MLB Power Rankings: Who’s No. 1 on our winter list?
Players soon will be reporting to camps, and yet, some of the top free agents still haven’t signed. So while we wait, let’s take a look ahead toward the start of the 2024 season.
Where does every team stand heading into spring training? Did the Dodgers’ offseason acquisitions push them to the No. 1 spot? Where are the reigning World Series champions in our rankings? And where do Aaron Judge and Juan Soto’s Yankees sit?
Our expert panel has combined to rank every team in baseball based on a combination of what we’ve seen so far this offseason and what we already knew from 2023. We also asked ESPN MLB experts David Schoenfield, Buster Olney, Jesse Rogers and Alden Gonzalez to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.
Way-too-early MLB Power Rankings
Final 2023 regular-season ranking: 3
The Dodgers’ offseason has been an absolute dream. They splurged for a billion dollars on a transformative two-way player in Shohei Ohtani and a 25-year-old starting pitcher, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is coming off three consecutive MVPs in Japan. In case that wasn’t enough, they acquired one of the most prized pitchers on the trade market, Tyler Glasnow, and arguably the best corner outfielder in free agency, Teoscar Hernandez. They’re an absolute force, even more so on the heels of another 100-win season.
But it’s still fair to wonder about their rotation. Ohtani won’t pitch until 2025, Yamamoto hasn’t faced major league hitters, Glasnow is not far removed from Tommy John surgery, and Walker Buehler is coming off a second such procedure. Their other starting pitching acquisition, James Paxton, comes with his own injury concerns. — Gonzalez
Final 2023 regular-season ranking: 1
With last season’s record-setting lineup returning, the Braves could have had a quiet offseason, but instead they made two of the more interesting transactions of the winter, trading for left fielder Jarred Kelenic and pitcher Chris Sale. Kelenic was once a top-10 overall prospect but never lived up to the hype in Seattle; he’s still just 24, however, and did improve last season (.253/.327/.419). Sale made 20 starts for Boston last season, his most since 2019, and fanned 125 in 102⅔ innings. He still has top-of-the-rotation stuff if he can remain healthy. — Schoenfield
Final 2023 regular-season ranking: 9
Houston advanced to the American League Championship Series for the seventh consecutive season in 2023, and there are a lot of reasons to believe the Astros could do that again — maybe more so than in past seasons — behind Yordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman and the newly signed Josh Hader. But how dangerous Houston is may largely depend on whether Framber Valdez rediscovers his sinker, which largely abandoned him late in the year. Over his last 10 regular-season starts, he averaged 4⅔ innings and had a 4.29 ERA, and his ERA was 9.00 in the postseason. Houston’s season might come down to this: Can Framber find it? — Olney
Final 2023 regular-season ranking: 5
Is a reunion with Jordan Montgomery inevitable? Don’t bet against it, as agent Scott Boras is in a good position with Rangers brass. Boras directed Corey Seager and Marcus Semien to Texas and undoubtedly helped in moving Montgomery and Max Scherzer there as well via trade last summer. As the Rangers’ RSN situation clears up, they should be able to pounce and set themselves up for a repeat run. And don’t forget, Jacob deGrom is waiting in the wings as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. Texas is in a good position to contend, no matter what happens the rest of the spring. — Rogers
Final 2023 regular-season ranking: 2
In Corbin Burnes, Baltimore now has the veteran ace it needed, and you’d assume that with the promise of financial backing from potential new ownership, the Orioles will add bullpen depth. The O’s won 101 games last season, yet already, this is a much more complete team than in 2024 — and now there’s no question about whether the front office and the owners will spend to plug holes at the trade deadline. Now O’s fans can wonder — and dream — about how quickly Jackson Holliday will make an impact in the big leagues. He is the easy front-runner to win AL Rookie of the Year. — Olney
Final 2023 regular-season ranking: 6
