After a long, cold winter, the 2023 MLB season will officially get underway Thursday.

That means it's time to finalize our MLB power rankings for the start of the new season, setting a baseline for our weekly Tuesday morning updates to come throughout the year.

These rankings have been shuffled throughout the offseason as notable free agents have signed and teams have completed blockbuster trades. Now, it's time for one final tweak with spring training wrapped up and Opening Day rosters set.

Along with a writeup for all 30 teams, you'll also find picks for each major award in the American League and National League, as well as a breakout hitter and pitcher prediction for each league.

The new baseball season is finally here!

Nos. 30-26

30. Oakland Athletics

An unflinching refusal to spend money has left the Athletics roster resembling a mediocre Triple-A team, and Sean Murphy, Cole Irvin and A.J. Puk were the latest talented young players to be shown the door this offseason. They have a laughable projected payroll of $42.4 million and it will be a small miracle if they avoid 100 losses.

29. Washington Nationals

Just four years after winning the World Series, the Nationals have stripped their roster to the studs. There is some promising young talent on the MLB roster, including CJ Abrams, MacKenzie Gore, Keibert Ruiz, Luis García and Josiah Gray, but this team has a looooooong way to go before they're ready to contend again.

28. Colorado Rockies

From the Nolan Arenado debacle to the Kris Bryant overpay to the two-year, $19 million extension they gave to 37-year-old Daniel Bard last summer, there is no team further from something resembling a plan than the Rockies. Ownership seems content to hover around the NL West cellar, and that's where they'll likely wind up in 2023.

27. Detroit Tigers

There was legitimate optimism surrounding the Tigers at this time a year ago following a busy offseason when they signed Javier Báez and Eduardo Rodriguez and acquired Austin Meadows via trade. That has since faded into disappointment as all three of those pickups flopped, Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene failed to make the splash many were expecting as rookies, and now there is a new front office steering the ship.

26. Cincinnati Reds

The Reds have gone all-in on rebuilding over the past two seasons, and while there are some lean years ahead, it's easy to be optimistic about the future thanks to a stacked farm system. Further development from Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo and the emergence of a few more potential long-term pieces would make 2023 a successful season.

Nos. 25-21

25. Kansas City Royals

The Royals ranked 24th in team OPS (.686), 24th in runs scored (640) and 26th in home runs (138) last year, and they responded by not adding a single position player to the 40-man roster. That means they will be banking on further progression from Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, MJ Melendez, Michael Massey and others to bridge the gap offensively. Expect another year of building toward the future in 2023.

24. Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates had a busy offseason, adding Andrew McCutchen, Ji-Man Choi, Carlos Santana, Connor Joe, Rich Hill, Vince Velasquez and Austin Hedges to the MLB roster. Those veteran place-holders should be joined by a steady influx of young talent as they continue to build around Bryan Reynolds, Ke'Bryan Hayes, Oneil Cruz, Mitch Keller and Roansy Contreras. They are likely still a year or two away from contention, but they should be fun to watch.

23. San Francisco Giants

It's hard to classify the Giants offseason as anything but a disappointment as they made a serious push to sign Aaron Judge and Carlos Correa, only to settle for Michael Conforto and Mitch Haniger as their big offensive additions. The pitching staff also arguably took a step backward with Ross Stripling and Sean Manaea replacing Carlos Rodón. Has the outlook really improved at all for a team that went 81-81 a year ago?

22. Miami Marlins

The Marlins took steps to address their offensive shortcomings this offseason, signing Jean Segura and trading for AL batting title winner Luis Arraez. They will also have a healthy Jazz Chisholm Jr. back in the fold, and even after trading away Pablo López the starting rotation is still a strength. However, a sketchy bullpen and an ongoing lack of middle-of-the-order thump would seem to limit their 2023 ceiling.

21. Chicago Cubs

The Cubs projected 26-man roster features 10 newcomers, including Dansby Swanson, Jameson Taillon, Cody Bellinger, Trey Mancini and Michael Fulmer who will all be counted on for impact production. This team might have a wider potential range of win-loss outcomes than any in baseball, but at least fans can't say the front office didn't do anything to try to improve the team this offseason.

Nos. 20-16

20. Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox added Masataka Yoshida, Justin Turner, Corey Kluber, Kenley Jansen, Adam Duvall and Chris Martin to the roster this offseason, but they arguably lost even more talent with Xander Bogaerts, Nathan Eovaldi, J.D. Martinez and Michael Wacha headlining a mass-exodus in free agency. The end result is a team that might have trouble keeping pace in a stacked AL East race.

