WagerTalk MLB handicapper Tony Finn gives us his updated MLB Power Rankings for Week 3 of the MLB season. Which teams are climbing up and down his power rankings? Read his MLB betting advice now! Also check out WagerTalk’s Ultimate Guide to Baseball Betting.
MLB Power Rankings: Week 3
1. Atlanta Braves – Record: 12-4 (Week 2 rank: 1)
The Braves played their way to the top of the National League East in the first full week of the season without the services of Cy Young hopeful and starting pitcher Max Fried (out/hamstring). This week, the Braves were a perfect 5-0 to stay on top of the WagerTalk MLB Power Poll.
Shortstop Orlando Arcia (wrist) retired from Wednesday’s match against Cincinnati after his wrist was struck; he’s on the 10-day IL and it’s unclear how long he’ll be out.
Catcher Travis d’Arnaud (concussion) landed on the 7-day IL last Sunday after colliding with home plate.
OF Michael Harris II (back) had not been cleared for live batting practice and was able to activate today but his return is still in doubt.
With all the talk about the two young lefties for Atlanta this spring (Shuster and Dodd), it’s the vanilla-flavored Bryce Elder that plugged the hole in the levee.
His first 12 1/3 innings of work resulted in wins in Atlanta. Elder made consecutive scoreless quality starts and made a third round in an interleague matchup against the Royals on Saturday, resulting in the young right-hander being the record pitcher and extending his young-season record to 2-0.
Starter Kyle Wright, who led all baseball with 21 wins a season ago, was activated by the IL and took the ball for a three-inning start at Truist Park against the Reds Tuesday and again Sunday in Kansas City against the Royals . Wright was not involved in either decision, but the Braves won in both of Wright’s starts.
2. Tampa Bay Rays – Record: 14-2 (Week 2 rank: 2)
Rays ace Shane McClanahan hit six effective innings in his fourth straight win on Sunday, and the Tampa Bay Rays avoided a three-game win by beating the Toronto Blue Jays 8-1 on Sunday. The win ended the club’s two-game losing streak, Friday and Saturday night losses, the first and second of the season after the new season started 13-0.
Tampa Bay promoted one of the organization’s top picks, Taj Bradley, to his big league debut Wednesday against the Red Sox; The 22-year-old allowed three runs on five hits and a walk while striking out eight over five innings of work.
3. Milwaukee Brewers – Record: 11-5 (Week 2 rank: 5)
The Brewers won a sweep by the Mets and two-of-three by division rivals St. Louis Cardinals. Their NL-leading pitching team bare knuckled through an early schedule with good lineups. Starting rotation injuries were subsidized by a bullpen who performed above expectations with an ERA of under 1.50.
4. New York Yankees – Record: 10-6 (Week 2 rank: 8)
If New York could clone Gerrit Cole and challenge Alice to pull Groundhog Day out of the top and Mad Hatter’s conditions, flush and repeat Cole’s first three rounds (1.40 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 1.0 bWAR). , the pinstripes would only need Anthony Volpe to play more like “The Captain” and less like a rookie they would challenge the Rays and the Braves for the top of the WagerTalk MLB mountain.
5. Texas Rangers – Record: 9-6 (Week 2 Placement: 6)
Rangers have gone from essentially invisible to a bullseye on their backs, taking three of four of the reigning NL Pennant winners in opening weekend, winning one of three at Wrigley Field and Harry Carry’s Cubs, winning a fistfight with the Baltimore Orioles and He took two of three World Series champions by passing both Fromber Valdez and Luis Garcia.
6. New York Mets – Record: 10-6 (Week 2 rank: 9)
7. Los Angeles Dodgers – Record: 8-8 (Week 2 rank: 3)
8. Houston Astros – Record: 7-9 (Week 2 rank: 7)
9. San Diego Padres – Record: 8-9 (Week 2 Placement: 4)
10. Minnesota Twins – Record: 10-6 (Week 2 rank: 12)
11. Toronto Blue Jays – Record: 10-6 (Placement Week 2: 10)
12. Seattle Mariners – Record: 8-8 (Week 2 rank: 17)
13. Cleveland Indians – Record: 9-7 (Placement Week 2: 11)
14. Chicago Cubs – Record: 8-6 (Week 2 rank: 14)
15. Los Angeles Angels – Record: 7-8 (Week 2 Ladder: 13)
16. Baltimore Orioles – Record: 9-7 (Placement Week 1: 20)
17. Pittsburgh Pirates – Record: 9-7 (Week 2 rank: 19)
18. Boston Red Sox – Record: 8-8 (Placement Week 2: 22)
19. Miami Marlins – Record: 8-8 (Placement Week 2: 24)
20. St. Louis Cardinals – Record: 7-9 (Week 2 ranking: 18)
21. Arizona Diamondbacks – Record: 9-7 (Week 2 rank: 21)
22. Philadelphia Phillies – Record: 6-10 (Placement Week 2: 16)
23. Chicago White Sox – Record: 6-10 (Placement Week 2: 15)
24. San Francisco Giants – Record: 5-9 (Week 2 rank: 23)
25. Cincinnati Reds – Record: 6-9 (Week 2 rank: 26)
If ifs and buts had been candy and nuts, the Reds would have had a Merry Christmas and been gifted a bullpen arm with a pitch in. The result of St. Nick dropping a stopper down the chimney would find the Reds at 9-6 instead of 6-9 in Week 4.
26. Colorado Rockies – Record: 5-11 (Week 2 rank: 25)
The Rockies fall back just one spot despite working on a five-game losing streak that goes into this week’s Power Poll. The only reason they haven’t fallen further is because Washington lost four out of five, Detroit just finished a six-game slip and thrived against a porous San Francisco Giants roster, while Kansas City and Oakland were last both places in 2023 rankings until hell freezes over.
27th Washington Nationals – Record: 5-11 (Placement Week 2: 27)
The Nationals defeated the Cleveland Guardians 7-6 on Sunday to avert a three-game sweep and give away their 27th-place finish in the Power Poll to the Motown Tigers.
28. Detroit Tigers – Record: 5-9 (Placement Week 2: 28)
The Tigers have won three straight games from a 2-9 start. The three-game winning streak allows Detroit to fend off the Royals and the Athletics. At present.
29. Kansas City Royals – Record: 4-12 (Week 2 rank: 29)
The American League Central currently has three out of four division members at the bottom of the league’s home run rankings. The 27th, 28th, and 29th place finishers of the league’s 30 franchises, Kansas City, Detroit, and Cleveland, have combined 31 home runs in 2023. The 31 combined home runs are six fewer than the Tampa Bay Rays’ 37 Dingers in the season.
30. Oakland Athletics – Record: 3-13 (Week 2 Ladder: 30)
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