Other than re-signing Aaron Nola and making a run at Yamamoto, it’s been a quiet offseason. They showed interest in relievers Jordan Hicks and Robert Stephenson but failed to sign either one. For now, that leaves Cristopher Sanchez as the No. 5 starter, rookie Orion Kerkering with a prominent role in the bullpen and Johan Rojas and Cristian Pache in center field (with Brandon Marsh in left). In other words, the Phillies didn’t make up any ground on the Braves. — Schoenfield
Final 2023 regular-season ranking: 16
If this master plan had played out the way owner Hal Steinbrenner wanted, Yoshinobu Yamamoto would have taken the Yankees’ money and slotted in behind Gerrit Cole in the rotation. But that didn’t happen, and now the Yankees will go into the season with uncertainty about their rotation depth. Will Nestor Cortes stay healthy? Will the Yankees get what they paid for in the second year of Carlos Rodon‘s contract, at a time when he’s on double-secret probation with Yankees fans? Will Clarke Schmidt evolve? Will they make a late-winter addition? — Olney
Final 2023 regular-season ranking: 4
Maybe the biggest question for the Rays going into the offseason was whether Wander Franco — who was supposed to be the face of the franchise — would be available to the team in 2024. His future status seems more uncertain than ever, because no matter when his legal situation is resolved, he still faces discipline from MLB, as well as persistent visa questions. Without Franco, can the Rays come close to matching their offensive production of 2023, when they led AL East teams in runs? — Olney
Final 2023 regular-season ranking: 12
The D-backs have responded to their surprising World Series run by doubling down, adding Eduardo Rodriguez to the middle of their rotation and injecting Eugenio Suarez and Joc Pederson into the middle of their lineup. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was brought back, too, solidifying left field. Arizona has done a nice job adding the pieces that would make its roster more complete. The concerns it had heading into October about the depth in the rotation and the back end of the bullpen are not nearly as prevalent. The D-backs’ biggest question heading into 2024 is more overarching: Are they good enough to once again take down the mighty Dodgers? — Gonzalez
Final 2023 regular-season ranking: 8
It really seems impossible that Toronto didn’t win a playoff game last season despite having the best rotation in the majors, but that fact really underscores how poorly the offense performed in 2023. The Jays were 16th in home runs and 14th in runs scored in the majors, surprising numbers for a team that has Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., so the mystery surrounding Toronto in 2024 is: How can a lineup that is largely the same be better? The one major change so far is the addition of Justin Turner, who effectively replaces free agent Brandon Belt. — Olney
Final 2023 regular-season ranking: 11
Deep breath. With a perhaps lower-than-anticipated payroll budget, president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto has been up to his usual creative approach to team building. To recap: Mitch Garver, Jorge Polanco, Luis Urias, Mitch Haniger, Luke Raley, Samad Taylor, Seby Zavala, Carlos Vargas and Austin Voth are in. Gone are Teoscar Hernandez, Eugenio Suarez, Robbie Ray, Jarred Kelenic, Justin Topa, Anthony DeSclafani (who was only barely here), Jose Caballero, Mike Ford, Tom Murphy, Marco Gonzales and Isaiah Campbell. Is the new group better? Hard to tell. The rotation remains intact, although bullpen depth looks like an issue, and Haniger and Urias will have to bounce back from miserable seasons. — Schoenfield
Final 2023 regular-season ranking: 13
Unlike the Rangers’ relationship with Boras, the Cubs haven’t lined up with his clients over the recent past. It’s a built-in roadblock to a reunion with Cody Bellinger or a match with third baseman Matt Chapman. And it’s a risky game of chicken for both sides. Bellinger might not have another big market available to him, while the Cubs won’t have much of an offense without him. The team isn’t likely to blink, believing their second-ranked farm system, according to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel, is about to explode. Will Boras blink? Perhaps he’ll be forced to accept a smaller deal — but no one knows how this will shake out. — Rogers
Final 2023 regular-season ranking: 7
Is Milwaukee in transition or can it continue to contend with new manager Pat Murphy? Signing Rhys Hoskins addressed several needs, as the Brewers have had a rotation of first baseman over the past several seasons. Not anymore, though — Hoskins should provide power and leadership on a team that lost its stalwarts on the mound, first Brandon Woodruff to free agency and now Corbin Burnes in a trade with Baltimore. So one step forward on offense but one step back on the mound, where Milwaukee will struggle to replace quality innings lost. It’s the big question heading into spring: Who will step forward at the top of the rotation after Freddy Peralta? — Rogers
Final 2023 regular-season ranking: 15
Cincinnati worked more quickly than a lot of teams in shoring up its pitching staff this offseason, signing four free agent pitchers and corner infielder Jeimer Candelario. If anything, the Reds might have to alleviate a logjam in the infield, but that’s a good problem to have. Their spring is about keeping their team healthy — especially a staff that lost youngsters Nick Lodolo and Graham Ashcraft last season. There should be no excuses this year as the Reds have talent throughout the roster. They could be a sneaky pick in a wide-open division. — Rogers
Final 2023 regular-season ranking: 10
No team seems more affected by the murky RSN situation than the Twins, who spent the winter more focused on managing payroll than on upgrading the roster. They lost ace Sonny Gray to free agency, traded Jorge Polanco and largely bypassed winter markets. All of that means that more than ever the Twins will need their core stars to stay on the field — and Byron Buxton (who says he intends to return to center field), Carlos Correa and Royce Lewis all have extensive injury histories. — Olney
Final 2023 regular-season ranking: 17
The Padres, still shaken by the death of revolutionary owner Peter Seidler, decided to cut costs this offseason and will field a far less talented team in 2024. Juan Soto and Hader are gone. Eventually Blake Snell will be, too. They’ve replaced them with a slew of controllable starting pitchers — largely through Soto’s trade to the Yankees — and a completely replenished bullpen. But they still desperately need help in the outfield and could use another bat at first base and/or designated hitter. Another top-of-the-rotation starter would certainly help, too, but it would have to come via trade. — Gonzalez
Final 2023 regular-season ranking: 19
Theo Epstein is going to go down in history as the greatest general manager ever because he conquered the Mount Everest and the K2 of World Series droughts, with the Red Sox in 2004 and then the Cubs in 2016. But it seems strange that adding him to the front office will be the biggest move of the offseason for a Red Sox team that needs help all over the place. Boston needs more offensive production, more pitching — but the front-burner question is whether manager Alex Cora signs an extension. — Olney
Final 2023 regular-season ranking: 22
Are the Mets good? Are they bad? Somewhere in the middle? Probably somewhere in the middle. Their big goal was to sign Yamamoto, and once that didn’t happen, they focused on second-tier (Sean Manaea, Luis Severino, Harrison Bader) and third-tier free agents (Jorge Lopez, Joey Wendle). They acquired Adrian Houser and Tyrone Taylor from the Brewers. They’ll need bounce-back seasons from Starling Marte and Jeff McNeil and improved results from youngsters Francisco Alvarez and Brett Baty. — Schoenfield
Final 2023 regular-season ranking: 25
The Cardinals filled all their holes this offseason but did quantity replace quality? Age was the theme of their pitching acquisitions, but that’s at least offset by 21-year-old shortstop Masyn Winn, who is on the verge of taking over up the middle. And don’t forget outfielder Jordan Walker, who has a year under his belt and quietly performed well for a bad team last year. But the biggest questions surround starters Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn. Can they perform at the back of the rotation while Sonny Gray and Miles Mikolas hold down the front? That answer will go a long way to determining the outcome of the Cardinals season. — Rogers
Final 2023 regular-season ranking: 21
If you’re looking for a sleeper pick, you could do worse than Detroit climbing in the AL Central after an improved second-half showing. The talent that the Tigers have collected in recent years is beginning to manifest. But look, Detroit is not going to climb unless there is more consistent offense; the Tigers finished 28th in runs scored in 2023. Will young players such as Riley Greene and older players such as Javy Baez generate more runs? — Olney
Final 2023 regular-season ranking: 20
