MLB way too early Power Rankings: Did Yankees win the offseason?

Almost at the Top Tier (No Shame in Being Here!):

12. Minnesota Twins
11. Toronto Blue Jays
10. Cleveland Guardians
9. St. Louis Cardinals
8. Seattle Mariners

We just ... don't ... fully get the Toronto Blue Jays' offseason. Chris Bassitt's an upgrade, but is he a difference-maker? Daulton Varsho's a Gold Glover, but is he Teoscar Hernández at the plate? Kevin Kiermaier can pick it, but is he an everyday player, at this stage of his career? And why is the rest of the baseball world reacting to Toronto's offseason like they just finished off a drastic overhaul? This team has a powerful offense (though it's less powerful than it used to be), and a rotation that looks like 2-2-4-4-5. The slugging Carlos Delgado-Pat Hentgen Jays of old are back! For decades prior to 2015, the Blue Jays have always been a 95-win offense that wins 87 games. Let's meet somewhere in the middle here.

Top Tier:

7. Los Angeles Dodgers
6. Philadelphia Phillies
5. San Diego Padres
4. New York Yankees
3. Houston Astros
2. Atlanta Braves
1. New York Mets

Disrespectful to the Dodgers? Absolutely. But they've earned it, losing the most WAR year-over-year of any team in the game without adding any impact talent to replace it. The Dodgers shed veteran stars in an attempt to reset the luxury tax, then didn't reset the luxury tax. They should be thankful they're ranked above the Mariners.

Last year's entire NLCS should feel uneasy ranking behind the Braves and Mets in spots No. 1 and 2, but that rivalry represents "Sustainable Young Core vs. Spending-Powered Behemoth" and should give us an even better sequel to their 2022 NL East race that ended in a deadlock. Perhaps it'll be the Braves who choke this time around.

And, yes, as much as we love the Yankees and their offseason, it would be absolutely silly to rank them behind the team that's been better head-to-head over and over and over and over and over again. At this moment, with Justin Verlander in Queens, the Yankees' rotation is better (by a hair, baking in the guaranteed Cristian Javier no-hitter in every H2H series). The lineup is worse. The Astros are the champs. Dethrone them for real if you want to stop staring at their behind.