The crack of the bat. Balls soaring into or – over – the stands. The smell of ballpark hot dogs. Cheers erupting from the crowd as a runner stomps third base on his way to home plate. America’s favorite pastime, Major League Baseball (MLB), is back. So, how do the MLB’s 30 teams stack up leading into the 2024 season, and who’s expected to make a serious bid for a World Series title? Check out the MLB Power Rankings below to find out.
Will the LA Dodgers’ off-season acquisition of some serious superstar talent (we’re looking at you, Shohei Ohtani) catapult them to the top of the standings? Will the Texas Rangers pull off back-to-back championship wins? Can the Atlanta Braves leverage the momentum from their record-setting 2023 season to bring home the Commissioner’s Trophy? The only way to find out is to pick up a few boxes of Cracker Jacks and tune in to MLB on DIRECTV.
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Meanwhile, let’s take a look at an overview of recent 2024 MLB Power Rankings to see how the season could shake out, starting with …
The Top of the Field
Superstar talent, World Series wins and stellar win/loss records put these five teams toward the top of the odds. Read more about each team’s chances below.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers have been a serious force to be reckoned with in the MLB over the last few seasons, and they’re even scarier now that they’ve signed the world’s single best baseball player in Shohei Ohtani. A versatile two-way player and 2023 league MVP, “Shotime” adds significant power to the Dodgers’ lineup both at bat and on the mound.
What’s more, the team also landed another star pitcher in Tyler Glasnow and they’re entering the season still riding the wave from last year’s 100-win campaign. The “stars” certainly seem to be aligning for the 2024 Dodgers, as long as they can overcome the injuries plaguing many of their players.
Atlanta Braves
104 wins to 58 losses? That’s an impressive 64% win percentage posted by this superstar-studded team for 2023. Led by National League MVP Ronald Acuña, Jr., the Braves roster hasn’t changed much over the offseason, aside from the notable addition of Chris Sale from Boston and the Mariners’ Jarred Kelenic.
The Atlanta Braves are well-positioned to carry the previous season’s momentum forward, and you’ll be sure to find them near the top of the standings all year.
Texas Rangers
Naturally, defending champions tend to rank pretty high on lists designed to predict who’s likely to win the next year’s title. That’s the comfortable position the Rangers find themselves in on our list after beating the Arizona Diamondbacks in the World Series this past October. Plus, they’ve also got a pair of MVP hopefuls on their own roster.
Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles were second only to the Braves in overall win-loss record in 2023, hauling in 101 wins to 63 losses. They nearly made the American League championship series before being swept 3-0 by Texas, the eventual champs, in the division series. The team didn’t add as much superstar firepower as other clubs did this offseason, but they’ll host top prospect Jackson Holliday, who’s also in the mix for Rookie of the Year.
Houston Astros
Living up to their space-age name, the Astros have certainly been on the up and up over the past decade, and they don’t show many signs of slowing their stratospheric rise down. The term dynasty has been floated by top commentators on numerous occasions. Coming off their seventh consecutive league championship appearance, two of which led to World Series wins, with their roster mostly intact, the Astros are poised to fight their way into the playoffs in 2024.
The Second Tier
The top five teams will almost certainly be running neck-and-neck for a spot in the World Series, but there are plenty of other teams with their eyes on the grand prize as we enter Spring Training. Let’s see who’s next in the mix of MLB Power Rankings.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies were so close to making the World Series last season, crushing the record-setting Atlanta Braves in the National League Division Series before falling to the Arizona Diamondbacks in game 7 of a riveting National League championship series. The Phillies boast one of the best pitching rotations in the game, and they’ve preserved that dynamic by re-signing longtime pitcher Aaron Nola to another seven-year contract.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Speaking of the Phillies’ tragic end to the 2023 season, the team that served them that surprising final loss is still nipping at their heels. The Diamondbacks have bolstered their roster ever further this year, but they’ll still likely have to contend with the likes of the upper limits of this list, the Dodgers and the Braves, if they’re hoping for another shot at the title.
New York Yankees
The iconic Big Apple is giving a warm welcome to icon Juan Soto. The San Diego Padres traded the slugger to the Yankees in December along with Trent Grisham, which lets the Yankees count some of the best hitters in the sport among their number. Though the team had a rough 2023 season, flirting with a sub-50% win percentage with their 82-80 win/loss record, many expect they’ll bounce back this year.
Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay is another team that’s been a force in the MLB for some time now, making five consecutive playoff appearances and starting last season with a 13-0 record. There’s one big question mark casting a dark cloud over the team, however: Whether superstar Wander Franco will be able to join the MLB team for the season amid his significant legal troubles.
Seattle Mariners
The Mariners have been busy reshaping their lineup this offseason, conducting at least five major trades. They just barely missed a run for the World Series last year, and they’ll be champing at the bit for another chance.
The Rest of the Pack
As for the rest of the MLB’s hopefuls, here’s how things could end up stacking up:
12. Minnesota Twins
13. Chicago Cubs
14. San Diego Padres
15. Cincinnati Reds
16. New York Mets
17. Boston Red Sox
18. Miami Marlins
22. Detroit Tigers
29. Colorado Rockies
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which MLB team won the 2023 World Series?
The Texas Rangers won the World Series in 2023 against the Arizona Diamondbacks in five games.
Which teams are expected to perform at the top of the ranks for the 2024 MLB season?
According to a number of power ranking sources, the MLB teams most likely to make it all the way are the LA Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles and the Houston Astros.
When does the 2024 MLB season start?
Opening Day for the 2024 MLB season is on March 28, 2024.
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