X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

2024 MLB Power Rankings: Week 12

nestor cortes jr. fantasy baseball rankings draft sleepers pitchers waiver wire pickups

Dan's MLB power rankings for the 2024 season. He ranks all 30 teams every week based on multiple factors, including their recent level of play.

Our top-five teams all lost yesterday, but that won't temper my excitement for a few big weekend series coming up. The Baltimore Orioles will host the Philadelphia Phillies while the Kansas City Royals will try to prove they belong with the upper echelon of teams when they travel to Los Angeles to take on the Dodgers.

Remember, when I do my rankings, I factor in past performance, the current level of performance, overall talent, injuries, and schedules -- as many factors as possible.

Keep reading to find out where your favorite team ranks and which teams moved up and down the rankings the most this week. Let's get into it already, here are my Week 12 MLB Power Rankings!

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

The Bottom Dwellers

30. Chicago White Sox (18-52)

Last Week's Ranking (30)

Chicago continues to sink deeper into the basement as it is 5.5 games behind Miami with a massive -149 run differential. Garrett Crochet is freaking awesome, however, and gives it a chance to win at least once a week (and has been a profitable bet for strikeout props all season).

29. Miami Marlins (23-45)

Last Week's Ranking (29)

How soon until we Max Meyer? After recovering from Tommy John surgery, the former top draft pick is pitching well in the minors.

Also interesting that CF Jazz Chisholm Jr. was voted the most overrated player by fellow major leaguers this week. Not Jazz, c'mon, really?

28. Colorado Rockies (24-44)

Last Week's Ranking (28)

The Rockies face off against my battlin' Buccos this weekend at Coors Field. They won't have to face Paul Skenes or Mitch Keller, but they may have to face Jared Jones, who dominated them in Pittsburgh (I was at that game!).

27. Oakland Athletics (26-45)

Last Week's Ranking (27)

Oakland is just 2-8 over its last 10 games and has dropped six straight. If you're looking for a bright spot, there hasn't been one lately. Its closer, Mason Miller, is a stud but isn't being utilized very often as the team can't hold a lead long enough to get to him in the ninth inning.

26. Los Angeles Angels (26-42)

Last Week's Ranking (26)

What is there to say about the Angels? Not much has changed this week. This time last year, this team had Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout and now it has neither -- yet, Anthony Rendon keeps cashing those checks!

25. New York Mets (30-37)

Last Week's Ranking (24)

Man, do I hate the Mets. Maybe almost as much as Mets fans do. They managed to pull out a win last night but were shut down for the majority of the game by Roddery Munoz and his 5+ ERA. I refuse to trust them in DFS anymore and shame on me for doing so in the first place.

24. Washington Nationals (32-36)

Last Week's Ranking (25)

The Nats move ahead of the Mets this week as they are two games up on them in the win column. The once mighty NL East now has three teams in the basement tier of the rankings.

 

At Least We're Not Those Guys

24. Toronto Blue Jays (33-35)

Last Week's Ranking (23)

Toronto is still hanging around the .500 mark and got a spark in the lineup this week as Spencer Horwitz came up from Triple-A and immediately made an impact as its new leadoff hitter.

Horwitz is off to a great start, hitting .389 in his first five games as a starter. This is a guy who had a .450 OBP at Triple-A last year and this season before being called up.

22. Pittsburgh Pirates (32-36)

Last Week's Ranking (22)

Any time I am feeling blue about the Bucs, I just watch 5-10 minutes of Paul Skenes' highlights and I instantly feel better.

21. Houston Astros (31-38)

Last Week's Ranking (19)

The good news is that Houston has cracked positive run differential territory at +5, but the bad news is that all the runs it is scoring aren't adding up to more wins in the short-term. There is still some optimism here as the Astros are just seven games under .500, but it's an uphill battle to playoff contention.

20. Arizona Diamondbacks (33-36)

Last Week's Ranking (20)

The Snakes are slowly starting to trend up and could be getting help in the rotation as Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen are supposed to return soon. Remember, this is a team that looked like a top-five club earlier in the season and made it to the World Series last year. It is not dead yet by any means.