Everyone loves the young rotation here, as Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams and Logan Allen all had promising rookie seasons, but Cleveland has failed to address what was the worst power-hitting outfield in the majors in decades (a combined 18 home runs). They did acquire Estevan Florial from the Yankees and he hit 28 home runs in Triple-A but with a ton of swing-and-miss (144 strikeouts in 101 games). Prospect George Valera hasn’t developed the power once expected and hit .211 in Triple-A. Where will the offense come from? — Schoenfield
Final 2023 regular-season ranking: 18
The Giants ranked dead last in innings from their starting pitchers last season. They’ve responded by … signing a longtime reliever whom they’ll convert to a starting pitcher and trading for a former ace who won’t return until midseason at the earliest. Maybe Jordan Hicks is excellent out of the rotation and Robbie Ray, coming off Tommy John surgery, miraculously finds his Cy Young form over the last two months of the regular season. But there are nonetheless major questions within this rotation, not the least of which is Alex Cobb‘s return from hip surgery. The lineup also has plenty of holes, even after the Jung Hoo Lee signing. — Gonzalez
Final 2023 regular-season ranking: 14
The Marlins made the playoffs in 2023 — and have essentially sat out the offseason, which isn’t quite the same as the fire sale that followed the 1997 World Series title but isn’t exactly encouraging for Marlins fans, either. New president of baseball operations Peter Bendix has done more evaluation than maneuvering, which isn’t necessarily the wrong decision here for a team that was outscored by 57 runs, has a weak farm system and will be without Sandy Alcantara while he recovers from Tommy John surgery. — Schoenfield
Final 2023 regular-season ranking: 23
Other than signing Aroldis Chapman, the Pirates haven’t made many changes to their roster this winter. They might simply be hoping that this is the year their young but talented group comes through for longer than a month or two. Pittsburgh garnered headlines last spring but faded as the calendar turned to summer and the pitching staff crumbled. But former first overall pick Henry Davis got his feet wet, the young staff got needed experience and shortstop Oneil Cruz is healthy again. It’s still probably not enough to compete for six months, but the Pirates will be a thorn for some teams with manager Derek Shelton keeping his players motivated through good and bad times. — Rogers
Final 2023 regular-season ranking: 24
The Angels were dealt the most devastating blow imaginable when they lost Shohei Ohtani to the crosstown rival Dodgers this offseason. They have yet to replace him as a starting pitcher and haven’t really replaced him as a hitter, either. Angels GM Perry Minasian has done a nice job deepening his bullpen but hasn’t done much else outside of adding veteran outfielder Aaron Hicks. The Angels, with a farm system that ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel recently ranked dead last heading into 2024, need plenty more help offensively and could use a top-of-the-rotation starter to boost a young staff. But unless they splurge on Cody Bellinger or Snell, it’s hard to see how they access that without significantly compromising their active roster. — Gonzalez
Final 2023 regular-season ranking: 29
Hey, at least the Royals are trying to get better, although there are mixed opinions on the overall quality of the additions: Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Will Smith, Chris Stratton, Garrett Hampson, Adam Frazier, Hunter Renfroe. Lugo and Wacha are the biggest keys, two guys who were pretty good last season and will help what was a terrible rotation. If Brady Singer bounces back and Cole Ragans is indeed the real deal that he was in the final two months of 2023, it will be the best rotation for the Royals since their World Series years. — Schoenfield
Final 2023 regular-season ranking: 26
The Nationals acquired Nick Senzel from the Reds and signed Joey Gallo, two moves that would have been much more exciting a few years ago. Senzel was the second overall pick in 2016 but battled injuries and put up a 77 OPS+ over five seasons with the Reds. He’ll get a chance to be the regular third baseman. Gallo has two 40-homer seasons and hit 38 as recently as 2021, but his batting averages haven’t been great the past three seasons: .199, .160 and .177. Since going to the Yankees at the trade deadline in 2021, he has produced just 1.2 WAR. — Schoenfield
Final 2023 regular-season ranking: 27
The White Sox are treating the offseason like they’re coming off a 100-win year instead of the 102 they actually lost. It has translated to some interesting pickups but mostly on the margins. Erick Fedde is an example. He’s part of a rebuilt starting staff that still features Dylan Cease — but for how long? Cease is likely to begin, but not finish, the season with the team, as trade talks will heat up again come summertime. The biggest question marks this offseason are in right field and second base, positions Chicago hasn’t nailed down for several years. Newcomer Nicky Lopez will get time at second while Gavin Sheets might be the Opening Day right fielder. Rinse and repeat. The White Sox are stuck in neutral — at best. — Rogers
Final 2023 regular-season ranking: 28
The Rockies’ pitching staff, which will be without both German Marquez and Antonio Senzatela for at least the first half, posted a major-league-worst 5.67 ERA last season. The front office responded with the additions of Cal Quantrill, Dakota Hudson and Anthony Molina, the latter a Rule 5 pick. That probably won’t cut it. The offense — despite playing half its games at Coors Field, of all places — was only 20th in OPS. Rather than make additions there, the Rockies will seemingly just hope for more health from Kris Bryant, more development from Ezequiel Tovar and more awesomeness from Nolan Jones. So, yeah, there are still plenty of questions about the Rockies heading into 2024. It’s much harder to find answers, frankly. — Gonzalez
Final 2023 regular-season ranking: 30
The big question for the A’s heading into 2024 is a simple one: When are they actually going to try again? They stripped their roster down to the studs while seeking a permanent home last season, and though they have since settled on Las Vegas, they still seemingly have no idea where they will play from 2025 to 2027. The A’s have lost a combined 214 games over the past two seasons, and there’s no indication they won’t lose at least another 100 more in 2024. All of their offseason additions have come on the margins. — Gonzalez
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Andrea Adelson, ESPN Senior Writer
Nothing about this Heisman Trophy race has followed the script we have come to expect. For one, there are no representatives from the SEC — the conference that has won four of the past five trophies.
Perhaps even more surprisingly, the same top four players on our midseason list remain on this one, though in a slightly different order. Colorado receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter has moved past Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty into the top spot. But only five points separate them, suggesting a tight race that could go down to the wire.
Two quarterbacks might have something to say about that. Going back to 2000, quarterbacks have won the Heisman 20 times; the only two non-QBs to win in the past 14 years were wide receiver Devonta Smith in 2020 and running back Derrick Henry in 2015. In addition, no player outside a power conference has won the award since Ty Detmer in 1990.
Here is how ESPN writers voted on their top Heisman candidates headed into the final week of the regular season. In this round of voting, 10 different players received votes.
To arrive at the final rankings, 12 voters were asked to select their top five. First-place votes earned five points with four points assigned for second-place votes, three points for third-place votes, two points for fourth-place votes and one point for fifth-place votes.
Total points: 56 (first-place votes: 9)
0:31
Travis Hunter hits the Heisman pose after 2nd TD for Colorado
Travis Hunter hits the Heisman pose after he catches his second touchdown of the game for Colorado vs. Kansas.
Simply put, nobody has done what Hunter has done this season, and that is the biggest reason why he has vaulted to the top of our Heisman watch. We are not just talking about the snap count here, which on its face is unprecedented; Hunter has played 1,266 snaps, more than any player since 2018, when ESPN started tracking snap count data.
He has been an elite starter at both of his positions: receiver and cornerback. Hunter has 82 catches for 1,036 yards and 11 touchdowns this season. His receiving touchdowns number is tied for the second most in a season in school history. Defensively, he has three interceptions and is the first player with 1,000 receiving yards and three interceptions in a season since at least 1980.
