Tier Rankings for All 30 MLB Teams Entering 2024 Season

It's hard to believe the start of Major League Baseball's 2024 regular season is only three weeks away, in part because the offseason feels incomplete with Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery still unsigned.

Nevertheless, Opening Day is right around the corner, and we've broken the 30 MLB teams up into 10 tiers in preparation for the big event.

The teams in the top tiers have "World Series or bust" aspirations. Meanwhile, teams in the bottom tiers might need occasional reminders that getting paid to exercise is neat.

Go ahead and bookmark this so we can all come back and laugh at it in six months when a team from the bottom two tiers wins a division and one of the four AL favorites finishes below .500, since there are always a couple of major surprises like that.

30. Oakland Athletics

29. Colorado Rockies

28. Chicago White Sox

A few years ago, these three almost-certain-to-be basement dwellers likely would have tanked in hopes of securing the No. 1 pick in the draft. But now that the three teams with the worst winning percentages all get an equal chance at winning the lottery, there's less incentive to lose as many games as possible.

Rest assured, though, the A's, Rockies and White Sox will still be losing an awful lot of games.

Oakland is entering Year 3 of its rebuild and has yet to find any surefire building blocks for the future. In fairness, it wasn't until the fourth season of Houston's tank job that some lights started to appear at the end of the tunnel. Maybe Zack Gelof, Shea Langeliers and/or Ken Waldichuk become that young foundation this season.

Meanwhile, Colorado is entering its fifth consecutive year of denial, continuing to spend like a league-average team despite an on-field product that is anything but league average. Nolan Jones and Ezequiel Tovar were exciting breakout guys last year, and maybe Kris Bryant's switch to first base sparks a personal renaissance of sorts. But this pitching staff remains a disaster, likely to allow the most runs in the majors for a third consecutive year.

Chicago is stuck somewhere between the other two, somewhat embracing a rebuild at last year's deadline but reluctant to dive headfirst into that pool. The White Sox could get a lot in return for Dylan Cease and Luis Robert Jr. and could certainly find suitors for Eloy Jiménez. Trading away that trio would expedite what might otherwise be a long journey back to relevance.

We'll see which direction they decide to go. But even in the wide-open AL Central, reaching the postseason in 2024 seems like a pipe dream.

27. Washington Nationals

26. Pittsburgh Pirates

23. Milwaukee Brewers

No, that isn't a typo in front of Milwaukee. Nos. 25 and 24 were intentionally skipped over for now in the interest of making themed, hopefully entertaining tiers. And while the Brewers aren't nearly as unlikely to amount to anything in 2024 as the Nationals and Pirates are, they're hardly a World Series contender after their offseason roster restructuring.

However, Milwaukee does have a super intriguing candidate for NL Rookie of the Year in Jackson Chourio. Before he played a single game in the majors—heck, after just six games of Triple-A ball—the Brewers signed the soon-to-be 20-year-old outfielder to an eight-year, $82 million contract this winter.

Chourio is hitting well thus far in spring training and was probably going to crack the Opening Day roster even if he struggled in the Cactus League. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is the clear favorite for NL ROY, but Chourio might be the best pick for first runner-up.

If not the Brewers outfielder, maybe one from the Nationals?

James Wood was already one of the highest-rated prospects out there, and he has been destroying baseballs in the Grapefruit League. It'd be fantastic if the Nationals could postpone starting his MLB service clock for one more season, but at this rate, they almost have to put him on the Opening Day roster. 2023 No. 2 overall pick Dylan Crews is also a strong candidate to get the call to D.C. sooner rather than later.

And the Pirates have the No. 1 overall pick from last summer's draft in Paul Skenes. They've already told him he won't make the Opening Day roster, but that's no surprise, as he pitched a grand total of 6.2 innings of professional ball after helping lead LSU to the College World Series title. But if Pittsburgh has any inkling of fighting for a playoff spot this season, it won't keep him down in the minors for long.

25. Los Angeles Angels

24. Kansas City Royals

22. Cleveland Guardians

It's hard not to feel like the Angels, who are tied with the Pirates for the fifth-worst World Series odds (+15000), are being undervalued.

Sure, they lost a generational two-way superstar in Shohei Ohtani after never winning anything with him on the roster, but they could still have a stout lineup if Mike Trout stays healthy and if Anthony Rendon decides he likes baseball this year. Their pitching isn't great, but it also isn't anywhere near Oakland or Colorado levels of hopeless.

If things break right, the Angels could have their first winning season since 2015.

The same goes for the Royals, who put in serious work this offseason to improve that 106-loss mess of a roster. They're probably still one pitcher and one outfielder away from legitimately contending, but the barrier to entry in the AL Central race isn't substantial. Having Cole Ragans and Nelson Velázquez from the start of the season while adding Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and more could be huge.

And then there's Cleveland, which took the opposite offseason approach of Kansas City by doing a whole lot of nothing and hoping that will somehow fix a team that finished 10 games below .500. The young pitching staff is enticing, but it was also better than expected last season and will once again need to try to make up for an outfield completely devoid of slugging. Unless catcher Bo Naylor and shortstop Brayan Rocchio thrive in what should be their first full seasons in the majors, it could be a long year for the Guardians.

