The 2023 season has officially ended, with the Rangers wrapping up the long-awaited first World Series title in franchise history, thanks to a record-setting performance on the road in the postseason. Seriously, we might never seen another team go undefeated on the road in the postseason again. Proof yet again that you never know what October will produce.
So now, as they're still celebrating in Texas, it’s time for the first power ranking of baseball’s 2024 season.
Yes, this is way too early. We still don’t know where Shohei Ohtani will sign. There are lots of teams who will be bidding on the starting pitching available on the free agent market, and some of those teams will be disappointed while some will be thrilled. There are managers to hire and decision-makers to be brought aboard.
We know all that. And, still, there’s nothing quite like an early ranking. What follows is a bit of a mix, taking what we know teams have and speculating what we expect they might do this offseason. For example, we’re not going to assume the Mets will sign Ohtani, of course, but it’s reasonable to assume they’ll make additions to their starting rotation. It’s imperfect, at best.
Make sense? Let’s jump in.
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1. Braves
Why they’re here: Don’t care what happened in October, they’re still the best team in baseball, top to bottom. Their “2024-28 payroll obligations” spreadsheet on Cot’s Contracts is a thing of envy for other front-office types, showing Ronald Acuña Jr, Ozzie Albies, Matt Olson, Austin Riley, Sean Murphy and Michael Harris II all under contract through at least the 2027 season (some with club options). This is a club built to compete for the World Series for the next several seasons.
Offseason priority: Extend Max Fried, who can be a free agent after 2024, and find more bullpen depth. It’s not like the Braves have nothing, but think about this: Atlanta had eight pitchers make at least 35 relief appearances last year, and six of those eight were 32 or older by the end of the year. Three were 36 or older by the end of the year. Sure, there will be youngsters step in and help fill those roles from inside the organization, but adding a few established arms would be a good idea.
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2. Orioles
Why they’re here: The Orioles got to elite status sooner than anyone reasonably could have expected, but now that they’ve arrived, don’t expect their stay to be short. They might not hit triple-digits in the W column — lots of things have to go right to get there — but they’re built to have an extended stay as AL East favorites. The thing you have to remember is this: All those young players who contributed to the 101-win season — Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Grayson Rodriguez, Kyle Bradish, Jordan Westburg, to name a few — are all still on the upswing, and they should all be better next year and beyond. And we’ll almost certainly see Jackson Holliday in the bigs soon; he could be the best of the entire group.
Offseason priority: With Felix Bautista out after Tommy John surgery, the Orioles could use an established closer (Josh Hader?) and a few extra reliable arms in the bullpen. And, though the rotation was solid, adding one of the better-than-average starting pitchers on the free agent market would be a smart move. No such thing as too much depth.
3. Phillies
Why they’re here: At this point, the Phillies just want to make sure they get into the playoffs, and that they’re healthy when October arrives. The NLCS loss to Arizona was very disheartening, no doubt, but it’s not like there’s a fatal flaw in the fabric of their roster construction that will lead to continual playoff disappointments. Maybe just don’t have Craig Kimbrel pitch important moments next October?
Offseason priority: Re-sign Aaron Nola, or find a suitable replacement.
4. Rangers
Why they’re here: Almost all of their core pieces are locked up, and they’ll get a full year of Evan Carter — has there ever been a more overwhelming rookie of the year favorite? We haven't seen a repeat World Series champion since the Yankees won three in a row, 1998-2000. The Rangers might not be No. 1 on this list, but they're absolutely going to be in the championship conversation.
Offseason priority: Find more bullpen pieces. Can never have enough. More rotation depth, too, because you can’t count on Max Scherzer for 30 starts at this point in his career.
5. Dodgers
Why they’re here: The Dodgers will be good again, next year and for every year of the foreseeable future. They rolled to 100 wins again in 2023 — that’s basically become their baseline — but were dispatched from the postseason without much of a whimper. The feeling is they need to make some bigger impact moves this offseason, more than acquiring veterans in their mid-30s, like Jason Heyward, David Peralta, JD Martinez and Miguel Rojas. All were valuable, no doubt, but not exactly headline-grabbing. Maybe worth noting: The Dodgers had, by far, the oldest group of position players in the bigs last year. Their average age was 30.9, and the Marlins were closest, at 29.4.
