(Audacy) Super Bowl Sunday is behind us, which means that pitchers and catchers will report to spring training this week. As excitement builds for the 2023 season, here's our first set of MLB power rankings.
Andrew McCutchen is back, but will competitive baseball return to Pittsburgh?
Joe Sargent/Getty Images30. Washington Nationals
29. Oakland Athletics
28. Cincinnati Reds
27. Pittsburgh Pirates
26. Kansas City Royals
The 2023 Pirates lineup will include some fun names, including the returning Andrew McCutchen, Carlos Santana and Ji-Man Choi. Ultimately though, this is a team without a single starting pitcher projected to finish the season with an ERA below 4.20. Therefore, PECOTA and ZiPS both have the Pirates losing more than 90 games in 2023, which would mark the fourth consecutive full season in which that would be the case. McCutchen potentially finishing his career in Pittsburgh is a great storyline, but 2023 will be a success for the Pirates if they can convince Bryan Reynolds to sign a long-term deal and tap into the immense tools that Oneil Cruz possesses on a more consistent basis.
With best pitcher in baseball, can Marlins enter crowded NL playoff race?
Patrick McDermott/Getty Images25. Detroit Tigers
24. Colorado Rockies
23. Miami Marlins
22. Los Angeles Angels
21. Arizona Diamondbacks
After Sandy Alcántara had a Roy Halladay-esque season that saw him take home the National League Cy Young award, we ranked him as the top pitcher in the sport entering the 2023 season. But despite their ace unanimously taking home the senior circuit's top pitching honor a season ago, the Marlins won just 69 games. Skip Schumaker has replaced Don Mattingly as manager, and a team in desperate need of offense made a few nice additions this offseason in acquiring Jean Segura and Luis Arráez. There's even hope that Sixto Sánchez -- who looked like a budding star in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season -- will return to the mound for the first time in three seasons. But while the Marlins should improve in 2023, they still feel like the fourth-best team in a crowded NL East by quite a large margin. The guess here is that Alcántara makes a run at another Cy Young award but is sitting at home come October.
Does Xander Bogaerts' exit doom Red Sox to basement in AL East?
Adam Glanzman/Getty Images20. Boston Red Sox
19. Chicago Cubs
18. San Francisco Giants
17. Texas Rangers
16. Minnesota Twins
The Red Sox convinced Rafael Devers to sign a 10-year, $313.5-million deal this offseason, which already looks team-friendly compared to what he would've received on the open market. But even if there's a case to be made that the 11-year, $280-million deal that Xander Bogaerts left to sign with the San Diego Padres may not age well, the Red Sox lost one of the best overall hitters in baseball this winter. With Bogaerts in 2022, the Red Sox went 78-84, finishing in last place and with the only losing record in the AL East. Without Bogaerts, it's hard to imagine much higher than a fourth-place finish for the Red Sox in baseball's top division.
As window with current stars potentially closes, will Brewers return to postseason?
Joe Sargent/Getty Images15. Baltimore Orioles
14. Milwaukee Brewers
13. Chicago White Sox
12. St. Louis Cardinals
11. Tampa Bay Rays
The Brewers have a top-10 farm system in baseball, according to Keith Law of the Athletic, so the franchise's long-term future still feels bright. But shortstop Willy Adames is entering a contract year. Both Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff -- one of the top one-two pitching punches in baseball -- can become free agents after the 2024 season. As currently constructed, the window in Milwaukee is closing, as we saw when the franchise traded away All-Star closer Josh Hader last summer rather than keeping him for a contract year of his own in 2023. Jesse Winker and William Contreras were nice additions this offseason, but you do wonder if the Brewers have enough offense to rebound after missing the postseason a year ago. Either way, the team will be left to make some difficult decisions next winter -- and as evidenced by the Hader trade, perhaps even sooner.
Aaron Judge is back, but can the Yankees return to the World Series for the first time since 2009?
Sarah Stier/Getty Images10. Seattle Mariners
9. Cleveland Guardians
8. Philadelphia Phillies
7. Toronto Blue Jays
6. New York Yankees
After one of the greatest individual seasons in MLB history, Aaron Judge re-signed with the Yankees on a nine-year, $360-million deal. For as much individual success as Judge has had when healthy, the four-time All-Star has yet to reach a World Series. The Yankees haven't played in the Fall Classic since 2009, an astonishing amount of time for the most successful organization in the history of American professional sports. So in addition to re-signing Judge, the Yankees also successfully wooed Carlos Rodón in free agency, setting up a strong top of the rotation with Gerrit Cole. The Yankees have improved their roster since going a disappointing 35-35 after the All-Star break in 2022. As currently constructed, they feel like the second-best team in the AL. Unfortunately for the Yankees, the defending World Series champion Houston Astros still look quite a bit better.
Will Braves be unseated in a loaded NL East?
Elsa/Getty Images5. Los Angeles Dodgers
4. Atlanta Braves
3. New York Mets
2. San Diego Padres
1. Houston Astros
The Phillies added Trea Turner in free agency, and the Mets signed Justin Verlander. Still, it's hard to pick against the five-time defending NL East champion Braves. Ronald Acuña Jr. should be an NL MVP candidate as he moves further away from the torn right ACL he suffered in July 2021. What's more, Ozzie Albies will likely have better luck from a health perspective than he did in 2022 and the Braves acquired one of the best catchers in the sport in Sean Murphy. For the second consecutive season, there's a good chance that the NL East produces three playoff teams. The Braves could very well be the best of that trio.
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