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Three weeks into the season, the Yankees hold the best record in baseball — while teams like the Astros, Marlins and Mariners are off to surprisingly poor starts. Let’s see how all 30 teams stack up.
30. Chicago White Sox (2-14)
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This Week: vs. Kansas City, @ Philadelphia
Most losses in MLB history could be in play for these Chicago White Sox. Let’s put it this way: The Marlins started the season 0-9 and currently have a better record than the White Sox. Chicago was swept for a third time, losing all three games against the Reds this past weekend. It’s been a struggle in all areas, but Chicago’s offense has been particularly poor. Their team OPS of .568 is 30 points lower than the next worst club.
29. Miami Marlins (3-14)
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This Week: vs. San Francisco, @ Chicago Cubs
Through three weeks, no team has been more disappointing than the Miami Marlins. On the heels of a surprising run to the playoffs in 2023, fans expected Miami to be competitive once again. Instead, the Marlins enter Tuesday with a putrid 3-14 record. Miami finally won a home game last week — but it still lost the series to Atlanta and is now 1-10 at home overall. Frustrating the fan base further, Miami sent down young pitcher Max Meyer following a great start to the year. In three starts, Meyer allowed four runs over 17.0 IP.
28. Colorado Rockies (4-13)
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This Week: @ Philadelphia, vs. Seattle
Colorado will not get much higher than its current ranking. The worst team in the National League West by miles, the Rockies haven’t won back-to-back games thus far. Ryan McMahon has been stellar — .349/.432/.524 — and both Ezequiel Tovar and Brenton Doyle are off to strong starts, but the majority of Colorado’s lineup has been cold. Kris Bryant’s decline has continued, as well. The former MVP is hitting .149 and boasts a .255 SLG through 17 games.
27. Oakland Athletics (7-10)
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This Week: vs. St. Louis, @ Cleveland
The A’s have been more competitive than many expected. After starting the season 1-7, Oakland has won six of the last nine while winning each of its last three series. Last week, they took two-of-three from the defending champion Rangers and the visiting Nationals. All four victories over Texas and Washington came by just one run. Third-year manager Mark Kotsay is pulling all the right strings in crucial moments.
26. Washington Nationals (7-9)
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This Week: @ Los Angeles Dodgers, vs. Houston
Last week was a mixed bag for the young Nationals. Washington spent the week in the Bay Area and kicked things off with two wins over the Giants. Then, the Nats traveled to Oakland and dropped two-of-three to the surprisingly competitive A’s. On Monday, Mitchell Parker made his MLB debut and picked up a win against the Dodgers. Mitchell allowed four hits and two runs over 5.0 IP in an eventual 6-4 victory. CJ Abrams continues to crush the ball — hitting his fourth HR on Monday — and is batting .296 with nine extra-base hits entering play Tuesday.
25. Minnesota Twins (6-9)
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This Week: @ Baltimore, vs. Detroit
It’s been a slog for Minnesota’s offense all year. Currently ranked 30th in batting average, the Twins are hitting just .194 as a team. A low batting average is not uncommon for this group. They finished 21st last year in AVG but still managed to plate the 10th-most runs. This year, they’re 28th in runs scored ahead of only the Athletics and White Sox. A trip to the pitcher-friendly confines at Camden Yards certainly won’t help matters.
24. Seattle Mariners (7-10)
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This Week: vs. Cincinnati, @ Colorado
At 7-10, the Mariners are just two games out of first place in the AL West. However, the team cannot be pleased with their early results. They dropped two series last week, ceding two-of-three games to both the Blue Jays and Cubs. The offense failed to produce against Chicago, plating a total of just three runs over Saturday and Sunday. In the finale, Seattle star Julio Rodríguez was picked off to end the game. Picking up a few wins this week will be key. After a trip to Coors this weekend, Seattle faces a brutal two-week stretch: @ Texas, vs. Arizona, vs. Atlanta, @ Houston.
23. Los Angeles Angels (8-8)
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This Week: @ Tampa Bay, @ Cincinnati
A .500 record for the Angels doesn’t tell the whole story. They’ve lost all but one series this year — a sweep of the Marlins in Miami. The starting pitching has been better than expected. Reid Detmers and Tyler Anderson both picked up wins last week. The Angels are 5-1 when either of them starts this year. Still, they’ll need to start stringing together some wins when one of their other pitchers takes the mound if they want to be taken seriously. Anthony Rendon got off to a dismal start but has collected 12 hits over the last six games.
22. San Francisco Giants (7-10)
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This Week: @ Miami, vs. Arizona
San Francisco hasn’t hit its stride just yet. Entering Tuesday’s Game 2 against Miami, the Giants have won just one series on the year. Last week, Bob Melvin’s club dropped two-of-three to the Nationals at home before traveling East and losing two-of-three to Tampa Bay. Blake Snell made his first start in Tampa as a visiting player and was shelled for seven runs in 4.0 IP. Matt Chapman, another key offseason addition, has hit three homers but currently holds a .188 BA. The Giants will need Snell and Chapman to play like stars moving forward.
21. New York Mets (8-8)
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This Week: vs. Pittsburgh, @ Los Angeles Dodgers
An 0-5 start to the year had fans ready to call it quits on the 2024 season. The Mets were terrible to begin the year — scoring zero or one run in three of their first four games. However, New York has played well the past two weeks and has climbed back to .500 entering play Tuesday. The club has won three series in a row, taking two-of-three from the Reds, Braves, and Royals, respectively. Following Monday’s 6-3 win over Pittsburgh, the Mets have two opportunities to win a fourth series in a row.
20. St. Louis Cardinals (8-9)
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This Week: @ Oakland, vs. Milwaukee
St. Louis has four everyday players batting .203 or worse. Paul Goldschmidt has been ice cold to start the year (.183 with one HR), but no player on the Cards has been worse at the plate than centerfielder Victor Scott II. The rookie currently holds a .091 BA and has recorded just five hits in 55 AB. The return of Sonny Gray has been a welcomed sight for the club. The first-year Cardinal has been dominant through two starts — allowing zero runs and nine hits through 11.0 IP. Gray is the ace St. Louis has needed for years.
19. Houston Astros (6-12)
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This Week: vs. Atlanta, @ Washington
We aren’t going to get too worked up about Houston’s record. Digging themselves out of a 0-4 hole isn’t going to happen overnight. Since the opening series sweep at the hands of the Yankees, Houston is just 6-8 but has shown some life against arguably its biggest competition. Taking two-of-three from the Rangers over the weekend could provide some momentum for the Astros moving forward. Especially with how good the offense looked. Houston scored at least eight runs in all three games. Jose Altuve was red-hot in the two victories — 6-for-10, 4 R, 2 2B, 2 HR and 4 RBI.
18. Toronto Blue Jays (9-8)
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This Week: vs. New York Yankees, @ San Diego
There’s something off with this Blue Jays team. They boast plenty of talent across the roster. But, they still somehow managed to underachieve relative to expectations. Not even Justin Turner’s exceptional start (.362 AVG, 1.040 OPS) to the year has been able to cure Toronto’s ailments. A majority of the blame should be placed on the stars. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (.188 AVG, .675 OPS) and Bo Bichette (.217 AVG, .610 OPS) are simply not getting it done.
17. Arizona Diamondbacks (8-9)
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This Week: vs. Chicago Cubs, @ San Francisco
A 1-6 skid at the beginning of April dropped Arizona to 3-7 overall. Last week, the Diamondbacks turned things around by winning both of their series. The defending National League champs took two-of-three from the Rockies at Coors — and held the Rockies to five runs in the two wins — and went 2-1 against St. Louis over the weekend. Thus far, Arizona’s recipe for success has been clear. In all eight of their wins, the Diamondbacks have limited their opponent to three runs or less. In eight of its nine losses, Arizona has allowed five or more runs.
16. Philadelphia Phillies (9-8)
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This Week: vs. Colorado, vs. Chicago White Sox
What’s up brother? Channeling his inner Sketch, Kyle Schwarber hit his third home run of the season in a 4-3 win over the Pirates Saturday afternoon. Before splitting a four-game set with the Buccos, the Phillies won two-of-three in St. Louis. The club has struggled to find consistency at the plate but it’s only a matter of time. Bryce Harper (.197) and Nick Castellanos (.177) have been particularly poor. The latter is still searching for his first home run, and Harper hit all three of his homers on April 2. On the mound, Spencer Turnbull appears primed to breakout. The former top prospect has allowed three runs over 16.0 IP and has featured a sweeper that has elevated his game.
15. Boston Red Sox (9-8)
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This Week: vs. Cleveland, @ Pittsburgh
Boston has taken advantage of a light schedule to start the year. They’ve already picked up seven wins against the Athletics and Angels. The two recent series against LA sandwiched a dismal sweep against Baltimore. The O’s visited Fenway Park to start the week and put a beatdown on Boston’s pitching staff. Boston surrendered 23 runs over the three-game set, six of which were scored in the 10th inning of Wednesday’s 9-4 loss. Monday’s matchup against the Guardians saw the offense get shut out and a scary moment for Tyler O’Neill and Rafael Devers when they collided while trying to field a fly ball.
14. Texas Rangers (9-9)
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This Week: @ Detroit, @ Atlanta
It hasn’t felt like the Rangers have begun hitting their stride. It was a rough week for the defending champions. Losing a series to the Astros isn’t all that unexpected, but dropping two-of-three to the Athletics at home is unacceptable. Texas’ offense was held to just one hit in the rubber match on Wednesday. World Series MVP Corey Seager struck out four times in the 1-0 loss. The offense struggled again on Monday, but one run was enough to take home a victory against the Tigers. Michael Lorenzen finished with a clean sheet in his first start for the Rangers, tossing five shutout innings.
13. Detroit Tigers (10-7)
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This Week: vs. Texas, @ Minnesota
After a torrid 5-0 start, the Tigers have sputtered with a stretch that included seven losses over 11 games. Saturday’s loss featured a brutal ending against the Twins. A fielding error caused Detroit to unravel late, allowing seven runs in the 11th inning. Though he’s getting paid a ton of money, the team sincerely has to think about sitting Javier Báez. The former All-Star is at an even worse pace than last year and didn’t draw a single walk through his first 14 appearances.
12. Chicago Cubs (10-6)
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This Week: @ Arizona, vs. Miami
Welcome to Chicago, Michael Busch. A former top prospect with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Busch was acquired in the offseason as a result of Los Angeles not having a place for him in its everyday lineup. So far, the first baseman has taken advantage of his opportunity with the Cubs. Entering Tuesday, Busch has homered in five straight games and is slashing .327/.410/.731. Busch’s play has been huge for the Cubs as Cody Bellinger (.180) and Dansby Swanson (.224) have continued to struggle. Unfortunately, Seiya Suzuki was placed on the 10-day IL on Monday due to a right oblique strain. Before his injury, Suzuki hit three HR and held a .305 BA.
11. Tampa Bay Rays (9-8)
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This Week: vs. Los Angeles Angels, @ New York Yankees
Tampa has spent most of the early season taking on West Coast adversaries. Last week, the Rays traveled to Anaheim to take on the Angels before pivoting back to Florida to host the Giants for a three-game weekend set. They went 4-2 over the six-game stretch to climb back over .500 on the year. Perhaps the most encouraging thing for the Rays thus far is that their best hitters haven’t gotten going yet. Yandy Díaz is coming off an All-Star campaign but currently holds just a .209 AVG through 17 appearances. Postseason hero Randy Arozarena has been even worse, sporting a .546 OPS with 16 strikeouts so far.
10. Cincinnati Reds (9-7)
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This Week: @ Seattle, vs. Los Angeles Angels
At 9-7, the Reds are currently in fourth place in the National League Central. Cincinnati was a trendy pick to win the division entering the season, and the club has done nothing to scare people off that thought through three weeks. Spencer Steer has been a star — .321 BA, three HR, 18 RBI, 1.074 OPS — and Elly De La Cruz has looked more comfortable at the plate in his second season. Cincinnati’s outfield has been the best defensive group in baseball, which shouldn’t be overlooked as the season progresses. Strong coverage in the outfield can be a huge plus in October.
9. San Diego Padres (10-9)
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
This Week: @ Milwaukee, vs. Toronto
Look at the smile on Mr. Irrelevant’s face. During a 5-2 loss to the Dodgers, Jurickson Profar misinterpreted an inside pitch by Gavin Stone to be an attempt to hit him — at the time, Stone had a perfect game in the 5th inning — and the benches cleared. While Profar later admitted he was wrong, Los Angeles catcher Will Smith escalated matters after the game. Smith said during an interview that Profar is “kind of irrelevant.” In the series finale, Profar delivered a game-winning three-run double. San Diego has won back-to-back series against the Cubs and Dodgers, respectively, and won Game 1 in Milwaukee on Monday.
8. Kansas City Royals (11-6)
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This Week: @ Chicago White Sox, vs. Baltimore
Do not take these Royals lightly. They can score in bunches and constantly put pressure on their opponents. They showed as much last week, with a few dominant victories over the AL powerhouse Astros and the red-hot Mets. Kansas City swept Houston at home, plating 24 runs over the final two games. They scored 11 more in Saturday’s win over New York. On the pitching side, 27-year-old Brady Singer is on his way to a breakout campaign — 0.98 ERA, 0.76 WHIP over 18.1 IP.
7. Pittsburgh Pirates (11-6)
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This Week: @ New York Mets, vs. Boston
For the second year in a row, the Pirates are off to a very good start. While last year always felt like a fluke, however, this team feels like it will be a factor in the National League Central for the long haul. Pittsburgh went 3-3 last week — splitting a two-game set with the Tigers and a four-game set in Philadelphia — but had a reason to celebrate as Andrew McCutchen launched his 300th home run.
6. Cleveland Guardians (11-5)
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This Week: @ Boston, vs. Oakland
The Guardians have shown no signs of cooling off. Sustaining offense has been an issue for this team in the past. That’s primarily due to the fact they rely on a bevy of contact hitters who don’t possess a ton of power. However, Cleveland’s bats have been humming throughout April. Steven Kwan (.356 AVG) and Josh Naylor (.340) are among the league leaders in average. Cleveland’s plus-35 run-differential ranks second in the league — behind only the Royals.
5. Atlanta Braves (10-5)
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This Week: @ Houston, vs. Texas
The Braves may have questions in regards to their pitching staff moving forward with Spencer Strider officially out for the season following elbow surgery, but their lineup will not be questioned at any point. Atlanta is currently hitting .301 as a team and reigning MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. is still searching for his first home run. Marcell Ozuna has been unstoppable thus far. Ozuna has launched seven HR and has knocked in 22 runs while posting a .365/.412/.746 line. The starting rotation has not been good and Atlanta still sits at 10-5.
4. Baltimore Orioles (10-6)
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This Week: vs. Minnesota, @ Kansas City
Welcome to the show, Jackson Holliday. After dominating across all levels of the Minor Leagues, MLB’s No. 1 ranked prospect finally received the call. Holliday made his debut on Wednesday against the Red Sox, starting at second base. His first few outings were rough, as Holiday went 0-for-11 over his first three games while struggling in the field. He finally produced his first Major League hit in Sunday’s win over the Brewers. The first of many for the bright star.
3. Milwaukee Brewers (10-5)
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This Week: vs. San Diego, @ St. Louis
The Brewers are off to a great start, but their elation may have been dimmed a bit over the weekend. Former MVP Christian Yelich has been on a tear to start the year. Through 11 games, Yelich launched five homers and boasted a .333 BA. Unfortunately, Yelich felt discomfort in his back over the weekend and is a candidate to go on the IL as early as Tuesday. With Yelich potentially out for a few days, Milwaukee will lean on catcher William Contreras to lead the offense. Contreras has been phenomenal thus far — he leads the National League with a .390 BA and has smacked four HR.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers (11-8)
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This Week: vs. Washington, vs. New York Mets
Los Angeles is 1-4 over its last five games. Last week, the Dodgers lost two-of-three at a rainy Wrigley Field and then went 2-1 in Minnesota to return home with a .500 road trip. Over the weekend, the Dodgers blew a 7-3 lead against the Padres to begin their three-game series and lost the rubber match, as well. On Monday, Tyler Glasnow was knocked around by the Nationals en route to a 6-4 loss. The top of Los Angeles’ lineup has been sensational, but the bottom of the order has been putrid. Eventually, the Dodgers will need to bolster the 7-9 spots ahead of the playoffs.
1. New York Yankees (12-5)
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This Week: @ Toronto, vs. Tampa Bay
The first-place Yankees are coming off another winning week, taking home series victories over the Marlins and Guardians. Beating the Marlins is nothing to write home about, but the Guardians have looked excellent out of the gate. New York’s staff silenced Cleveland’s offense in the first two games, allowing just four runs total. Anthony Volpe has continued his torrid pace (.373 AVG, 1.006 OPS), but they still need Aaron Judge (.194 AVG) to kick into high gear. Additionally, longtime Yankees radio broadcaster John Sterling called it quits on Monday, ending a 35-year run.
