Way too early MLB power rankings: Cubs have a lot to prove early on

Cincinnati Reds v Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati Reds v Chicago Cubs / Jamie Sabau/GettyImages
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Being busy doesn't always equate to finding success. But there's no refuting this Chicago Cubs team has dramatically raised its floor this winter and brought in pieces that should bring some much-needed stability that's been lacking since the 2021 trade deadline sell-off that transformed the identity of the organization.

Dansby Swanson joins Nico Hoerner to form one of the game's elite double play combos, Jameson Taillon slots into the middle of a rotation full of potential and additions like Cody Bellinger could wind up having a huge impact. Still, Chicago will need returners to trend in the right direction and have a lot of breaks go their way if they want to bring home a division crown for the first time (excluding 2020) since 2017.

So just where do the Cubs stack up in our preseason way too early MLB power rankings? Let's dig in and take a look.

MLB Power Rankings: Familiar bottom feeders and cellar dwellers

  • 30: Oakland Athletics
  • 29: Kansas City Royals
  • 28: Washington Nationals
  • 27: Detroit Tigers
  • 26: Pittsburgh Pirates
  • 25: Cincinnati Reds

Two fellow NL Central clubs can be found in this lowest tier of our MLB Power Rankings, but make no mistake - both the Reds and Pirates should start trending in the right direction, thanks to young talent making its way through both organizations.

The Athletics and Royals, our two lowest-ranked clubs on this list, are rudderless - especially the former, which continues to seek a new stadium deal while simultaneously tearing the roster down to the studs, trading Gold Glove catcher Sean Murphy as part of a three-team deal with the Braves and Brewers

Miami Marlins v Milwaukee Brewers
Miami Marlins v Milwaukee Brewers / Patrick McDermott/GettyImages

MLB Power Rankings: Marlins, Orioles carry some intrigue in 2023

  • 24: Colorado Rockies
  • 23: Miami Marlins
  • 22: Boston Red Sox
  • 21: San Francisco Giants
  • 20: Baltimore Orioles

We'll always have a soft spot for Kris Bryant here on the North Side and you have to hope his second year in Denver goes better than his first, when he battled injuries and fell woefully short of expectations with the Rockies. Even if he turns in a monster season, though, it's hard to envision any sort of scenario where that team competes (even their ownership knows as much).

The Red Sox finally extended Rafael Devers, but that felt like something that had to happen if Chaim Bloom wanted to keep his job. Boston won just 78 games in 2022 and this offseason hasn't done much to inspire confidence in the fanbase or throughout the industry.

Two teams that are, at the very least, poised to be fun in 2023 are the Miami Marlins (23) and Baltimore Orioles (20). Miami boasts a loaded starting rotation, headlined by NL Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara and the Orioles fell just short of punching their postseason ticket last year - and have a seemingly endless list of young players and prospects on the rise. Keep an eye on Birdland as a sleeper squad this summer under former Cubs bench coach and first base coach Brandon Hyde.

Milwaukee Brewers v Chicago Cubs
Milwaukee Brewers v Chicago Cubs / Michael Reaves/GettyImages

MLB Power Rankings: Cubs check in at #18 heading into spring training

  • 19: Arizona Diamondbacks
  • 18: Chicago Cubs
  • 17: Texas Rangers
  • 16: Milwaukee Brewers
  • 15: Los Angeles Angels

Finally, we get to the Cubs - who come in just ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks who, despite being on the upswing, play in the powerhose National League West and a tick behind the free-wheeling Texas Rangers, who followed up their Marcus Semien, Corey Seager and Jon Gray signings from a year ago with a Jacob deGrom signing this winter.

Chicago, like I said, has a ton of potential. The team's young arms, headlined by Justin Steele and Hayden Wesneski, could form a potent combo in the rotation. All the offseason additions - ranging from Swanson and Bellinger to Taillon, Tucker Barnhart and Trey Mancini - should help not only in elevating the on-field product, but should play huge roles in the clubhouse, as well.

But for the Cubs to leapfrog Milwaukee and St. Louis in the Central, they'll need Kyle Hendricks to sort himself out, Bellinger to at least trend back closer to being what he once was and for other guys to sttep up and provide some pop in the lineup. The pieces are there and Chicago could very well be a dark horse playoff contender, but for them to climb higher on this list, they'll have to start strong come April.

