2023 MLB Team Grades

By Billy Fallon

AL East

Baltimore Orioles 

Grade: A

Very good season for the Orioles, as it finally looks like their rebuild is starting to bear fruit. Rookie of the Year Gunnar Henderson along with Adlye Rutschman, Anthony Santander, Cedric Mullins, and others guided the O’s to a 101-win season. They won the AL East for the first time since 2014 and were the 1 seed in the AL. Then, they got swept in the ALDS by the eventual champion Texas Rangers. Unfortunately, experience was a factor in the series and this young squad was not quite ready. Overall, the future is bright in Baltimore and this season is a massive step in the right direction.

Tampa Bay Rays

Grade: B+

They started off so well. 13-0 to start the year, tying an MLB record. Unfortunately, their pitching rotation got wrecked during the season as they lost most of their rotation. Springs, Baz, Raussemnesen, and McClanahan all suffered season-ending injuries, eventually seeing their position in the division fall to second despite an impressive 99-63 record. Then, like their division rivals the Orioles, got swept by the Rangers in the wild card in a horrific display of baseball over two games. It’s just terrible everything to put a lackluster end to an otherwise good year. But, the Rays seem to be plateauing, as they keep having fantastic regular seasons to pair with subpar playoff performances. This team has a ton of talent but they need to make another deep postseason run before their core is eventually blown up by the cheap front office or ages out of their prime years. The Rays should compete for the title again, but I feel they need to win or at least fall in their footsteps to have a great season by their standards.

Toronto Blue Jays

Grade: B

I don’t know what to think about the Blue Jays. Vladdy and Springer had a down year, Bichette was good despite a slight power decrease, but besides that no one really stood out. Maybe they should have kept Lourdes Gurriel? It’s just a thought. But then we move on to pitching. Gausman was stellar, Bassit was good, Berrios returned to form, Kikuchi was as good as everyone expected he could be, but what in the world happened to Alek Manoah? He went from an ace to a guy with a near 6 ERA who kept getting optioned to the minors because of how bad he was doing. He is the bi project for the Jays this offseason, along with making a decision on whether to keep Matt Chapman, who had a decent year. Then, they got swept by the Twins. I’m sensing a theme with these AL East teams. Unlike the Rays, the Jays were just overmatched, sure there was the questionable decision of removing Berrios from the game when he was brilliant in Game 2, but the Twins were white hot at the time, and they just outplayed the Jays. So, a few question marks heading into next year but not a bad season.

New York Yankees

Grade: D+

There were two different arcs of Yankee baseball this season, one was with Aaron Judge, the man bailing out a litany of problems with his Bat and until cruel fate took him away with injury. without Judge, the yanks were absolutely useless except for Gerrit Cole carrying that rotation in Yankee Stadium. There were problems all over the field: Giancarlo struggling to hit off off speed pitches, Anthony Rizzo playing with an undiagnosed concussion for months, the bringer of rain playing awful and injured for months before being cut and then the pitching. The less said about this wreck of a starting rotation the better: Montas never took the mound, Severino couldn’t get it going, the whole Domingo German situation, Cortes wasn’t as good as previous years until he got hurt and my goodness was Carlos Rodon a disaster. What this all adds up to is a lost season. One that should cause the Yankees to look hard at how things have gone but the front office will chalk it up to judge’s injury and continue as if nothing’s wrong. Aaron Boon and Brian Cashman will remain despite the cries of the fans because Hal sees nothing wrong with them they got over 500 again. Anyways, I hope the fans can enjoy an offseason of begging for a Juan Soto trade, hoping Judge is 100% next year, hoping Giancarlo can return to form and produce despite Cashman’s comments suggesting the otherwise, Anthony Volpe continuing to develop after a stellar rookie season and hoping the Martian is ready to go early in the season.