19. Baltimore Orioles

One year after losing 110 games, the Orioles finished 83-79 and hung around in the AL wild-card race into September, and they are just getting started. With Adley Rutschman and AL Rookie of the Year front-runner Gunnar Henderson leading the way offensively and under-the-radar pickups Kyle Gibson and Cole Irvin helping take some pressure off their young arms in the rotation, this group is well-positioned to build on last year's surprise success.

18. Chicago White Sox

It was addition by subtraction when Tony La Russa stepped down as White Sox manager in early October, and now the South Siders will look to pick up the pieces of a lost season. Staying healthy would go a long way after Tim Anderson, Luis Robert Jr. and Eloy Jiménez all played fewer than 100 games last year, and despite last year's struggles, there is simply too much talent on this roster to rule them out as AL Central contenders.

17. Arizona Diamondbacks

The D-backs have dark horse contender upside thanks to a talented up-and-coming core that includes Corbin Carroll, Jake McCarthy, Alek Thomas, Gabriel Moreno, Ryne Nelson and Drey Jameson. The one-two punch of Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly atop the rotation is the most underrated pitching duo in baseball, while Evan Longoria could be a great veteran addition to a young locker room.

16. Texas Rangers

A year after signing Corey Seager and Marcus Semien for a combined $500 million, the Rangers turned their attention to upgrading the starting rotation this winter, signing Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi and Andrew Heaney for a combined $244 million. With that type of spending comes elevated expectations, and they are capable of a significant improvement on last year's 68-94 finish.

Nos. 15-11

15. Milwaukee Brewers

After failing to make any splashy additions last offseason and at the 2022 trade deadline, the Brewers finally added some power by trading for William Contreras and Jesse Winker. With Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff and Willy Adames all headed for free agency after the 2024 season, they need to approach these next two years with a sense of urgency since they won't be able to afford all three of those players long-term.

14. Minnesota Twins

With a healthy Kenta Maeda, a full season of Tyler Mahle and newcomer Pablo López alongside Sonny Gray and Joe Ryan, the Twins have quietly assembled one of the deepest rotations in baseball. On the offensive side, they retained Carlos Correa while also adding Christian Vázquez, Joey Gallo and Michael A. Taylor to the mix. They are still chasing the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central, but this team looks poised to contend once again.

13. Los Angeles Angels

Is this the year Mike Trout finally returns to the postseason? They have built a deep, talented starting rotation with young up-and-comers Patrick Sandoval and Reid Detmers joined by veteran addition Tyler Anderson and ace Shohei Ohtani. Offensively, they stack up to any lineup in baseball assuming everyone stays healthy, and versatile additions Brandon Drury and Gio Urshela leave the team better equipped to deal with injuries.

12. St. Louis Cardinals

With Willson Contreras added in free agency and uber-prospect Jordan Walker poised to make a major impact, an already good St. Louis offense should be even better in 2023. The X-factor will be the starting rotation, where 41-year-old Adam Wainwright will need to continue to defy Father Time and healthy seasons from Jack Flaherty and Steven Matz will be crucial.

11. Tampa Bay Rays

After winning 86 games and claiming a wild-card berth last season, the Rays had a quiet winter, with their only major addition being right-hander Zach Eflin to replace departing veteran Corey Kluber in the rotation. Healthy seasons from Brandon Lowe, Wander Franco and Manuel Margot should provide a nice in-house boost for the offense, but as usual, this team will go as far as its excellent pitching staff carries it.

Nos. 10-6

10. New York Yankees

With Carlos Rodón, Luis Severino and Frankie Montas all expected to start the season on the injured list, it's tough to move the Yankees any higher up these rankings for the time being while they trot out a patchwork starting rotation. The position battle at shortstop between Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe has been one of the more compelling storylines of the spring.

9. Seattle Mariners

The Mariners reached the postseason for the first time since 2001 last year, and they are built for sustained contention in the coming years. Teoscar Hernández, Kolten Wong and AJ Pollock were added to the lineup, while a full season of Luis Castillo and another year of development from Logan Gilbert and George Kirby could make their rotation one of the best in baseball. Can they push the Houston Astros in the AL West?

8. Cleveland Guardians

The usually tight-fisted Guardians dipped into free agency this winter to sign slugger Josh Bell to a two-year, $33 million deal, and he will provide valuable protection for perennial MVP candidate José Ramírez in the middle of the lineup. They won 92 games and reached the ALDS as the youngest team in baseball last year, and with a stacked pitching staff and up-and-coming offense they are the team to beat in the AL Central.