Offseason priority: Sign Shohei Ohtani. Maybe it’s unfair, but pretty much anything less would be a disappointment.
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6. Diamondbacks
Why they’re here: The Diamondbacks, as much as any team in recent memory, showed what can be done on the big stage when a team adapts a style best-suited to the type of talent on the roster. With young stars like Corbin Carroll and Gabriel Moreno, Arizona has the foundation a team can build on for extended success. To compete with the Dodgers for the NL West title over a 162-game schedule, though, there’s work to be done.
Offseason priority: The free-agent market offers lots of quality starting-pitching options, and the Diamondbacks absolutely should be in that mix. Adding another reliable starter with Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly and playoff breakout star Brandon Pfaadt would go a long way to improving on the 84-win campaign — and avoiding another scenario where they’re forced into a bullpen game in the postseason (Game 4 flashbacks aren’t going away anytime soon). Would not be at all surprising to see Arizona push 95-plus wins with a good offseason.
7. Mariners
Why they’re here: The Mariners have talent, no doubt, but if they’re serious about legitimately contending for the AL West title and a World Series, it’s time to spend money. Right now, the 2024 Opening Day payroll projects to be only roughly $11 million more than Tampa Bay. The roster has the championship-caliber core, but there are plenty of ways to upgrade around that core. Tough decisions will have to be made — especially at first base, third base and both corner outfield spots around Julio Rodriguez — but if the roster isn’t good enough to avoid yet another poor first half, that’s on GM Jerry Dipoto.
Offseason priority: Maybe it’s not THE priority, but Dipoto needs to decide if Jarred Kelenic, 24, is in the club’s long-term plans, and if he’s not, move him this offseason. This was Kelenic’s “breakout” year after struggling mightily his first two years in the bigs, but check this out: Seattle was 50-55 when Kelenic played and 38-19 when he did not. That discrepancy doesn’t rest solely at Kelenic’s feet, but it doesn’t paint a rosy picture, either.
8. Rays
Why they’re here: Because they’re the Rays, and the Rays always find a way. Sometimes, it’s fun to think back to the early years of the franchise and imagine saying anything remotely that positive about a team that lost at least 91 games each of the first 10 seasons. But it’s true. The Rays have built a complete organization, one designed to have as many replacements as the big-league club needs, at any position. They’ll be at or near the top of the AL East again.
Offseason priority: Having some sort of clarity on the Wander Franco situation would help organize the club’s priority list.
9. Astros
Why they’re here: It’ll be different without Dusty Baker as the manager, of course, but they’ll be in the AL West mix again, regardless who is the manager in next season. There are long-term roster decisions looming, but at least for 2024 this is a roster ready to contend.
MORE: Five candidates to replace Dusty Baker
Offseason priority: Both Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman are set to become free agents after the 2024 season. The Astros won’t just let either leave as free agents, right? Would they trade one? Extend both? Altuve, especially, seems destined to be a lifetime Astro. Anyway, the time to make that decision and take action is now, during the offseason, so it’s not a distraction.
10. Reds
Why they’re here: Truth is, if you’re looking for a team to mimic what the 2023 Orioles did — jump from 80ish wins to 100ish — the Reds should be right at the top of your list. All those rookies who contributed to Cincinnati’s surprising success this summer — Matt McClain, Elly De La Cruz, Spencer Steer, Andrew Abbott, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Noelvi Marte, Graham Ashcraft, Brandon Williamson (that’s such a long list) and others — should be ready to take the next step. Hunter Greene just might compete for a Cy Young, and Nick Lodolo is ready to put a disappointing, injury-filled season behind him. Their collection of talent rivals any team in the bigs.
Offseason priority: Even with all the young arms, the Reds would be smart to add a veteran starting pitcher to the mix, one who can make 30 starts and churn up 175-plus innings. Bring in a few more relievers, too. There is no such thing as too much pitching in that hitter-friendly home ballpark. Oh, and bring back Joey Votto. Pretty please. He deserves to be able to enjoy what should be a fun 2024 season in Cincinnati, after what he's put up with the past five-plus years.