19. Tampa Bay Rays (33-36)

Last Week's Ranking (16)

I finally had to bump the Rays down quite a bit. The -62 run differential is hard to ignore and means they are probably a lot closer to Oakland in terms of their expected outcomes than Minnesota or Seattle. Perhaps some pitching help comes and propels this team forward (Shane Baz debut, Jeffrey Springs return), but the offense is gross, so don't hold your breath.

18. St. Louis Cardinals (33-34)

Last Week's Ranking (21)

I have the Cardinals ahead of the rest of these 33-win teams at the moment based on some improved offense and the right arms of Sonny Gray and Kyle Gibson. I have zero confidence that they can keep it up, but they are playing some decent baseball right now.

17. San Francisco Giants (34-35)

Last Week's Ranking (18)     

The Giants are closing in on .500 but still own a -27 run differential and are 8-18 against teams with winning records. Robbie Ray is nearing a return, which could really help the rotation. Somehow, this team feels like it will be scrappy and around .500 all season despite its flaws.

 

So...Are They Good?

16. Cincinnati Reds (33-35)

Last Week's Ranking (17)

Here come the Reds...well, kind of. They're up to +15 in run differential as we've seen signs of life from this offense and the good news is that they get Noelvi Marte back here in a few weeks from his 80-game suspension.

The "Candy Man" - Jeimer Candelario has been awesome of late.

15. Chicago Cubs (33-36)

Last Week's Ranking (11)

Meanwhile, the Cubs are trending in the opposite direction and continue their free fall through the rankings. The offense has sputtered in a big way as they struggle to make contact against good pitching. Eventually, either the Cubs or Reds should give the Brewers a run for their money in the NL Central, but right now neither of them is all that close.

14. Texas Rangers (33-35)

Last Week's Ranking (15)

The Rangers have won two in a row and salvaged a .500 week in the process. Two games under .500 is still disappointing for the defending champs, who are dealing with a litany of injuries. Mad Max Scherzer is ramping up for his return, which could be a big boost for Texas.

13. Detroit Tigers (33-35)

Last Week's Ranking (14)

Detroit without Jack Flaherty in the rotation is not a good team, and we continue to see it slowly slide down the standings. Tarik Skubal, unfortunately, can only pitch once every five days. Reese Olson has his good days (and his bad) but Casey Mize is a disaster and Kenta Maeda might be done.

12. San Diego Padres (37-35)

Last Week's Ranking (13)

The Padres got to beat up on Oakland this week and bolstered their record above .500. Manny Machado is back in the lineup and Fernando Tatis Jr. is finally hitting like a top-five hitter in baseball and leading this offense.

11. Boston Red Sox (35-34)

Last Week's Ranking (12)

This team was one that I was higher on than most coming into the season and we are starting to see why lately. It can go toe-to-toe with most pitching staffs in the league and has a sneaky good offense when healthy. Jarren Duran is a hitting (and stealing) machine and David Hamilton is like having a second leadoff man hitting second. Masataka Yoshida is back from injury and now the Sox just need Triston Casas back, too. This team is..dare I say, dangerous!

 

Contenders, Maybe?

10. Minnesota Twins (37-32)

Last Week's Ranking (10)

The Twinkies are 4-6 over their last 10 games, but have started to get the bats going again -- which is the key to their success this season as their pitching is already quite solid. Royce Lewis is back in the lineup and making a HUGE difference with his power bat.

9. Atlanta Braves (36-30)

Last Week's Ranking (8)

Another week and another spot lower in the rankings for the Bravos. The numbers back it, they have dropped to just a +28 run differential and are 10-13 against teams over .500. That does not sound like an elite team. It's quite likely they will shake things up before the trade deadline, but right now this is a good (but not great) team both offensively and with its pitching staff.

