Tony Finn’s Weekly WagerTalk MLB Power Rankings
WagerTalk MLB handicapper Tony Finn gives us his weekly MLB power rankings after an exciting few days to open the 2023 MLB season. Which teams does he see as the best and worst so far this season? Read his weekly updates now!
MLB Power Rankings Week 1
1. Texas Rangers Record: 3-0
While Jacob deGrom struck out seven without a walk, the two-time National League Cy Young Award winner allowed five runs on six extra-base hits in his 3 2/3 innings in the Rangers Season Home Opener.
DeGrom signed a $185 million, five-year contract in free agency and made his fourth career Opening Day start. His first three Openers came with the New York Mets in which he threw 17 scoreless innings.
The large salaried Rangers outfit issued a three-game sweep of last year’s World Series runners-up. Texas, led by Cole Ragans, Nathan Eovaldi, and Martin Perez forced Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler and Bailey Falters, and Philadelphia to tap out in all three of the cage fights in the shortened opening week.
The Rangers placed OF Leody Taveras (oblique) on the 10-day IL and will platoon Bubba Thompson and Adolis Garcia in centerfield during his IL stay.
Without overreacting to MLB’s first weekend of action it isn’t a stretch to label the Rangers as the serious contender in the AL West.
Jon Gray, Andrew Heaney, and deGrom are the scheduled starters for the three-game set when the Rangers host the Baltimore Orioles at Globe Life tonight.
2. Tampa Bay Rays Record: 3-0
Southpaw Jeffrey Springs was replaced after six hitless innings in Sunday’s 5-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers at the Trop.
Riley Greene broke up the Rays’ attempt at a combined no-hitter with an infield single off Colin Poche in the seventh inning. Sunday’s win resulted in a season-opening three-game sweep of the visiting Tigers.
Shane McClanahan pitched six scoreless innings in Thursday’s Opening Day 4-0 win over Detroit. Rays’ SP Tyler Glasnow (oblique) is expected to miss at least the first month of the regular season. Glasnow has resumed throwing on flat ground.
With an opening day roster that has but two newcomers on last year’s postseason qualifier, pitchers Zach Eflin and Kevin Kelly, sleeping on this Rays' group to be just another punching bag for tradition-rich division rival New York would be a mistake.
3. New York Mets Record: 3-1
Max Scherzer earned his first win as a member of the Metropolitans in a 5-3 Opening Day victory over the Miami Marlins.
Mad Max Scherzer threw six solid innings in one of Thursday’s premier pitching matchups versus reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara.
The team placed SP Justin Verlander (shoulder) on the 15-day IL with a low-grade teres major strain and Edwin Diaz (patellar tendon) on the 60-day IL.
Skipper Buck Showalter told the media in his postgame presser on Saturday that without Diaz that late innings pitching assignments would be by committee.
David Robertson successfully converted a chance on Opening Day but it’s reasonable that the coaching staff will use Adam Ottavino and southpaw Brooks Raley depending on the late-game situation. The Mets improved their MLB-best Opening Day record to 41-21 with Thursday’s win.
4. Atlanta Braves Record: 2-1
The Atlanta Braves overcame the early exit of NL Cy Young Award runner-up Max Fried on Opening Day due to cold temperatures and lower leg strain, a hamstring tightening up.
The Braves earned a 7-2 victory over the Washington Nationals behind four hits by Travis d’Arnaud and three errors by Nats shortstop CJ Abrams.
The temperature was 45 degrees at first pitch and the play on the field was sluggish and error-filled. Both teams scuffled with the high sun losing balls in flight. The game featured five combined errors.
Fried will miss time to his left hamstring strain losing two turns through the rotation. SP Kyle Wright (shoulder) starting the season on the IL and isn’t eligible to return until April 11 vs Cincinnati. Rookie Jared Schuster started for the Braves on Saturday and struggled with his command in the early innings.
Shuster’s command issues were a surprise. The southpaw does not possess a plus fastball (low 90s) but the young lefty grades high with a plus changeup and command. Rookie lefthander Dylan Dodd is scheduled to take the hill against the Cardinals on Tuesday.
With Raisel Iglesias (shoulder) starting the season on the IL, Atlanta will use A.J. Minter and Joe Jimenez in save situations.
5. Los Angeles Dodgers Record: 2-2
The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-2 on Opening Night behind the first career Opening Day start of Julio Urias.
The left-hander, last year’s NL ERA leader (2.16) allowed four hits and two runs in six innings. He struck out six.
It's too early to overreact to third baseman Max Muncy’s struggles at the plate. Muncy hit for a career-low a season ago but after offseason work and several plate adjustments, Muncy was productive in this spring’s Cactus League play.
Muncy struck out all five times in the Dodgers’ Thursday victory over the Diamondbacks. Muncy went 1-13 with a single, no walks, and 7 strikeouts through the first three games of the season but was unavailable Sunday to a groin injury.
With Daniel Hudson on the 15-day IL, as he continues to recover from knee surgery Brusdar Graterol and Evan Phillips, will be the first options in save opportunities.
Manager Dave Roberts told the media in Saturday’s postgame presser that lefthanders Alex Vesia and Caleb Ferguson could be called upon depending on matchups.
6. Minnesota Twins Record: 3-0
The new addition to the Twins rotation, Pablo Lopez, dominated Kansas City in his Minnesota debut Thursday.