11. Twins
Why they’re here: Minnesota will be the best team in the AL Central again, and the combo of Royce Lewis and Eduoard Julien should form the heart of an excellent lineup for years. Let’s see what the starting pitching looks like before moving them any higher. Do they re-sign free agents Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda? Maybe just Maeda (who will likely command a shorter-term deal)? Replace them on the market? There are internal options, too, though relying on Chris Paddack, Louie Varland and others seems a bit more risky.
Offseason priority: Sorting out the rotation is big. Also, they have two option years on Jorge Polanco. He spent time on the IL and only played 83 games this year, but he’s a 30-year-old switch-hitting infielder with power and a good-not-great glove. Even if they see Julien as the future at second base and Lewis at third (Polanco’s two primary positions), exercising the 2024 option for $10.5 million and then trading him to fill other areas of need makes sense. In an offseason without many impact bats, he could fetch a solid return.
12. Padres
Why they’re here: Sure, the team looks good on paper. Take a look through their page on Baseball-Reference and it’s damn near impossible to understand how they were so very far out of the playoff chase for most of the season. But they’re likely going to lose their best starter (Blake Snell) and best reliever (Josh Hader) and could lose reliable pitchers Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and Nick Martinez, too. Can’t put them any higher.
Offseason priority: Considering the lack of impact bats on the trade market, this is the perfect time to have a player like Juan Soto available to deal. The return could — should — be immense, considering the teams that would be involved in the bidding war. The Padres didn’t win with him in 2023, and signing him to the type of deal it would require to keep him around doesn’t seem like San Diego’s best option, all things considered.
13. Cubs
Why they’re here: Their playoff push fell short down the stretch, which was frustrating but probably a sign of things to come with a franchise heading in the right direction for the first time in a couple years. Justin Steele is a legit ace. Seiya Suzuki finally found his comfort zone, batting .350 with 12 homers, 39 RBIs and a 1.073 OPS in August and September. Christopher Morel continues to show star power and sense of the moment. Nico Hoerner was the best base-stealer nobody outside of Chicago seemed to notice, swiping 43 bases this year.
Offseason priority: Go big. Make an impact. Act like the big-market club they are. Court Shohei Ohtani. Make the Padres and offer they can’t refuse for Juan Soto. Land a big fish, change the balance of power in the NL Central.
14. Blue Jays
Why they’re here: Maybe I’m lower on the Blue Jays than others, but it just feels like a very uninspired team, one that should be better, considering the pieces on the roster. The rotation was outstanding in 2023, even with Alek Manoah’s complete debacle of a season. The lineup should have been better, but pretty much everyone other than Bo Bichette and Brandon Belt fell short of expectations.
Offseason priority: Honestly, they need to do whatever they can to help unlock Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., whose production has fallen off a cliff since his near-MVP campaign of 2021. In roughly the same number of PAs, he had 22 fewer homers, scored 45 fewer runs, had 96 fewer total bases and saw his slash line drop from .311/.401/.601 to .264/.345/.444, while his bWAR fell from 6.7 to 2.0 and his OPS+ dropped 50 points.
15. Cardinals
Why they’re here: The 2023 season was a disaster, in pretty much every way. No doubt about that. But the cupboard is not empty. This is not a complete overhaul situation. The offense can be solid, especially if youngsters like Jordan Walker and Masyn Winn take the same type of step forward that Nolan Gorman did from 2022 to 2023. The front office is saying all the right things, as far as acknowledging last offseason’s mistakes and having eyes open about what is needed this offseason.
Offseason priority: Pitching, pitching, pitching — three legitimate starters and two legitimate bullpen arms. And whatever they have to do to make that happen, whether it’s massively expanding payroll or trading from their stable of position players, it needs to happen. This isn’t a “sit around and wait for the market to develop” situation, either.
16. Brewers
Why they’re here: Let’s be honest: Nobody really knows what the Brewers might look like by next spring, and that includes a question of who will be the manager. Craig Counsell played out his contract and is a free agent. He’s not done the club any favors, folks. If he leaves, Brewers fans should be upset with him. The rumor mill has connected him to the Mets for a long time. Brandon Woodruff had shoulder surgery and will be out at least most of 2024. Corbin Burnes is a free agent after the season, and there aren’t many who think he’ll sign an extension to stay in Milwaukee. And as always, will there be enough offense?