21. Miami Marlins

20. San Diego Padres

19. Detroit Tigers

It's fitting that these three teams are bunched together in the "better than a 1 percent chance, but not quite 2 percent" range of the preseason World Series odds, because they each have potential—if you squint a bit.

The Marlins are just a collection of wild cards between the signing of Tim Anderson, the conversion of A.J. Puk from closer to starter, the possible return of Max Meyer and the hopefully full season of Eury Pérez. Throw in the ever-present "will Jazz Chisholm Jr. stay healthy?" unknown and the fact that they were the luckiest team in the majors in 2023 from the perspective of run differential compared to actual record, and the Fish are the ultimate question mark.

San Diego isn't far behind, though, with its real-life application of the fantasy baseball "stars and scrubs" approach to building a roster. The Padres have six well-established, super talented players in Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, Ha-Seong Kim, Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove, followed by great big question marks for the last three spots in the rotation, as well as the LF, CF and DH spots in the lineup. They'll likely finish no better than third in the NL West, but maybe a couple of those *shoulder shrug emoji* roster spots shoulder a heavy load?

Then there's Detroit, getting Casey Mize back from injury, adding Jack Flaherty and Kenta Maeda to the rotation, banking on rookies Colt Keith and Parker Meadows as possible regulars in the starting lineup and praying for more out of Javier Báez in the third season of his six-year deal. That might be enough to win the AL Central, or it might blow up en route to an eighth consecutive losing season.

18. Boston Red Sox

17. San Francisco Giants

16. New York Mets

Two of these three have already gotten some brutal news on the pitching health front. Boston's Lucas Giolito was diagnosed with a partial UCL tear, while New York's Kodai Senga will open the year on the IL with a shoulder strain. That's a tough pill to swallow for teams that were already looking mid.

Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery are still available in free agency if any of these teams is serious about trying to win in 2024. They aren't, though, and their frustrated fans know it.

At least New York is somewhat trying to contend after last year's expensive disaster. Team owner Steve Cohen isn't going to shell out a half-billion dollars again, but he's still in the quarter-billion range with the acquisitions of Sean Manaea, Luis Severino, Harrison Bader and others. It's a more reserved effort to build a contender, but an effort all the same. (The expectation is they'll put forth much more effort next offseason, ideally in signing Juan Soto in free agency.)

Meanwhile, both Boston and San Francisco are loitering in the $160 million payroll range, almost $80 million below the luxury-tax threshold and more than $50 million below the nine most aggressive franchises in 2024. They've had every opportunity and then some to address the shortcomings in their respective starting rotations, but they both look worse in the pitching department than they did while sputtering to sub-.500 records last season.

It wouldn't be a complete stunner if any of the three made a playoff push, but it does seem like the decision-makers for all three franchises are content with being just OK in 2024.

15. Cincinnati Reds

14. St. Louis Cardinals

13. Chicago Cubs

As far as World Series odds go, there's a relatively clear hierarchy here, with Chicago (+2500) a step above St. Louis (+3500), which is a step above Cincinnati (+4500).

But does anyone have a great read on any of these teams?

Similar to Detroit, Cincinnati is hoping that the combination of one starting pitcher returning from injury (Nick Lodolo) and two potentially sneaky good free-agent acquisitions (Frankie Montas and Nick Martinez) will make a big difference for a staff that often struggled to record outs last season. The Reds are also hopeful that their plethora of young bats hit as well as they did in 2023 if not better, although you always have to be wary of sophomore slumps.

Speaking of signing free-agent pitchers, the Cardinals are already dealing with issues with theirs. Sonny Gray is dealing with a hamstring injury and could open the season on the IL, Kyle Gibson gave up two home runs in two innings of his lone appearance thus far this spring, and we've yet to see Lance Lynn (though he's supposed to pitch Friday). If that trio doesn't pan out, they're right back to where they ended last season at 20 games below .500.

The Cubs finally re-signed Cody Bellinger in late February, but are they any better equipped for a playoff run? Your answer presumably hinges on how much you believe in Pete Crow-Armstrong and Michael Busch as rookies who will fit somewhere into the position player rotation, as the only other significant change from yesteryear was swapping in Shota Imanaga for Marcus Stroman. That very well could be enough, though.

12. Tampa Bay Rays

11. Minnesota Twins

10. Arizona Diamondbacks

These three teams are hovering around 10th place in most preseason power rankings, and all three have become fringe contenders under budget constraints.

That's nothing new for the Rays, who have consistently had one of the lowest payrolls since 2002. The "Do we still need to actually pay Wander Franco?" variable isn't a huge deal for 2024 with his salary only around $2 million, but whether they're able to void that contract will be a massive factor for 2025 and beyond. That unknown likely kept them from spending much of anything this offseason.

The Rays traded away Tyler Glasnow, Manuel Margot and Luke Raley, but they could still be solid if one of their many options at shortstop pans out and if the back of the rotation (Ryan Pepiot, Taj Bradley, Shane Baz) delivers to some degree.

