MLB Power Rankings: The Pittsburgh Pirates Are BACK and the Yankees Are Disappearing

We’re about 20 games into the 2023 MLB season and the Rays almost went 162-0 while the Oakland A’s plan to quietly move to the team to Nevada while no one’s paying attention.

Here are your MLB Power Rankings:

1. Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Record: 21-5

Last Week: 3

The Devil Rays finally climb to the top of the Deadseriousness Power Rankings. They have the deepest lineup in baseball. They have guys with 4 or more homers. I had never even heard of Josh Lowe prior to this season and he’s currently got 4 bombs and batting .348 with a 1.007 OPS. No idea where they’re finding these guys.

Randy Arozarena is at his best when the games matter most and since he’s coming off playing in the World Baseball Classic, Arozarena is carrying those clutch hits into the regular season and now he’s balling like it’s October.

2. New York Mets

Record: 15-11

Last Week: 4

The Mets have Justin Verlander making his season debut any day now and I still think the combo of Verlander and Scherzer—when healthy and not suspended for cheating—are dangerous and guarantee this team two wins a week.

But they don’t need those guys because they have Joey Lucchesi, who pitched 7 scoreless innings against the Giants earlier this week.

JOEY LUCCHESI STRIKES OUT THE SIDE IN THE 7TH! pic.twitter.com/pjopRUdwIl

— SNY (@SNYtv) April 22, 2023

Joey Luchhesi is the name of a Mets fan I would argue with at the bar as he shouts at me about how much better David Wright is than Derek Jeter while his girlfriend rolls her eyes and texts her side dick to come pick her up.

3. Atlanta Braves

Record: 17-9

Last Week: 1

If you’ve read any of these power rankings then you know how I feel about the Houston Astros. the Braves just got swept by those felons. The only reason the Braves didn’t get shot down to the bottom of the power rankings is that I don’t want to confuse myself.

I also recognize that the Braves have a better record than the Mets so it may not make sense for them to drop from the no. 1 spot last week down to 3 BUT, I just watched them lose to the Miami Marlins.

4. Pittsburgh Pirates

Record: 18-8

Last Week: 15

The Pirates just swept the Rockies, swept the Reds and took two out of 3 from the Los Angeles Dodgers. I know it’s still only April but I’m okay with Major League Baseball handing Derek Shelton the Manager of the Year Award.

The Pirates have the 8th best ERA in the league thanks to Mitch Keller and Johan Oviedo shutting teams down with old man Rich Hill staying steady in the middle of the rotation.

5. Toronto Blue Jays

Record: 16-9

Last Week: 6

Last year, Aaron Judge had the best contract year in baseball history. The Yankees were definitely reluctant to give him a long term deal with his age and his injury history so Judge decided to break the single season home run record.

Well, Matt Chapman is a free agent this winter and every game, he’s adding another million to his future deal. He’s slashing .364/.446/.659 with 5 homers and 18 RBIs. He’s one of the best players in baseball and he’s dangerously close to earning generational wealth.

6. Minnesota Twins

Record: 15-11

Last Week: 7

Perhaps I’m overrating the Twins but they are being led by two former Yankees who were All-Stars their whole career until they put on pinstripes and forgot how to play baseball. Now Sonny Gray and Joey Gallo are joining forces to lead Minnesota to the top of the AL Central.

Sonny Gray, Filthy 83mph Slider. 🌞 pic.twitter.com/x4foMeZ6KI

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 25, 2023

Sonny Gray is 3-0 with a 0.62 ERA. His ERA+ is 704. The average score is 100. Gray’s is 70fucking4. Sonny Gray is HIM for sure.

7. Milwaukee Brewers

Record: 16-9

Last Week: 8

I was ready to crown the Brewers as a real World Series contender but then they decided to lose back-to-back series to Detroit and Boston. Their pitching staff was lit up by the Red Sox. I just love that Milwaukee has Eric Lauer pitching every 5 days despite giving up a home run in every single one of his starts. My man couldn’t make it out of the 4th inning against a Tigers team full of minor leaguers.

8. New York Yankees

This one hurts. I was not expecting the Yankees to fall this low on these power rankings at any point in the season but the Bronx Bombers are in 4th place in a crowded AL East and they just lost Aaron Judge with a hip injury. It’s about to get way worse for the team ranked 22nd in hits with their best hitter about to be out of the lineup.

8-foot-10 Aaron Judge just eating shit sliding into third base pic.twitter.com/J2FUcJzDAv

— Dead Serious (@Deadseriousness) April 26, 2023

All because his big goofy ass can’t slide.

9. Los Angeles Dodgers

Record: 13-13

Last Week: 5

I reckon the big news out of Los Angeles is Mookie Betts, in his 10th year as a future Hall of Famer, suddenly moving to shortstop. I just love that Betts moving to short allows the front office to pretend like they didn’t fuck up by letting Corey Seager leave in free agency a couple years ago.

But while Betts was cosplaying as Miguel Tejada, Max Muncy has been destroying baseballs. He leads the league in home runs and OPS so he’s allllll the way back after a pretty disappointing 2022 campaign.

10. Baltimore Orioles

Record: 17-8

Last Week: 13

What’s going on with the Orioles, man. No seriously, why aren’t these guys losing games?? Baltimore has beaten up on the worst teams in baseball but even that shouldn’t matter because typically, the Orioles are one of the worst teams in baseball that get beaten up and have their lunch money stolen.