Boston Red Sox

Grade:D

The Red Sox were painfully inconsistent this year. They would show flashes of incredible play but were way too inconsistent to take seriously in any form. The revelation of success by Masataka Yoshida was undone by a season ending injury to Jaren Dure every shocking return to health for Chris Sail undone by Cory Kluber falling apart in himself. The white hot July was undone by a disastrous September that knocked them out of contention entirely. What this did was cost Heim Bloom his job. His moves at the major league level were weird, some of that was forced by FSG, yes, but what does it have to do with his idleness at the trade deadline. Boston knows this is a crucial offseason for their immediate future as a lot of decisions after to be made about the direction of the club and to join the staff is former Red Sox Champion Craig breslow, a pitching Guru praised for his intelligence about building a good rotation. His impact will have to be immediate they want to get back to upending their Rivals as soon as possible

AL Central

Minnesota Twins

Grade: A-

Sure, they won the worst division in baseball, but I like what I saw out of the Twins this year. Despite not many players having a good year offensively, they were able to pull their weight come postseason time, which could carry over into next season, or at least the fans hope so. One individual who did not have a down year was Royce Lewis, and oh boy the Twins might have a star on their hands. Both in the regular season and the postseason he was brilliant and if he can stay healthy, the Twins may have an all-star for years to come. On the pitching end, with the departure of Sonny Gray the Twins desperately need another good starter to pair with Pablo Lopez and with their emerging stud closer Jhaon Duran. This is paramount in the offseason if they want to prolong their reign over the Al Central. But overall, encouraging signs from Minnesota.

Detroit Tigers

Grade: B-

I’m sorry, the Tigers finished second in their division? I knew the AL Central was bad but my word. The positives of the team include Spencer Torkelson rebounding to have a solid sophomore campaign, Riley Greene emerging to become a very solid player, and Eduardo Rodrguez having a phenomenal year to lead the pitching staff. Besides that, not much. Javy Baez is a trainwreck of a contract, they had a 4.24 team ERA, good for 17th in the league, and were 28th in team OPS and finished well below .500. But, this season should be remembered as the swan song of an all-time great in Miguel Cabrera, thank goodness he won that title as a Marlin because I never would have forgiven Detroit if they had not gotten him a ring in his 16 years as a Tiger. But nonetheless, he has a ring and sets off into the sunset. Anywho, the Tigers don’t seem to have that much room for growth unless they do a complete roster overhaul, so I’m not optimistic about them.

Cleveland Guardians

Grade:D+

The reason this grade is so low is because this is the team who should have won the division. Jose Ramirez and Josh Naylor are the only players who get passes for this year. Shane Bieber had a down year. Cal Qunatrill was so bad he got put on waivers at the end of the year and is now on the Rockies. Andres Gimenez had a brutal return to previous form after a stellar previous offensive season. Everyone knows Steven Kwan is not a power hitter but when you have a .268 average that isn’t a good season for him either. Let me be clear, this was not for a lack of trying, as the front office tried to bring in Lucas Giolito to help the pitching staff for a late-season push for the division, but they just couldn’t do anything and were relegated to third place of the worst division of baseball, only ahead of 2 of the 4 worst teams in baseball in the White Sox and Royals, so in my opinion, this was not a good year. They need to make a decision on Giolito and decide if they want to tank or bring in pieces to help the hitting core, so many questions remain.

Chicago White Sox

Grade: F

What in the world happened? Apparently anything resembling competence in a perceived disaster of 2022 gave way to a year that was somehow even worse than that in every conceivable fashion even. There was no reason this team should be this bad as everyone and their mother was underperforming. In addition, the team was so poorly disciplined and unorganized you wonder if they even practiced. I mean Robert was good, but what happened to Anderson and Moancada and Grandal and the entire rest of the team? In my opinion, blow it all up. See what you can get for the players and start again, because this group under this management will never get it right.

Kansas City Royals

Grade: F

Bobby Witt looks pretty good? There isn’t much else. This is a clear rebuild, so let’s hope they can pull off some magic like they did in 2015.

