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There are less than two weeks remaining until Opening Day for the MLB. That means the good teams will begin to separate themselves and the games will finally matter. For now, several teams are looking quite strong. Some of them surprisingly so. Here's how the league shakes out right now.
Best teams in MLB as Opening Day comes into focus
10) Washington Nationals
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The Washington Nationals are unlikely to surprise anyone this season, but it's impossible to ignore the 12-9 record they've compiled. Through spring, they have cemented themselves as a team to watch out for. Whether that is true for the regular season remains to be seen.
9) Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds made a playoff run that fell short last year. So far, they look like they might make that leap. They're 9-8 and have gotten good production from all around. They could emerge as a contender in the weak NL Central.
8) Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies aren't expected to do very well, but they look poised to surprise some folks this season. They're 13-7, the second best Cactus League record in spring. They certainly don't look as if they're going to roll over this year despite a seemingly talent-poor roster.
7) Texas Rangers
They are the defending champions and the Texas Rangers will be fine. That said, a 10-10 record is far from a bad thing right now. They're going to get healthier in the regular season and have a good pitching staff and an elite offense. It won't be easy to knock them off the throne.
6) Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are one of those teams that is going to be good no matter what. They're too talented, so a 9-11 record is far from discouraging. It's all about preparation for the regular season, where they will more than likely be a legitimate contender once again.
5) Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are 14-8. After making a few splash signings in free agency (Shota Imanaga and Cody Bellinger), they're definitely one of the strongest units in the NL Central. With a new manager in town, they could easily win this division and their spring proves it.
4) Boston Red Sox
They were last place in 2023 and didn't address the pitching needs with healthy options, but the Boston Red Sox are 13-9 so far in spring. They just might be better than expected, and could easily play spoiler in the loaded AL East.
3) Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals quietly put together a good offseason, and that could turn into a surprising regular season. 13-9 is their current record, and they look great. Bobby Witt Jr. and company might be able to make a shock play for the AL Central crown.
2) Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers don't need to do well in spring. They won over 100 games last year and added insane talent in Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow. They of course want to do well, but they're going to be good regardless, so it's a bit unfair that they're also 13-5 in spring.
1) Baltimore Orioles
The American League is on notice. The Baltimore Orioles are 17-5, and they're using prospects that will more than likely come up and be good players really soon. Several of their top prospects are expected to debut this year, and all of them look really good so far, especially Jackson Holliday.
