The first month of the MLB season has been one to remember (especially for me as a Mets fan). We’ve seen some incredible performances, been surprised by teams both over- and underachieving, and we are witnessing the worst start to a season in MLB history. 

This season, I’m going to be posting monthly updates to my MLB power rankings, and we are going to start things off with our first one today. So, let’s dive in.

#30 – Colorado Rockies (5-25)

Apparently, the Rockies watched the White Sox have a historically bad season last year and said, “Hold my beer.” Colorado is on track to be the worst team in MLB history by a pretty significant margin, currently pacing for a 27-135 record. The Rockies now just need to focus on individual player performances to find guys whom they could look to build around following this season. I don’t expect them to rise any higher than maybe #29 on this list the entire season. 

#29 – Chicago White Sox (7-23) 

The White Sox are in a very similar place to the Rockies: simply trying to figure out what young guys they can build around. Luis Robert Jr. has not met expectations so far this season, but the Sox might have found a gem in rookie catcher Edgar Quero, who in 12 games so far has looked very good. 

#28 – Pittsburgh Pirates (12-19)

This Pirates team has a lot of solid talent on this roster between Oneil Cruz, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Paul Skenes, and Andrew Heaney, but the overall roster just isn’t consistent enough to win games. This Pirates team is young and will continue to get better going forward, and fans should be excited for what’s to come.

#27 – Baltimore Orioles (12-18)

The Orioles have been one of the most disappointing teams so far this season, with the pre-season expectation being that they would be a playoff team. Most of their struggles come down to pitching, where their starting rotation currently ranks 28th in the league in ERA. The Orioles might need to consider making an early-season trade push for some better pitching talent if they want to keep their postseason hopes alive. 

#26 – Miami Marlins (12-18)

This Marlins team is in the same boat as the Rockies, White Sox, and Pirates, where they are simply looking for quality young talent to build around. Strong starts from catcher Agustín Ramírez and right-handed pitcher Max Meyer should hopefully provide some focal points for this front office to build around. 

#25 – Los Angeles Angels (12-17)

The Angels’ hot start has quickly fizzled out as their offense has gone dormant. They have already been shut out three times this season, and they have scored more than three runs only three times over their last 13 games. While it’s exciting to see Mike Trout healthy again, the Angels are going to need him to become his old MVP self if they want to have a chance this season.

#24 – St. Louis Cardinals (14-17)

It’s been a tough start to the season for this Cardinals team. The bullpen has tallied eight losses, seven blown saves, and a 4.80 ERA that ranks 25th in the MLB. Meanwhile, on offense, everyone besides Lars Nootbaar and Brendan Donovan has been incredibly unreliable. 

#23 – Toronto Blue Jays (14-16)

The Blue Jays have been tumbling as of late, losing eight of their last ten games. The offense has been inconsistent, with five of their starting players currently batting below .200, and just 15 total home runs. Pitching has also been an issue, with the team ranking 19th in ERA. 

#22 – Washington Nationals (13-18)

The Nationals have played to their expectations so far this season, looking to continue their rebuild of the past couple of seasons. Strong starts from youngsters James Wood, CJ Abrams, and Keibert Ruiz on offense, and Mitchell Parker out of the starting rotation should provide a lot of hope for the future. 

#21 – Minnesota Twins (13-18)

After a slow start, the Twins have now found a better rhythm in the past couple weeks, winning 8 of their last 13 games, and 4 of their last 5. Their pitching has been the team’s strength so far, ranking in the top ten in both ERA and WHIP. If their offense can start producing, they should be able to contend for the AL Central. 

#20 – Athletics (16-15)

So far, the start to the season for the A’s has been surprisingly solid. A breakout season from Tyler Soderstrom and great starts from Jacob Wilson and Nick Kurtz, the A’s offense is explosive and fun to watch. Their pitching struggles will likely prevent them from making a playoff push, but they should be able to stay at or above .500 on the season.

#19 – Kansas City Royals (16-15)

The Royals are a confusing team to rank right now. They lost six straight games, only to then win six straight games, while having one of the worst offenses in the majors. This team has plenty of talent to contend for a playoff spot, but this offense has got to get things going if they want to make that push. 

#18 – Milwaukee Brewers (16-15)

Last season, the Brewers had one of the best bullpens in baseball, posting a 3.11 ERA that ranked 2nd in the MLB. This year, that bullpen has collapsed with a 4.87 ERA that ranks 26th in the MLB. Their bullpen struggles, along with their inability to win games on the road, has the Brewers playing .500 baseball so far this year.

#17 – Atlanta Braves (14-16)

After starting out 5-13, the Braves have since gone 9-4 to turn their season around. Injuries to Ronald Acuna Jr. and Spencer Strider are cause for concern, but this Braves team has plenty of talent to pick up the slack if needed. We’ll see if they can continue this upward trend going over the next few weeks, but a Chris Sale loss to the Rockies on Wednesday is not the best sign.

#16 – Texas Rangers (16-15)

A slow start from the offense has had the Rangers playing inconsistent ball so far this year. A 15-run outburst against the A’s finally pulled them out of 30th for runs scored, but this is still one of the worst offenses in the MLB. So far, their outstanding pitching has been carrying their season.

