Featured in this week’s MLB Power Rankings, the Braves and Padres keep winning, bunts are back, Mike Trout is also back, and things are getting ugly for the Mets and the Royals.
As a reminder, this article is a combination of current performance and long-term outlook.
Let's get started!
Note: Rankings are from the morning of Monday, April 20
Eric Samulski lists his favorite streaming starts of the week and discusses some key pitch mix changes.
1) Los Angeles Dodgers
Last week: 1
Shohei Ohtani’s on-base streak now sits at 51 games, but not everything is great at the moment. The Dodgers lost two out of three to the Rockies over the weekend and Edwin Díaz had an alarming showing on Sunday where he failed to record an out while showing diminished velocity. It was his first appearance in nine days, and one has to wonder if a trip to the IL could be in his future.
2) Atlanta Braves
Last week: 2
The Braves just keep rolling. They had their biggest statement yet with a sweep of the Phillies over the weekend, including a 4-2 victory on Sunday Night Baseball on Peacock. Michael Harris II notched a pair of three-hit games (and homered in each) during the series, raising his batting average from .226 to .290 in the process. Ah, April.
3) San Diego Padres
Last week: 3
Another strong week for the Padres, who are reportedly close to being sold to Jose E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones for $3.9 billion. I feel like I’m talking about Mason Miller every week, but how can you not? What he’s doing right now is simply incredible.
Miller is clearly taking the power from all MLB closers.
4) New York Yankees
Last week: 4
The Yankees swept the down-and-out Royals over the weekend as Aaron Judge and Ben Rice continue to mash at a prodigious pace. Judge (nine HR) and Rice (eight HR) are now the third Yankees’ duo to eight or more homers through the team’s first 22 games. Judge was part of the last pair to do it, along with Anthony Rizzo (hello, NBC colleague!) in 2022, but before that was Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle in 1956.
5) Detroit Tigers
Last week: 5
The Tigers have won eight out of nine since losing five straight in the second week of the season. They are who we thought they were. 38-year-old Kenley Jansen feels like one of the last closers still standing — that’s only a slight exaggeration — and he passed Lee Smith for third-place on the all-time saves list last week.
Jansen has notched two saves since then and now has 481 for his career. Only Trevor Hoffman (601) and Mariano Rivera (652) have more.
6) Pittsburgh Pirates ⬆️
Last week: 10
The Pirates continue to build credibility as a contender after taking two out of three from the red-hot Rays over the weekend. Pirates outfielder Jake Mangum provided a legitimately wholesome moment on Sunday after tossing a ball to a young fan in the stands. If you need a cheer-me-up moment to start the week, this should do the trick.
7) Tampa Bay Rays ⬆️
Last week: 14
The Rays have a negative run differential, which will probably catch up with them at some point, but it’s easy to see the kind of style they are going for with this team. The offense doesn’t have the sort of firepower of their AL East counterparts, so there’s a focus on contact (second-lowest strikeout rate in MLB) and taking advantage of their speed (tied for fourth with 24 stolen bases). So far, it’s working.
8) Cincinnati Reds ⬆️
Last week: 18
After sweeping the Twins, the Reds are now off to their best start since 2006. The ball has definitely been bouncing their way so far, as they are 3-0 in extra innings and 6-0 in one-run games. That sort of luck isn’t going to last, but those early wins are banked and that’s all that matters.
9) Arizona Diamondbacks ⬆️
Last week: 20
Shohei Ohtani might have the longest current on-base streak in the majors, but the longest hitting streak belongs to Diamondbacks infielder Ildemaro Vargas of all people. He singled on Sunday to extend his hitting streak to 18 games dating back to last September. He’s hit safely in 15 straight to begin the year, which is the Diamondbacks’ franchise record.
10) Milwaukee Brewers ⬇️
Last week: 9
If there’s a moment which exemplifies the Brewers’ identity, check out this sequence from last Thursday’s game against the Blue Jays.
Coincidentally, bunting is one of my favorite tactics in "MLB The Show." Waiting for my manager interview at any moment.
11) Chicago Cubs ⬆️
Last week: 16
Nico Hoerner drove in the game-winning run on Sunday against the Mets as he continues to level up to begin the season. After signing a six-year, $141 million extension in March, he’s hitting .325 through 21 games and finds himself tied for the MLB lead with 21 RBI.
12) Cleveland Guardians ⬇️
Last week: 6
Rookie left-hander Parker Messick came oh-so-close to a no-hitter against the Orioles last Thursday, as he lost it on a leadoff single in the ninth inning.
What a start for Messick, who owns a 1.05 ERA through his first four turns. As for Cleveland, they have the longest no-hitter drought in the majors. Len Barker (May 15, 1981) was the last pitcher in the franchise to do it. We also haven’t seen a no-hitter in MLB since Blake Snell on August 2, 2024.
13) Seattle Mariners ⬇️
Last week: 7
It has been a topsy-turvy start to the season for Seattle, who took two straight from the Rangers to close out the weekend. Prior to that, they had lost four straight. Prior to that, they had won four straight. Prior to that, they had lost five straight. You get the idea. The Mariners get the A’s at home and Cardinals on the road this week as they attempt to get a streak going in the positive direction.
