May MLB Team Power Rankings: Braves on top, Royals sneak in top 10

Welcome to the first edition of Rotoworld's MLB Team Power Rankings for the 2024 season. I’ll be here at the start of every month to take stock of all 30 teams and hopefully drop some useful information along the way. Of course, these rankings are my opinion, so your milage may vary. If you don’t like where I have your team this month, perhaps they’ll have better luck next month.

With that out of the way, let’s get on with the ranks.

Editor's Note: Odds and statistics used are from the morning of Wednesday, May 1.

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1) Atlanta Braves

Odds to win NL East: -330

To Make the Playoffs: -5000

The Braves own the game’s best record despite Ronald Acuña Jr., Austin Riley, and Matt Olson not yet hitting their stride, Ozzie Albies and Sean Murphy missing time, and ace Spencer Strider out for the season. That’s a scary thought for the rest of the league. The lineup should be just fine, but can we say the same for the starting rotation? The Braves are strangely vulnerable despite occupying the top spot, but that might be more of an October concern.

2) Baltimore Orioles

Odds to win AL East: +150

To Make the Playoffs: -360

It’s ridiculously early, but Gunnar Henderson has the makings of a legitimate contender for the American League Most Valuable Player Award. After tearing the cover off the ball last week, he’s now tied with Mike Trout for MLB lead in home runs and also ranks top-10 in RBI, runs scored, and OPS. There are some legitimate questions in the bullpen, but this is an organization with the depth to plug those holes via the trade market at some point this summer. Grayson Rodriguez landed on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation on Wednesday, but John Means is returning to the rotation and Kyle Bradish isn’t far behind.

3) Los Angeles Dodgers

Odds to win NL West: -600

To Make the Playoffs: -3000

The Dodgers hit a bit of a rough patch around the middle of April, but you knew the cream was eventually going to rise to the top. Look no further than Freddie Freeman as an example. The veteran first baseman is currently riding a 10-game hitting streak during which he’s posted a robust .400/.522/.629 batting line with more walks (10) than strikeouts (5). As expected, he’s good. It was also encouraging to see Yoshinobu Yamamato bounce back in his most recent start. By this time next week, Walker Buehler could be back in the Dodgers’ rotation.

4) Cleveland Guardians

Odds to win AL Central: +155

To Make the Playoffs: - 145

Who knows how much longer it will last, but the Guardians are tied for the best record in the American League under new first-time manager Stephen Vogt. It’s all the more impressive considering they’ve been without Shane Bieber and Gavin Williams and Jose Ramirez wasn’t his normal self for most of April. Cleveland’s bullpen has been the best in the majors while Steven Kwan and Josh Naylor have led the charge for the offense. The big question is whether they can hold off the Twins, Tigers, and Royals for the long haul in what looks like a very competitive AL Central race.

5) Philadelphia Phillies

Odds to win NL East: +290

To Make the Playoffs: - 550

Here’s a funny quirk: The Phillies actually have more wins than any other team in the majors, though they are in second place in the NL East because they have two more losses than the Braves. Either way, it has been a successful first month for Philadelphia. And going by the odds above, they are a fun flier to win the division. The Phillies have a ton of star power, but Alec Bohm has been the team’s best position player and Ranger Suarez has arguably been the team’s best pitcher.

6) New York Yankees

Odds to win AL East: +120

To Make the Playoffs: -450

Given the absence of Gerrit Cole and the early struggles of Aaron Judge, Yankees fans have to be thrilled with where they are right now. With a couple of homers over the weekend, Judge might be ready to take off. Meanwhile, Juan Soto has been one of the game’s best players so far. Including this ridiculous 447-foot blast which nearly hit the warehouse at Camden Yards on Tuesday, Soto is batting .325/.438/.581 with eight home runs, 25 RBI, and a 18/25 K/BB ratio through 31 games.

7) Milwaukee Brewers

Odds to win NL Central: +255

To Make the Playoffs: - 115

With Devin Williams and Brandon Woodruff sidelined and Corbin Burnes traded, it seemed unlikely that the Brewers would be a contender under new manager Pat Murphy, but they find themselves at the top of the NL Central as the calendar flips to May. Only the Orioles, Braves, and Dodgers have outpaced them in OPS, with Willson Contreras off to a blistering start at the plate. Tuesday saw the promotion of hot-hitting prospect Tyler Black, which resulted in one of the coolest moments of the season so far. Check out Black’s dad doing the play-by-play of his second major league hit.

