Skip to content 
Now that we’re a month deep into the baseball season, it’s time to look at the first batch of MLB power rankings in 2023. Forget about the preseason power rankings, we want to share our updated MLB power rankings now that games have actually been played. Of course, things can change, but we’ve seen enough to offer our first MLB power rankings for 2023.
MLB Power Rankings 2023: May
So who are the best MLB teams this season? It’s obviously too early to know if any team in 2023 will end up being among the greatest teams in baseball history.
But there have certainly been a few to stand out above the rest early in the season. While these rankings certainly aren’t set in stone, here is our list of the top-10 MLB power rankings for 2023 through the first month of the season.
10. Los Angeles Dodgers
Believe it or not, the Dodgers barely sneaked into our early MLB Power Rankings in 2023. It was only at the end of April that they started to look like themselves. Los Angeles figures to lean heavily on Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman this year while hoping that Max Muncy and James Outman can continue their hot starts.
But if the Dodgers can keep their rotation healthy, they’ll be fine in the long run. However, this isn’t the dominant Los Angeles team we’ve seen over the last decade.
9. Minnesota Twins
It hasn’t exactly been an overwhelming start to the season for the Twins, although they’ve been good enough to lead the AL Central. It’s a testament to how far you can go with good pitching.
Funnily enough, Joey Gallo and Byron Buxton have led what has been a mediocre lineup. But Sonny Gray and Joe Ryan have been fantastic with Tyler Mahle and Pablo Lopez not far behind.
The Minnesota bullpen is also holding up its end of the bargain as well. The good news for the Twins is they have enough talent in their lineup to provide enough support if the pitching continues to perform.
8. Houston Astros
Despite being the reigning champs, the Astros didn’t look that good in April. They are surely better than that and have started to come on strong toward the end of the month. But they’ve not separated from the pack in the AL West, much less the entire American League.
It’s been all Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker thus far without enough contributions from the rest of the lineup. Fortunately for the Astros, their pitching has been solid through the first month; otherwise, there is no guarantee that they’d keep themselves in the top 10 of our power rankings.
7. Toronto Blue Jays
It’s been a little bit of a mixed bag from the Blue Jays this season. But they have an excellent record for a team that hasn’t come close to clicking offensively. Matt Chapman, Bo Bichette, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. have done enough to carry the team while George Springer, Daulton Varsho, and others have gotten off to slow starts.
Likewise, starters Jose Berrios and Chris Bassitt haven’t hit the ground running either. But the Blue Jays are in remarkably good shape for a team that isn’t playing up to its potential. It’s a scary thought for other American League teams if the Blue Jays can ever put all of the pieces together.
6. Baltimore Orioles
We should have known the Orioles would be a little better than last season, but who knew they would warrant a spot this high in our early-season power rankings?
Even if there is no guarantee it’ll last, the Orioles have been the second-best team in the AL East thus far. Jorge Mateo and Austin Hays have come out of nowhere to anchor the lineup while the Orioles hope the rest of the team can quickly get going as well.
Oddly enough, the rotation outside of Kyle Gibson hasn’t had much success. But Baltimore has managed to put together one of the best bullpens in baseball, allowing them to get off to a fast start and have realistic playoff hopes.
5. Milwaukee Brewers
Not enough people are talking about Milwaukee’s strong start to the season. At the end of April, the Brewers were 12-7 against teams with a winning record. That’s the best record in baseball against teams over .500.
It shouldn’t be too surprising with the rotation they have in place. Even with Brandon Woodruff hurt and Corbin Burnes far from his best, the Brew Crew is getting good pitching just about every night. The trick is that needs to continue because the Milwaukee offense is nothing special, so the Brewers don’t always have much margin for error.
4. Texas Rangers
All of the spending the Rangers have done over the last few years seems to finally be paying off. Even with Jacob deGrom already landing on the IL, the rest of the pitching staff is staying strong.
Meanwhile, the Rangers entered May with the second-most runs scored and the second-best run differential in the majors. It’s not even high-priced players like Corey Seager and Marcus Semien who are carrying the Texas lineup. That makes us think that the Rangers have staying power and could continue to be the best team in the AL West.
3. Pittsburgh Pirates
Without question, the Pirates are the biggest surprise in baseball this year. While Pittsburgh’s success should perhaps be taken with a grain of salt, we’re jumping on the bandwagon. Keep in mind that the Pirates were the first National League to reach the 20-win plateau, which is no small feat.
Even with Oneil Cruz sidelined, the Pittsburgh lineup is deeper than anyone could have imagined. But the real secret sauce for the Pirates has been their pitching. The rotation has been solid from top to bottom while closer David Bednar has been dominant along with a handful of other reliable bullpen arms. While it’s too early to jump to conclusions, it doesn’t look like the Pirates are going away.
2. Atlanta Braves
Once again, the Braves are looking like the class of the NL East. No wonder they’ve dominated this division for decades. Core players like Ronald Acuna, Matt Olson, and Sean Murphy have all gotten off to fast starts while Max Fried and Spencer Strider are leading a rotation that’s been among the best in baseball.
Not only have the Braves taken an early lead in the NL East but they look like the best road team in baseball. Most teams are happy to have a winning record on the road but Atlanta is already pushing to be 10 games over .500 away from home, which is the sign of a good team.
1. Tampa Bay Rays
There should be no question that the Rays belong at the top of our early-season power rankings. They started the season 13-0, albeit beating all bad teams in the process. But even after that hot start, Tampa didn’t even off, going 10-6 during the rest of April. During those 13 wins over bad teams, the Rays won all but a couple of those wins came by at least a four-run margin.
In other words, the Rays dominated bad teams.
Plus, it’s not just the Tampa rotation that’s been crushing it early in the year. At the end of April, the Rays had eight players with at least five home runs and four players with at least seven homers. At that pace, Tampa could have eight players hit 30-plus homers this year. While that probably won’t happen, it does illustrate how good the Rays have been thus far.
