Post by White Sox GM (Michael) on Dec 15, 2015 21:49:10 GMT -5
\/ \/ \/ Please read this part first for your sanity and mine \/ \/ \/
Here are my power rankings. I did not factor in cap space or moves that I think teams will make before the season begins. I also did not factor in future seasons. All I care about (in these rankings) is what these teams have right now. If you feel bad about your team's spot, there's plenty of time to make moves and change your position. I plan on doing a very similar post after free agency, so this ranking will be cool to see in comparison to the other.
I tried to organize every team in tiers, since it's almost impossible to split up teams very close in talent. Like, I really had to think about where I ended up putting some of these teams. There are rankings within the tiers, but I wouldn't pay too much attention to them.
Tier 1: Best of the Best
1. Boston Red Sox - Not only are the Red Sox young, but they are also really talented right now. It's hard to argue against Miguel Cabrera and Kris Bryant, one of the best 3-4 combos in the league. The lineup is deep, though, including Xander Bogaerts as one of the league's top shortstops, and Mookie Betts and Joc Pederson as two outfielders whose skillsets balance well. The rotation is probably even stronger - Jose Fernandez is a top-5 pitcher when healthy, and Sonny Gray has established himself as an ace. Shelby Miller, Lance Lynn, and others are #2 pitchers serving as much less than that. Plus, the Red Sox can expect a little production from rookies as usual. The dynasty of the East has arrived.
2. Miami Marlins - This team traded Mike Trout and Nelson Cruz yet the lineup is still ridiculous. Josh Donaldson and Yoenis Cespedes have a ton of power, Freddie Freeman is still a really good option at first, and A.J. Pollock is a budding star. The rest of the lineup is deep (I didn't even mention Dickerson), and the rotation can also hold its own. Maybe its stability right now is a little concerning, but I'm a fan of each of the top three pitchers. The bullpen is filled to the brim, too, so I'm not too worried about the Marlins losing lots of pitching counting statistics. Even if they do, there aren't going to be many teams beating this lineup.
3. Philadelphia Phillies - Not only are the Marlins and Phillies rivals, but they're also pretty similar teams at this point. The Phillies probably have the second strongest lineup in the NL at this point, headed by Anthony Rizzo, Carlos Correa, and George Springer. However, there are quality contributors at basically every position. As I've said before, this rotation is an ace away from being really good. Iwakuma and Quintana are pretty dependable, and Gio Gonzalez, Alex Wood, Anthony Desclafani, plus others make this rotation deep and fairly high quality. The bullpen is shallow but has a few good contributors. Even before free agency, this is a team that can compete with the best of the NL.
4. Chicago Cubs - The Cubbies is too cute of a nickname for CubCorp. Anyway, this team is good. Mike Trout, I like that player. CarGo is another nice bat to have, and Sano is going to be slaying baseballs for a decade plus. There are more decent hitters, but this is still a thin lineup for a competitor like the Cubs. The rotation, however, is stacked. You know you got it good when Matt Harvey is your #5. Also, it must be nice to have the best hitter and the best pitcher *scrolls down, sees Aroldis Chapman* oh, and the best reliever. lol
5. Pittsburgh Pirates - Another pair of NL rivals listed together. The Pirates are a more well-rounded team than the Cubs, sporting the significantly better lineup right now (Schwarber, Abreu, Arenado...I'm foaming a little bit at the mouth). The rotation is not quite as strong, but it has a lot of young and talented pitchers, and some of those young and talented pitchers will be good pitchers in 2016 (this is the analysis you paid for). Also, Wade Davis. It's essentially a coinflip for the NL Central title right now.
Tier 2: Serious Contenders
6. Chicago White Sox - Same shit, different year, Mike. Lots and lots of power (Stanton, Bautista, Encarnacion), as well as contributions from Buster Posey, Ian Kinsler, Justin Turner, and others. The team isn't the deepest and could fill up some holes in the lineup, but the hitting certainly isn't the problem. deGrom and Jansen head the rotation and bullpen, respectively, but the White Sox probably need another starter to pair with Scott Kazmir before considering themselves complete.
7. Kansas City Royals - As I said in another post, arguably the most complete team right now. The Royals have solid starters and decent depth anywhere. The lineup is headed by Joey Votto, perennial good hitter, followed by Brandon Crawford, Carlos Santana, and other above-average contributors. The staff ace is Corey Kluber, one of the best, and Kevin Gausman is a good candidate to take the next step this season. There's a lot of average here, but a lot of average without any holes and with a few stars makes this a pretty good team.