8) Chicago Cubs

Odds to win NL Central: +130

To Make the Playoffs: -205

Yoshinobu Yamamato understandably got most of the attention after leaving Japan for a monster contract with the Dodgers this offseason, but Shota Imanaga is the one who has set the baseball world ablaze over the first month. Through his first five turns, he’s sporting a 0.98 ERA and 28/3 K/BB ratio over 27 2/3 innings. In doing so, he became the first pitcher since Dave Ferris in 1945 to go 4-0 with an ERA lower than 1.00 over his first five games. The Cubs are holding their own without some key pieces (Seiya Suzuki, Cody Bellinger), but Justin Steele is poised to make his first minor league rehab start this week.

9) Seattle Mariners

Odds to win AL West: +120

To Make the Playoffs: -190

The arrow is pointing up for the Mariners, who have won 11 out of their last 15 games to climb to the top of the AL West standings. Julio Rodriguez isn’t firing on all cylinders offensively just yet, but the pitching staff is coming up huge. With an enviable top-four of Luis Castillo, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, and Bryce Miller, the starting rotation ranks fifth in the majors with a 3.22 ERA. By the way, the team’s best position player so far? Josh Rojas. Bet you wouldn’t have guessed that one.

10) Kansas City Royals

Odds to win AL Central: +550

To Make the Playoffs: +220

On the topic of starting rotations, the Royals’ staff has been even better with a 3.08 ERA. Cole Ragans got most of the attention in fantasy leagues this spring (and rightfully so), but Brady Singer has enjoyed a nice resurgence and free agent addition Seth Lugo has been nothing short of fantastic with a 1.66 ERA through six starts. With the Royals looking frisky yet again, it has been cool to see Salvador Perez turn back the clock with a .355/.415/.598 batting line through 30 games.

11) Detroit Tigers

Odds to win AL Central: +400

To Make the Playoffs: +170

The Tigers bet on a return to form from Jack Flaherty after signing him to a one-year, $14 million contract over the winter and so far he’s delivered. The 28-year-old notched a career-high 14 strikeouts against the Cardinals on Tuesday and tied the American League record with seven consecutive strikeouts to begin the game. He had a little extra giddy-up with his velocity, so perhaps he had some adrenaline going up against his former team. Either way, he’s now sporting a nifty 50/5 K/BB ratio on the year, which ranks as the best in the majors.

12) Minnesota Twins

Odds to win AL Central: +185

To Make the Playoffs: -130

Say hello to the hottest team in the majors. The Twins have won nine straight games, and they are just getting back to full strength. Carlos Correa made his return from an intercostal strain on Monday and fireballing closer Jhoan Duran was activated on Tuesday. One of the biggest keys to their recent success? A rally sausage. You read that correctly. Kyle Farmer received the sausage in the mail and it eventually made its way to the bat rack in the dugout. What is the sausage going to look like if their strong play continues? I, for one, want to find out.

13) Boston Red Sox

Odds to win AL East: +1300

To Make the Playoffs: +210

It almost looks like a misprint, but the Red Sox starting rotation leads the majors with a minuscule 2.00 ERA. It’s a shock, to say the least. After all, the Red Sox lost Lucas Giolito during spring training and Brayan Bello, Nick Pivetta, and Garrett Whitlock are also sidelined right now. Tanner Houck (1.60 ERA) and Kutter Crawford (1.35 ERA) have been absolute lifesavers and Cooper Criswell hasn’t allowed a run over his last two starts. Expecting some regression is sort of a no-brainer, but it’s also worth noting that Trevor Story is out for the season and Triston Casas is expected to miss multiple months with torn cartilage in his rib cage. They deserve a lot of credit, but it’s going to be tough to hang in this division.

14) Cincinnati Reds

Odds to win NL Central: +450

To Make the Playoffs: +160

Are you not entertained? Elly De La Cruz continues to amaze, whether it’s a 443-foot home run or a 106.9 mph throw from shortstop. Okay, so the MPH might not be completely accurate, but the point is that he’s testing the limits of Statcast on the regular. De La Cruz now has 18 stolen bases on the year, the most in the majors before May 1 since Deion Sanders in 1997. Per the excellent Sarah Langs, nobody has put up this many homers (eight) and steals (17) in one calendar month since at least 1901. What could he have in store for the month of May?

15) Texas Rangers

Odds to win AL West: +155

To Make the Playoffs: -160

What have you done for me lately? The defending World Series champions had the best offense in the American League last season, but they haven’t clicked over the first month. Corey Seager has had some uncharacteristic struggles offensively and youngsters Evan Carter and Wyatt Langford have endured some expected growing pains. Still, it was pretty fun to see Langford leg out an inside-the-parker for his first major league home run on Sunday. He should put some over the fence soon enough.