8. Seattle Mariners (40-31)

Last Week's Ranking (9)

The Mariners had a nice run this week that was finally ended by Garrett Crochet's masterpiece last night. Ty France is out for a while, but that just means we get an extended look at rookie Tyler Locklear in his absence.

7. Milwaukee Brewers (40-28)

Last Week's Ranking (7)

The Brew Crew and Royals are pretty interchangeable here. I think I might be biased toward KC and against Milwaukee, but I acknowledge that Milwaukee has a damn solid team this year despite the lack of big names on its roster. I think the starting pitching, if anything, is where it needs to improve if it wants to be true contenders.

6. Kansas City Royals (40-30

Last Week's Ranking (6)

K.C. has a chance to prove something this weekend in L.A. It has its ace, Cole Ragans, on the bump tonight. Let's see if it can make a statement and take two out of three from the mighty Dodgers.

 

Contenders, For Sure

5. Cleveland Guardians (43-23)

Last Week's Ranking (4)

Nothing new here, the Guardians are plugging right along and playing great baseball. They do have the worst run differential (+90) of the top-five teams despite having five fewer losses than the Dodgers. I have them as a clear fifth here as I am not sure if they are a true World Series contender or not, while the top four most certainly are.

4. Los Angeles Dodgers (42-28)

Last Week's Ranking (5)

The Dodgers have dropped two in a row, which is very unlike them. But there's no doubt that this team is among the best in the league and easily has one of the deepest rosters. Gavin Stone has been a solid addition to the back end of the rotation, while Walker Buehler is still trying to get sorted out.

3. Baltimore Orioles (45-23)

Last Week's Ranking (3)

Here come the O's! Baltimore hosts the Phillies this weekend in a battle between my third- and second-rated teams. Could this be a World Series preview? Absolutely -- both teams have incredible depth on both sides of the ball. As someone who lives about halfway between both cities, I would be excited to see that matchup in the postseason!

2. Philadelphia Phillies (46-22)

Last Week's Ranking (1)

The Phillies finally are dethroned this week. Nothing against Philly, as it is still 6-4 over its last 10 games, it's just that the Yankees have been unbelievable and unstoppable. I mentioned a Baltimore-Philly World Series, but what about a rematch of the 2009 World Series with the Phillies and Yankees?

1. New York Yankees (49-22)

Last Week's Ranking (2)

What the Yankees are doing this year is truly special. Their +127 run differential is 20 runs better than the next closest team and their 27-12 road record is actually better than their 22-10 home record. They are second only to Baltimore with 19 wins against teams over .500 as well. Everything points to this team being totally legit and we know it has Gerrit Cole waiting in the wings as well as an incredible young hitter down at Triple-A in Jasson Dominguez, too.

I'll see you next week for my newest batch of rankings -- feel free to let me know what I got right and wrong!



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Advice

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Patrick Rodgers

A Solid Value Play At TPC Craig Ranch
Jamal Murray

Explodes For 43 Points In Game 5
Carson Young

Looking To Recapture Form At CJ Cup
Jayson Tatum

Fires In 35 Points In Series-Clincher
Matt McCarty

An Intriguing Value Play At CJ Cup
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Logs Massive Triple-Double In Game 5
Maxi Kleber

