MLB Power Rankings Week 4: Who's No. 1 one month in?

We're just about to the one-month mark of the 2024 MLB season, and while it's still too early to give too much credence to the standings, there are a number of surprising teams near the top -- and bottom.

We're not even out of April yet, and there's a long season ahead, but few would have thought the Astros would be at the bottom of their division -- a division that includes the A's. Meanwhile, the Guardians have been one of the best teams in baseball, with a major-league-leading plus-47 run differential.

Both are on the move in our Power Rankings, too, as Cleveland is inching closer to the top five, and Houston has fallen further, all the way down to No. 22.

Can these clubs carry -- or change -- their momentum going into May?

Our expert panel has combined to rank every team in baseball based on a combination of what we've seen so far and what we already knew going into the 162-game marathon that is a full baseball season. We also asked ESPN MLB experts David Schoenfield, Bradford Doolittle, Jesse Rogers, Alden Gonzalez and Jorge Castillo to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.

Week 3 | Preseason rankings

1. Atlanta Braves

Record:17-6

Marcell Ozuna's performance this April is in stark contrast to that of last April, when he hit .085 with two RBIs and there was talk of the Braves releasing him. This year, Ozuna is behind justMike Troutin home runs with nine, ranks first in the majors in RBIs (29) and ranks second to Shohei Ohtani in OPS (1.094). Ozuna is striking out just 15.8% of the time, which would be a career best and a significant drop of almost seven percentage points from last season. There's no good way to attack him right now: He's raking against four-seam fastballs, but six of his homers have come against off-speed pitches. -- Schoenfield

2. Baltimore Orioles

Record:16-8

The talk the past few years in Baltimore has been about the Orioles' blindingly bright future. Well, that future is here. The Orioles are World Series contenders with a deep, explosive lineup featuring all but one regular in his 20s. Gunnar Henderson (23) is building an MVP case. Adley Rutschman (26) continues showing he is one of the top catchers in the majors. Jordan Westburg (25) and Colton Cowser (24), two under-the-radar prospects, are mashing from the bottom half of the order. Heston Kjerstad (25), the No. 2 draft pick in 2020 and Kiley McDaniel's 48th-ranked prospect, was just called up. The weakest link in the lineup so far is the most hyped of them all: Jackson Holliday (20). But Holliday, the consensus No. 1 prospect in the sport, will eventually figure it out. When he does, the Orioles will be a nightmare for pitchers. -- Castillo

3. Los Angeles Dodgers

Record:15-11

Mookie Betts, a six-time Gold Glove Award winner in right field, went into the 2024 season as the Dodgers' every-day second baseman. Then Gavin Lux's throwing issues resurfaced, and Betts transitioned to shortstop -- arguably the most demanding position on the field and one Betts hasn't played since, well, high school -- on a semi-every-day basis. He has been right around average defensively, at least according to outs above average. And on offense, Betts has been on an absolute tear, slashing.365/.468/.625 with six home runs and a major-league-leading 20 walks while hitting in front of Ohtani and Freddie Freeman. Betts is an early favorite for his second MVP. -- Gonzalez

4. New York Yankees

Record:17-8

Juan Soto, a popular pick to win the American League MVP Award before Opening Day, has proved invaluable for the Yankees a month into the season. He has been the steady presence in an otherwise inconsistent lineup, quickly winning over fans in the Bronx with his swagger and comfort in the spotlight. He is working counts. He is clubbing clutch home runs. He has even played some good defense in right field. The soon-to-be free agent is the every-day stalwart for a club off to a promising start despite Gerrit Cole landing on the injured list and Aaron Judge not producing at his typical level. The Yankees need Cole healthy and Judge raking to reach their titles aspirations, but they're winning games with Soto leading the charge. -- Castillo

5. Philadelphia Phillies

Record:15-10

OK, while they did come against the lowly White Sox, Spencer Turnbull took a no-hitter into the seventh inning on Friday, and Zack Wheeler took a no-hitter into the eighth the very next night. During the team's seven-game winning streak, the starters pitched 51 innings and allowed just four earned runs (0.70 ERA). Yes, six of those games came against the Rockies and White Sox, but at least the Phillies are off to the good start that eluded them the past two seasons. Ranger Suarez is 4-0 with a 1.36 ERA and in line for National League Pitcher of the Month honors for April. -- Schoenfield

6. Cleveland Guardians

Record:17-7

While the bullpen continues to dominate and the rotation received recent good outings from Xzavion Curry and Ben Lively, the surprising aspect of the Guardians' hot start is an offense that ranks among the best in the AL in runs, on-base percentage and slugging -- while also ranking near the top of the majors in batting average with runners in scoring position. Leading the way: Josh Naylor, hitting .306 with six home runs and 20 RBIs. Going back to May 13, 2023, Naylor leads all hitters in batting average, ahead of Freeman and Luis Arraez. -- Schoenfield

7. Milwaukee Brewers

Record:15-8

The Brewers' resiliency is the story of their first month. Brandon Woodruff and Corbin Burnes aren't here? No problem. Christian Yelich goes down? We got it covered. Milwaukee is at the top of the NL Central due to an opportunistic offense and a pitching staff that has survived roster turnover. If there is a face to this group, it's catcher/DH William Contreras. He's hitting .359 with an OPS of .983, which is among the best in the NL -- and now, the traditionally power-weak Brewers rank near the top of the majors in home runs so far. That might be the true story of their first month. -- Rogers

8. Chicago Cubs

Record:15-9

Injuries have been a big part of the Cubs' season to this point; most recently, they lost two middle-of-the order bats. Seiya Suzuki went down with an oblique injury last week, then Cody Bellinger suffered two cracked ribs Tuesday when running into the brick wall at Wrigley Field. Add in Justin Steele's Opening Day hamstring strain, Jameson Taillon's delayed start due to a back ailment and Kyle Hendricks now appearing on the IL and it seems like this team has had a season full of issues already. But they have survived and are still in the thick of the NL Central race heading into May. -- Rogers

9. Texas Rangers

Record:13-12

Entering the season, the betting markets saw a three-way race for AL Rookie of the Year between Baltimore's Jackson Holliday and Texas'Wyatt Langford and Evan Carter. Holliday has really struggled out of the gate under a bright spotlight, but Langford and Carter also have started slowly at the plate. Carter has contributed plenty in the field and on the bases and has drawn 10 walks (tied for the team lead), but he is off to a .215 start at the dish and still has done nothing against lefties. (He's 1-for-23 in his career against southpaws.) Langford has held his own, but as hard as he hits the ball, he is still looking for his first homer and has just four extra-base hits. As for that awards race, it's way too early to declare the betting markets were wrong, but May will be big for all of the struggling rookies. -- Doolittle

10. Toronto Blue Jays

Record:13-12