Who is the best baseball team?
Several clubs took part in the first weeks of the season. While there may not be a consensus answer, I feel it’s time to make a change to this list.
The Braves are no longer No. 1 after another week with injury news and poor play on the field. Which team (or teams) usurped them? Here are my top 10 baseball clubs.
ten. Kansas City Royals (10-6, last week unranked)
The Royals have lived up to their potential in the first few weeks of the season. They won seven straight games, including a sweep Astrosbefore losing 2/3 first Mets this weekend. Bobby Witt Jr. picked up where he left off last year, slashing .333/.389/.697. Hope that, Salvador Perez wasn’t out for too long after a collision ruled him out of Sunday’s game. He led the team in batting average (.339) and RBI (15).
9. Chicago Cubs (9-6, LW not ranked)
The Cubbies were .500 in the first six games of the West Coast tournament, but they appeared mostly impressed by the good competition after taking two of three from the Dodgers. Shota Imanaga Pitched like an ace again last Saturday against the team Marines and has yet to give up the streak earned through three starts. rookie Michael Busch hit like I thought he could — he led the club in batting average (.327) and homers (five).
8. Cincinnati Reds (9-6, LW not ranked)
Spencer directed could be an all-star (.346/.477/.673) and Elly De La Cruz could be even better The second has hit four homers in six games, which could earn him a spot on my Team of the Week. The Red Devils were on full attack White socks over the weekend, sweeping the three-game series by a combined score of 27-5. Yes, Chicago is really bad, but Cincinnati has everything it takes to be really good.
7. Cleveland Defender (May 10, LW 7)
The Guardians were nearly swept by the Yankees on Sunday, scoring three runs in the 10th inning for the shutout victory. Cleveland’s great start is even more surprising considering the perennial All-Star José Ramírez is operating ineffectively. Josh Naylor (.347/.443/.673) and Steven Kwan (.368 batting average) carried the burden. My concern is with rotation, especially with Shane Bieber retired during the season.
6. Pittsburgh Pirates (May 11, LW 8)
The Pirates remain tied atop the NL Central, as of by Andrew McCutchen Their 300th career homer on Sunday gave them a four-game split with the Phillies. Martin Perez has played an especially large role on this younger Pittsburgh team. His eight innings of one-ball play Thursday against the team Many tigers lowered his ERA to 1.89 this season.
5. Milwaukee Brewers (April 10, LW 9)
William Contreras (.375/.455/.661, four homers) and Christian Yelich (.333/.422/.744, five homers) are two of the better hitters in baseball. More than that, Freddy Peralta has adjusted nicely to become the Brewers’ ace. In a quality start against the Orioles last week, the veteran righty allowed just one run in six innings while striking out 11. That improved his season to 2-0 with a 2.0 ERA. .55, while helping Milwaukee lead two-thirds of the game against Baltimore.
Highlights from the Brewers’ 11-5 win over the Orioles
4. Baltimore oriole (9-6, LW 5)
The former Brewers ace appeared uncomfortable in his new home. Corbin burns pitched seven innings against the Red Sox earlier in the week before giving up just two earned runs in five innings against his former team on Sunday. Top prospect Jackson Festival is off to a slow start, but that will soon change. It doesn’t even matter, as a rookie Colton Cowser (.441/.474/.971) has plummeted.
Spencer StriderAtlanta’s season-ending UCL surgery was a huge shock, especially since the rest of Atlanta’s rotation started the year on a shaky note. That was evident throughout last week, when the Braves lost a series to the Mets before struggling to make it two of three against the last-place Marlins. On the bright side, Marcell Ozuna leads the majors in homers (7), RBIs (21), slugging (.780) and OPS (1.192).
2. New York Yankees team (April 12, LW 3)
Despite an extra-inning loss to the Guardians on Sunday, the Yankees remained in the game. Anthony Volpe looks like a different hitter (.382 batting average) and Juan Soto playing like an MVP. Carlos Rodón looked like his old self, pitching six shutout innings against marlin fish to drop his ERA to 1.94 in three starts. Scariest part about the Yankees? They did all this with Judge Aaron struggled and Gerrit Cole had to sit out.
Aaron Judge’s 260th career HR tied Derek Jeter for ninth in Yankees history
first. Los Angeles Dodgers (July 11, LW 2)
Okay, so they just lost 2/3 of that Priests. But I still believe this is the best baseball team today. After a few quiet matches to start the season, Shohei Ohtani is currently having the best start of his career. It’s funny how it works. Mookie Bet came to safety in all but one game to set the tone for an offense that could have felt impossible to execute. The rotation has health problems but Tyler Glasnow looked elite through four starts (3-0, 2.25 ERA) and Yoshinobu Yamamoto has settled in.
Outside: Texas Rangers (4), Philadelphia Phillies (5), Boston Reds (ten)
Ben Verlander is a FOX Sports MLB Analyst and host of “Bat flip” podcast. Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Verlander was an All-American at Old Dominion University before joining his brother, Justin, in Detroit as a 14th-round pick of the Tigers in 2013. He He spent 5 years in the Tigers organization. Follow him at @BenVerlander.
[Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.]
Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get game information, news and more