AL West

Houston Astros

Grade: A-

The Astros did normal Astros things this year. Despite not repeating, they had a formidable year led by an absolute monster year by Yordan Alvarez, solid years from Kyle Tucker, Jose Altuve, the reacquired Justin Veralnder, and Framber Valdez. But, some key pieces underperformed. The two biggest examples are Jose Abreu and Jeremy Pena. Abreu was supposed to be their final piece to dominate over the league for the next few years at first base, but he inexplicably struggled for most of the year, and his power went way down. For Pena, he hit the sophomore slump, as more pitchers were exposing his weaknesses and he had a very hard time adjusting to pitching this year, but nothing that can’t be fixed in the offseason. If the Astros return fully healthy, they have nothing to worry about as they took the champion Rangers to 7 games in the ALCS, but losing to their in-state rival has to sting a bit more. But, this season went about as expected for the Astros as a good year resulted in coming up just short to get  a repeat.

Texas Rangers

Grade: A++

I mean what can you say? World Series Champs, and they’re still looking to improve on their already stacked roster? This season was a massive success for the Rangers, and they are already rumored to be massive players in the free agent market. I mean maybe they could add a solidified closer despite Jose Leclerc being on fire or another pitcher, but their roster is great, the only challenge now is to retain their key pieces. Overall, everything fell the Rangers way this year and I think they can be even better next year.

Seattle Mariners

Grade: B+

Unfortunately, there had to be an odd team out in that 3-team race for the final 2 playoff spots, and that team was the Mariners. But, they showed tremendous signs throughout the year, especially towards the end of the year. They caught fire in August and actually took over the lead for the AL West for a while, but as the season came to an end, they just lost out on a spot to the two eventual ALCS participants in the Astros and Rangers. But with a core of Julio Rodriguez, who was unstoppable at the plate in the second half of the season, Luis Castillo, George Kirby, Logan Gilbert, and Teoscar Hernandez, they have nothing to worry about by falling short this season. That being said, in the future they need to capitalize on their talent, and I believe another big bat is necessary to complete their team, along with one or two more solid relievers. But the Mariners should be a team to watch next year, even though they were not perfect this year.

Los Angeles Angels

Grade: D

Let’s go on a timeline. Season starts, Ohtani is playing out of his mind, Trout is doing Trout things, but nothing much can be said of the rest of the roster. Trout fractures his hamate bone, they are below .500 most of the first half of the year, go on a tear against the likes of the Pirates, the Yankees without Judge, and the Tigers, decide to go all-in and buy at the deadline, they begin to lose again, Shohei tears his UCL, they put all their deadline acquisitions on waivers, Shohei gets shut down hitting as well for the season after an oblique injury, Angels go 73-89. The fact that the Angels have wasted the prime years of not one but two generational superstars should anger every fan of baseball. Now, Ohtani is likely leaving to sign potentially the biggest contract in sports history, most likely elsewhere, and signs are beginning to show that Trout will be traded to salvage the prime he has left in an attempt at a title. So what does this mean for the Angels? They will get no return if Ohtani leaves, they have wasted Mike Trout, and they have little talent besides those two on the roster. I’m not optimistic about their future, and this season was a complete failure.

Oakland Athletics

Grade: F

I can’t even identify a positive with this team. They have no future on the field, but off the field they are ready for the bright lights of Las Vegas. Enjoy the same product on the field next year.

NL East

Atlanta Braves

Grade: A

Everything was going so well until Philadelphia. But we have to acknowledge the 106 wins, MVP Ronald Acuna Jr., and one of the scariest power hitting lineups in recent memory. If they had any weakness it was in their reliability of the pitching, as in cases like Spencer Strider who was on fire to start the year before he tailed off and his ERA began to inflate later in the season. Hopefully a fuller starting rotation with a full year of Max Fried and maybe one more starter for support would fix up that problem, but besides that, they just need to capitalize in the postseason, there are no glaring problems with their team.

