that enough. This is also not a brand-new problem. Mariners hitters struck out more batters than any other major league team in the previous season, second only to the Twins. Strong pitching has been a key component of Seattle’s recent success, but eventually the batters must uphold their half of the bargain as well. McGrath
Record: 29-28
Last Power Ranking: 13
Superlative statistic: The majors’ best strikeout rate for beginning rotation
Is Blake Snell missed by the Padres? They do, however, miss Blake Snell as they knew him in the previous season. Any group would do so. However, the pain has diminished after Dylan Cease was acquired. As anticipated, Cease has imitated Snell fairly well, but with a few less walks and a little more forceful contact. Cease has added consistency to a rotation that is still holding out hope for Michael King to replicate his September success with the Yankees and Joe Musgrove to get back to his previous level of play. The team is adept at, at minimum, missing bats. McCullough
Record: 27-27
Last Power Ranking: 12
Superlative statistic: Major League hitters with the lowest line-drive rate
To be fair to the Cubs, they were tied with the Marlins in this metric going into Monday’s games. However, that ought to be regarded as faint praise and condemning. Milwaukee has widened its lead in the National League Central while the offense has gone quiet. Dansby Swanson (80 OPS+) appears to be more similar to the hitter he was in 2022 and 2023 (107 OPS+) than he was in 2017 to 2021 (89 OPS+). In May, Michael Busch played in 22 games and had an OPS of.625. Ian Happ is having difficulty. Seiya Suzuki’s performance has declined since coming off the injured list. Jameson Taillon, Shota Imanaga, and Javier Assad cannot accomplish this on their own. McCullough
Record: 24-30
Last Power Ranking: 14
Statistical superlative: 2.14 K-BB ratio (15th in AL)
The Astros are only one hot week away from leading the AL West, despite the tremendous exaggeration of reports of their impending doom. Here’s an artist’s interpretation of what the AL West looks like this season, of course:
The Astros’ biggest issue is still that their pitchers give up too many free passes and do not miss bats, so just because they are a few games off of first place in the AL West does not imply they are good right now. That is a difficult combination, particularly in light of the fact that they receive fewer ground balls than the typical squad. Their entire staff has a lot of work ahead of them, even though they might still be on a division-winning hot streak. Brisbee
Record: 28-27
Last Power Ranking: 18
Superlative statistic: Major League pitchers with the highest ground ball rate
You are going to do fairly well in this category if you have Logan Webb on your team, since he has emerged as the leading expert on ground balls in the league. You are in much better shape if you add in this new Jordan Hicks, who has exchanged velocity for command and produced a ton of grounders. However, the bullpen is what actually mowing the lawn; relievers Camilo Doval, Sean Hjelle, Erik Miller, and Tyler Rogers are all among the top 12 in terms of ground ball rates. Keeping the ball on the ground is a smart idea. It cannot cross the fence in this manner. McCullough
Record: 27-27
Last Power Ranking: 16
Statistical superlative: 5.2 Wins Above Average for all pitchers (first in MLB)
You did realize that the Red Sox would not finish the season with a 2.62 ERA? After their April staff behavior, it was practically inevitable that they would revert to the mean. They did, which is bad news. The good news is that even while the starters have gone worse, their mean has also gotten pretty damn good, and the relievers have improved in their ability to stop runs.
For the first two months of the 2024 season, you still have the best pitching staff when you add them all together. However, if you are curious as to why the team is playing close to.500, consider this another outstanding statement from the house: In terms of clutch metrics, FanGraphs ranks their hitters dead bottom. — Brisbee
Record: 26-28
Last Power Ranking: 9
Statistical superlative: 59 infield hits (first in MLB)
The Rays appeared to be making progress last week. They were having a scorching-hot May and were three games over.500 to re-enter the race. They were defeated by a narrow margin of three runs in five of their six games played last week, which makes sense given that they only managed five runs in one of those games. They are not where they anticipated to be, but they are sharing the bottom spot in the AL runs-scored standings with the Mariners and A’s.
It could get worse in this context: This season, an impressive 10% of their hits have come via infield plays. Ten percent! If you take away 20 singles from them and assume that they should be more like the typical team in this division, their combined slash line would be.224/.298/.343, and their.640 OPS would be by far the lowest in the AL.
