MLB Power Rankings: Rays' historic start, Padres waiting for spark

Welcome to the second edition of theScore's MLB Power Rankings for the 2023 season. The first edition ran prior to Opening Day, while the next edition will publish May 1.

1. Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays managed to go 13-0 to start the season, tying a modern record held by two other teams - the 1982 Braves and 1987 Brewers. Interestingly, neither of those teams wound up winning the World Series, so nothing is guaranteed after the torrid start, and losing two of three to the division-rival Blue Jays was likely humbling. A lot has been made of the Rays' easy schedule, and, while that's true, they weren't squeaking out victories against bottom-feeders. They've thumped their opponents, with 11 wins being decided by four runs or more. If the offense - which was merely average last year and now paces MLB with a 151 wRC+ led by bounce-backs from Wander Franco and Brandon Lowe - is legit, the rest of the league could be in big trouble.

2. Atlanta Braves

While everyone was focused on the Rays' pursuit of a historically hot start, the Braves put together a nice six-game win streak themselves. Losing Travis d'Arnaud to the concussion injured list stings, but this is partially why Atlanta went out and got Sean Murphy this past winter, and he's been nothing short of brilliant. The pop is showing up, as he's clubbed three homers and seven doubles so far, but he's also posting a .446 OBP. Simply put, he's one of the most dangerous - and patient - hitters in the game.

3. Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers sit atop the NL Central after winning 11 out of 16. Milwaukee has already swept the Mets and won three of four against the Padres. Newcomer Brian Anderson and rookie Garrett Mitchell have impressed, combining for six homers and 20 RBIs. However, the club's rotation took a big hit with Brandon Woodruff being sidelined due to a subscapular strain in his shoulder. The two-time All-Star is expected to be out long term.

4. New York Mets

New York pushed its winning streak to four games with a sweep of the hapless Athletics after a mediocre 6-6 record to begin the season. Pete Alonso is off to a stellar start thanks to his MLB-leading eight homers over 16 contests. Francisco Lindor also leads the team with 16 RBIs. The Mets have won 10 out of 16 without much help from Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, who has yet to pitch this year because of injury. Scherzer owns a 4.41 ERA over three starts.

5. New York Yankees

Injuries are already piling up as the Yankees are down three starting pitchers, as well as Giancarlo Stanton, Josh Donaldson, and Harrison Bader. Lucky for them, they've found lightning in a bottle with Franchy Cordero. The outfielder has four homers, 11 RBIs, and a .583 slugging percentage in 10 games. Domingo German, who was right in the middle of some sticky-stuff controversy during Saturday's game, has also been a superb fill-in for the Yankees' rotation, striking out 19 in 14 innings alongside a .176 opponents' batting average.

6. Toronto Blue Jays

Call them world-beaters. Hosting the undefeated Rays, the Blue Jays managed to hand their division rivals consecutive losses. They've now won four straight series after dropping two of three to the Cardinals in the opening set. Where would they be without Matt Chapman? The elite defensive third baseman and pending free agent isn't just mashing with three homers and eight doubles, but he's so locked in and disciplined that he's worked seven walks and is reaching base in nearly 50% of his plate appearances. He's been so good at the dish, in fact, that he's second in the league in fWAR despite defensive metrics giving him a negative score. Chapman is more than just a strong defensive role player behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette; he's a key part of this lineup.

7. Minnesota Twins

The Twins have claimed three of their first five series thanks to some very good starting pitching. Minnesota starters rank first in ERA (2.58) and K/9 (11.1) and third in fWAR, getting major contributions from Joe Ryan, Sonny Gray, and offseason acquisition Pablo Lopez. The trio have combined to post a 1.74 ERA and 0.81 WHIP in 62 innings.

8. Los Angeles Dodgers

Los Angeles has seen some surprising contributions amid an average start. Max Muncy's six homers lead the club after he went deep 21 times over 136 games during a disappointing 2022. The two-time All-Star has hit at least 35 homers in three different campaigns in his career. Meanwhile, rookie James Outman, veteran Jason Heyward, and Trayce Thompson have belted a combined 10 homers. If there's a cause for concern early on, it's the bullpen. Dodgers relievers rank 24th in ERA, 25th in WHIP, and 28th in opponent batting average.

9. Houston Astros

The defending champions are off to a slow start with just one series win (against the Pirates) to start the campaign. Things don't get easier for Houston as the club faces the Blue Jays, Braves, and Rays over the next nine games. Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker are doing all the heavy lifting for the offense. The duo has combined to hit eight home runs with 33 RBIs, while the rest of their teammates have collectively gone deep eight times. Jose Abreu has yet to hit a homer and has struck out 18 times.

