Which team is on top for Opening Day?
There are nearly two dozen legitimate contenders and a handful of what could be termed “super teams” as Major League Baseball’s Opening Day came and went on Thursday.
In our first installment of MLB power rankings, it’s fair to ask: Can anyone go wire-to-wire?
The first to answer that question are the Atlanta Braves, who top our initial regular season rankings. Winners of 104 games a year ago, the Braves only got better this winter and boast the most players still firmly in the prime of their careers.
At the other end of the spectrum, the Oakland Athletics might be hard to dislodge, as well. They’re beginning Year 1 of three limbo seasons, while their new stadium in Las Vegas is theoretically constructed. For now, their only race is against themselves, to improve on the 112 losses from a year ago.
The next seven months will reveal all. For now, a look at our rankings:
1. Atlanta Braves
As if they needed more firepower, Chris Sale looked dominant this spring.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
You might say that wasn’t the way they envisioned spring training winding up.
3. Baltimore Orioles
A new owner, division favorites, the best young core in baseball. Good times!
4. Philadelphia Phillies
Would help the October cause if they could dispatch the Braves over six months, and not just four games.
5. Houston Astros
Pitching paucity will be scrutinized with every losing streak.
6. Toronto Blue Jays
If the blinking red lights surrounding Kevin Gausman and Jordan Romano don’t turn into sirens, they’re good.
7. Texas Rangers
Wyatt Langford deservedly commanding the hype. But having Evan Carter from the jump is also nice.
8. Seattle Mariners
Bryan Woo’s elbow inflammation means they break with top prospect Emerson Hancock in the rotation.
9. Arizona Diamondbacks Eduardo Rodriguez’s lat strain not the way they wanted to kick off pennant defense.
10. New York Yankees
Can they bully opponents into submission while Gerrit Cole mends? 11. Minnesota Twins
Easy to forget they still have one of the greatest pitchers in baseball: Pablo Lopez.
12. Tampa Bay Rays
Richie Palacios gets first stab at replacing injured right fielder Josh Lowe.
13. San Diego Padres
With expectations lowered, they’ll have more fun, and probably win more games, than last year.
14. Cincinnati Reds
Will Benson, already fun to watch, a key figure early on as center fielder TJ Friedl mends.
15. San Francisco Giants
Greatest March since Jim Valvano in 1983.
16. Chicago Cubs
Third baseman Christopher Morel kind of a key dude in that cleanup spot.
17. Cleveland Guardians
iveSomewhat abruptly, Myles Straw is out and Tyler Freeman in center field.
18. Milwaukee Brewers
Devin Williams’ absence might enable Abner Uribe to develop into relief star.
19. Boston Red Sox
If Kutter Crawford and Garrett Whitlock’s very good springs are the real deal, they could be interesting.
20. St. Louis Cardinals
Not as hyped as a year ago, but Jordan Walker’s sophomore season will be highly anticipated.
21. New York Mets
Yet another year seemingly hinging on Starling Marte’s health, which is tiptop at the moment.
22. Detroit Tigers
Casey Mize, Reese Olson win battle for two rotation spots.
23. Miami Marlins
After recovering from Tommy John surgery, Max Meyer claims spot in rotation.
24. Pittsburgh Pirates
They went to Jared: Jones, Triolo to open in rotation and at second base, respectively.
25. Washington Nationals Jesse Winker, Eddie Rosario, Joey Gallo, Nick Senzel all crack primary lineup.
26. Los Angeles Angels
Anthony Rendon, leadoff hitter? Might as well use him while you can.
27. Kansas City Royals Despite spendy offseason, universal projections are low. Can they defy them?
28. Chicago White Sox
Garrett Crochet, starter, will be fun to watch.
29. Colorado Rockies
Ezequiel Tovar’s seven-year, $63.5 million extension provides certainty at a key position.
30. Oakland Athletics
Infielder Darell Hernaiz, Rule 5 pitcher Mitch Spence will make big league debuts soon. (USA Today/TNS)
5 ultra-pivotal players to watch in 2024
Buckle in for what should be one of Major League Baseball’s most volatile seasons, competition-wise, in recent memory.