7. Los Angeles Dodgers

With Trea Turner, Tyler Anderson, Justin Turner and Cody Bellinger part of a long list of players who departed during the offseason and starting shortstop Gavin Lux out for the season with a torn ACL, the Dodgers have more roster question marks than in recent years. This is still an extremely talented group, and those departures have opened the door for young players like Miguel Vargas, James Outman and Ryan Pepiot to break camp with the MLB team. Can they continue their NL West dominance?

6. Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays addressed their glaring need for more lineup balance by adding left-handed hitters Daulton Varsho, Brandon Belt and Kevin Kiermaier, and they also upgraded the pitching staff with the additions of Chris Bassitt and Erik Swanson. They are banking on bounce-back seasons from José Berríos and Yusei Kikuchi in the starting rotation, but they have quality depth behind them if things go south.

Nos. 5-1

5. Philadelphia Phillies

Even with Bryce Harper and Rhys Hoskins on the sidelines, the Phillies still have a potent lineup, and Trea Turner could be the most impactful addition of the offseason. The biggest improvements have come in the bullpen, where a shaky group a year ago now looks like a strength with Gregory Soto, Craig Kimbrel and Matt Strahm joining Seranthony Domínguez and José Alvarado. The talent is here for them to make another deep playoff run.

4. New York Mets

Losing closer Edwin Díaz to a torn patellar tendon is a major blow for the Mets, but they have capable replacements in David Robertson and Adam Ottavino, and that injury is not enough to remove them from the top-tier of teams. There is no clear hole in the starting lineup, the rotation is deeper with the additions of Justin Verlander and Kodai Senga, and top prospects Francisco Álvarez and Brett Baty are ready to make an impact.

3. San Diego Padres

The Padres will have a lethal offensive core once Fernando Tatis Jr. finishes serving the final 20 games of his PED suspension and joins Manny Machado, Juan Soto, Xander Bogaerts and Jake Cronenworth. On the pitching side, Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo could be great buy-low additions to the rotation behind the trio of Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove and Blake Snell. How will they handle being the NL West favorites?

2. Atlanta Braves

The Braves have a terrific offensive core with Ronald Acuña Jr., Austin Riley, Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, Sean Murphy and Michael Harris II, and all six of those players are signed to long-term deals. The starting rotation has a rock-solid top four in Max Fried, Charlie Morton, Spencer Strider and Kyle Wright, and closer Raisel Iglesias anchors a deep bullpen unit. Can they make it six straight NL East titles?

1. Houston Astros

Not many teams could lose the reigning AL Cy Young winner and still have one of the best rotations in baseball. But even after losing Justin Verlander, the Astros still have Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, José Urquidy, Luis García and Hunter Brown as their five-man staff. Slugger José Abreu was added to a high-powered lineup, the best bullpen in baseball returned intact, and this is the team to beat to start the 2023 season.

Complete Rankings

Complete Rankings

1. Houston Astros
2. Atlanta Braves
3. San Diego Padres
4. New York Mets
5. Philadelphia Phillies
6. Toronto Blue Jays
7. Los Angeles Dodgers
8. Cleveland Guardians
9. Seattle Mariners
10. New York Yankees
11. Tampa Bay Rays
12. St. Louis Cardinals
13. Los Angeles Angels
14. Minnesota Twins
15. Milwaukee Brewers
16. Texas Rangers
17. Arizona Diamondbacks
18. Chicago White Sox
19. Baltimore Orioles
20. Boston Red Sox
21. Chicago Cubs
22. Miami Marlins
23. San Francisco Giants
24. Pittsburgh Pirates
25. Kansas City Royals
26. Cincinnati Reds
27. Detroit Tigers
28. Colorado Rockies
29. Washington Nationals
30. Oakland Athletics

AL Award Predictions

AL MVP: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels

It took a record-setting season from Aaron Judge to keep Shohei Ohtani from winning his second straight AL MVP award, and he still snagged a pair of first-place votes in the balloting. It will take something similar to keep him from taking home the hardware in 2023 as there is simply no one who has a bigger impact on his team's success than the two-way superstar.

AL Cy Young: Framber Valdez, Houston Astros

Valdez rattled off 25 straight quality starts last year while pitching in Justin Verlander's shadow, and now he is the unquestioned ace of the Houston staff. The 29-year-old went 17-6 with a 2.82 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 194 strikeouts in 201.1 innings last year while tossing three complete games and one shutout, and he continued to shine in October, going 3-0 with a 1.44 ERA in 25 innings while tossing a pair of quality starts in the World Series.