Philadelphia Phillies

Grade: A-

Despite being firmly behind the Braves the entire season, the Phils embarrassed the Braves come playoff time on another unlikely run to the NLCS. With securing Aaron Nola they have a solid rotation with him, Wheeler, and the postseason hero Ranger Suarez. In addition, Kimbrel and Alvarado lead the bullpen. Then the lineup. Trea Turner had one of the greatest individual season turnarounds in recent memory to become one of their main pieces down the stretch. Bryce Harper did Bryce Harper things. Kyle Schrwarber played as advertised: Homers and almost nothing else, but a lot of those homers. In addition to Castellanos, Realmuto, and Bohm, their lineup is scary. They may just need one more piece on the pitching end, but not much besides that, they are primed for another run next year.

Miami Marlins

Grade: B+

Very good year for the Marlins. Their biggest point of contention in my eyes was what happened to Sandy Alcantra, as their former Cy Young award winner saw his era bloat to above 4, and seeing that their staff typically goes as he goes, that should be a point of focus this offseason. Jesus Lazardo was a pleasant surprise, as the former highly touted prospect is truly starting to live up to that billing. For the lineup, Luis Arraez was incredible this year, as he was chasing .400 for a large part of the year. While he eventually fell to a .354 mark to end the year, it was still good enough to capture a batting title. But, the most imperative signing they have to make is Jorge Soler, as he had a fantastic year and is necessary to the success of this Miami team. But, the future seems to be bright in South Beach

New York Mets

Grade: D+

Oh Boy. The MEts. When Edwin Diaz got hurt in the WBC they should have just called the season there. They couldn’t hit, couldn’t field, their new acquisitions didn’t pan out, they ended up trading Verlander and Scherzer (who the mets had had to watch win in Texas along with Jacob Degrom), blew up the rest of their team and declared that their next window would be in 2025. So, safe to say this season was a disappointment. They have a lot to clean up this offseason and I’m sure Steve Cohen will make some more moves to shock us once again.

Washington Nationals

Grade:D

Let’s be honest, we didn’t expect much from the Nats. I mean, Lane Thoams looks good? Josiah Gray was an allstar, but I think they’re just waiting for their prospects to develop and come save them. Have fun living up to those expectations Dylan Crews!

NL Central

Milwaukee Brewers

Grade: A-

Division winners, not much else from the brewers. Corbin Burnes was phenomenal as usual, Freddy Peralta was great, and Devin Williams emerged to truly be one of if not the best closers in the NL. The biggest positive in the lineup was Chrisitian Yelich bouncing back into form, as the former MVP improved from his previous struggle-filled seasons. William Contreras wasn’t bad, but not much else besides that. They do need to have some improvements in their lineup if they want to become title contenders but until then they will continue to have good-not-great seasons like this one.

Chicago Cubs

Grade: B+

It was nice to see the cubs back in the playoff hunt this year. Cody Bellinger returning to near his MVP form was a great sight to see for all baseball fans. Justin Steele came out of nowhere and almost won a Cy Young, and the lineup had 6 hitters with 20 or more homers. Overall, an improvement, but they have some work to do this offseason. They should try to lock down both Bellinger and Marcus Stroman as they are both free agents, but in addition they just need a little more firepower to actually get into the playoffs next year. Nonetheless, a major sign of improvement.