His snap count breakdown is nearly identical: 602 on offense, 640 on defense (with an addition 24 on special teams). The only other season in which someone played at least 200 snaps on both sides of the ball since 2018? Yup, Travis Hunter last year (412 on offense, 572 on defense).
According to ESPN Research, Colorado has run 710 plays on offense this season, and Hunter has played on 85% of them. On defense, Colorado has run 772 plays, with Hunter playing 83%.
For a comparison, the only defensive player to win the Heisman, Charles Woodson in 1997, played the bulk of his snaps on defense and was merely a contributor on offense, with 238 yards receiving and three touchdowns.
Is it any wonder Hunter has begun striking the Heisman pose at a much more frequent clip?
“Travis is who he is,” said Colorado coach Deion Sanders, who also played both ways as a player. “It’s supposed to go to the best college football player. I think that’s been a wrap since, what? Week 2?”
ESPN BET Heisman odds: -800
Total points: 51 (first-place votes: 3)
0:29
Ashton Jeanty can’t be contained on thrilling 61-yard TD
Ashton Jeanty finds an opening in the offensive line and houses a 61-yard touchdown to put Boise State ahead against Wyoming.
Jeanty has already reached his goal of 2,000 yards rushing through 11 games this season, continuing his master class of speed, toughness and big-play ability every time he touches the ball. He is now the first player to rush for 125 or more yards in 11 straight games in the same season since Troy Davis did it at Iowa State in 1996.
Jeanty needs three more rushing touchdowns to join Barry Sanders as the only players in FBS history with 30 rushing touchdowns and 2,000 yards rushing in a single season.
With 2,062 yards rushing so far this season, Jeanty leads the nation — with nearly 600 more yards than his closest competitor. He is also the first back since 2019 to rush for more than 2,000 yards.
Still, he is a ways away from the single-season rushing mark Sanders set in 1988 (2,850 yards). His production has also fallen off a tick since midseason. After averaging 9.9 yards per carry in his first six games, Jeanty has averaged 5.74 in the past five. He had three 200-yard performances in the first six games of the season, and just one in the past five.
But even when he is slowed, he is not completely stopped. Against UNLV, in which he had season lows in yards (128) and yards per carry (3.9), he scored the deciding touchdown in a 29-24 win. Last week in a closer-than-expected 17-13 win over Wyoming, Jeanty was forced out of the game and into the medical tent after taking a hard hit to the legs in the third quarter. He missed one drive but had 53 yards rushing upon his return to set up the go-ahead score.
“This is Game 11, Week 13 of the season, and he’s an absolute warrior playing through being banged up,” coach Spencer Danielson said after the victory over Wyoming. “We got to be smart with his body and make sure we get him what he needs.”
ESPN BET Heisman odds: +600
Total points: 34
2:19
Cam Ward goes off against Duke with 5-TD performance
Cam Ward goes 25-for-41 with 400 yards and five touchdowns to push the Hurricanes past the Blue Devils.
Miami built its football dynasty with a succession of elite quarterbacks who earned it the nickname “Quarterback U.” But it has been more than 20 years since the Hurricanes both won a championship and had a quarterback make it to New York as a finalist for the Heisman.
Ward appears on the verge of changing all that. He has not been perfect, but Ward has been, quite simply, the most dazzling quarterback in college football this season. Some of his plays border on incomprehensible — from no-look shovel passes to big throws across his body — but others are the routine throws that he needs to make to get the job done. Ward is completing a career-high 67.2% of his passes and has the Hurricanes ranked No. 1 in the nation in total offense, averaging 541.5 yards per game.
Along the way, he has reset the single-season school record for touchdown passes (34 and counting), passing yards (3,774) and completions (268), doing it with an unflappability that has earned him widespread praise from his coaches and teammates. The latter two marks were set by Bernie Kosar in 1984. Not since Ken Dorsey made it to New York in 2001 and 2002 has there been so much excitement around the quarterback position at Miami.
Ward has brought hope that the program has turned a corner. A win on over Syracuse on Saturday puts the Hurricanes in the ACC championship game and keeps their College Football Playoff hopes alive. Ward put a 28-23 loss to Georgia Tech on Nov. 9 — in which he fumbled on the final drive — behind him, following it up with a 280-yard, two-touchdown performance in a 42-14 victory over Wake Forest on Saturday. He knows he has to be at his best for the Hurricanes to reach the goals they set when the season began.
ESPN BET Heisman odds: +1200
Total points: 26
0:25
Dillon Gabriel becomes FBS all-time TD leader with pass to lineman
Dillon Gabriel finds Gernorris Wilson in the end zone to pass Case Keenum as the all-time touchdown leader in FBS history.
Gabriel has done exactly what he has done over the course of his six-year career: throw for lots of yards and score lots of touchdowns. Indeed, for the fifth time in his career, he is over 3,000 yards passing (the lone exception at UCF in 2021, when he went down with a season-ending injury early in the year). Gabriel also set the NCAA FBS record earlier this month for total touchdowns (179), so his productivity and longevity cannot be denied.
The difference, this year, is that his veteran presence, savvy playmaking and remarkable accuracy has lifted Oregon to the No. 1 ranking as the only undefeated team left in the country.
That is no coincidence. Gabriel is completing a career-high 73.8% of his passes as he has methodically guided the offense, ranking No. 5 in the country in QBR. At the midseason point, Gabriel was at No. 4 in this poll as well. To climb higher, he will have to do more in his last two games. Last time out against Wisconsin, he failed to throw a touchdown for the first time all season as Oregon scored a season-low 16 points. Still, Gabriel made plays to lead the Ducks to a come-from-behind 16-13 win in which they outscored the Badgers 10-0 in the fourth quarter.
Against Maryland on Nov. 9, Gabriel threw three touchdown passes but only for 183 yards. In his past two games, his QBR was well below his season average. Opportunities against Washington and in the Big Ten championship game could potentially be difference makers in the Heisman race.
ESPN BET Heisman odds: +5000
Total points: 8
0:30
Cam Skattebo celebrates 3rd TD by autographing football
Arizona State’s Cam Skattebo immediately autographs a football after scoring his third rushing touchdown of the game.
As Arizona State has begun its rise, so too has Skattebo. After receiving zero votes in our midseason poll, Skattebo sits at No. 5, thanks in large part to the impact he has had on the Sun Devils’ offense. He ranks No. 2 in the nation in all-purpose yards behind Jeanty with 1,681 (1,221 yards rushing, 460 yards receiving).
The 5-foot-11, 215-pounder plays like a battering ram, making him one of the hardest players to bring down in college football.
According to TruMedia, Skattebo ranks No. 2 in the country behind Jeanty in forced missed tackles on rushes, with a whopping 86 through Week 12. (Also consider: He has 49 fewer runs than Jeanty.) One other particularly impressive stat: Skattebo has been the most effective in the fourth quarter. In that quarter, Skattebo has 337 yards rushing, more than any other quarter. Especially eye-opening considering he missed one game and sat out the fourth quarter in two blowout wins.
Skattebo also averages his highest yards per carry in the fourth quarter (6.1) and has more 10-plus-yard runs in the fourth than any other quarter.
There has been something endearing about his rise to national prominence. He has an NIL deal for his signature “Skatteburger” at a local restaurant chain, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Phoenix Children’s Hospital.
ESPN BET Heisman odds: N/A
Also receiving votes: Omarion Hampton, North Carolina, RB (1 point); Kyle Kennard, South Carolina, DE (1); Bryson Daily, Army, QB (1); Harold Fannin Jr., Bowling Green, TE (1); Tyler Warren, Penn State, TE (1)
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