#15 – Cleveland Guardians (17-13)

The Guardians have taken a couple of big losses over the past week, losing 13-3 to the Red Sox and 11-1 to the Twins. But while the pitching hasn’t been great, this team has continued to find ways to win games. Steven Kwan and Jose Ramirez have picked up right where they left off last year, helping propel this offense forward.

#14 – Tampa Bay Rays (14-16)

The Rays have risen for me a lot over the past week, picking up a series win against the Diamondbacks and sweeping the Padres in San Diego. An injury to rookie sensation Jake Mangum might slow things down a bit, but this team is poised to contend for a wildcard spot in the AL. 

#13 – Arizona Diamondbacks (16-14)

After starting the season hot at 12-7, the D-Backs have fallen off the rails a bit, going 3-7 in their last nine games. Eugenio Suarez has provided the one bright spot recently, collecting the first four-homer game performance since 2017. With Corbin Carroll and Pavin Smith both performing very well, Arizona needs its pitching staff to step things up to stay relevant in a competitive NL West division. 

#12 – Philadelphia Phillies (17-13)

For a team that is supposed to be contending for a title, this has been a disappointing start to the season. With a bullpen that ranks 29th in the MLB with a 5.28 ERA, and an offense that has been wildly inconsistent, the Phillies will likely be looking to the trade market to find some players to plug the holes. 

#11 – Houston Astros (16-14)

Like many teams so far this season, the Astros have been carried by their pitching staff while their offense has gone quiet. Of their 30 games played so far this season, they have only scored more than three runs just six times. 

#10 – Boston Red Sox (17-15)

It looks like the Red Sox might have had the best offseason of any team, with new additions Alex Bregman, Garrett Crochet, and Aroldis Chapman all performing very well to start the season. If their pitching and offense can maintain this recent consistency they’ve found, the Red Sox should be able to contend with the Yankees for the AL East.

#9 – Cincinnati Reds (16-15) 

The Reds started out slow, going 3-7 over their first ten games. Since then, they’ve gone 14-6, with a recent 5 game win streak ended by the Cardinals on Wednesday. They currently rank top ten in both offense and defense, with Gavin Lux and Elly De La Cruz leading the way for the team. Look out for them to battle with the Cubs throughout the season for the NL Central title. 

#8 – Seattle Mariners (18-12)

While the Mariners haven’t been amazing on either side of the ball, their grit and determination have allowed them to continue to win games. Cal Raleigh is having a breakout season, leading the team with 10 HRs, and J.P. Crawford and Jorge Polanco are providing solid production. If Julio Rodriguez can get going, the Mariners are going to be hard to beat in the AL West. 

#7 – San Diego Padres (19-11)

Two weeks ago, the Padres would have easily topped this list for me. Since then, though, they have only managed to win five of their last 13 games, including being swept at home by the Rays. In fairness, they have been hit hard with injuries lately with Jackson Merrill, Luis Arraez, Jake Cronenworth, and Jason Heyward all hitting the IL, so I expect them to get back to their winning ways once they’re back to full strength. 

#6 – Detroit Tigers (19-12)

Since getting swept by the Dodgers to open the season, the Tigers have been on an absolute tear, losing back-to-back games only twice since. Their pitching staff has been leading the way, currently ranking 3rd in ERA and 6th in WHIP. While no one on their offense has particularly stood out, they are getting solid production from everyone up and down the lineup. 

#5 – Chicago Cubs (18-13)

The Cubs’ schedule has been an absolute gauntlet so far this year, and they haven’t flinched. While the pitching hasn’t been fantastic, they have had by far and away the best offense in the league, getting strong contributions from everyone in their lineup. Seiya Suzuki, Kyle Tucker, and Pete Crow-Armstrong have been particularly amazing; keep an eye on each of them for a potential MVP award if the Cubs continue their winning ways. 

#4 – New York Yankees (18-13)

Just like the Cubs, the Yankees continue to win games despite the poor contributions from their pitching staff. They have finally decided to turn over closing duties to Luke Weaver instead of Devin Williams, which might help their bullpen struggles. And somehow, Aaron Judge seems to have gotten better. While we can’t expect him to keep up this high level of production, he already seems like a lock to win AL MVP. 

#3 – San Francisco Giants (19-12)

The Giants jumped out to an impressive 8-2 start on the season and haven’t taken their foot off the gas since. They have now lost back-to-back games to the Padres, but their performance so far this season, along with both their offense and defense ranking in the top 15, secures them a spot in the top three. 

#2 – Los Angeles Dodgers (21-10)

Even with a seriously depleted starting rotation, the Dodgers are one of the best teams in baseball. They currently rank 4th in the MLB in offense, and Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts aren’t even playing well right now. It is worth keeping an eye on how they perform against top teams without their best pitchers, but with how potent their offense can be, they’ll likely be able to overcome any of those issues. 

#1 – New York Mets (21-10)

I know, as a Mets fan, this seems very biased, but the Mets have been the best in baseball so far this season. Currently leading the MLB in ERA and run differential, the Mets are getting quality production from the entire team. Pete Alonso has been outstanding and is having an MLB-caliber season (please resign him, Steve Cohen). I do have concerns about the Mets’ ability, particularly their pitching staff, to sustain this level of success, but for now, they’re the team to beat in the MLB.