AL Rookie of the Year: Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles

Henderson made his MLB debut shortly after his 21st birthday last year and didn't miss a beat against MLB pitching, posting a 123 OPS+ with 12 extra-base hits and 0.9 WAR in 34 games. His 116 at-bats left him just short of the 130 cut-off to maintain rookie eligibility, and with an everyday job from the get-go on an up-and-coming Baltimore Orioles team, he is poised for a big season.

AL Comeback Player of the Year: Brandon Lowe, Tampa Bay Rays

After a 39-homer, 99-RBI, 4.7-WAR season in 2021 when he finished 10th in AL MVP voting, Lowe was limited to just 65 games last season while dealing with a nagging back issue. With a clean bill of health he is hitting .313/.395/.594 with three home runs in 38 plate appearances this spring, and he looks poised for a big season.

NL Award Predictions

NL MVP: Trea Turner, Philadelphia Phillies

Turner inked an 11-year, $300 million deal during the offseason to join the Philadelphia Phillies, and after he went 9-for-23 with five home runs in the World Baseball Classic it's hard not to think a big season is coming. The 29-year-old is one of baseball's best power-speed threats, and now he'll set the table for a stacked Philadelphia lineup as they look to repeat as NL pennant winners.

NL Cy Young: Zac Gallen, Arizona Diamondbacks

Gallen went 8-2 with a 1.49 ERA, 0.74 WHIP and 103 strikeouts in 90.1 innings after the All-Star break last season, and he has teased Cy Young-caliber potential throughout his career while navigating injuries. The 27-year-old led the NL in WHIP (0.91) and opponents' batting average (.186) last year, and his stuff can be downright unhittable when everything is clicking.

NL Rookie of the Year: Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks

Expectations are sky-high after Carroll inked an eight-year, $111 million extension earlier this month with just 32 big league games under his belt. That said, it was an awfully impressive debut as he logged a 133 OPS+ with 15 extra-base hits and 1.1 WAR, and that came after he hit .307/.425/.611 with 22 doubles, 24 home runs, 62 RBI and 31 steals in 93 games in the upper levels of the minors. The 22-year-old is a star in the making.

NL Comeback Player of the Year: Jack Flaherty, St. Louis Cardinals

Since finishing fourth in NL Cy Young voting during the 2019 season on the strength of a brilliant second half, Flaherty has pitched just 154.2 innings over the past three years, including just 36 frames in 2022. The Cardinals are banking on a healthy season from the 27-year-old this year, and with free agency looming next offseason, he will be pitching for a huge payday.

Breakout Player Predictions

AL Hitter: Andrew Vaughn, Chicago White Sox

The White Sox have not done Vaughn any favors trying to turn him into an outfielder where his defensive metrics (-19 DRS, -9.4 UZR/150) tell the story. Now that José Abreu is gone, he can move back to his natural position at first base and focus on fully tapping into his vast offensive potential. The 24-year-old had a 111 OPS+ with 28 doubles, 17 home runs and 76 RBI in 134 games last season, and he has 30-homer, 100-RBI upside.

NL Hitter: Oneil Cruz, Pittsburgh Pirates

Hardest-hit ball of the season at 122.4 mph? Check. Hardest throw across the infield at 97.8 mph? Check. Sprint speed ranking in the 98th percentile? Check. It's hard not to get excited about the upside Cruz possesses in his uber-athletic 6'7" frame, and after spending time in the minors last year he'll be Pittsburgh's everyday shortstop from the jump in 2023.

AL Pitcher: Brady Singer, Kansas City Royals

Singer already had a breakout season of sorts last year, going 10-5 with a 3.23 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 150 strikeouts in 153.1 innings, but he is capable of even more. The 26-year-old had 10 quality starts in 13 appearances after the All-Star break, logging a 2.53 ERA and 1.05 WHIP during that stretch, and that could be a springboard to AL Cy Young contention in 2023.

NL Pitcher: Edward Cabrera, Miami Marlins

Armed with a fastball that can touch triple-digits and a trio of swing-and-miss offspeed pitches in a curveball, slider and changeup, Cabrera has some of the best pure stuff in baseball. The 24-year-old had a 3.01 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 75 strikeouts in 71.2 innings last season, and he could ultimately slot into the No. 2 starter role behind Sandy Alcantara for years to come.

All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference.