Spring training is less than two months away, so which MLB teams are already pegged to have a hot season in 2024?
While there are still a range of top free agents available on the market and plenty of time for teams to sign them before Opening Day on March 28, some teams moved fast this winter to set themselves up for success.
1. Atlanta Braves
They suffered a shocking postseason elimination in 2023, but the Atlanta Braves are still the obvious pick to top the 2024 Power Rankings.
The Braves finished last season with the best record in MLB, and with Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson, Austin Riley and a seemingly endless list of other stars returning to the lineup, they were already set to enter 2024 as the team to beat. Atlanta would’ve been forgiven for having a quiet offseason, but they made some noise by adding Chris Sale from the Red Sox and Jarred Kelenic from the Mariners to bolster their already stacked roster.
After two consecutive seasons of disappointing playoff exits, the Braves are going into 2024 with unfinished business. On paper, this team should dominate, and if their offseason moves are anything to go by, they’re certainly ready to take home their second World Series title in four years.
2. Texas Rangers
As reigning World Series champions, the Texas Rangers have proved their roster works — and if they can get Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom back on the mound at some point in the season, they’re likely to be even better this year.
From adding Corey Seager and Marcus Semien to their lineup before the 2022 season to acquiring deGrom and Scherzer in 2023, Texas has been slowly assembling the Avengers of baseball for years now. However, injuries have plagued their roster, and they’re expected to add at least one starting pitcher to their rotation this winter to tide them over until Scherzer and deGrom return.
Ranking the Rangers in the second spot before they’ve patched up their ailing starting rotation may seem bold, but their roster is still extremely solid, even with a far-too-utilized IL. Another history-making season isn’t off the table.
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers have spent over a billion dollars in free agency this offseason, but as countless teams in sports history will tell you, spending big definitely doesn’t guarantee a World Series title. Still, if you’re looking to stack your roster, landing the best baseball player in the world isn’t a bad place to start.
On December 11, the Dodgers signed two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year, $700 million contract, the largest ever in sports history. Just five days later, they acquired starter Tyler Glasnow in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays and secured him on a five-year, $136.5 million contract extension, and on December 27, they inked a 12-year, $325 million contract with Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
With Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts and a slew of other stars returning in 2024, there’s no question the Dodgers have an outrageous amount of talent on their roster. Now they just have to live up to the hype.
MLB Power Rankings: The Full List
1. Atlanta Braves
2. Texas Rangers
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
4. Baltimore Orioles
5. Houston Astros
6. Tampa Bay Rays
7. Philadelphia Phillies
8. Toronto Blue Jays
9. Seattle Mariners
10. Arizona Diamondbacks
11. Minnesota Twins
12. New York Yankees
13. Chicago Cubs
14. San Diego Padres
15. Cincinnati Reds
16. New York Mets
17. Boston Red Sox
18. Miami Marlins
19. Milwaukee Brewers
20. San Francisco Giants
21. Cleveland Guardians
22. Detroit Tigers
23. Washington Nationals
24. St. Louis Cardinals
25. Los Angeles Angels
26. Pittsburgh Pirates
27. Chicago White Sox
28. Kansas City Royals
29. Colorado Rockies
30. Oakland Athletics
MLB Power Rankings: Team Rankings 2024