Current:Home > BackMLB power rankings: Los Angeles Dodgers finally bully their way to the top-InfoLens
MLB power rankings: Los Angeles Dodgers finally bully their way to the top
View Date:2024-12-23 15:38:26
And now, the question is, will they ever look back?
The Los Angeles Dodgers clawed to the top of USA TODAY Sports’ power rankings, their first appearance atop the heap all season. It was well-earned: The Dodgers swept the previous No. 1, the Atlanta Braves, in a raucous three-game series at Dodger Stadium that came on the heels of a 7-2 road trip.
While the Dodgers added Shohei Ohtani in the offseason, that did little for their pitching paucity to start this season. Well, some questions are getting answered: Erstwhile ace Walker Buehler makes his first start since 2022 Tommy John surgery on Monday against the Marlins. Veteran fifth starter James Paxton shut down the Braves on Sunday.
And the MVPs are doing MVP things. Catch ‘em if you can.
A look at this week's rankings:
Follow every MLB game: Latest MLB scores, stats, schedules and standings.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers (+1)
- Shohei Ohtani got Dave Roberts a fast car. Then, he broke his record.
2. Baltimore Orioles (+2)
- John Means and Kyle Bradish combined to give up one earned run in 11 ⅔ innings of their season debuts.
3. Atlanta Braves (-2)
- Power went out – just three home runs – on 1-5 road trip.
4. Cleveland Guardians (+1)
- Top prospect Chase DeLauter fractures bone in problematic left foot.
5. New York Yankees (-1)
- Gerrit Cole threw off a mound, beginning road to return (in June or July).
6. Philadelphia Phillies (-)
- Trea Turner lost for six weeks; they're hoping Alec Bohm's hip hiccup just precautionary..
7. Chicago Cubs (+2)
- Javier Assad's 1.66 ERA leads the National League.
8. Milwaukee Brewers
- Avenging Craig Counsell will have to wait as they lose two at Wrigley.
9. Seattle Mariners (+2)
- They've won four of six vs. Astros, Rangers.
10. Texas Rangers (-)
- Kirby Yates has pitched 14 scoreless innings, striking out 16.
11. Cincinnati Reds (-3)
- Fill-in center fielder Will Benson down to .195 with .670 OPS.
12. Kansas City Royals (+2)
- Red Sox castoff John Schreiber dominant (1.10 ERA, 0.98 WHIP) out of the bullpen.
13. Minnesota Twins (+11)
- A 12-game winning streak brings a corresponding bump in the Power Rankings.
14. Boston Red Sox (-1)
- Went 220 at-bats without a home run. Strangely, Ceddane Rafaela started and ended the streak.
15. Toronto Blue Jays (-3)
- A messy season debut (11 baserunners in four innings) for Alek Manoah, and offense remains a mess.
16. San Diego Padres (+4)
- They leaped one spot for every one of Luis Arraez's knocks in his Padres debut.
17. Detroit Tigers (-)
- Jack Flaherty's career-best 14 strikeouts against Cardinals another sign of strong start.
18. Tampa Bay Rays (-)
- Kevin Cash now winningest manager in franchise history.
19. New York Mets (-3)
- As Jose Quintana and Adrian Houser struggle, prospect Christian Scott gives rotation some hope.
20. Washington Nationals (+3)
- Twelve comeback wins leads major leagues.
21. San Francisco Giants (-)
- Have scored three or fewer runs in 19 of last 27 games.
22. Pittsburgh Pirates (-1)
- Paul Skenes coming any day now. Right? Right??
23. Arizona Diamondbacks (-8)
- Lost seven of nine games and looked very bad doing it.
24. St. Louis Cardinals (+1)
- Can't be losing series to the White Sox.
25. Houston Astros (-3)
- Vaunted bullpen a total mess, with Josh Hader giving up 10 earned runs in first 15 outings.
26. Oakland Athletics (+1)
- Mason Miller is nice, but Lucas Erceg is nearly as effective out of the bullpen
27. Los Angeles Angels (-1)
- Currently in last place. Have not finished in last place since 1999.
28. Miami Marlins (-)
- Just stunning how quickly they went from playoff team to same-old-sorry-ass-Marlins.
29. Colorado Rockies (-)
- On pace for 124 losses.
30. Chicago White Sox (-1)
- Mike Clevinger set to make season debut.
veryGood! (58719)
Related
- GM recalls 460k cars for rear wheel lock-up: Affected models include Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac
- Angus Cloud's Dad Died One Week Before the Euphoria Actor
- Sheriff’s deputy in Washington state shot, in serious condition at hospital
- With pets being treated like family, businesses aim to meet new needs
- Inspector general finds no fault in Park Police shooting of Virginia man in 2017
- Missouri governor rejects mercy plea from man set to be executed for killing 6-year-old girl
- Pre-order the Classic Nintendo inspired 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard
- Josh Stein’s gubernatorial campaign says it lost $50,000 through scam that targeted vendor
- 5-year-old boy who went missing while parent was napping is found dead near Oregon home, officials say
- Angus Cloud, breakout star of ‘Euphoria,’ is dead at 25
Ranking
- Louisiana asks court to block part of ruling against Ten Commandments in classrooms
- Josh Stein’s gubernatorial campaign says it lost $50,000 through scam that targeted vendor
- Small plane crash in Georgia marsh critically injures 2, sheriff says
- TBI investigating after Memphis police say they thwarted 'potential mass shooting'
- When does Spirit Christmas open? What to know about Spirit Halloween’s new holiday venture
- Cops shoot, arrest alleged gunman who fired outside Hebrew school
- Mega Millions jackpot at $1.05 billion with no big winner Friday. See winning numbers for July 28
- Fate of American nurse and daughter kidnapped by armed men in Haiti remains uncertain
Recommendation
-
Joey Logano wins Phoenix finale for 3rd NASCAR Cup championship in 1-2 finish for Team Penske
-
Elon Musk, X Corp. threatens lawsuit against anti-hate speech group
-
Reward increased for arrests of ‘anarchists’ who torched Atlanta police motorcycles
-
Wisconsin officials add recommendations to new management plan to keep wolf population around 1,000
-
Kyle Richards Shares an Amazing Bottega Dupe From Amazon Along With Her Favorite Fall Trends
-
Angus Cloud's Dad Died One Week Before the Euphoria Actor
-
Hawaii could see a big hurricane season, but most homes aren’t ready
-
30 dogs and puppies found dead, 90 rescued from unlivable conditions at Ohio homes