Some weeks, I only need to make some minor tweaks to my MLB power rankings.
This is not one of those weeks.
The Atlanta Braves are out of my top spot after getting swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers in one of the biggest statements made over the past few years in this annual clash of the National League's best teams. But it's not just a Braves-Dodgers tandem atop the N.L. these days.
The team that actually made the NLCS each of the past two years is flexing its talent early this season, as the Philadelphia Phillies have overtaken the Braves in both the NL East standings and my power rankings.
Without further ado, here are the top 10 clubs in baseball right now!
10. Seattle Mariners (21-14, last week 10)
I believed coming into the season that the Mariners would be better than expected thanks to their loaded pitching staff. After a rough opening week, they have been proving me right. George Kirby might be unseating Luis Castillo as the staff ace, especially amid Castillo's uncharacteristic struggles. Logan Gilbert has steadily improved. Bryce Miller has been great. Bryan Woo will return from the injured list soon. Even Emerson Hancock has been a decent No. 5/6 starter. The story with the Mariners all year long will be whether they can get just enough out of their offense. Over the past three weeks, they typically have.
9. Minnesota Twins (19-14, LW unranked)
Minnesota enters the power rankings for the first time in 2024 after a terrible start to the season. Winning 12 in a row can change everything. I still believe the Twins are the team to beat in the AL Central. They definitely are the most talented team in that division, though that gap has definitely narrowed compared to last year.
8. Milwaukee Brewers (20-13, LW 7)
The first Brewers-Cubs series of the season did not disappoint. Though the Brewers lost the series, their win in Wrigley Field on Friday against their former manager showed Milwaukee is not going to go away as quietly as many thought entering the year.
7. Chicago Cubs (21-14, LW 8)
Baseball is fun on the north side of Chicago again. I'm really impressed with how the Cubs have weathered the losses of Justin Steele, Cody Bellinger and Seiya Suzuki to injuries. If you told me they would be in first place in the NL Central without those three guys for prolonged periods, I would not have believed you. Now, the question is whether the Cubs can hold out for another month before their stars return.
6. Cleveland Guardians (22-12, LW 6)
Good pitching, timely hitting and a dominant closer has been a winning formula in baseball for decades. Stephen Vogt's Guardians have all three, thanks especially to Josh Naylor and Emmanuel Clase.
5. New York Yankees (23-13, LW 5)
Sometimes, teams keep winning while their prized offseason acquisition adjusts to his new surroundings. The opposite is true with the Yankees. Juan Soto has been carrying New York this season offensively. The pitching staff has also performed admirably in Gerrit Cole's absence. A 23-13 Yankees team with no Cole and a struggling Aaron Judge is an impressive feat.
4. Atlanta Braves (20-12, LW 1)
I'm not worried about the slumping superstars in the Braves' lineup. I am worried about their pitching staff without Spencer Strider. Is Max Fried capable of being a bona fide ace? Are Chris Sale and Charlie Morton able to stay healthy and effective? This team still has loads of talent, but it was an easy call to bump the Braves all the way down from No. 1 after they got swept by the Dodgers this weekend.
3. Baltimore Orioles (23-11, LW 2)
Baltimore's rotation is getting healthier. John Means is back and Kyle Bradish is not far behind. That lineup is still incredible, with Gunnar Henderson looking more and more like a face-of-the-franchise type of player. Also, new owner David Rubenstein's trash talk to the Yankees on X was phenomenal.
2. Philadelphia Phillies (24-11, LW 4)
This is where I once again remind everyone that the Phillies are my World Series pick. Sure, the playoffs can be streaky, but you don't make back-to-back runs like the Phillies did without some incredible talent. If we can see Philadelphia play to its full potential all year long, the NL East may not be as much of a cakewalk for the Braves this time around. The Phillies have enough talent to make that division race competitive.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers (24-13, LW 3)
The Dodgers welcomed the Braves to Chavez Ravine for the biggest series of the season thus far and promptly sent their NL foe packing with a sweep. Dominating a team that I had been praising as the best in baseball is a good way to take over that status of being the best team in baseball.
Out: Kansas City Royals (9)
Ben Verlander is an MLB Analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the "Flippin' Bats" podcast. Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Verlander was an All-American at Old Dominion University before he joined his brother, Justin, in Detroit as a 14th-round pick of the Tigers in 2013. He spent five years in the Tigers organization. Follow him at @BenVerlander.
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