Offseason priority: Sort out the manager situation first, then decide what to do with Burnes, and be bold. Either sign him to an extension or trade him by Christmas. Even with a healthy crop of free-agent starters, Burnes is appealing, and could bring back a nice haul of ready-to-make-an-impact youngsters.
17. Red Sox
Why they’re here: Three last-place finishes in the past four years have to be enough of a reason to think the Red Sox will act — read: spend — like World Series contenders, right? Um … maybe? Last offseason, they were coming off two last-place finishes in three years and they watched franchise icon Xander Bogaerts leave when they badly misjudged his market. Let’s see what new leadership in the front office does, but more importantly let’s see if ownership decides to spend. Until then, they look very middle-of-the-packish.
Offseason priority: Sign established, effective, healthy starting pitchers, not a handful of fingers-crossed reclamation projects. Find a right-handed impact bat — no easy task considering the options on the free-agent market — to balance the lineup.
18. Mets
Why they’re here: Wasn’t long ago that the Mets indicated they likely would take a bit of a step back in 2024, with eyes on contending in 2025. But that was said by a GM who is no longer with the organization (Billy Eppler) and it’s hard to imagine new president of baseball operations, David Stearns, will go through his first offseason without making an impact. The necessary pieces to build a contender are still in place. And the thing is, the free-agent market offers some of the supplemental pieces the Mets would need to build around the core. Like, y’know, starting pitching.
Offseason priority: Sign Shohei Ohtani, obviously. Sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto, obviously. And, maybe most important of all, decide what to do with Pete Alonso, the slugger who’s eligible to become a free agent after the 2024 season. By the time spring training rolls around, he should either be locked up with an extension, or ready to start the season with a new team because the Mets traded him for a haul (and he would definitely bring back a haul).
19. Yankees
Why they’re here: Yeah, they could contend again in 2024, but so much has to happen to get to that point. There are too many position players on the wrong side of 30 and too many questions in the rotation to put them any higher. It’s hard to remember a time when Yankees fans were justified in being so down on their team’s prospects for the next season.
Offseason priority: Does “fix everything around Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole” count as just one priority?
20. Giants
Why they’re here: It’s too much to hope that Bob Melvin will step in and solve everything from Day One. There’s a reason the Giants went so hard after Aaron Judge and Carlos Correa last offseason, and that’s because the offense is lacking. The mix-and-match approach only works with exactly the right mix of pieces — as in 2021, but not 2022 or 2023. The margin for error is just too thin. More pitching and more offense is needed.
Offseason priority: The Giants already needed pitching, and then news broke during the World Series that Alex Cobb had hip surgery and will be out six months.
21. Guardians
Why they’re here: It’s a team in transition, with longtime manager Terry Francona retiring. He’ll be missed, in so many ways. The eternal search for offense will continue.
Offseason priority: Finding the new manager, obviously. Also, figure out what to do with Shane Bieber. He’s eligible for arbitration one final time — coming off a so-so season with a 3.80 ERA in 21 starts and the lowest K/9 ratio of his career (by far) at 7.5 — then a free agent after the 2024 season. Will they attempt an extension or trade him now? Maybe wait and deal him at the trade deadline? That can be pretty risky, especially considering he spent plenty of time on the IL in both 2021 and 2023.
MORE: Four candidates to replace Terry Francona
22. Pirates
Why they’re here: Pittsburgh took a step forward in 2023, recording 76 wins after 61 in 2021 and 62 in 2022. Young, talented players got a chance to contribute at the big-league level for the first time. More prospects will be able to say the same thing next season. The franchise is in a good place, relatively speaking. This ranking might be low, at 22, but maybe we’re skeptical that the front office will be aggressive in making the upgrades needed to be a legit playoff contender.
Offseason priority: Pitching, of course. Specifically, find a veteran starter to fill the role held by Rich Hill in 2023.
23. Marlins
Why they’re here: The good vibes from the unexpected run into the postseason were sullied by the events of the early offseason, when roster architect Kim Ng resigned; reports soon surfaced that owner Bruce Sherman wanted to hire someone to oversee Ng’s role, despite her excellent work that resulted in a playoff spot. The resignation wasn’t exactly popular with manager Skip Shumaker and the players — that wasn’t surprising at all — and now who’s making the decisions?