Cincinnati Reds

Grade: B

The reason this grade is so high is the promise this team showed this year. The Reds have been bottomfeeders for years so to see them in the playoff race was a nice sight for all of baseball and their fans especially. Now there still are some glaring issues, firstly, their pitching has to improve, only one starter with a sub 4 era won’t cut it in terms of contending. Secondonly, their lineup has to develop. Yes, that month of Elly De La Cruz destroying baseballs was a sight to behold, but he also led the team in strikeouts by year’s end. They have a very young hitting core, but if they want to contend they have to develop and fast because their weaknesses will be picked apart by opposing pitchers. Given they are letting go of Joey Votto, a veteran bat will do nicely to help the team in terms of solidifying their lineup. Overall, a very encouraging season for the Reds.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Grade: C

The Pirates were just mediocre as expected. Brian Reynolds is still good, Ke’Bryan Hayes is getting better and better, and David Bednar is still a very good reliever, but besides that there was not much to write home about. Hopefully Henry Davis develops and Paul Skenes is as advertised and the future could be bright in Pittsburgh, but right now there is not much to call them playoff contenders.

St. Louis Cardinals

Grade: D-

So what happened here? Sure their pitching was not great but when they were in the playoffs their pitching never was great. Jordan Montogmery was their best pitcher until he got dealt at the deadline, so that may be an issue, but what happened to their stars? Paul Goldschmidt was coming off an MVP and put up an average year. Nolan Arenado regressed significantly to see his ops fall below .800 for the first time in a full season since his rookie year, and it seemed like Willson Contrereas just did not work out despite his near normal stats. The Cards just have to find an identity this offseason, and they need to get their stars back on line, or else there could be a repeat of this quality next season.

NL West

Los Angeles Dodgers

Grade: A-

The reason this grade is a bit lower is because of their embarrassing nature of a playoff exit. Betts and Freeman were both top 3 in MVP voting and combined for 1 hit in their NLDS series against the Diamondbacks. But this season had many positives. The JD Martinez signing was a success, James Outman had a solid rookie campaign, Clayton Kershaw did Clayton Kershaw things, and Bobby Miller did not look bad at all. But we have come to expect these results from the Dodgers, so tehri season is truly defined by their playoff performance, and it was not good this year. As a 100 win team to get swept by a wild card team, a division rival nonetheless, is not a good look. But as they go into the offseason, they will inevitably reload. I will be interested to see what happens with Kershaw, and if they do make a strong push for Ohtani as many suspect. But, the Dodgers were good as usual, but not great as many expected.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Grade: A+

I mean, I don;t think anyone expected this out of the snakes this year Corbin Carrol was incredible, KEtel MArte was stellar, Zac Gallen was a Cy Young contender, Christian Walker had a great regular season, the Lourdes Gurriel trade worked as he was a staple of their lineup, Merrill Kelly came out of nowhere, and Brandon Pfaadt of all people came alive in the postseason and was fantastic. The best part is the DBacks are a young team, so they are most likely to get better, and for a developing team to have won a pennant is an incredible feat. The future is bright in the desert, and Arizona fans should be excited with what they saw this year.

San Diego Padres

Grade: D+

So let me get this straight. The Padres had a Cy Young winner this season in Blake Snell, stars throughout their lineup in Juan Soto, Manny Machado, Fernandon Tatis, Ha-Seong Kim, Jake Cronenworth, and Xander Bogaerts, and missed the playoffs? I can;t explain this one, and I don’t even know what more the front office can do. Maybe add another starter? Josh Hader is anchoring the bullpen so that’s not an issue. I don’t know. This has to be an internal issue and something the players themselves have to figure out because that level of talent should at least make the postseason.

San Francisco Giants

Grade: D+

I didn’t expect much out of the Giants and they didn’t do much this year. Not many things that jumped out at me. When they thought they were getting Carlos Correa and Aaron Judge the front office seemed to forget to revamp the lineup as there were no real standouts. For the pitchers, Logan Webb was great again, but besides him and a decent year from Alex Cobb, again not much. They are going to bring in Bob Melvin to manage next year so we will see what happens on that end, but the Giants just need more starpower, which they can definitely acquire this offseason.

Colorado Rockies

Grade: F

Nolan Jones looks promising. That’s it. One hundred and three losses speak for themselves. The Rockies are rebuilding, everyone knows it. Time will only tell if this tanking will pay off.

Photo Credit: MLB.com