It's not a good idea to jump to any drastic conclusions after one month of play. However, it would be foolish to not consider the first few weeks of the regular season when putting together a list like this.

The Houston Astros, for example, have been a massive disappointment. While they may have entered the season with a projected top-five offense, they certainly don't deserve to be there right now. The flip side of that is a team like the Cleveland Guardians, who are hitting much better than expected so far in 2024. The key is trying to balance what's happened so far, with what's likely to happen over the remaining five months of the season.

With all of that acknowledged, here's an updated ranking of the lineups for all 30 teams after one month.

26-30

30. Chicago White Sox

It's not hyperbolic to say that the White Sox look like one of the worst teams in MLB history. Luis Robert is out with a right hip flexor strain, and the rest of manager Pedro Grifol's lineup wasn't very impressive to begin with. Andrew Vaughn is off to a putrid start, while veterans Andrew Benintendi and Martín Maldonado don't deserve to be getting MLB at-bats anymore. If this lineup can produce 50 wins this season, it will be a minor miracle.

29. Oakland Athletics

The A's haven't been good so far in 2024, but stellar pitching performances from the likes of Mason Miller, Paul Blackburn and JP Sears have kept them from being a laughingstock. However, DH Brent Rooker — who has an .818 OPS — is the only A's regular with an OPS north of .660. Even if Oakland had Catfish Hunter, Barry Zito and Tim Hudson atop their rotation, it wouldn't be enough to overcome how little offensive firepower they have.

28. Colorado Rockies

There are some bright spots in Colorado, such as Ryan McMahon, Brenton Doyle and Ezequiel Tovar. But all the bright spots are undone by the seeming reality that Kris Bryant's seven-year, $182 million deal has become an albatross on an organization that doesn't typically spend. Also, it's at least mildly concerning that after a breakout season that saw him post a .931 OPS a year ago, Nolan Jones has a meager .469 mark currently.

27. Miami Marlins

The Fish struggled to score runs a year ago, and then allowed their top run producer, Jorge Soler, to depart in free agency. So color no one surprised that in addition to being crushed with pitching injuries, the Marlins haven't been effective offensively in 2024. The Marlins have four regulars—Luis Arráez, Nick Fortes, Tim Anderson and Emmanuel Rivera—that have yet to hit a home run this season. It's hard to win with that formula.

26. Washington Nationals

Shortstop CJ Abrams is off to a monster start, with six home runs in the first month of the season. That's a very encouraging long-term sign with top prospects James Wood and Dylan Crews potentially in play to debut at some point later this season. Unfortunately from a short-term perspective, Jesse Winker is the only veteran really producing for the Nats, with Joey Gallo, Joey Meneses and Lane Thomas—who is now on the injured list—all off to slow starts.

20-25

25. Minnesota Twins

In terms of runs scored, the Twins had a top-10 offense a season ago. With April winding down, Minnesota is currently 25th in runs scored. Byron Buxton is healthy, but not performing at his top level so far. Matt Wallner was a breakout star a year ago, but had to be optioned to Triple-A in mid-April because he was hitting .080. Elsewhere, while Ryan Jeffers has had a strong opening month, Carlos Santana has looked like one of the oldest players in baseball and Max Kepler has a .500 OPS. With both Carlos Correa and Royce Lewis on the injured list, this is a pretty underwhelming offense right now.

24. Seattle Mariners

The Mariners might have the best starting rotation in the American League, particularly if George Kirby rebounds after a disappointing start. But the offense was underwhelming a year ago with Teoscar Hernández and Eugenio Suárez, and even more so now that those two sluggers have been swapped out for Mitch Haniger and Mitch Garver. Julio Rodríguez is going to hit his stride, and Josh Rojas has been a positive development. But this offense doesn't feel like a playoff-caliber group.

23. St. Louis Cardinals

There are a lot of big names here, but not a lot of big production. Former NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt has a .581 OPS, and while he'll likely bounce back, he is 36. Future Hall of Famer Nolan Arenado has a .717 OPS, which isn't alarming after one month, but it's hardly the type of output that's made him a shoo-in for Cooperstown. Willson Contreras is a veteran who has looked excellent at the plate, but there's been little output from Brandon Crawford thus far. In good news, 22-year-old shortstop Masyn Winn has flashed star potential both at the plate and in the field. But the bad news is Jordan Walker had to be optioned to Triple-A, because he was hitting just .155. There are some pieces here that can be salvaged, but the Cardinals probably need to hit the reset button as an organization.