16) New York Mets

Odds to win NL East: +2500

To Make the Playoffs: +180

It’s been a topsy-turvy start to the season for the Mets, who lost their first five games before eventually reeling off a six-game winning streak. The pitching staff has held up well despite missing Kodai Senga, with sudden multi-inning wonder Reed Garrett being the biggest surprise. Senga might be ready in a few weeks and prospect Christian Scott isn’t far off from making an impact in the majors. Losing Francisco Alvarez hurts, but the Mets are hopeful that J.D. Martinez can give Pete Alonso some protection in the lineup.

17) Toronto Blue Jays

Odds to win AL East: +800

To Make the Playoffs: +135

It feels like things could be a lot worse for the Blue Jays. Kevin Gausman had a rough start to the season, their pitching staff has been homer-prone, Vlad Jr., George Springer, and Bo Bichette haven’t been hitting, and the Jays were also without Jordan Romano for the first half of April. So perhaps things start to normalize now. One piece of encouraging news is Alek Manoah’s progress in the minor leagues. Opposing Pirates top prospect Paul Skenes on Tuesday, Manoah gave up just one run (a solo homer) with 12 strikeouts and two walks over six innings. It’s a step in the right direction.

18) San Francisco Giants

Odds to win NL West: +1500

To Make the Playoffs: +220

The Giants made major investments in free agency this offseason and so far it has been a mixed bag in terms of results on the field. Blake Snell signed late and struggled through his first two starts before hitting the injured list last week with a moderate left adductor strain. It’s not exactly what the Giants envisioned, but Logan Webb, Jordan Hicks, and Keaton Winn have been pillars for the rotation and the defense has been solid. It’s a model that could work in San Francisco.

19) San Diego Padres

Odds to win NL West: +2200

To Make the Playoffs: +300

The Padres snapped their five-game losing streak on Tuesday as Yu Darvish returned from the injured list and tossed five scoreless frames in a 6-4 victory over the Reds. Manny Machado delivered a huge three-run double and just recently started playing third base again after making his way back from elbow surgery. That’s the optimistic take on this team, but the pitching staff has been absolutely kneecapped by the home run ball this season. They’ve given up 40 (third-most in the majors) of them, with Joe Musgrove and Michael King combining for 19 allowed in just 71 innings.

20) Arizona Diamondbacks

Odds to win NL West: +950

To Make the Playoffs: +145

The Twins have the rally sausage, maybe the Diamondbacks should have the rally bee? In what has to be a first, Tuesday’s game against the Dodgers was delayed an hour and 55 minutes due to the presence of a beehive behind home plate at Chase Field. The Diamondbacks went on to win in 10 innings thanks to a walk-off homer from Christian Walker. The defending National League champions have experienced something of a hangover early on, with Corbin Carroll struggling to the tune of a .193/.292/.246 batting line. He was recently moved down in the order, and there’s continued questions about the state of his shoulder. It’s hard to imagine the D-Backs returning to the postseason if he doesn’t get things straightened out.

21) St. Louis Cardinals

Odds to win NL Central: +550

To Make the Playoffs: +185

The Cardinals decided to mostly run things back with the same lineup and a rebuilt pitching staff and so far it has been a mixed bag. Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt have combined for just three home runs in 224 at-bats entering play on Wednesday, so maybe it’s not surprising to learn that only the A’s have scored fewer runs this season. Sonny Gray has been lights-out after a late start to the season and the back-end of the bullpen has looked great, but the Cardinals will probably only go as far as these veteran bats will take them.

22) Tampa Bay Rays

Odds to win AL East: +1400

To Make the Playoffs: +250

It’s hard to think of anything worse than getting swept by the White Sox over the weekend, which clinched the Rays being under .500 at the end of April for the first time since 2018. We’re used to the Rays making the most of out their situation and squeezing value out of the unexpected, so it’s all a bit jarring. Slow starts for their key bats (Randy Arozarena, Yandy Díaz) are a big part of their struggles, but their bullpen has also been among the worst in the league. That isn’t to say it’s a hopeless situation. Arozarena and Díaz have track records, Josh Lowe is restarting a rehab assignment, and Taj Bradley could join the rotation next week. It’s hard to bet against them moving up in the ranks a month from now. I’m tempted to move them up just for these sweet City Connect uniforms.

23) Houston Astros

Odds to win AL West: +310

To Make the Playoffs: +120

How weird is it to see the Astros in the bottom-10 on this list? And that’s even with some fantastic contributions from the likes of Jose Altuve, Kyle Tucker, and Yordan Alvarez. The Astros have dealt with injuries in their rotation, the bullpen has been surprisingly mediocre, and some familiar names in their lineup have struggled. Jose Abreu has actually agreed to go to Triple-A to try to get his ice-cold bat back on track. The hope is that prospect Joey Loperfido can provide a jolt to their lineup. The 25-year-old hit 25 homers in 124 games in the minors last season, and has launched 13 homers with a 1.106 OPS over 25 games in Triple-A so far this season. The Astros had a successful weekend against the Rockies in Mexico City and are certainly capable of better moving forward.

24) Pittsburgh Pirates

Odds to win NL Central: +1700

To Make the Playoffs: +600

The Pirates have come back down to Earth after a strong first week of the season and most of the baseball world is focused on a player who isn’t even on their active roster yet. The key word there is “yet.” 2023 No. 1 overall pick Paul Skenes continues to make a mockery of minor league hitters, with a microscopic 0.39 ERA and 41/6 K/BB ratio in 23 innings across his first six starts in Triple-A. He threw six scoreless innings and 75 pitches in his most recent start on Tuesday night, so he’s checking all the boxes in terms of development. His time is coming soon.

25) Washington Nationals

Odds to win NL East: +25000

To Make the Playoffs: +2500

It’s fun to witness a team lean into their identity and that’s what we’re seeing with the Nationals right now. Coming into play Wednesday, they rank second in the majors (behind the Reds) with 53 stolen bases. They have five players who have racked up at least five stolen bases and two players (Jacob Young and the injured Lane Thomas) in double-digits. CJ Abrams has seven swipes to his name, but it’s his bat that’s doing a lot of the talking right now. Coming off a strong second half last season, he’s already launched seven homers to go along with a monster .295/.373/.619 batting line. It’s been a tough couple of years for Nationals fans, but they are watching a burgeoning star.

26) Oakland Athletics

Odds to win AL West: +20000

To Make the Playoffs: +2500

Don’t make this all about Mason Miller. Don’t make this all about Mason Miller. Don’t make this all about Mason Miller. After defeating the Pirates last night, the Athletics are now a perfect 10-0 leading after seven innings. Yes, Miller is a huge part of that. He’s no struck out 28 out of the 51 batters he’s faced this season and his FIP checks in at -0.14. What even? However, we shouldn’t overlook what Lucas Erceg is doing either. He’s now sporting a 1.42 ERA with 17 strikeouts in 12 2/3 innings this season. The A’s are batting just .206 as a team, so there’s a long way to go on the road to respectability. But at least they are more fun and interesting than they have been in a while.

27) Los Angeles Angels

Odds to win AL West: +4500

To Make the Playoffs: +1600

The Angels are off to an 11-19 start this season and things are probably going to get worse before they get better. The unfortunate news came down Tuesday that Mike Trout needs surgery for a torn meniscus. More should be known about a timetable after the surgery, but all the Angels are saying for now is that the future Hall of Famer is expected to return at some point this season. It’s just the latest development in a long line of injuries for Trout, who appeared in just 237 games between 2021-2023. Trout remains one of the game’s best players when healthy — he’s currently tied for the MLB lead with 10 homers — but his career arc is increasingly dispiriting.

28) Colorado Rockies

Odds to win NL West: +25000

To Make the Playoffs: +2500

Nothing encapsulates the state of the Rockies more than this: They have trailed in 29 consecutive games to start the season, setting a new modern record. The nadir, perhaps, was Tuesday night where Ryan Feltner was cruising before things fell apart in the late innings. The Marlins ended up winning in extras. Nolan Jones hit the injured list this week due to a back strain, but it was cool to see Jordan Beck make his major league debut on Tuesday. He went 2-for-4, including a 99.3 mph single up the middle in his first MLB at-bat.

29) Miami Marlins

Odds to win NL East: +30000

To Make the Playoffs: +2500

The Marlins are snakebit this season, or so it seems. Losing Jesus Luzardo with a mild left flexor muscle strain is the latest blow for a team who has also had to navigate injuries to Eury Perez, Edward Cabrera, Braxton Garrett, and A.J. Puk in the early going. They also voluntarily sent Max Meyer to the minor leagues despite his early success. Only the White Sox and Rockies have a higher ERA from their rotation so far this season. Compare that with last year where they were in the top-10. The Marlins surprised in securing a Wild Card spot last year, but we’re witnessing a demoralizing step back for this franchise.

30) Chicago White Sox

Odds to win AL Central: +25000

To Make the Playoffs: +2500

The White Sox swept the Rays over the weekend and doubled their season win total in the process. That really says it all. We knew the pitching would be rough — and they’ve delivered on that with a 5.05 staff ERA — but the offense has been particularly futile. Their .600 OPS is the lowest in the majors, and they’ve already been shut out eight times through 30 games. Tommy Pham is now in the fold and Eloy Jimenez has swung the bat well recently, but there’s just not a lot of hope for this team.