Offseason priority: It’s all a mess. Shocking with the Marlins, I know. Before player decisions can be made, Sherman needs to hire someone to make decisions.
24. Nationals
Why they’re here: The Nationals are probably better than most people think, as evidenced by their 17-11 record in August. An example of the club’s relative anonymity: C.J. Abrams, at just 22 years old, hit 18 home runs and had 47 stolen bases — he was only caught four times — and he barely registered a blip on the national radar. Here’s how I look at the Nationals in 2024: They probably won’t be good enough to contend, but they’ll absolutely be good enough to regularly beat contenders in a way that will be frustrating to fans of those contenders. Especially if starters Josiah Gray and Mackenzie Gore take steps forward.
Offseason priority: Add a few experienced arms to the pitching staff, in the rotation but especially in the bullpen. Find a way to avoid giving Patrick Corbin — he of the 5.75 ERA in 94 starts across the past three years — another 30-plus starts in 2024.
25. Tigers
Why they’re here: Is 2024 the year the rebuild is supposed to come to fruition? It’s hard to know for sure, after it didn’t happen in 2022 or 2023, despite rosy prognostications. One encouraging sign was Spencer Torkelson’s finish, with 16 homers and a .921 OPS in his final 48 games of the season, after struggling mightily in 2022 and the first half of 2023. Oh, and the starter tandem of Tarik Skubal (2.80 ERA in 15 starts) and Matt Manning (3.58 ERA in 15 innings) is promising.
Offseason priority: In an ideal world, the Tigers would be able to execute the classic “addition by subtraction” move and deal Javy Baez, but doing so would require paying the lion’s share — sorry, Tigers’ share — of what’s left on his contract, probably plus sending along a sweetener. He’s been so very bad in his two years in Detroit, with a 77 OPS+, meaning he’s been 23 percent worse than the average major-leaguer at the plate.
26. Royals
Why they’re here: The 2023 season was disappointing, no doubt, as the Royals struggled to stay ahead of an Oakland team with an owner who just flat-out wasn’t trying to win. Bobby Witt Jr. had his breakthrough season — 30 homers and 49 stolen bases and … wow — and Cole Ragans was a revelation in the rotation in the second half, with a 2.64 ERA in 12 starts. Other than that, though? Let’s just put it this way: Ragans only played 12 of Kansas City’s 162 games and he finished second on the team in bWAR.
Offseason priority: The Royals need starting pitching, in the worst way. They won’t compete for any of the top free-agent options, though — even if they offered the money, hard to imagine someone like Aaron Nola agreeing to play for a team coming off a 106-loss season — so it’s likely another season of operating around the edges, and hoping the young players who struggled in 2023 take a step up in 2024.
27. Angels
Why they’re here: The future does not look bright, and the expected loss (ok, certain loss) of Shohei Ohtani has very little to do with that. Ohtani was never going to sign an extension with the Angels, and the club’s failure to trade him — at any point in the past two years — and land impact players for the future will be felt for years. Maybe I’m wrong — hopefully, honestly, because Angels fans are frustrated enough — but this just feels like the type of season where the wheels completely fall off.
Offseason priority: Hire a manager first, then go from there.
28. Rockies
Why they’re here: The Rockies lost 12 more games than any other NL team. It wasn’t pretty. Instead of dwelling on that, though? Nolan Jones was really, really good as a rookie — 20 homers, 20 stolen bases, a 138 OPS+ and a 4.3 bWAR in just 106 games — and Ezequiel Tovar took some lumps but showed why the organization has such high hopes. He didn’t turn 22 until August, but had five homers with a .323 average and .885 OPS in June.
Offseason priority: Pitching, pitching, pitching. Rinse/repeat.
29. White Sox
Why they’re here: I really hate advocating for any team to do this, but after the past few frustrating seasons it feels like time to completely clean house and rebuild. Doesn’t matter which players were part of the problem and which were not: If they have value, if they can be moved and if they don’t figure into the long-term solution — will they contribute three years from now? — trade them all and start over.
Offseason priority: New executive vice president/GM Chris Getz has his work cut out.
30. Athletics
Why they’re here: Their owner is bad for baseball.
Offseason priority: Can they find a new owner?