Jorge Mateo almost leads all SS in every single hitting category

He’s the best SS in the MLB and it’s not up for debate right now
pic.twitter.com/I4Spk8KOaa

— Ad (@AdleyWRLd) April 26, 2023

But we have to talk about Jorge Mateo quietly becoming the best shortstop in baseball. He’s one of the best fielders, base runners, contact hitters and now he’s discovering some hidden power. I guess having the best shortstop could potentially lead to winning more games than losing. But it still feels like Baltimore JUST had Manny Machado. I will never find peace.

11. Texas Rangers

Record: 14-11

Last Week: 11

Shout out to Bruce Bochy for turning this team around. I really thought this man was washed but there’s a reason he won all of those titles with the Giants. He’s pretttyyyy good at motivating baseball clubs.

12. Chicago Cubs

Record: 14-10

Last Week: 12

The Chicago Cubs are in an interesting position. They are competing in a surprisingly difficult division and they’re keeping pace even though their close, Michael Fulmer, has a 7.84 ERA and 2 blown saves already but I guess April is the time to have this problem instead of, like, September.

13. San Diego Padres

Record: 13-14

Last Week: 9

Juan Soto told manager Bob Melvin that he doesn’t want a day off until he breaks out of his hitting slump. He’s currently batting .183 and has 29 strike outs to only to 17 hits. If Matt Chapman is having the best contract year then Soto is without a doubt fumbling the bag right now.

14. Cleveland Guardians

Record: 12-13

Last Week: 10

I sweaaaaaaaar I’ll watch a Guardians game this week.

15. Arizona Diamondbacks

Record: 14-12

Last Week: 15

The Diamondbacks took first place and wildly changed their season strategy. If Arizona was a middling team the way I believe they expected themselves to be then there’s no doubt in my mind that Madison Bumgarner would still be pitching every 5 days just letting opposing teams have batting practice against him.

But the second this franchise looked around and saw the Padres couldn’t hit and the Dodgers were a .500 team, they paid $34 million for Bumgarner to go quietly retire elsewhere. It’s still early but look for the Diamondbacks to make some biiiig swings in the trade market.

16. Los Angeles Angels

Record: 14-12

Last Week: 17

Mike Trout, Hunter Renfroe and Shohei Ohtani are having unbelievable seasons. The other 22 guys on the roster, well, they are not.

Mike Trout: 5 homers, 164 OPS+, 169 wRC+

Hunter Renfroe: 7 homers, 151 OPS+ 152 wRC+

Shohei Ohtani: 6 homers, 137 OPs+ 136 wRC+

The rest of y’all stink.

17. Boston Red Sox

Record: 13-13

Last Week: 14

The Red Sox are keeping their heads above water but I truly believe they need to pull a Diamondbacks move and DFA Chris Sale who just gave up 9 hits and 5 runs to the Baltimore Orioles raising his ERA to 8.22.

18. Cincinnati Reds

Record: 10-15

Last Week: 22

The Reds just swept the AL West-leading Texas Rangers. We’re probably about a week away from the Rangers cratering and revealing themselves as major frauds but in the meantime, that’s a huge series win for a team that I described last week as, and I quote, “Laugh out loud”.

19. Seattle Mariners

Record: 11-14

Last Week: 19

Jarred Kelenic looked up and down the Mariners dugout and realized it’s up to him to carry those bums every night. Kelenic is 2nd in the AL in OPS to go with his 7 homers and 14 RBIs.

20. San Francisco Giants

Record: 11-14

Last Week: 21

The Giants relievers have the 2nd worst ERA in the National League which is just a hilarious waste of a batting lineup that’s 4th in homers. But don’t worry, I’m sure there is a sad, disappointing Madison Bumgarner reunion coming shortly.

21. St. Louis Cardinals

Record: 10-16

Last Week: 18

For some stupid reason, I thought the Cardinals would run through the NL Central but the Pirates and Brewers are dominating while St. Louis trips over their own feet night after night. They also sent down my guy, Jordan Walker, so I am alllllll the way out on St. Louis.

22. Miami Marlins

Record: 13-13

Last Week: 23

The Marlins are somehow winning every series even while their Ace, Sandy Alcantara, throws beach balls down the middle of the plate. Once he figures out whatever mechanical issue is effecting him, the Marlins might be a real playoff threat.

23. Colorado Rockies

Record: 8-18

Last Week: 24

Shout out to anyone who came here for a Colorado Rockies take from me—a guy who hasn’t had an interesting Rockies take since Carlos Gonzalez was an All-Star.

24. Detroit Tigers

Record: 9-15

Last Week: 24

It’s crazy how teams keep losing to the Detroit Tigers yet the Tigers still don’t have double-digit wins.

25. Philadelphia Phillies

Record: 13-13

Last Week: 29

The Phillies are clawing their way out of the early hole they dug themselves. And they don’t even need Bryce Harper to do it because Brandon Marsh is suddenly the best player in the league leading the majors in OPS.

Brandon Marsh goes deep! His 1.213 OPS is the best in MLB pic.twitter.com/QEtyWlm5Xj

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 23, 2023

26. Washington Nationals

Record: 9-15

Last Week: 27

I’ll be honest guys, it’s the NBA playoffs and the NFL Draft this week, I don’t have takes for a lot of these bad teams. Let me re-calibrate over the weekend and I’ll give you some fire content for Things We Gotta Talk About This Week on Monday.