Who is the best team in the MLB? We’re a month through the 2024 Major League Baseball season, providing a solid sample size to evaluate all 30 clubs. While the MLB power rankings for Week 5 don’t necessarily reflect who the best MLB teams will be in October, we do capture where things stand in baseball right now.
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Let’s dive into our MLB power rankings for Week 5.
MLB power rankings: Worst MLB teams
30. Chicago White Sox (30)
The Chicago White Sox are the worst MLB team in 2024 and they might become the worst team in MLB history. We will say this, though, Chicago has something pretty cool happening heading into the weekend. The White Sox first win came after four losses, its second win came after five losses, its third win after six losses and its fourth win after seven losses. So, at least that’s unique about this team.
29. Colorado Rockies (29)
The Colorado Rockies vs Houston Astros series is MLB’s example of a stoppable force vs movable object. It should come as no surprise that Colorado has the worst pitching (5.74 ERA, 1.64 WHIP and .295 batting average allowed) in the majors this year. Bright side, the 2024 Rockies season is almost at the 20 percent mark so at least the games are flying by.
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28. Miami Marlins (28)
If there was anyone hoping a four-game split with the Chicago Cubs might’ve provided the Miami Marlins with a tiny spark, that hope was extinguished days later. The Marlins have a bottom-three lineup in baseball this season and now Jesus Luzardo (elbow) is the latest core member of the Marlins’ rotation dealing with arm problems.
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27. Oakland Athletics (27)
Mason Miller might be the only reason to watch the Oakland Athletics in 2024. The 6-foot-5 righty isn’t just dominating out of the pen (1.46 ERA, 0.89 WHIP), he’s bringing heat like no other pitcher in the majors. With Miller likely destined to be a premium closer for his prime years and the A’s in a long rebuild, it’s not the worst idea if contenders want to check his availability in trade talks this summer.
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26. Washington Nationals (26)
If the Washington Nationals get nothing else out of the season other than C.J. Abrams’ breakout, it will still be a good year. He looked lost at the plate in his first two seasons with Washington, but the 23-year-old infielder has become one of the best shortstops in the National League this season. Another positive for Washington, every week that passes means we’re closer to Dylan Crews coming to Nationals Park.
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25. Los Angeles Angels (23)
We’ve devoted the Los Angeles Angels blurb in previous MLB power rankings to Mike Trout, but there is someone else deserving of recognition. Reid Detmers, in his age-24 season, has put it all together this year (2.12 ERA, 1.04 WHIP). He seems to be the future ace of the Angels’ rotation, but Los Angeles might also have a nice trade chip for the summer with starter Tyler Anderson (1.78 ERA) playing so well.
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24. Houston Astros (19)
Justin Verlander returned and things didn’t miraculously improve for the Houston Astros. It certainly didn’t help that Cristian Javier (neck) then hit the injured list, but 2024 has simply been a disaster for Houston. Despite the Astros lineup holding the fourth-highest batting average (.260) and eighth-best OBP (.325) in MLB, Houston ranks 20th in runs scored.
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23. Pittsburgh Pirates (14)
It didn’t even last for all of April this time. Many got excited over the Pittsburgh Pirates after a 9-2 start, believing this team was different than the club we saw tear through its April schedule in 2023 and then collapsed. Since starting the season 9-2, Pittsburgh has dropped to 4-12 in its last 16 games.
22. St. Louis Cardinals (22)
After a four-game losing streak, the St. Louis Cardinals recovered with a pair of wins in three days over the Arizona Cardinals. The good news for St. Louis is that Sonny Gray is providing some much-needed support at the front of the rotation, but the Cardinals lineup also entered Saturday ranked 26th in runs scored.
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21. San Francisco Giants
Signs of life from the San Francisco Giants. They opened the week with a series victory over the New York Mets, carrying that over into a solid showing against the Pittsburgh Pirates with some walk-off heroics. There are still a lot of numbers suggesting San Francisco isn’t a contender, but at this point, fans might settle for the Giants not being one of the worst teams in MLB.
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MLB power rankings Week 5: Red Sox, Twins and Reds rise
20. Tampa Bay Rays (13)
This feels a lot closer to the version of the Tampa Bay Rays we should’ve all seen coming given the lack of talent on the roster. Injuries and other circumstances are the result for the Rays’ downfall, but it’s still disappointing to see a club that was once a perennial contender now look like it could be in for a multi-year retool. It sure would’ve been nice to see more money invested in the roster.
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19. Arizona Diamondbacks (16)
We’re beginning to lose faith in the Arizona Diamondbacks. Even when Corbin Carroll turns it around it’s not like the Diamondbacks’ starting pitching (12 quality starts) and lineup (second-most runs scored in MLB) haven’t already been productive. Arizona’s bullpen is truly disastrous, entering Sunday with a 4.44 ERA and numerous blown leads. THey are the biggest reason why the Diamondbacks’ pitching staff has allowed a .248 batting average (20th in MLB) this season.
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18. Minnesota Twins (25)
Take the wins where you can get them. Morale for the Minnesota Twins was fading fast a week ago, with the club sitting at 6-12 entering April 20. Suddenly, a break in the schedule changed everything. Minnesota won six consecutive games and even after taking the series against the Angeles, it gets another three-game set against the White Sox next. If all bodes well, the Twins should be over .500 and playing with a lore more confidence for the stretch next weekend against the Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners.
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17. San Diego Padres (9)
The San Diego Padres simply should’ve fared better against one of the worst MLB teams, especially after a poor showing at home last week against the Toronto Blue Jays. Pitching is the main concern for San Diego right now, but there also aren’t a ton of reasons to expect it to rapidly improve. After getting knocked around in a three-game series loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego now has a collective 4.22 ERA (21st in MLB) and the starting rotation (4.43 ERA, 3.79 BB/9) is just as responsible as the bullpen.
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16. Toronto Blue Jays (12)
Here’s what you need to know about the Toronto Blue Jays. From April 14-27, the Blue Jays rotation posted the eighth-lowest ERA (3.09) in the majors. Unfortunately for Toronto, it doesn’t have much to show for it as of late because the bullpen (4.05 ERA) and lineup (.224/.305/.352) are perpetual disappoints. All of this isn’t even addressing that Vladimir Guerrero Jr, once a potential face of baseball in Canada, now has a .257 batting average and 115 OPS+ over his last 182 games.
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15. New York Mets (11)
A six-game winning streak that included a series victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers came to an abrupt end when the New York Mets lineup went cold in San Francisco. Still, it’s worth remembering that New York started the season 0-5 and was still 6-8 in the middle of April. It might just be a season of peaks and valleys, because that six-game win streak was immediately followed by a 1-5 stretch. If this keeps up, the Mets have the perfect recipe for .500 ball.
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14. Boston Red Sox (21)
The Boston Red Sox lost a series to the Cleveland Guardians twice in a one-week span, but that tends to happen when you face one of the best MLB teas right now. However, the Red Sox did further cool down the once fast-start Pirates and while that 6-2 record feels like a distant memory for Boston, it should at least be good enough to beat bad teams and there are plenty of those in the American League. Boston should fare well at home against San Francisco, with the litmus test against the Twins (May 3-5) followed by a tough three-game stretch in Atlanta.
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13. Kansas City Royals (15)
We’re obviously still not big believers in the Kansas City Royals long-term. They did pass a big test against the Toronto Blue Jays and a series victory over the Detroit Tigers would push them up another spot in our MLB power rankings week 5. However, that .239 batting average allowed (18th in MLB) suggests regression is coming for the ERA (3.13) and Salvador Perez (.344 BA) is due for a dip in production.
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12. Detroit Tigers (18)
Tarik Skubal is becoming the Cy Young contender the Detroit Tigers were hoping to see in 2024. What’s remarkable is that he’s not the only reason Detroit’s pitching staff has the third-lowest (ERA (3.00), second-lowest WHIP (1.09) and lowest batting average allowed (.212) in the majors. Reese Olson (3.18 ERA) has been excellent, Casey Mize (2.95 ERA, 1.22 WHIP is pitching extremely well and Jack Flaherty (11.0 K/9 ) is at least missing bats at a high rate. Just please don’t make us write about the Tigers lineup.
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11. Cincinnati Reds (17)
It’s been a solid turnaround for the Cincinnati Reds in recent days, beginning with a sweep over the Angels and followed by a productive four-game split at home against the Philadelphia Phillies. The absence of Frankie Montas and Noelvi Marte is felt, but Elly De La Cruz is heating up and Andrew Abbott (2.60 ERA, 1.12 WHIP) has been a breakthrough arm for Cincinnati’s rotation this season. Cincinnati should be able to dispatch a reeling Padres team and if that is done, that Orioles vs Reds series next weekend should be one of the best in MLB.
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Best MLB teams right now
10. Seattle Mariners (20)
The Seattle Mariners are back on track, performing like one of the best MLB teams in the last three weeks. Pitching is certainly the biggest reason for Seattle’s 7-3 record in its last 10 games, with a 1.42 ERA in 89 innings pitched that seems unfathomable. However, we also have to credit the Mariners improving lineup and Julio Rodriguez (.410/.439/.538) is a crucial part of that turnaround in the last 10 days. If Seattle can just have a league-average lineup, the pitching will make this one of the best MLB teams in 2024.
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9. Texas Rangers (5)
It’s a drop for the Texas Rangers in our MLB power rankings for Week 5, but there’s no real reason to sound the alarm. Max Scherzer is ahead of schedule and his looming return will help a pitching staff that ranks 20th in ERA (4.05) and 15th in quality starts (eight). We did see a brief injury scare for Corey Seager (shin), but he rejoined the Rangers lineup and we’re confident this team will get better as the season unfolds.
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8. Chicago Cubs (10)
The Chicago Cubs took full advantage of a reeling Astros team. While excellence on the mound was the biggest reason for the series sweep, the highlight of the home series at Wrigley Field was fans getting to see Pete Crow-Armstrong hit his first MLB home run. The Cubs lineup – .410 SLG (7th in MLB) and 133 runs scored (7th) – continues to do excellent work in April. Best of all, Justin Steele’s eventual return should help provide Chicago with some much-needed quality starts.
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7. Los Angeles Dodgers (4)
We’ll find out quickly whether or not a three-game sweep over the Nationals, led by dominant pitching, provides the Los Angeles Dodgers with a much-needed jolt. Prior to that excellent showing at Nationals Park, Los Angeles went from a 10-4 start to 12-11 in a few short weeks. Everyone knows the Dodgers have the talent to win the World Series and they have plenty of time to work out minor issues, but the defense is still a problem that could bite them in October.
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6. Philadelphia Phillies (6)
On the season, the Philadelphia Phillies lineup ranks 13th in runs scored (113) and slugging percentage (.394) and is 14th in OBP (.320). Given those issues, one would wonder why Philly holds its spot in the MLB power rankings after an up-down showing in Cincinnati. That’s because there are signs of life from the Phillies lineup – 115 wRC+ (6th in MLB) and a .327 OBP (7th) – that suggests things are improving. If that sticks, paired with the pitching, Philadelphia is a World Series contender.
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5. New York Yankees (2)
We’re nearly 30 games into the regular season and while the New York Yankees lineup has been average – 15th most runs scored (112) in MLB – Juan Soto (.991 OPS) is doing all the heavy lifting. Any hope of Giancarlo Stanton (.222/.276/.457) ever recapturing his All-Star form seems long gone, but the big issue is Aaron Judge (.188/.322/.371). However, that 16.1 percent walk rate and a .230 BABIP which is well below is .300-plus BABIPs over the past three years, suggests positive regression is coming. When Judge warms up, the Soto-Judge combo will carry the Yankees lineup to some victories.
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4. Milwaukee Brewers (7)
After a brief slip-up in San Diego, the Milwaukee Brewers rebounded this past week with consecutive solid showings against the Cardinals and Pirates. Heading into the weekend with a 16-8 record, Milwaukee also boasts an excellent +35 run differential (fourth in MLB). Unlike previous seasons, where pitching carried this club, it’s now a Brewers lineup responsible for the third-highest batting average (.264) and fourth-best slugging percentage (.421) that has made this one of the best MLB teams right now.
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3. Baltimore Orioles (3)
The Baltimore Orioles might’ve done the right thing for Jackson Holliday (.170 OPS in 34 at-bats) long term and they certainly will get more production in the interim with the top prospect back at the Triple-A level. Just how much depth does Baltimore have in the farm system? Scouts believe several top Orioles prospects could start for a majority of MLB teams. As for the current stars, Gunnar Henderson (.649 SLG) and Adley Rutschman (.368 OBP) are proving to be quite the complementary lineup tandem, especially with Ryan Mountcastle (.866 OPS) and Jordan Westbrug (.941 OPS) swinging hot bats.
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2. Cleveland Guardians (8)
We said last week the Cleveland Guardians would get their due in the MLB power rankings with another strong stretch. While the Red Sox and Athletics might not be two of the best MLB teams, 18 wins and an MLB-best +49 run differential speaks for itself. The Guardians lineup -.253/.324/.406 – is one of the most productive in baseball this season and despite limited quality starts (4, fewest in MLB), Cleveland boasts one of the lowest ERAs in the majors.
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1. Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are the best team in MLB. Even with Sean Murphy on the injured list and Spencer Strider lost for the season, Atlanta finds ways to win. The Braves are the hottest team in MLB, posting an 8-1 record in their last nine games (April 15-25). What’s especially impressive over that stretch is a spectacular 2.17 ERA in 83 innings pitched, per FanGraphs. Good pitching, excellent lineup production and now Ozzie Albies returns. All is right in Atlanta, well, except for Falcons fans after the NFL Draft.
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