10. San Diego Padres

The looming return of Fernando Tatis Jr. from suspension should give the Padres a big spark. The 24-year-old superstar has torched Triple-A pitching, recording seven homers and a 1.802 OPS over eight rehab contests. Only Xander Bogaerts, who's slashing .354/.427/.585, has truly stood out early among the star-studded roster in San Diego. Juan Soto's 21.6% walk rate ranks fifth in the majors, but he's also only hitting .172 to go with a career-worst 21.6% strikeout rate.

11. Seattle Mariners

The Mariners strung together four straight wins following a 4-8 start. The biggest development early in the season for Seattle has been the emergence of former top prospect Jarred Kelenic. The 23-year-old is slashing .362/.423/.723 with four homers over 14 contests while playing solid defense in the outfield. On the pitching front, Luis Castillo has been sensational. The right-hander flirted with a perfect game in his last start and holds a 0.73 ERA with 0.61 WHIP across four starts in 2023.

12. Texas Rangers

The Rangers have a great chance to build on a nice start with their next nine games coming against the Royals, Athletics, and Reds. However, Texas will have to do so without star shortstop Corey Seager, who is out for at least the next month with a hamstring strain. Marcus Semien needs to step up with Seager sidelined. Semien hit a grand slam against the Astros to secure a series win in Houston for the first time since July 2018. Jacob deGrom looks sensational despite an inflated 4.32 ERA, posting 27 strikeouts and just two walks over 16 2/3 innings.

13. Cleveland Guardians

Jose Ramirez might be getting even better. The Guardians third baseman is once again carrying a mediocre offense, posting a career-best 16.9 BB% to go with a career-low 7.0 K%. While Ramirez gets all the focus, we might be watching another breakout emerging in Myles Straw. The center fielder is slashing .333/.443/.392 with seven stolen bases across 15 games and has already been worth 0.5 fWAR after posting 1.9 WAR in 152 games in 2022.

14. Boston Red Sox

It's certainly a good thing the Red Sox were able to extend Rafael Devers. The third baseman has been the heartbeat of the offense - especially since Adam Duvall's injury, leading the team with seven home runs, 15 RBIs, and a .964 OPS. Boston isn't getting much production from the rest of the infield, however. The team ranks 29th in the majors in OPS at shortstop (.474), 28th at second base (.371), and 24th at first base (.585). Still, despite a number of key injuries and a starting rotation that owns the third-worst ERA (6.45) in the majors, the team finds itself at .500.

15. Los Angeles Angels

It remains Shohei Ohtani's world, but the Angels also remain the Angels. The two-way star has been nearly untouchable in his three starts, posting a 0.47 ERA with 24 strikeouts. At the dish, he's slashing .288/.383/.500 with three homers, 15 hits, and nine RBIs in 14 games. His future Hall of Fame teammate Mike Trout has a .972 OPS. The club still owns a losing record.

16. Baltimore Orioles

Break out the homer hose, dong bong, or whatever you call it. The Orioles are fun as hell, and it's great to see Baltimore starting to fill up Camden Yards again. Adley Rutschman continues to look like a generational talent and a franchise pillar. The 25-year-old is slashing .344/.481/.574 through 16 games and has 16 walks compared to only nine strikeouts. But let's not give all the love to Rutschman, as Jorge Mateo owns a 1.082 OPS and eight stolen bases in 14 games. Yes, things are looking up in Baltimore. Oh, the pitching staff? Yeah, we don't talk about that (they have the second-worst ERA in the majors).

17. Chicago Cubs

The Cubs have only lost one series and could be primed to make some noise in a weak division. Chicago came into L.A. and won two out of three thanks to an early statement series by Cody Bellinger. The former Dodgers star robbed Jason Heyward of a homer in one contest and then belted the game-winning blast in the finale. Patrick Wisdom, who has six homers already, and Nico Hoerner and his MLB-leading eight steals have impressed early.

18. Arizona Diamondbacks

Talk about a fun team. The D-Backs sit atop the NL West thanks to an electric brand of baseball that features plenty of speed. Arizona is tops in FanGraphs' speed score, fifth in stolen bases, and features budding star Corbin Carroll, who has yet to be caught on the base paths in six chances. Geraldo Perdomo has been an early surprise, posting a 1.156 OPS (213 OPS+) in 33 plate appearances after producing a .547 OPS in 148 games last season.

19. St. Louis Cardinals

The lineup is predictably very strong, currently top five in the NL by wRC+. But as good as the hitters might be, the starting staff is almost equally as bad with a 5.00 ERA. Impressively, though, Jordan Montgomery is doing his part, posting a 2.45 ERA and 2.33 FIP without allowing a homer over 18 1/3 innings. Since joining the Cardinals at the trade deadline last year, the lefty has been mystifyingly great at limiting walks and homers despite not getting that many whiffs. He'll need some help from his rotation mates, though, if the Cardinals expect to run away with the division.