Minnesota had major money issues this offseason amid the RSN mess, and it could take a sizable step backward this season as a result, especially in the pitching department. But between having Royce Lewis on the Opening Day roster for once and potentially adding top prospect Brooks Lee to the infield mix, the Twins could be a force if they stay healthy. At any rate, they're expected to win the AL Central.

But if you're betting on any of these teams to make a run in the playoffs, the reigning NLCS champs are the pick, right?

Arizona was at least a year ahead of schedule last season and very clearly improved this winter with the additions of Eduardo Rodriguez, Joc Pederson, Randal Grichuk and Eugenio Suárez. In any other division, they would feel like a top-five threat to win it all.

Being stuck in the NL West with the Dodgers puts somewhat of a glass ceiling on the Snakes' expectations. It's not like the NL favorite has had much success in October over the past three seasons, though.

9. Toronto Blue Jays

8. Seattle Mariners

7. Philadelphia Phillies

In March Madness lingo, these are the classic examples of teams that are good enough to reach the Final Four, but a notch below the top contenders to win it all.

It feels like a make-or-break type of year for Toronto. The Blue Jays have been a contender in each of the past four seasons, but they don't have a single postseason victory to show for it. Their most noteworthy offseason acquisition (Yariel Rodríguez) has yet to pitch in spring training. Their fans were teased with the possibility of a much bigger offseason acquisition which amounted to nothing.

Replacing Matt Chapman with Isiah Kiner-Falefa wasn't exactly an upgrade. And they only have two years left before Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette reach free agency. But they could be really good if the starting rotation holds its own.

Seattle had a busy offseason, signing Mitch Garver in the middle of swinging 11 trades. Will the M's be any better off with Luke Raley, Mitch Haniger and Jorge Polanco replacing Teoscar Hernández, Jarred Kelenic and what was a mess of a second base situation? They should still have one of the best starting rotations in the bigs, which is always a nice perk. We'll see if there's enough oomph around Julio Rodríguez and J.P. Crawford to make it back to the playoffs, but chances are good.

And then there's the Phillies, who are a step behind Los Angeles and Atlanta, but arguably a step above anything else the National League has to offer. They've re-upped with both Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler and are clearly in this for the long haul. Save for the closer spot, it's more or less the exact same roster that has won five postseason series over the past two years. If someone emphatically locks down that ninth-inning gig, game on.

6. Baltimore Orioles

5. Texas Rangers

4. New York Yankees

3. Houston Astros

You never know before the season begins which team is going to win the American League, but that feels more true than ever this year. You could shuffle up this quartet of contenders and put them in just about any order.

The Astros always make the ALCS as of late, while the Orioles haven't won a postseason game since the 2014 ALDS. That kind of makes it feel like the former needs to be at the top and the latter at the bottom of this tier.

But Baltimore led the league in wins last season and definitely improved this winter with the acquisition of Corbin Burnes. It's also likely that sensational prospect Jackson Holliday will be the Opening Day starter at either shortstop or second base, giving another boost to what was already a strong team. It wouldn't be a surprise if the O's lock down the No. 1 seed in the AL for a second straight year.

We've talked a lot this offseason about the starting rotation injuries between the two AL West teams. We already know Texas won't have Max Scherzer, Jacob deGrom or Tyler Mahle any time soon. Houston will also be without both Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr. into the summer, and we now know Justin Verlander will also open the season on the IL. It'll be an intriguing race to see who can get healthy first, but both should be dangerous by October.

Meanwhile, the Yankees added Juan Soto and Marcus Stroman this offseason, hoping to rally from what was their worst season in more than three decades. They had to do something big, and they did. Their battle with Baltimore for the AL East crown could be on par with the race between the 107-win Giants and the 106-win Dodgers in the 2021 NL West.

2. Atlanta Braves

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

Anything could happen, both during the regular season and during October. We've certainly witnessed the latter with both the Braves and Dodgers over the past few years.

But it seems like we're on a slow-paced collision course for a Braves-Dodgers NLCS to decide who gets to then win the World Series, doesn't it?

The Dodgers stockpiled an outrageous amount of talent this offseason, adding Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, James Paxton and Teoscar Hernández to a 100-win team that was already going to get both Walker Buehler and Gavin Lux back from seasons lost to injury. No team has ever been perfect, but it is hard to find any weak points on this roster.

Yet Atlanta might be even better.

The Braves have seven capable starting pitchers at their disposal, plus what should be an improved bullpen with the addition of Aaron Bummer. The only real question here is in left field, where Atlanta is placing a lot of eggs in the Jarred Kelenic basket. If Kelenic flops, they might have a late bloomer in Forrest Wall, who is tearing the cover off the ball this spring.

If forced to pick today who will earn the No. 1 seed in the NL bracket, I'd have to go with the Dodgers. They have more/better positional depth and could survive the occasional visit from the injury bug. But both of these teams should win at least 100 games while setting the stage for the gigantic postseason clash.

For what it's worth, Atlanta plays at Los Angeles May 3-5, with the return series taking place Sept. 13-16. Plan accordingly.

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