MLB Power Rankings: Are the Pittsburgh Pirates Elite?

Each team has likely surpassed the 20 game mark up to this point and we are approaching the end of the first month of the 2023 MLB season. Some teams will make big jumps week to week like Pittsburgh going from 19 to 6 or St. Louis going from 22 to 16.

The Pittsburgh Pirates bandwagon is picking up steam 🚂🚂🚂 pic.twitter.com/ETZDwcrjJh

— Pittsburgh Clothing Company (@PGHClothingCo) April 24, 2023

Some will plummet like Minnesota going from 6 to 12. But largely teams will hover around with minor changes to their general region like our bottom 6 teams.

The goal again is to give you yet another tool in your handicapping and understand from a week-to-week standpoint how these teams matchup with one another. Stay tuned next Monday for the next power ranking; complete with trends and tips to help you win.

First Ranking

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Glossary: SU - W/L wise | RD - run differential | Early - Games played before 4:00 PM | PM - Games played between 4:00 PM - 7:59 PM | Night - Games played 8:00 PM and later |

Notes: Tiebreakers in RD are settled by team with more wins and edges are given only for top half of teams

1. Tampa Bay Rays (19-3 SU, 11-8-3 O/U, 88 RD) - Last Week (1)
   • Edge: Tampa remains king, especially at home. All three losses have come on the road. Until regression kicks in, keep hammering those TB run line bets.
2. Texas Rangers (14-7 SU, 14-7 O/U, 60 RD) - Last Week (5)
   • Edge: Behind deGrom and Eovaldi is a team that hits! In games with the total between 8-9.5, the Rangers are 10-3 O/U.
3. Chicago Cubs (12-9 SU, 12-9 O/U, 39 RD) - Last Week (8)
   • Edge: 6 of 12 at home and 6 of 8 on the road - as both favorites and dogs. The Cubbies are the face of consistency in the MLB so far.
4. Milwaukee Brewers (15-7 SU, 11-11 O/U, 27 RD) - Last Week (2)
   • Edge: Home favorite - 6 of 8 - or away dog - 6 of 9 - anything else pass.
5. Houston Astros (12-10 SU, 14-7-1 O/U, 27 RD) - Last Week (13)
   • Edge: If we took home favorites out the picture, this team would be 8-3 straight up.
6. Pittsburgh Pirates (16-7 SU, 9-13-1 O/U, 25 RD) - Last Week (19)
   • Edge: America's team. This team isn't just a underdog savant, they're also 5 for 5 in games they are favored to win.
7. Atlanta Braves (14-8 SU, 12-9-1 O/U, 24 RD) - Last Week (4)
   • Edge: Atlanta is crashing a bit. They're still gems as road favorites at 8 of 10, but also keep an eye out for the over if the total is between 7-8.5 as the Braves are 9-3 O/U.
8. New York Yankees (13-9 SU, 7-15 O/U, 21 RD) - Last Week (3)
   • Edge: Besides being a loyal under, this is a solid favorite to back if all else checks out. They're 13 of 20 between home and away, I just wouldn't trust the run line with this team just yet.
9. New York Mets (14-9 SU, 10-12-1 O/U, 19 RD) - Last Week (9)
   • Edge: The Mets have done a good job as a favorite going 12 of 17. These are solid under plays too as they are 6-10-1 O/U in those contests.
10. Los Angeles Dodgers (12-11 SU, 12-10-1 O/U, 19 RD) - Last Week (7)
    • Edge: Honestly, thanks to inconsistency there isn't much in the way of trends here. Best I have for you is they're 7-2-1 O/U as away favorites.
11. Baltimore Orioles (14-7 SU, 11-9-1 O/U, 18 RD) - Last Week (12)
    • Edge: I like home favorites with this team at 6 of 7 and the over in a game of theirs played before 4:00 PM, 7-2 O/U.
12. Minnesota Twins (12-10 SU, 8-12-2 O/U, 12 RD) - Last Week (6)
    • Edge: The Twins are 10 of 14 in home and away favorites and looking at how the rest of the AL Central looks I doubt that changes much as the season progresses.
13. Boston Red Sox (12-11 SU, 16-7 O/U, 11 RD) - Last Week (14)
    • Edge: Just take the over, period.
14. Los Angeles Angels (11-11 SU, 9-11-2 O/U, 8 RD) - Last Week (10)
    • Edge: Not much to like here outside of Ohtani Day props and the occasional away favorite.
15. Seattle Mariners (10-12 SU, 12-8-2 O/U, 1 RD) - Last Week (11)
    • Edge: There are some spots to get overs off on the M's: home games - 9-5-1 O/U - and night games - 7-3-1 O/U.
16. St. Louis Cardinals (9-13 SU, 10-10-2 O/U, -2 RD) - Last Week (22)
17. Toronto Blue Jays (13-9 SU, 9-11-2 O/U, -4 RD) - Last Week (15)
18. Arizona Diamondbacks (12-11 SU, 12-9-2 O/U, -4 RD) - Last Week (16)
19. Cleveland Guardians (10-11 SU, 9-11-1 O/U, -8 RD) - Last Week (18)
20. Philadelphia Phillies (11-12 SU, 11-12 O/U, -10 RD) - Last Week (23)
21. San Diego Padres (12-12 SU, 11-12-1 O/U, -13 RD) - Last Week (17)
22. San Francisco Giants (8-13 SU, 11-9-1 O/U, -14 RD) - Last Week (21)
23. Washington Nationals (7-14 SU, 8-11-2 O/U, -20 RD) - Last Week (24)
24. Cincinnati Reds (7-15 SU, 11-11 O/U, -22 RD) - Last Week (20)
25. Miami Marlins (12-10 SU, 7-14-1 O/U, -23 RD) - Last Week (26)
26. Chicago White Sox (7-15 SU, 12-7-3 O/U, -31 RD) - Last Week (25)
27. Detroit Tigers (7-13 SU, 9-11 O/U, -42 RD) - Last Week (29)
28. Kansas City Royals (5-17 SU, 12-9-1 O/U, -51 RD) - Last Week (28)
29. Colorado Rockies (6-17 SU, 11-10-2 O/U, -54 RD) - Last Week (27)
30. Oakland Athletics (4-18 SU, 14-7-1 O/U, -103 RD) - Last Week (30)