MLB Power Rankings Week 4: Baltimore Orioles are climbing

bet365 News Team Updated: Apr 26 2024 18:53

The 2024 MLB season has been underway for nearly a month, and plenty of teams have jumped out to a hot start. However, there are a few teams that would like to forget about April completely.

Here’s the Week 4 MLB Power Rankings.

1. Atlanta Braves (17-6, 1st in NL East)

The beasts of the NL East are red-hot. Atlanta has won nine of their last 10 games and their lineup looks as dangerous as ever - even without Ozzie Albies and Sean Murphy.

On the mound, the rotation has formed a big three with Max Fried, Chris Sale, and Reynaldo Lopez, and they have been spectacular in the first month.

2. Baltimore Orioles (16-8, 1st in AL East)

The Yankees jumped to the front of the division in the first few weeks, but after a month of the season, the Orioles are now in sole possession of first place.

The O’s have won eight of their last 10 games and their young lineup just got even younger as top prospect Heston Kjerstad was recalled from Triple-A. Watch out for Baltimore!

3. Philadelphia Phillies (16-10, 2nd in NL East)

Zack Wheeler appears to have his sights set on the NL Cy Young award. The right-hander has been incredible through his first few starts, but so have Aaron Nola, Spencer Turnbull, and Ranger Suarez. Philly’s rotation has been very solid, so it’s up to the bullpen to pick up their poor play.

4. Los Angeles Dodgers (16-11, 1st in NL West)

Los Angeles earned a much-needed sweep over the Nationals this week which means they come into Friday’s game on a four-game win streak.

Shohei Ohtani continues to impress at the plate, just like Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, but the issues have been on the mound. The Dodgers need to strengthen their starting rotation which has been decimated by injuries.

5. Cleveland Guardians (18-7, 1st in AL Central)

Only one team has a higher winning percentage than the Guardians, and it’s the Braves. However, it’s hard to put the Guardians higher in the Power Rankings because their last few opponents have been the Athletics, Yankees, White Sox, and Red Sox twice.

Stocking up wins against poor teams is good, but it will be interesting to see how they fare against more difficult teams.

6. Milwaukee Brewers (16-8, 1st in NL Central)

Milwaukee has one of the most efficient offenses in the game right now. The Brewers have been smashing right-handed pitching, and a lot of their success comes from their young players.

Plus, William Contreras has been unreal at the plate. Once Christian Yelich returns, the Brewers could be a serious threat in the National League.

7. New York Yankees (17-9, 2nd in AL East)

New York has certainly cooled off since their blazing-hot start to the season. The Yankees have won just five of their last 10 games and their offense has gone cold.

The primary reason the Yankees dropped so far in the Power Rankings is because they split a series against the A’s in the Bronx. That series was an opportunity to jump the Orioles in the division.

8. Chicago Cubs (16-9, 2nd in NL Central)

Playing at Wrigley Field has been a recipe for success this year for the Cubs. Chicago is 10-3 at home and has won seven of their last 10 games.

It’s been a surprise to see the Cubs still winning games even without Seiya Suzuki and Cody Bellinger, but it’s certainly a great sign of depth.

9. Cincinnati Reds (14-11, 3rd in NL Central)

Elly De La Cruz continues to dazzle with his speed, power, and athleticism. He’s led the Reds to a 14-11 record through 25 games, and if it wasn’t for a strong start from the Brewers and Cubs, the Reds could be in contention for the lead in the division.

If Cincy can tighten up the rotation, it could be a big step forward for the franchise in 2024.

10. Seattle Mariners (13-12, 1st in AL West)

Sluggish, bad, and gross. Those are a few words to describe Seattle’s first two weeks of the season. However, the Mariners have completely turned their April around as they’ve won seven of their last 10 games and are now in first place in the AL West.

To little surprise, it’s been their starting rotation that has been the root of their success.

11. Kansas City Royals (16-10, 2nd in AL Central)

Some thought that Kansas City’s hot start to the year would fizzle out. But here we are nearly a month into the season, and the Royals are 16-10 and nipping on Cleveland’s heels. Between the rotation, lineup, and bullpen, the Royals don’t have many weaknesses. This could be a fun team to watch for the next few months.

12. Boston Red Sox (14-12, 3rd in AL East)

After a strong start, the Red Sox have gone cold. Boston is still above .500 with a 14-12 record, but they were without Rafael Devers, Tyler O’Neill, and Masataka Yoshida for several days which sent the team down a bad path.

However, those three sluggers are back, so it's worth watching to see how Boston performs in the near future.

13. San Diego Padres (14-14, 2nd in NL West)

The Padres sit just 2.5 games behind the Dodgers in the division after one month. The star-studded lineup has been leading the charge as Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, and Xander Bogaerts are off to great starts. However, the big problem remains in their rotation, which is struggling and injured.

14. New York Mets (13-11, 3rd in NL East)

Watch out for New York! Both the Yankees and Mets are off to good starts, but the Mets have won seven of their last 10 games and have looked a lot like the team everyone expected.

While the lineup is still shaking off the rust, it’s been the rotation that has been the rock of the team. Mets fans just have to hope Francisco Lindor wakes up soon.

15. Detroit Tigers (14-11, 3rd in AL Central)

The Tigers have quietly been a good team in the first few weeks. Detroit is 14-11 after 25 games, and their rotation has been the star of the show. Between Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize, the Tigers have a lot of young talent.

If the bottom half of the lineup can contribute more, it could be exciting to watch Detroit baseball for the next few months.