Listed As Questionable For Game 5
Will Zalatoris

Searching For Putting Form At CJ Cup
Rob Dillingham

Out On Wednesday
Jae'Sean Tate

Still Out On Wednesday
Jimmy Butler III

Listed As Probable For Wednesday
Jack Eichel

Notches Two Assists In Game 5 Victory
Sam Stevens

A Risky Play With Upside At CJ Cup
PGA

Sungjae Im Riding Momentum Into CJ Cup
Sebastian Aho

Sends Hurricanes To Round 2
Ben Griffin

Looking To Stay Hot After First Career Win
Jake Knapp

Looking For More Success At TPC Craig Ranch
Linus Ullmark

Records Shutout In Elimination Game
Brady Tkachuk

Extends Point Streak To Four Games
Mackenzie Hughes

Is An Interesting Option At CJ Cup
Pavel Dorofeyev

Doesn't Finish Game 5
Filip Gustavsson

Exits Early Due To Illness
Aaron Ekblad

Slapped With Two-Game Suspension
Aldrich Potgieter

Trending Downward For CJ Cup
Taylor Pendrith

Plays Well In Houston Recently
PGA

Niklas Norgaard May Not Be Cut Out For Texas
Rasmus Hojgaard

Could Be Up Or Down In Texas
Ben Rice

Smacks Two Homers To End Slump
Jorge Polanco

Hits Two More Homers, Drives In Five
Scottie Scheffler

The Untouchable Favorite At CJ Cup
Tom Kim

A Popular Name To Avoid At TPC Craig Ranch
Austin Eckroat

Looking To Find Success Again At TPC Craig Ranch
Cristopher Sánchez

Cristopher Sanchez Set To Start Wednesday
Shota Imanaga

Exits With Leg Cramps
Ben Kohles

Finishes Tied For 59th At Corales Puntacana Championship
Joel Dahmen

Finishes Tied For Second At Corales Puntacana Championship
Beau Hossler

Finishes Tied For 60th At Valero Texas Open
Doug Ghim

Finishes Tied For 18th At the Valero Texas Open
Jordan Spieth

Finishes Tied For 18th At RBC Heritage
George Kirby

"Feeling Great," Could Throw Again On Sunday
Tyler Fitzgerald

Returning To Starting Nine
Josh Lowe

Progressing Well, Could Play In Rehab Games On Saturday
Shane McClanahan

Begins "Throwing-Like" Activities
Patrik Laine

Remains Day-To-Day
Gabriel Vilardi

On Track To Return Wednesday
Brandon Hagel

Ruled Out For Game 5
Marcus Johansson

Returns To Action Tuesday
Cole Ragans

Won't Start On Wednesday
Dylan Moore

Placed On 10-Day Injured List With Hip Inflammation
Jonas Siegenthaler

Considered A Game-Time Decision Tuesday
Brett Pesce

A Game-Time Call Tuesday
Yordan Alvarez

Back In Tuesday's Lineup
Frederik Andersen

Unavailable Tuesday
Aaron Nesmith

Upgraded To Available
Las Vegas Raiders

Jack Bech A Strong Candidate To Be An Immediate Starter
Las Vegas Raiders

Zamir White Competing For Depth Role
New York Jets

Mason Taylor To Immediately Be Atop Jets Tight End Depth Chart
Bennedict Mathurin

Cleared For Game 5
Buffalo Bills

Dalton Kincaid Setting Up As Post-Hype Sleeper In 2025?
Denver Broncos

Dre Greenlaw Expected To Be Ready For Training Camp
Seattle Seahawks

Sam Darnold To Take Over 90% Of The Snaps
Tennessee Titans

Titans In No Rush To Trade Will Levis
Daulton Varsho

Reinstated From Injured List And Starting On Tuesday
Minnesota Vikings

J.J. McCarthy Says He Knows He's Ready To Start For Vikings
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Picking Up Fifth-Year Option On Dax Hill
Los Angeles Chargers

Chargers Apply Unrestricted Free-Agent Tender To J.K. Dobbins
Seattle Seahawks

Jaren Hall Cut Loose By Seahawks
Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs Compare Josh Simmons To Christian Darrisaw, Rashawn Slater
Denver Broncos

Pat Bryant Compared To Michael Thomas
Denver Broncos

RJ Harvey Could Do It All For Broncos
Carolina Panthers

Tetairoa McMillan Likely To Man The X Spot For Panthers
Green Bay Packers

Packers, Jaire Alexander Continue To Discuss Potential Reunion
Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys Discussed George Pickens With Steelers
Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs To Pick Up Fifth-Year Option On Trent McDuffie, George Karlaftis
Washington Commanders

Matt Gays Signs One-Year Deal With Commanders
San Francisco 49ers

George Kittle Signs Four-Year Extension With 49ers
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Records Third Consecutive Double-Double
Brandin Podziemski

Hits Six Treys During 26-Point Performance
Jimmy Butler III

Leads Warriors In Scoring Monday Night
Jarrett Allen

Has Double-Double, Six Steals In Blowout Win
Brandon Boston Jr.