With recent trades and free-agent signings fortifying back-end clubs in the National League West, at least two dozen clubs can count themselves as playoff hopefuls, whether they’ve expended hundreds of millions to more than a billion dollars at the cause, or not.
And certain players will profoundly impact those outcomes – by their performance or even their sheer availability.
With the assumption that stars will be stars, the dozen spots available to the 2024 postseason will hinge on swing players overperforming or succumbing. We take a look at five of them:
Jung Hoo Lee, Giants
It’s been a bizarro decade in San Francisco, the baseball world rapidly changing since the Giants captured the last of their three World Series championships. Since then, the club ushered out the architects of that dynasty, brought in a “modern leadership structure,” alienated fans, had the greatest single season in franchise history, dropped out of contention yet again and then could not give their money away to elite free agents.
But Jung Hoo Lee said yes. And now the club’s $113 million man only needs to provide production from the leadoff spot, an above-average glove in center field and charisma to woo a fan base alienated by years of platoon-mad nondescript baseball.
No pressure, man.
DJ LeMahieu, Yankees
No doubt, Gerrit Cole’s elbow injury that will sideline him until at least June threw a major crimp into the Yankees’ plans. But their hopes of fielding a dominant squad aren’t dead. They’ll just have to do so in a different manner. Namely, by pummeling opponents. With no reliable ace to front the rotation, the Yankees can lean into a lineup that runs six deep with All-Stars and features a generational slugger in his prime nestled just one slot in the lineup behind a guy who hit an American League-record 62 home runs just two years ago.
But this potential machine can’t run on Juan Soto and Aaron Judge alone. Enter DJ LeMahieu.
At 35, he’s years removed from making history as a batting champ in both leagues or banging out more than 50 extra-base hits or reaching base at a .400 clip. The Yankees would love that guy to show up, but they don’t necessarily need that guy to show up.
Instead, a healthy and reliable LeMahieu atop the order might make the Yankee lineup almost unnavigable.
Frankie Montas, Reds
There’s a lot to like about the Reds, starting with opportunity: The NL Central is eminently winnable, and this Cincinnati lineup is the type that would be a postseason pain, with excellent on-base ability, speed and power. Now, to get there.
They’ll need pitching to do that, and Montas will throw the first pitch of their 2024 season Thursday, a storied assignment in Cincy. It’s a big deal for Montas after injuries sidelined him for all but one outing in 2023, and bigger still for the Reds.
In short, can Montas return to anything approaching his 207-strikeout form of 2021, and let a young and developing pitching rotation settle in behind him?
Josh Lowe, Rays
It’s easy to see the Rays as a pitching lab complemented by a bits-and-pieces offensive amalgam that leans heavily on platoons.
Yet at their best, the Rays have had star power in their lineups, from Evan Longoria back in the day to Randy Arozarena, Wander Franco and Yandy Diaz in recent years.
With Franco’s career in doubt, however, and Diaz and Arozarena approaching or exceeding 30, it would help to reestablish a burgeoning young All-Star.
Even better if that guy was Josh Lowe.
Wyatt Langford, Rangers
We’re going on a quarter-century without a repeat World Series champion. There’s no shortage of reasons why, and now the expanded playoffs have made a menacing formula even harder to crack.
But it never hurts to change up the mix rather than run it back with an identical crew expecting the same outcome. Especially when that addition is the most exciting power prospect in the game.
Langford has made the Texas Rangers’ roster, just nine months after he was still competing for Florida in the College World Series. He will bat in the middle of the lineup, facing Chicago Cubs lefthander Justin Steele after exactly 200 professional plate appearances.
He hit 10 home runs at four minor league stops, with a 1.157 OPS. Small sample size? Sure.
The collegiate one is a little larger: Forty-seven home runs in 610 plate appearances across three seasons. Hey, it’s always wise to exercise caution about prospects, to temper the excitement.
But this is a fascinating match, prodigious power joining reigning champs.
(USA Today/TNS)