14) St. Louis Cardinals ⬆️
Last week: 25
Five straight wins for the Cardinals, including a sweep of the lowly Astros over the weekend. It was their first sweep in Houston since 2004. Masyn Winn grew up in the Houston area, so it’s only appropriate that he delivered the go-ahead hit in extras on Sunday.
The Cardinals are now 5-0 in extra innings this season.
15) Texas Rangers ⬇️
Last week: 12
For a team who entered the year without a clear plan at closer, things have worked out pretty well. The Rangers’ bullpen is tied for third-best in the majors with a 2.91 ERA. Robert Garcia was sent for an MRI on his shoulder on Sunday, so there are some challenges ahead for this group.
16) Philadelphia Phillies ⬇️
Last week: 8
The Mets’ losing streak is getting most of the headlines, but the Phillies have now lost five straight and eight out of their last 10. Zack Wheeler is expected to make his season debut this week after completing his fifth minor league rehab start on Sunday. His velocity has yet to return, though he struck out 23 batters in 20 innings during his rehab stint. It will be fascinating to see how he adapts in his return.
17) Minnesota Twins
Last week: 17
Losers of four straight, the Twins were forced to place early-season sensation Mick Abel on the injured list on Monday due to right elbow inflammation. We should learn more about his status in the coming days, but it’s a brutal blow for a rotation that’s already missing Pablo Lopez for the year. Prospects Kendry Rojas and Connor Prielipp are reportedly in New York in advance of a series against the Mets to begin the week.
18) Baltimore Orioles ⬇️
Last week: 11
Despite Jeremiah Jackson’s best efforts, the Orioles have lost five out of six while scuffling at the plate and playing some absolutely dreadful defense. They have a chance to get healthy to begin the week with a series against the Royals on the road.
19) Athletics ⬇️
Last week: 13
This blast from Shea Langeliers last Wednesday traveled 467 feet, making it the longest home run in MLB so far this season.
While hitting in Sacramento is fun, the same can’t be said for pitchers. The A’s gave up 45 runs during their six-game homestand last week.
20) Los Angeles Angels ⬆️
Last week: 26
Baseball is better when Mike Trout is healthy and thriving, full stop.
In a series for the ages, Trout became the first opposing player to homer in four straight games at Yankee Stadium.
R.I.P. Garret Anderson.
21) Miami Marlins ⬆️
Last week: 23
Eury Perez has navigated an uneven start to the season, but we finally saw something close to his ace form on Sunday against the Brewers, as he allowed just an unearned run over six innings while posting seven strikeouts and just one walk.
22) Boston Red Sox ⬆️
Last week: 24
The offense continues to be an issue while ace Garrett Crochet has allowed 16 runs (15 earned) over his last two starts. If that’s not troubling enough, Sonny Gray was forced to his Patriots' Day start on Monday due to a hamstring injury.
23) Toronto Blue Jays ⬇️
Last week: 19
The Blue Jays snapped their four-game losing streak in emphatic fashion on Sunday by scoring eight runs in the first inning. They had scored just seven runs combined over their previous four games. Baseball, you gotta love it.
24) San Francisco Giants ⬆️
Last week: 28
The vibes are a little better with the Giants, who won three straight before dropping the series finale to the Nationals on Sunday.
The Giants will face an important test to begin the week with a series against the first-place Dodgers at home.
25) Houston Astros ⬇️
Last week: 21
The Astros have lost four in a row and 12 out of their last 14, but at least Yordan Alvarez continues to crush the baseball. He became the first player in the majors to reach 10 homers on Sunday.
26) New York Mets ⬇️
Last week: 15
How bad can it get? After a gut-punch of a loss to the Cubs on Sunday, the losing streak now sits at 11 games. That’s their longest since 2004. The Mets have scored two runs or fewer in nine of those 11 games. It’s understandable to miss Juan Soto, but this is stunning and embarrassing. Time could be running out for Carlos Mendoza.
27) Washington Nationals
Last week: 27
Led by CJ Abrams and James Wood, the Nationals are tied for second in the majors with 121 runs scored. The bad news? Their 5.65 ERA is second-highest in the majors.
28) Kansas City Royals ⬇️
Last week: 22
Frustration is apparently mounting with the Royals, who have dropped seven straight. The struggling Salvador Perez was held out of the starting lineup on Saturday, something Matt Quatraro described as “a little mental breather.” Salvy didn’t agree with that characterization.
The 35-year-old Perez is slashing .152/.200/.291 through 21 games.
29) Colorado Rockies
Last week: 29
Kudos to the Rockies for taking two out of three from the Dodgers over the weekend. It has been pretty cool to see Chase Dollander and Antonio Senzatela emerge as multi-inning relief weapons in the early part of the year. Coors Field is a meat-grinder for a pitching staff, so hopefully the Rockies can finally find a system to stay competitive.
30) Chicago White Sox
Last week: 30
Munetaka Murakami homered in all three games against the Athletics over the weekend, giving him eight through 22 games.
God bless Sacramento. Murakami has struck out one-third of the time so far, but the White Sox can live with that if he continues to punish the baseball like this.
COVERS INTEL: Clement owns an .833 OPS in six career at-bats against Detmers.
Eric Samulski
Timberwolves
Nuggets