22. Detroit Tigers

So Mark Canha seems to have been one of the best value pickups this past offseason, while Kerry Carpenter and Riley Greene continue to look like building blocks. But outside of that trio, the returns have been pretty underwhelming. Former No. 1 overall pick Spencer Torkelson hasn't homered yet this season. Javier Báez's contract is a disaster, as evidenced by his .511 OPS. Colt Kieth and Parker Meadows—two other young players the Tigers hope are parts of their future—haven't done much so far in 2024. There's a relatively high ceiling for this group, but so far we've seen closer to their floor.

21. Los Angeles Angels

Mike Trout is once again performing at an AL MVP caliber, which will reignite trade speculation this summer since there isn't a ton around him. Catcher Logan O'Hoppe looks like a budding star, and Taylor Ward has had a strong April. But other pieces the Angels were counting on haven't come through. Right fielder Mickey Moniak has an unsightly .386 OPS. Anthony Rendon is now out for a significant period of time with a hamstring tear, not that he was setting the world on fire to begin with. 22-year-old first baseman Nolan Schanuel made a strong impression over his first 29 games a year ago, but has hit just .208 so far in 2024. Is this really a group Trout wants to stay committed to?

11-19

19. Toronto Blue Jays

Justin Turner and Daulton Varsho have impressed, but it's more than fair to be concerned by Toronto's offensive output so far. The Blue Jays are 24th in runs scored, with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (.643 OPS), Bo Bichette (.274 on-base percentage), George Springer (.228 batting average) and Alejandro Kirk (37 OPS+) all getting off to slow starts. There's time for the Jays to rebound, but they've earned this low of a ranking.

18. Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates have a lot of players who intrigue you, but you aren't quite sure what they are yet offensively, led by Oneil Cruz and Ke'Bryan Hayes. Meanwhile, Andrew McCutchen has had his typical slow start, and the trio of Jack Suwinski, Rowdy Tellez and Henry Davis have just been bad. Connor Joe had a huge start to the season, and Bryan Reynolds continues to be productive. But the Pirates do feel short on pop, which is at least partially why they've already come crashing back down to earth after a quick start.

17. San Francisco Giants

Better but not yet good would be a fair way to describe the offense of the Giants so far this season. Jorge Soler and Matt Chapman have added some pop to a lineup that desperately needed it, but both have OPS's lower than .705. Michael Conforto has been resurgent in his second year with the Giants, while defensive standout catcher Patrick Bailey has an .880 OPS. But those are offset so far by how underwhelming Thairo Estrada and Wilmer Flores have been.

16. Houston Astros

The Astros as a team have been even worse than 16th, but a large part of that can be attributed to injuries in their starting rotation and disappointing outputs from the relief trio of Josh Hader, Ryan Pressly and Bryan Abreu. Offensively, Jose Altuve, Kyle Tucker and Jeremy Peña have been tremendous, while Yordan Alvarez and Yainer Diaz have had impressive moments as well. Houston absolutely needs Alex Bregman, Chas McCormick and José Abreu to heat up at the plate, but they have a good enough offense to contend. Their pitching might be another story.

15. New York Mets

If the Mets want to grab one of the three Wild Card spots in the National League this season, it's going to have to be because of their offense. They just added J.D. Martinez into a lineup that includes Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil. However, shortly before getting Martinez back, catcher Francisco Alvarez underwent thumb surgery that could keep him out of the lineup for close to two months. There's a lot of reliance in Queens on players 30 or older.

14. Boston Red Sox

Alex Cora's pitching staff has been significantly better than expected so far, but also currently has Brayan Bello, Nick Pivetta and Garrett Whitlock on the injured list, so that might not be sustainable. That puts more pressure on the offense, a group that has gotten tremendous output from Tyler O'Neill, Connor Wong, Wilyer Abreu and, of course, Rafael Devers. The next big test is being able to hold serve while first baseman Triston Casas misses time with a left rib fracture. It would be helpful if Masataka Yoshida starts to show signs of being the hitter who the Red Sox gave a five-year, $90 million deal.

13. Cincinnati Reds

Elly De La Cruz and Spencer Steer look like stars, but the Reds aren't yet at full strength. Manager David Bell hasn't had Matt McLain or TJ Freidl at his disposal this season, while Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Jeimer Candelario are both off to slow starts. At their best, Cincinnati could have one of the better lineups in baseball. But the Reds aren't at their best yet.

12. Kansas City Royals

Led by Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo, the pitching has been fantastic for the Royals so far, which is why they are off to a strong start after winning just 56 games a season ago. Offensively, though, this group also has some standout performers, even beyond shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. Franchise icon Salvador Perez has homered seven times in April, while first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino shows flashes of being a really good player. Will the Royals finish the season this highly ranked on the list? Perhaps not. But they deserve to be here so far.