The Royals sent former Cy Young winner Zack Greinke to the hill for the 2023 home opener. Greinke allowed just two hits while pitching into the sixth inning.
Lopez tossed 5.1 innings of work allowing two hits and no runs while walking three and striking out eight. The Twins bullpen pitched the final 3.2 innings without allowing a hit in what ultimately found the Twins earning a 2-0 victory in a swirling wind at Kauffman Stadium.
Minnesota was aggressive this offseason and in the deal with Miami, the cost of acquiring Lopez was All-Star second baseman and fan favorite Luis Arraez.
“The team is putting this much trust in me,” Lopez said. “I’m going to make the most of it. That’s how I look at it.”
Minnesota put SS Jorge Polanco (knee) on the 10-day IL as he recovers from a knee injury and will likely miss the first few weeks of the season.
1B/OF Alex Kirilloff (wrist) on the 10-day IL. Kirilloff is in the later stages of a minor-league assignment but is not expected to return to the mothership until late April or early May.
RHPs Ronny Henriquez (elbow inflammation) and Josh Winder (shoulder strain), INF Jorge Polanco (knee inflammation), and OFs Gilberto Celestino (thumb surgery) and Alex Kirilloff (wrist surgery) went on the injured list before Thursday’s Opening Day matchup in KCMO.
In the Year of the Closer by Committee, a pair of 2-0 wins to begin the season found Jhoan Duran and Jorge Lopez picking up the club's first two saves.
7. Houston Astros Record: 2-2
The Astros lost on Opening Day for the first time in eleven years. Houston fell to the visiting Chicago White Sox by a 3-2 final score. The 10 straight wins for the Astros in openers was tied for the longest streak in major league history with the Boston Beaneaters from 1887-96.
The Astros opened the season without second baseman Jose Altuve, sidelined for at least two months after breaking his right thumb in the World Baseball Classic.
Astros OF Michael Brantley (shoulder) has been taking batting practice as he works his way back, with his season debut expected in mid-April.
Houston placed SP Lance McCullers, Jr. (forearm) on the 15-day IL but he is not expected to be ready for game action until some point in May.
The right-handed heavy lineup of the Astros could be the team’s boogie man especially early in the season without the veteran bats of Altuve and Brantley.
8. San Diego Padres Record: 2-2
Blake Snell pitched to his moniker on Opening Day. Snell has been money the first two times through lineups over the last two seasons while scuffling the third time through on game day.
The Padres’ starting southpaw made his second career Opening Day start and struck out nine through four innings before allowing singles to Yonathan Daza and Blackmon and leaving with a 2-1 lead in the fifth.
Xander Bogaerts ($280 million, 11-year free agent deal) was 3 for 4 with two doubles in his Padres debut. Manny Machado executed a sacrifice fly and got his first hit of the season with a soft single and trade deadline addition in 2022, Juan Soto went 0 for 4.
Fernando Tatis Jr. is eligible to be activated on April 20 after finishing an 80-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug.
Padres placed SP Joe Musgrove on the 15-day IL as he recovers from a toe fracture suffered in Spring Training.
9. New York Yankees Record: 2-1
Rookie Anthony Volpe grew up a Yankees fan in Manhattan and made the most of his first game at Yankee Stadium. Volpe went hitless (0 for 2) but drew a walk and stole a base and graded out with an A+ after making a pair of run-saving defensive plays in his major league debut. T
he Yankees earned a 5-0 Opening Day win over the San Francisco Giants at Yankee Stadium.
The Yankees placed SP Carlos Rodon (forearm) on the 15-day IL as he works his way back with an expected May return from a left (throwing) forearm strain.
SP Frankie Montas (shoulder) was placed on the 15-day IL with a scheduled late May return. SP Luis Severino (lat) was moved to the 15-day IL and will miss 3-4 starts.
10. Cleveland Indians Record: 3-1
Opening Day in Seattle found a pitchers’ duel between Cleveland ace Shane Bieber and Seattle's Luis Castillo. The offense was absent for both of the American League contenders until a crazy eighth inning decided a game that went to the Guardians.
Cleveland SP Triston McKenzie (shoulder) landed on the 15-day IL with a teres major strain and will miss his spot in the rotation into May.
11. St Louis Cardinals Record: 2-1
St. Louis 41-year-old right-hander Adam Wainwright sang the national anthem to the surprise of the standing-room-only crowd of 47,649 on Thursday’s Opening Day. Wainwright (groin) is on the 15-day IL as he continues to work his way back from a strain suffered during a WBC warmup.
Cardinals C Willson Contreras exited the club's Opening Day matchup with the Blue Jays after sustaining a knee contusion on a 103 mph errant pitch from teammate Jordan Hicks. SS Paul DeJong (back) started the campaign on the 10-day IL.
Cardinals setup man Giovanny Gallegos was unable to pitch on Thursday or Saturday against the Blue Jays due to a lower back injury.
12. Toronto Blue Jays Record: 1-2
Toronto won its fourth straight opener by overcoming a 9-8 deficit in the ninth against Ryan Helsley (0-1) but closed Opening Weekend with Saturday and Sunday losses at Busch Stadium in downtown St Louis.
13. Los Angeles Angels Record: 2-1