Chicago White Sox v Detroit Tigers
Chicago White Sox v Detroit Tigers / Leon Halip/GettyImages

MLB Power Rankings: White Sox praying for a quick turnaround

  • 14: Chicago White Sox
  • 13: Minnesota Twins
  • 12: Seattle Mariners
  • 11: Tampa Bay Rays
  • 10: St. Louis Cardinals

This was supposed to be the era where the White Sox reigned as the Cubs trudged through their rebuild. Instead, Tony La Russa and an underperforming roster finished the 2022 season at 81-81, missing the postseason and drawing endless criticism from those around the game.

This team has a ton of talent, but hasn't ever put it all together at the level Rick Hahn and the front office hoped for. Eloy Jimenez has mashed, but hasn't stayed healthy, and they're hoping outfielder Andrew Benintendi, who signed the biggest free agent deal in franchise history this winter, can help balance the lineup in 2023.

Their division rival, the Minnesota Twins, surprisingly came out the winners in the Carlos Correa sweepstakes and will look to challenge Cleveland for the AL Central crown. Pacing ahead of both of these teams, you find the Mariners - who snapped a two-decade postseason drought last fall, the Rays, who always find themselves in the thick of things late in the year and the Cardinals.

It's a changing of the guard, of sorts, for St. Louis - who watched Yadier Molina (and Albert Pujols) hang up their spikes. All Jon Mozeliak did to replace Molina was snatch longtime Cubs backstop Willson Contreras in free agency, signing him to a five-year deal. Now on the other side of that historic rivalry, the three-time All-Star will look to twist the knife in the side of his former team.

World Series - Philadelphia Phillies v Houston Astros - Game Six
World Series - Philadelphia Phillies v Houston Astros - Game Six / Carmen Mandato/GettyImages

MLB Power Rankings: Kyle Schwarber chasing another WS ring

  • 9: Cleveland Guardians
  • 8: Toronto Blue Jays
  • 7: San Diego Padres
  • 6: Philadelphia Phillies
  • 5: Atlanta Braves

After falling just short in last year's Fall Classic, former Cubs slugger Kyle Schwarber and the NL champion Phillies are ready to rumble in a loaded NL East. Adding superstar shortstop Trea Turner to the mix certainly won't hurt matters, either. Again, the main roadblock here comes in the form of the powerful NL East that could see two or three teams exceed 95 wins this season.

The 2022 AL Central champion Guardians, who boast the most top 100 prospects in the league and the youngest big league roster, remain criminally underappreciated outside of Cleveland. The powerful lineups in San Diego and Toronto both have World Series aspirations and the Braves are as talented as ever.

The top third of the league showcases 10 teams all capable of winning a pennant (or a championship) - and these will be temas to keep an eye on in 2023, because they're all must-see TV.

Houston Astros World Series Parade
Houston Astros World Series Parade / Carmen Mandato/GettyImages

MLB Power Rankings: Love them, hate them - the Astros don't care

  • 4: New York Yankees
  • 3: Los Angeles Dodgers
  • 2: New York Mets
  • 1: Houston Astros

Our final four starts with the New York Yankees and reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge, who blasted 62 home runs last year, setting a new American League record. The Bronx Bombers then went out and brought in one of the top free agent arms available, Carlos Rodon, and have their eyes set on returning to the Fall Classic for the first time since 2009.

The Dodgers are, well, the Dodgers - but they didn't add the flashy names we've grown to accustomed to in recent years. But don't worry, they're almost certainly going to be all-in on Shohei Ohtani next offseason, hence the relatively quiet offseason. Even without a superstar addition, they're a team built for a deep October run.

In the number two spot, the New York Mets check in. A failed Correa pursuit stole headlines, but shouldn't distract from a very successful offseason in Qeens. Adding 2022 AL Cy Young winner Justin Verlander and Kodai Senga to the rotation alongside Max Scherzer, extending Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil and locking up Edwin Diaz would be a great three-year stretch - and the Mets did it all in the last four months.

Next. 3 Cubs who will improve in 2023 and 2 more who won't. dark

But you've got to give the top spot to the kings of the game right now, the Astros, who won it all last year and had an impactful winter themselves, despite losing Verlander. Jose Abreu got a three-year deal from Houston and young cornerstone Jeremy Pena is ready to continue his ascent into baseball elite.

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