11. New York Yankees

Juan Soto and Aaron Judge are as good of a one-two punch as there is in the sport, which is why the Yankees are at 11. But both Anthony Volpe and Oswaldo Cabrera have cooled off considerably since red-hot starts. DJ LeMahieu has yet to play in 2024, and it's still unclear exactly what can be expected from Anthony Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton at this stage of their respective careers. New York feels extremely top-heavy right now.

10-6

10. Milwaukee Brewers

The Brew Crew are one of the most pleasant surprises so far this season. Former NL MVP Christian Yelich was off to a monster start before landing on the injured list, while William Contreras and Willy Adames continue to perform among the best hitters at their positions. First baseman Rhys Hoskins already has five home runs, and has been a positive addition to a lineup that needed more thump.

9. Cleveland Guardians

Perennial AL MVP finalist José Ramírez hasn't yet hit his stride, but Cleveland's offense has been much better than anticipated because both Josh Naylor and Steven Kwan have hit at All-Star levels. It doesn't feel sustainable, but Stephen Vogt's squad is currently second in the American League in runs scored, so it's hard to put them any lower than this.

8. Chicago Cubs

Cristopher Morel was a popular breakout pick before the season, but currently has an OPS below .700. Craig Counsell will need Morel to get going with both Seiya Suzuki (oblique) and Cody Bellinger (ribs) currently on the injured list. The most positive development has been Michael Busch, who didn't have a path to consistent playing time with the Los Angeles Dodgers but has been Chicago's best hitter after being acquired in an offseason trade.

7. San Diego Padres

There are legitimate questions about whether San Diego has enough starting pitching to be a playoff team, but even post-Soto their offense is still really impressive. The Friars need Xander Bogaerts to get going, but Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado would each be the best hitter in quite a few lineups. Beyond them, rookie Jackson Merrill has more than held his own at the plate, while a return to San Diego seems to have done wonders for Jurickson Profar.

6. Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies have gotten some strong individual offensive performances from Alec Bohm, Brandon Marsh and Trea Turner, but have yet to click as a group. Nick Castellanos is off to a disastrous start in 2024, while Bryce Harper has grounded into an uncharacteristically-high number of double plays. Rob Thomson's group has a chance to climb into the top five as the season goes along, but they haven't performed up to that level just yet.

5. Texas Rangers

Most Used Lineup

1. Marcus Semien, 2B

2. Corey Seager, SS

3. Evan Carter, LF

4. Adolis García, RF

5. Nathaniel Lowe, 1B

6. Josh Smith, 3B

7. Wyatt Langford, DH

8. Jonah Heim, C

9. Leody Taveras, CF

A year ago, the Rangers' star-studded lineup powered them to the first World Series title in franchise history. There's a chance that once this group really gets going, they could be even scarier in 2024.

Seager—the reigning World Series MVP—and rookie Wyatt Langford won't be sad to see the calendar turn to May, but you know at least with the former that there are going to be some torrid stretches this season.

García has picked up right where he left off in the postseason, already having clubbed seven home runs this season:

Texas is currently 11th in runs scored in baseball, but with a lineup that also includes Semien, Carter and Heim, it's hard to think they won't ultimately finish in the top five in that and many other categories. They've earned the benefit of the doubt.

4. Arizona Diamondbacks

Most Used Lineup

1. Ketel Marte, 2B

2. Corbin Carroll, CF

3. Lourdes Gurriel Jr., LF

4. Christian Walker, 1B

5. Joc Pederson, DH

6. Eugenio Suárez, 3B

7. Gabriel Moreno, C

8. Jake McCarthy, RF

9. Blaze Alexander, SS

Arizona made a cinderella run to the World Series a season ago, and it's almost inarguable that they are a better team in 2024.

Beyond adding an arm like Jordan Montgomery to their starting rotation, general manager Mike Hazen made two shrewd veteran lineup additions this offseason, acquiring Suárez in a trade with the Mariners and signing Pederson to a one-year, $12.5 million deal.

Suárez hasn't been great yet, but he's a clear upgrade over Evan Longoria. Pederson has been tremendous, with a .319 batting average and OPS north of 1.000. He has a playoff pedigree, having previously won titles with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves.

What's crazy is that Carroll is the best overall player in Arizona's lineup, and he's yet to get going. Last year's NL Rookie of the Year is hitting just .202 in the first month of the season. You have to think it's just a matter of when for Carroll, who is one of the most explosive threats in the sport today.

