By Tim Britton, Johnny Flores Jr. and Andy McCullough
Every week, we ask a selected group of our baseball writers — local and national — to rank the teams from first to worst. Here are the collective results, with the average rankings of our panel in parentheses.
The first weekend of the baseball season offered its usual cornucopia of familiar sights and unexpected delights. Shohei Ohtani sent a baseball soaring over the fence at Dodger Stadium; Aaron Judge sent four of his own into orbit in the Bronx. Zack Wheeler looked sharp. Paul Skenes threw hard. Matt Chapman still knows how to pick it. The Braves called up Jesse Chavez.
All of those could have been predicted. But raise your hand if you’d heard of Kameron Misner before last week. Or if you thought Rafael Devers would spend all weekend whiffing. Or if you knew the biggest story in the sport would involve something called a “torpedo bat.”
It’s the time of year when every team still can be optimistic, both about the things they expected and some that have caught them by surprise. Here’s a look at the most encouraging sign from the season’s opening weekend for all 30 teams.
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Record: 6-0
Preseason Power Ranking: 1
Most encouraging sign: Uh, everything?
Roki Sasaki hasn’t been throwing strikes. Mookie Betts hasn’t been able to keep down solid food. Max Muncy hasn’t been making much contact. So far, none of it has really mattered. The Dodgers swept the first two series of the season, taking down the Tigers after downing the Cubs twice in Japan. Ohtani looks like himself. So does Freddie Freeman (although he was not in Monday’s lineup because of a tweak to his surgically-repaired ankle). Betts returned from his gnarly stomach bug to swat a walkoff homer. Michael Conforto has lengthened the lineup. The summer figures to be a delight for Dodgers fans — and a nightmare for all the clubs visiting Chavez Ravine. — Andy McCullough
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Record: 3-0
Preseason Power Ranking: 7
Most encouraging sign: Either the Yankees own magic bats or their lineup hits for enough power to make everyone believe they own magic bats
The biggest story of opening weekend was the Yankees’ use of so-called torpedo bats, which move the barrel down from the end of the bat to a spot closer to the handle. New York smashed 15 home runs in three games against the Brewers, or more long balls than the Mets had hits over the weekend.
The bats are legal, and the Yankees aren’t the only team using them. But New York’s lineup overwhelmed the Brewers so comprehensively that hitters around the league are intrigued. Of course, Judge used a boring old normal bat to slug four homers in three games. Imagine that guy with a magic bat. — Tim Britton
Record: 3-2
Preseason Power Ranking: 10
Most encouraging sign: Wyatt Langford took a step toward taking the leap
The Rangers brass believes its postseason-missing campaign in 2024 was an aberration and the championship season of 2023 should become more of the norm. Part of the reason is Langford, who was drafted No. 4 that summer. The 23-year-old outfielder held his own as a rookie last season, with 16 homers and an 111 OPS+ in 134 games. Texas believes his ceiling is much higher than that.
In the first weekend of the season, Langford’s five-hit series helped the Rangers knock off the Red Sox. If Langford approaches his potential, a Texas offense that already includes Corey Seager, Marcus Semien and Joc Pederson will be that much more intimidating. — McCullough