Recovering From Ankle Surgery
Kelly Olynyk

Undergoes Heel Procedure
Aaron Nesmith

Probable For Tuesday's Action
Nathan MacKinnon

Has Two Points In Losing Effort
Martin Necas

Records Two Assists In Game 5 Loss
Mikko Rantanen

Tallies Three Points In Monday's Win
Wyatt Johnston

Leads Stars To Game 5 Victory
Sergei Bobrovsky

Returns To Winning Ways
Anton Lundell

Earns Two Points Monday
Brandon Hagel

Departs Loss Early
Riley Greene

Homers Twice On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

Exits Monday's Win Early
Los Angeles Chargers

Tre Harris Expected To Fill X Role For Chargers
Jimmy Butler III

Officially Active For Game 4
Isaiah Stewart

Uncertain For Game 5
Michael Porter Jr.

Expected To Play In Game 5
Brandon Nimmo

Has Career Game
Russell Westbrook

Questionable For Tuesday Night
Tyler Glasnow

Going On The Injured List
Jaylen Brown

Back On The Injury Report
Luis Arraez

Expected To Return On Tuesday
Jordan Westburg

Placed On Injured List
William Byron

Ends With A Strong Top-Five Finish At Talladega
Ryan Blaney

Bad Luck Continues With Talladega Crash
Kyle Larson

Has A Career-Best Performance At Talladega
Ian Machado Garry

Gets Back On Track With UFC Kansas City Win
Brad Keselowski

Talladega Run Ends Early After Crashing
Carlos Prates

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Zhang Mingyang

Still Undefeated In The UFC
Anthony Smith

Retires After UFC Kansas City Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous Decision Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous-Decision Loss
David Onama

Extends Win Streak At UFC Kansas City
Michel Pereira

Drops Decision At UFC Kansas City
Abus Magomedov

Extends His Win Streak
Nicolas Dalby

Gets Finished For The First Time
Randy Brown

Gets Back In The Win Column
Ikram Aliskerov

Gets First-Round TKO Finish At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Gets TKO'd At UFC Kansas City
Chase Elliott

Recovers from Speeding Penalty to Finish Fifth
Joey Logano

Finishes Last at Talladega After Disqualification for Missing Spoiler Brace
Ryan Preece

Loses Talladega Race First in Photo Finish Then in Post-Race Inspection
NASCAR

Poor Toyota Strategy Arguably Cost Bubba Wallace Winning Chances at Talladega
Christopher Bell

Unhurt After Hard Contact with Inside Retaining Wall
Joe Ryan

Posts Stellar Outing
Nick Lodolo

Throws Seven Scoreless Innings
Tyler Glasnow

Removed Early On Sunday
Chase Elliott

Is One OF The Top Overall DFS Picks Of The Week
Joey Logano

Could Joey Logano Finish A Race With A Top Finish At Talladega?
NASCAR

DFS Players Should Like Bubba Wallace For Talladega This Week
Christopher Bell

Should DFS Players Roster Christopher Bell At Talladega?
Austin Cindric

Is Austin Cindric Worth Rostering For Talladega DFS Lineups?
Shane Van Gisbergen

Is A Solid, Safe, DFS Choice For Talladega Lineups
Austin Dillon

Is Austin Dillon A Viable DFS Play At Talladega This Week?
Josh Berry

Qualifies Too High At Talladega To Be Worth Rostering In DFS
Michael McDowell

Should DFS Players Take A Shot On Michael McDowell At Talladega?
Noah Gragson

Could Be A Sneaky DFS Play For Talladega
Denny Hamlin

Probably Qualified Too Well for DFS Consideration
Kyle Larson

Increasingly Undervalued Due to His Crashing, but Still a Great DFS Option
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF