2024 MLB Power Rankings 2.0 (Week of April 7): Major shakeups, Yankees remain in top 3

The Yankees are clicking on all cylinders, but is it enough to steal the top spot from the likes of the Los Angeles Dodgers or the Atlanta Braves in the second week of our 2024 MLB Power Rankings?

2024 MLB Power Rankings 2.0

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (Previous #2): Despite losing two of three to the Chicago Cubs, the Dodgers’ offense is already starting to click, which should be terrifying for the rest of MLB. Just look at Mookie Betts: He leads the majors in hits, runs, triples, home runs, RBI, on-base percentage, slugging, OPS, OPS+, and total bases.
2. New York Yankees (Previous #3): The Yankees kept rolling off their season-opening sweep of the Houston Astros with series wins against the Arizona Diamondbacks and Toronto Blue Jays. That Juan Soto guy is pretty good, huh?
   

   

3. Atlanta Braves (Previous #1): Spencer Strider’s elbow injury is a massive blow for the Braves, who still managed to sweep the Diamondbacks after splitting a two-game set with the lowly Chicago White Sox.
4. Texas Rangers (Previous #5): They’ll be without star third baseman Josh Jung, but the defending champs didn’t slow down this week with series wins over the Tampa Bay Rays and Astros
5. Boston Red Sox (Previous #21): Our biggest movers of the power rankings which will get the eyes of some Yankees fans rolling, but the Red Sox are flying. They swept the Oakland A’s and took two of three from the Los Angeles Angels. Their pitching is absolutely lights out with a team ERA of 1.49.
6. Baltimore Orioles (Previous #4): Some of their big, young bats have started slow his season but they should pick it up in no time. However, losing two of three to the Pittsburgh Pirates sinks them a bit on this list.
7. Pittsburgh Pirates (Previous #16): Speaking of those Pirates! What a story the perennial NL Central minnows are putting together to start 2024. They took two  of three from the Washington Nationals before pulling out a series win at home against Baltimore. 8-2 to start the season. Who would’ve thought?
8. Chicago Cubs (Previous #18): You’re going to get a big boost when you take two out of three from the Dodgers. They’ve won six of seven with Seiya Suzuki quickly garnering the respect of an elite hitter in this league.
9. Milwaukee Brewers (Previous #8): The Brewers keep puttering along after their season-opening sweep of the Mets. Jackson Chourio is a star in the making, but Christian Yelich suddenly looks like his former MVP self.
10. Cleveland Guardians (Previous #19): Strong pitching has provided a great start for the Guardians, but with Shane Bieber needing Tommy John surgery, the forecast suddenly gets much gloomier. Still, they’re 7-2 and hosting the White Sox next to pad their record.
11. Philadelphia Phillies (Previous #10): We’re holding firm with the Phillies even with Trea Turner struggling and an uninspiring 4-5 start headlining early April. 
12. Detroit Tigers (Previous #17): The Tigers would have been higher on this list if they hadn’t lost two of three to the Athletics. Regardless, they have something very special brewing in starting pitcher Tarik Skubal.
    

    

13. Houston Astros (Previous #14): A 3-7 start won’t get many teams in the top half of the power rankings, but the Astros’ track record gives them a cushion. Ronel Blanco threw a no-hitter last week and flirted with another one on Sunday. 
14. Arizona Diamondbacks (Previous #6): The Diamondbacks aren’t sneaking up on anyone this season and it shows. They were handled by both the Yankees and Braves but should see a surge in next week’s rankings as the Colorado Rockies await.
15. Toronto Blue Jays (Previous #7): It’s been ugly for the Blue Jays, who were no-hit and outscored 19-2 against the struggling Astros before losing two of three to the Yankees. 
16. Tampa Bay Rays (Previous #9): Perhaps the Rays’ devil magic is wearing off. Their pitching has been horrendous to start with a 5.24 team ERA and had some problems with the Rockies over the weekend. 
17. San Francisco Giants (Previous #13): They shouldn’t be dinged too hard for being swept by the Dodgers. After all, they are 4-2 in all other games this season, which just so happened to come against the San Diego Padres.
18. New York Mets (Previous #23): The pitching has been good enough to carry a sputtering offense at times. The Mets took two of three in Cincinnati to win their first series of the season but a major test awaits down in Atlanta against the Braves.
    

    

19. Cincinnati Reds (Previous #22): They’re young, they’re exciting… they lost two of three to the Mets. But they did win a series against the Phillies, so they’ll hover around the No. 20 spot for now.
20. Kansas City Royals (Previous #24): They split a series with the Orioles and took two of three from the White Sox last week. At 6-4, they climb up the rankings just a bit.
21. San Diego Padres (Previous #15): They don’t handle the Giants well, but Ferando Tatis Jr. is heating up, so there’s a silver lining.
22. Seattle Mariners (Previous #11): The strikeouts are compiling at an alarming rate, which has played a direct role in consecutive series losses to the Guardians and Brewers.
23. Minnesota Twins (Previous #12): Carlos Correa is starting off hot, the same can’t be said for the Twins, who entered this season as favorites to win the AL Central. Their next test? The Dodgers.
24. St. Louis Cardinals (Previous #20): The Cardinals were the poor unfortunate souls who allowed the 0-9 Marlins to pick up their first win of the season.
25. Los Angeles Angels (Previous #25): They’re not good but Mike Trout is still there, so that will keep them out of the very bottom of things. Who knows? Maybe they can flirt with .500 this year.
26. Washington Nationals (Previous #26): Thankfully for the Nationals, the Mets and Marlins are off to slow starts because, on paper, this should be the worst team in the NL East.
27. Oakland Athletics (Previous #29): They’ve won three of their first 10 games, which is three more than a lot of us thought they’d win. Bad news, though: Eury Perez is done for the year because he needs Tommy John surgery.
28. Colorado Rockies (Previous #28): Their team ERA is 7.50…. Seven. Point. Five. Zero.
29. Miami Marlins (Previous #27): At least they won a game, right?
30. Chicago White Sox (Previous #30): Luis Robert Jr. is out with a hip flexor strain. Mail it in

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