MLB power rankings: The best five young cores in baseball

Every Monday throughout the 2024 MLB season, Yardbarker will unveil a list devoted to a particular baseball-related topic. This week, we're ranking the MLB teams with the brightest young cores.

Considering the term "young core" is rather ambiguous, let's set a few parameters before diving into our rankings.

For this list, we'll define a young core member as someone who is under 26 before the 2024 season began. Additionally, we'll not only account for current major leaguers with promising career trajectories, but also prospects who are expected to make an impact on their teams in the coming years.

With that in mind, here are the five teams with the brightest young cores. (Statistics and records through Sunday's games.)

5. Pittsburgh Pirates

Notable building blocks: RHPs Paul Skenes, Jared Jones and Bubba Chandler, LHP Anthony Solometo, 2B Termarr Johnson, C Henry Davis

The Pirates are one of the best stories of the early season, as they're 8-2 for the first time since 2018 despite ranking 29th in payroll ($84.69M). Although it remains to be seen what Pittsburgh's ceiling will be this season, the team has shown encouraging signs for the future, and it will only continue to inject the 26-man roster with exciting young talent.

While Pittsburgh might have missed the mark on Davis, the first overall selection in the 2021 MLB Draft, it has some of the top arm talent in baseball. Skenes, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, is the crown jewel, but Jones has shined through his first two career starts, striking out 17 across 11.2 innings. Additionally, Johnson, the fourth overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, should pair well in Pittsburgh's middle infield alongside 26-year-old shortstop Oneil Cruz, who appears to finally be breaking out. 

4. Arizona Diamondbacks

Notable building blocks: OFs Corbin Carroll and Alek Thomas, INFs Geraldo Perdomo, Blaze Alexander and Jordan Lawlar, catcher Gabriel Moreno, RHP Brandon Pfaadt

The Diamondbacks and several members of their young core have experienced sluggish starts to 2024, resulting in the team posting a 4-6 record through 10 games. Even so, this is still a group that showed considerable potential during the 2023 regular season and throughout Arizona's surprising run to the World Series.

Carroll –  last season's National League Rookie of the Year – is the best of the bunch and could ultimately develop into a perennial MVP candidate. However, his supporting cast composed of a fellow All-Star in Perdomo and a Gold Glover in Moreno is already quite formidable, giving Arizona a fairly high floor for the foreseeable future. Lawlar, the sixth overall pick in 2021, only slashed .129/.206/.129 over 31 at-bats at the end of last season, but he still has Gold Glove potential and upside to hit 20 home runs a year. 

3.  Cincinnati Reds

Notable building blocks: INFs Elly De La Cruz, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Matt McLain and Noelvi Marte, OF Spencer Steer, RHP Hunter Greene

The emergence of De La Cruz, Encarnacion-Strand, McClain and Marte helped make Cincinnati's core one of the most compelling storylines of the 2023 season, which has only led to heightened expectations for 2024. While the Reds are just 5-4, some of their struggles can be attributed to McClain, a future multiple-time All-Star, being out with a shoulder injury and Marte's PED suspension.

Cincinnati has as exciting a group of young position players as any organization, but its pitching is lacking and could limit the team's overall potential. Greene (4.53 career ERA) has improved this season, though he hasn't looked close to the future ace he was touted to be upon his selection second overall in the 2017 MLB Draft. Yet, if two of RHPs Rhett Lowder, Connor Phillips and Chase Petty pan out, Cincinnati's outlook will continue to brighten.

2.  Seattle Mariners

Notable building blocks: OF Julio Rodriguez, RHPs Matt Brash, Bryce Miller, Andres Munoz and Bryan Woo, C Harry Ford

Even though George Kirby and Logan Gilbert don't qualify for this list, Seattle still boasts one of the most impressive stables of young arms, including Miller (3.00 ERA this season) and Woo, who is on the IL. The hard-throwing Munoz has shown enough upside over the past two seasons to suggest he'll be one of MLB's top bullpen arms for some time, and when healthy, Brash could emerge as a high-end setup man.

Nevertheless, Rodriguez, 23, is the reason why Seattle's young core firmly holds the No. 2 spot in our rankings. Since debuting in 2022, the former American League Rookie of the Year has been named an All-Star and Silver Slugger Award recipient twice, posted a 134 OPS+ and flashed elite defense in center field.

1. Baltimore Orioles

Notable building blocks: SS Gunnar Henderson, RHP Grayson Rodriguez, INFs Jackson Holliday, Jordan Westburg and Coby Mayo, OFs Colton Cowser and Heston Kjerstad 

Was there really any other choice? Baltimore's young core propelled it to a 101-win season in 2023, its best record since 1980. Henderson and Rodriguez have already established themselves as All-Stars-in-the-making, but with the deepest farm system among teams, the Orioles are only going to continue promoting future stars.

Of course, many are eagerly anticipating the arrival of MLB Pipeline's No. 1 prospect Holliday, especially since he should've had a spot on the Opening Day roster.

Holliday is off to a blistering start for Triple-A Norfolk, slashing .342/.490/.605 with two HRs and nine RBI, so a promotion could be on the way fairly soon.

Meanwhile, Mayo and Kjerstad should be productive after they get to the majors, though it'll be interesting to see if Baltimore flips one or both of them to make a splash at the trade deadline.