20. Pittsburgh Pirates

Heading into the year, seeing the Pirates in the top 20 would've seemed shocking. However, they've acquitted themselves quite well in the early going, and that's despite losing budding star shortstop Oneil Cruz to a fractured ankle. A lot of credit is owed to Andrew McCutchen's homecoming. The former MVP looks born anew back where his career started, as he's 14-for-47 with two homers and 11 walks. Bryan Reynolds is also making management regret not getting that extension done, boasting five homers and 15 RBIs.

21. Miami Marlins

The Marlins somehow sit at .500 despite a miserable offense. No team has produced fewer runs than Miami, which has only scored 49 times in 16 games and has an expected record of 5-11 based on run differential. While the bulk of the bats are cold, one player who's not having any issues is Luis Arraez. The reigning AL batting champ is an absurd 24-for-51 (.471) and leads all qualified hitters by .050.

22. Philadelphia Phillies

It's been a tough start for the Phillies, with Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola both running into a lot of trouble and combining to allow 21 runs over 37 innings. On the offensive side, it's been an unlikely hero in Bryson Stott propelling the lineup with a 16-game hit streak. He's almost not walking at all, he's striking out a lot, and he isn't showing much pop - having just hit his first homer of the year with a wall-scraper at Great American Ball Park. But Stott is definitely looking like a very gifted contact hitter, leading the club with 24 hits.

23. Chicago White Sox

The only thing working in the rotation for the White Sox is Dylan Cease. In particular, both Lance Lynn and Michael Kopech are looking especially bad at preventing runs. The 35-year-old Lynn bounced back in the second half last year and showed he might still have something in the tank but has now allowed six homers over 16 innings. Kopech, meanwhile, has been even worse, really struggling with command and control while coughing up 10 walks and seven dingers in 15 2/3 innings. On the plus side, Luis Robert Jr. might be delivering on the promise of that breakout 2021 campaign, hitting .277/.288/.569 with five homers and 11 RBIs in his first 15 games.

24. San Francisco Giants

What a strange start for the Giants. From scoring 28 runs in two games against the White Sox to losing series to the Royals and Tigers, San Francisco is a bit of an enigma. Free-agent signing Ross Stripling has already been relegated to the bullpen. He's allowed six home runs in 10 innings after only serving up 12 in 134 1/3 innings last season. At least they locked up ace Logan Webb with a new five-year, $90-million contract, although his 4.76 ERA and 4.37 FIP are far higher than his career norms.

25. Cincinnati Reds

This is about where you'd expect to see the Reds, so let's just focus on the good storylines despite the poor overall result: Nick Lodolo is on his way to being a true ace. The young lefty broke into the majors last year and was impressive, and he has progressed very nicely by limiting how much hard contact he's given up while also improving his already great whiff rate. Whether he can maintain a 0.53 HR/9 while playing his home games at Great American Ball Park will have to be seen. But, if he can, there's no question he has the promise of Cy Young contention in his future.

26. Colorado Rockies

Colorado is riding a five-game losing skid after a weekend sweep at the hands of the Mariners. The club also owns the worst run differential in the NL. Where has Kris Bryant's power gone? The four-time All-Star has hit just 13 home runs in 108 games since leaving the Cubs and has gone deep once over 15 games in 2023.

27. Detroit Tigers

Javier Baez's signing looks worse with each passing day. The shortstop was recently benched after making a baserunning blunder, which followed a series of mental mistakes by the Tigers. The 30-year-old is hitting .184/.259/.235 with no homers and has been a disaster at the plate since signing a six-year, $140-million deal before last season. Of the 193 qualified hitters in the majors this season, Baez ranks 181st in average, 184th in slugging, and 186th in OPS.

28. Kansas City Royals

By wRC+, the Royals have the worst offense in baseball, but Bobby Witt Jr. is definitely making progress after a pretty ho-hum debut season last year. The 22-year-old shortstop is more patient, improving in both walk and strikeout rates. More importantly, he's hitting the ball just as hard but making more contact, which is increasing the damage he's able to do. Considering this might be the only hitter worth watching in K.C., that's good news. Also, for a team that should be built to win at their ballpark, the Royals are just 1-9 this season at home.

29. Washington Nationals

Washington has hit just eight home runs through 16 games - the worst mark in the majors. In fact, Mets slugger Pete Alonso has as many home runs on the season in 484 less at-bats. Last year's breakout star Joey Meneses has yet to go deep through his first 63 at-bats and has just four extra-base hits. He had five homers in as many at-bats to start his MLB career a season ago.

30. Oakland Athletics

The A's look like the worst team in baseball, and it's not even close. Oakland has lost 10 of 11 and possesses the worst run differential at a whopping minus-63. The team's starting pitching has been ghastly, accruing a 9.16 ERA. The rotation is also surrendering over five BB/9. The trio of Shintaro Fujinami, James Kaprielian, and Ken Waldichuk have already allowed 51 earned runs with 28 walks over a combined nine starts.