Even without Carroll hitting well, the Diamondbacks are second in baseball with 150 runs scored, a sign of how well-rounded their lineup is.

3. Baltimore Orioles

Most Used Lineup

1. Gunnar Henderson, SS

2. Adley Rutschman, C

3. Ryan O'Hearn, DH

4. Anthony Santander, RF

5. Ryan Mountcastle, 1B

6. Cedric Mullins, CF

7. Colton Cowser, LF

8. Jordan Westburg, 3B

9. Jackson Holliday, 2B

Holliday, baseball's No. 1 overall prospect, struggled so much in his first MLB action that he had to be optioned to Triple-A. For most other teams, that would be devastating. At the Mike Elias school of churning out elite talent, it's hardly even a setback.

In the least shocking development in baseball, both Henderson and Rutschman are off to great starts. Henderson is one of four Orioles who already has hit five or more home runs, along with Cowser, Mullins and Westburg.

Speaking of Cowser, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft has stepped out of the shadows of some of his teammates this April and looked like a star in his own right. The 24-year-old is hitting .327 and has a 222 OPS+ (100 is the league average).

Elias could stand to add another frontline starter this summer, but the job that he's done assembling young position talent—after doing similar work as the Astros' scouting director—will be studied for decades.

2. Los Angeles Dodgers

Most Used Lineup

1. Mookie Betts, SS

2. Shohei Ohtani, DH

3. Freddie Freeman, 1B

4. Will Smith, C

5. Max Muncy, 3B

6. Teoscar Hernández, LF

7. James Outman, CF

8. Jason Heyward, RF

9. Gavin Lux, 2B

Betts, Ohtani and Freeman have a combined four MVPs between them, and before the season is out, there's a very real chance that number will increase to five. It's not possible to have a better top three in your lineup.

Betts is off to an unreal start, hitting .382 with 22 RBI, 22 walks and a 1.130 OPS. Given that he's also taken to playing shortstop, this is as good of a year as ever for Betts to win NL MVP, which would allow him to join Frank Robinson as the only player in MLB history to win the award in both leagues.

The problem is someone forgot to tell Ohtani—who isn't pitching this year as he recovers from Tommy John surgery—that he's supposed to take a year off from winning MVPs. He's hitting .354 with seven home runs and a 1.100 OPS. Perhaps it will be Ohtani who becomes the second player to win both AL and NL MVP.

Meanwhile, Freeman won the 2020 NL MVP, and finished third in voting for the award last season. He's joined by Teoscar Hernández, who would be the top run producer on most teams. Also in the lineup is Max Muncy, he of the four seasons of 35+ home runs on his resume. Will Smith might be the best catcher in baseball.

Where the Dodgers fall just short of the top spot is that Gavin Lux, Chris Taylor, James Outman and Kiké Hernández are all off to very slow starts. The Dodgers top three, and maybe top five is as good as anyone in the sport. Their top nine aren't quite worthy of No. 1.

1. Atlanta Braves

Most Used Lineup

1. Ronald Acuña Jr., RF

2. Ozzie Albies, 2B

3. Austin Riley, 3B

4. Matt Olson, 1B

5. Marcell Ozuna, DH

6. Michael Harris II, CF

7. Orlando Arcia, SS

8. Travis d'Arnaud, C

9. Jarred Kelenic, LF

It could be argued that the Dodgers have a better top three than the Braves, but Acuña, Olson and Riley is a pretty damn good top three. What separates Atlanta is how deep their lineup is after their top three.

Michael Harris II and Ozzie Albies are players who could win an MVP themselves, although the latter once again finds himself on the injured list. Also on the injured list is All-Star catcher Sean Murphy, but Travis d'Arnaud is playing likes he's worthy of a trip to the midsummer classic in his absence.

Orlando Arcia made his first All-Star Game appearance a year ago after replacing Dansby Swanson, and he is off to another strong start. The 29-year-old is hitting .311 thus far this season.

Perhaps the most noteworthy development is what Marcell Ozuna has done over the last calendar year. At the end of last April, Ozuna was hitting just .085, which after a domestic violence suspension and a pair of disappointing seasons made him look like a candidate to be designated for assignment.

Ozuna has re-emerged as one of the league's elite power hitters since then, homering 40 times and driving in 100 runs before the 2023 season was out. That's carried over into 2024, with Ozuna currently leading the National League with nine home runs, and the sport with 31 RBI.

The depth of this lineup makes it the best in baseball, despite a great challenge from the Dodgers.