If the White Sox did not exist, that is. Still, though. The Rays’.663 OPS may have been the result of a little bit of luck. Brisbee
Record: 25-28
Last Power Ranking: 17
Statistical superlative: 18 Outs Above Average (first in MLB)
If I claimed to fully grasp how defensive metrics are determined, I would be lying (and anyone claiming to do so is probably lying). However, according to Statcast, the Diamondbacks’ defense leads all major league teams in runs prevented (15) and outs above average (15). Even though the Diamondbacks have not been able to duplicate last year’s performance thus far, four of their players—Christian Walker, Ketel Marte, Corbin Carroll, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr.—rank among the top 25 fielders in OAA. This indicates that the team has remained a strong defensive unit. McGrath
Record: 25-27
Last Power Ranking: 24
Superlative statistic: Grounded into fewest double plays in the National League
Do the Cardinals have a decent team? Who knows? During a homestand that included visits from the Red Sox, Orioles, and Cubs, the team only won seven of eight games. Not too awful. While Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado’s prolonged slumps are certainly worrying, a young bunch that includes Lars Nootbaar, Masyn Winn, and Alec Burleson has filled in. There is not much power in the lineup save Willson Contreras, who is presently on the injured list. They must therefore take small steps. As in, not batting into double plays, etc. We will watch how the summer plays out. McCullough
Record: 24-29
Last Power Ranking: 21
Statistical superlative: 87.7 mph average exit velocity (last in MLB)
Hard-hit rate and exit velocity do not always signify a winning squad. The Guardians are among the better teams in the majors this season and as of this writing have an MLB-worst hard-hit percentage of 34.9 percent. However, the Blue Jays’ diminishing exit velocity is a reflection of their diminishing offensive output. Think about it: in 2021, they led the league in home runs and on-base percentage (OPS) and had an MLB-best exit velocity of 90.3 mph. In 2023, their exit velocity dropped to 88.7 mph, which is in the bottom third of MLB, and they had a mediocre offense that ranked 14th in runs scored. Their offense has suffered along with their exit velocity this season. With three less runs than any other team in the
Record: 26-27
Last Power Ranking: 19
Statistical superlative: 16 triples (first in MLB)
Triples are advantageous. The best are triples. The city that produced every type of classic car has seen a lot of Tigers hits. Only them and the wide road ahead.
They struggle to stay up in the AL Central despite having three-fifths of their rotation provide good starting pitching because of their mostly successful offensive approach. Nevertheless, triples is a great offensive category to lead if you have to choose only one. Brisbee
Record: 25-29
Last Power Ranking: 15
Statistical superlative: Players on IL/Days missed to injury (first in MLB)
When you consider that most of this was intentional, that statistic does not seem so horrible. The Rangers were aware that Tyler Mahle, Max Scherzer, and Jacob deGrom would be unavailable for the majority of the first half. In exchange for some cash and endurance, they are receiving them back in a situation like to a deadline. Till then, they thought they would be alright.
However, the injury gremlins also bit Jon Gray and Nathan Eovaldi’s groins, leaving them in a terrible situation. There is a good likelihood that the pitching cavalry will arrive too late, if at all, as their lineup is not saving them either. Brisbee
Record: 25-29
Last Power Ranking: 22
Statistical superlative: 12 blown saves (most in MLB)
The Pirates’ rotation appears to have a bright future because they currently have two of the most interesting young pitchers in the game in Paul Skenes and Jared Jones. However, this season has not been as kind to their bullpen. The Pirates lead the majors in blown saves, but the only bullpen in the NL, by ERA, is worse than Pittsburgh’s.
The fact that closer David Bednar has not been his usual dependable self this season has contributed to the problem. With 19 appearances, the two-time All-Star has a 6.75 ERA, and his three failed saves this season tie his season total from the previous year, when he led the NL with 39 saves. Bednar will probably be alright. Although he has a proven track record, the Pirates will still need to figure out how to assemble a stronger bullpen if they intend to build their team around Skenes, Jones, and their other young talents. McGrath
Record: 24-30
Last Power Ranking: 23
Statistical superlative: 84 stolen bases (first in MLB)
The Reds have seemed like a step back after a promising 2023 campaign during which catcher Luke Maile dubbed them “America’s Team.” They had great hopes going into the season, but despite a strong beginning, they are currently ranked bottom in the NL Central (8–16). The Reds’ poor offensive performance has been the primary cause of their dismal start to the season; nevertheless, stealing bases is one area in which the team still excels.
The Reds are on pace to surpass their MLB-high 190 steals from the previous season, which put them atop the majors in stolen bases. Elly De La Cruz, who leads the majors in stolen bases with 31, has been the primary force behind the swipes. McGrath
Record: 22-30
Last Power Ranking: 20
Statistical superlative: Worst walk rate in baseball
The Mets’ pitching staff has given up more free passes in 2024 than any other team, a persistent lack of leadership that has contributed to the team’s latest collapse. The bullpen has some particularly ugly figures, such as Sean Reid-Foley (6.8), Drew Smith (6.3), and Jake Diekman (7.7 walks per nine innings). Because he has been walking almost 13 percent of the hitters he has faced, Adrian Houser pitched his way out of the starting rotation. Even the two rotation standouts, Sean Manaea and Luis Severino, have cut short some of their outings because they have become more walk-prone than normal. McCullough
Record: 24-28
Last Power Ranking: 25
Superlative statistic: Highest infield fly-ball percentage in baseball
To hit the baseball in the air is your goal. When the ball is in the air, an offensive may do great things. That is, unless the baseball is flying over the infield, of course. It is not going to be very beneficial. Ask the White Sox, please. Thus, the Nationals leading the sport in this category is not ideal. Keibert Ruiz, the catcher, ends a fifth of his at-bats with an infield pop-up. It is worse for former All-Star Joey Gallo, who hit an infield fly in 31% of his at-bats heading into Monday’s games. McCullough
Record: 22-33
Last Power Ranking: 27
Statistical superlative: 6,297 fans per game (30th in MLB)
The A’s are significantly less frequented than the 29th-place team in terms of attendance. This is not a joke or a gag. I am thinking, and they are all depressing.
Additionally, the A’s turn double plays first. Well done, guys. Ironically, I hope they emerge victorious in the World Series. Brisbee
Record: 20-33
Last Power Ranking: 26
Statistical superlative: 33 grand slam opportunities (t-30th in MLB)
I looked for this one for a very long time. Every other team excels or fails in a certain area. Not the Angels, though. Unlike the White Sox, they are not even that awful to feel sorry for. They are a bowl of cream of wheat, unseasoned and at room temperature.
Accept Victories Above Average. In baseball, the Angels rank in the top twenty-three at every position in the WAA. That is remarkably inoffensive. Even poor teams, like the Rockies, can have bright spots with their catching combo of Elias Díaz and Jacob Stallings, and good clubs like the Dodgers, who rank 29th in center field, can still have holes in their lineup. But not the Angels. It is extremely spicy, therefore they ask you to hold the ketchup on their hamburger.
They have, thus, tied for the fewest grand slam opportunities in baseball with 33, and they have even hit one. Well done, guys. That is the ultimate Angel. Brisbee
Record: 19-36
Last Power Ranking: 28
Superlative statistic: Worst collective OPS in the National League
In fact, the Marlins have been playing better ball lately; as of Monday, they had won seven of their previous ten games. However, a recent triumph over the Diamondbacks showed how the team has been performing. In three games, Miami scored eight runs off of Arizona’s inconsistent pitching staff. The lineup is weak and impatient; the team’s on-base and slugging percentages were the lowest. Luis Arraez’s trade weakened a group that was already tiny. According to OPS+, just three Marlins with more than 100 at-bats are considered above-average hitters: Vidal Bruján (103), Bryan De La Cruz (109), and Jazz Chisholm Jr. (116). The summer may go on forever. McCullough
Record: 19-34
Last Power Ranking: 29
Statistical superlative: 5.17 ERA and .278 average against (last in MLB)
As everyone knows, pitching at Coors Field is difficult. When you combine that with a few poor Rockies teams, you get this statistic: Since 2022, the Rockies’ pitching staff has had the lowest major league ERA every season. And it appears that pattern will continue thus far in this year. The major league leaders in earned run average are Colorado’s pitchers, and the difference is quite substantial. (The Marlins, with a 4.72 ERA, are second highest.)
The Rockies have not had a terrible run lately, though. The Rockies’ rotation, which has been playing without Kyle Freeland since April, has a 3.77 ERA and 13 quality starts in 23 games this month, according to Thomas Harding of MLB.com. The Rockies’ collective ERA has still declined due to a weak bullpen, but there is still time left before the season ends for them to break their MLB-worst ERA run. McGrath
Record: 15-40
Last Power Ranking: 30
Statistical superlative: 157 runs and .605 OPS (last in MLB)
The White Sox have the poorest offense in MLB in terms of batting average, OPS, home runs, wRC+, and everything else. They have also scored the fewest runs in the majors, which is not surprising given their MLB-low 15 victories.
After the game, White Sox manager Pedro Grifol called out the Chicago lineup, calling “most of the men” as “flat today.” The team was hitless through seven innings on Sunday against the Orioles and their starter, Kyle Bradish. It is been such a bad time for the lineup. Even though May is only around the corner, the South Side season is obviously well underway. McGrath
(Top photo of Bryce Harper: Alysa Rubin / Clarkson Creative/Getty Images)