8. Arizona Diamondbacks - The defending champs have lost some firepower, but they're still elite. The pitching is nowhere near as strong as it was a few months ago, but Bumgarner is a top-ten pitcher and Garrett Richards is a pretty nice #2 to have. The lineup isn't great, but Andrew McCutchen alleviates a lot of problems, and Ryan Braun is still pretty good. Eric Hosmer also improved a lot last season. The real star of this team, though, is actually the bullpen. Dellin Betances is elite, Cody Allen and Kelvin Herrera are nearly so, and Steve Cishek is another good option. However, in order to retain the crown, though, the D-Backs might have to improve in the other, more consequential areas.
9. Detroit Tigers - The lineup is like a hand-painted vase on the San Andreas Fault. It could shatter to pieces in any second, but it's pretty right now. Luckily for the Tigers, no earthquakes came last year, and Prince/Tex/A-Rod were all really good again! There's also Gardner, Pence, and Wieters, but the Tigers have to hope this isn't the year when everybody ages. Even if they do, this team has a really nice rotation, arguably the best in the AL. It's hard to argue with a 1-3 of Chris Sale, Adam Wainwright, and Jeff Samardzija, and Clay Buchholz has been quietly good as well. If Detroit hits as well as they did last year, they should expect another playoff berth.
Tier 3: Sacks
10. New York Mets - Jack gets a lot of shit, but I'm actually a fan of this team. First off, Harper/Davis/Cruz is a killer middle of the order with insane power. The lineup also includes McCann, Revere, and a bounceback candidate in Pablo Sandoval. The rotation doesn't have as many sure-thing, known commodities, but Julio Teheran and Michael Pineda are both candidates to improve this season. Also, Chen and Gibson are solid mid-rotation options, and the bullpen is fine (Papelbon and Harper on the same team tho). The Mets are still a few steps behind the Phillies and Marlins, but they are on the path to contention.
11. San Diego Padres - Another sack that's proving people wrong and making a good team. The Padres' goldmine is their pitching, where Price and Darvish head a rotation with question marks but also potential. The bullpen has Jeurys Familia, who is now arguably an elite closer (he's top 10). The lineup isn't amazing at first glance, but it's pretty deep, and pretty good. After Lorenzo Cain and Todd Frazier, there's Lucas Duda, Alex Gordon, Wil Myers, and Andrelton Simmons to name a few. Plus, they have money (but so does everyone else). People might not realize, but the Padres are good.
Tier 4: Thinking about the playoffs
12. Baltimore Orioles - Holes and all, this should be one of the better lineups in the AL. Goldschmidt and Altuve are two of the league's best players, and the outfield is extremely deep. The Orioles seem to be going for a quantity-over-quality approach for pitching, both in the pen and the rotation. The bullpen should be fine overall, but the Orioles lack really dependable starters. Jungmann, Hahn, Fiers, and others are all good mid-rotation starters with talent to be more, but this team is probably an ace away from really serious contention.
13. San Francisco Giants - The Giants have a pretty solid lineup, headed by Wong and Marte (the latter of which is pretty unappreciated) and backed by lots of above-average hitters in the outfield or first base. The pitching staff right now isn't the strongest, but I'm a fan of both Estrada and McHugh, probably the team's two best starters. In addition, Craig Kimbrel, still an elite closer, helps this team's Ks and rate statistics a lot. With a lot of money still in the bank, and a weaker Diamondbacks team, the Giants should still end up competing in what could be an open-ended West.
14. Minnesota Twins - Manny Machado, Dallas Keuchel, and Chris Archer is a pretty fuckin awesome core. The Twins still have some substance after that - Jason Kipnis can still be a very good contributor at second, and the rest of the lineup is mostly filled. However, while this team has a lot of players, there aren't enough dependable ones for this to be a playoff-bound squad as it stands now. Essentially, a lot of these guys are fringy or below-average, which is fine at some positions, but it is too characteristic of the team to expect strong production as a whole.
15. Cincinnati Reds - I like the moves this team has been making! The Reds are in a tough division, and the easiest, or really the best, way out is through strong trading. I mean, duh. But yea, Cody knows how to get value on the MLB level. Adrian Gonzalez, Marcell Ozuna, and Brian Dozier will all produce, and the rest of the lineup is thin right now, but there are some serviceable options there. There's also top prospect Corey Seager who can already hit, and Gregory Bird who will fill in for Teixeira when he gets injured. The pitching is not as stable, as it is definitely contingent on the development of some pitching prospects/newbies and also the health of Zack Wheeler. Although the Reds can only hope for a shot at a Wild Card this season, they are set up to move up in the National League.
16. Cleveland Indians - The epitome of the stars-and-scrubs team construction. The lineup is strong because it includes Longoria, Adam Jones, and Cano, and there are ok players at the other positions. By default, it's better than most right now. The rotation has Max Scherzer, who is really fucking good and sometimes overshadowed by other (real-life) NL starters. After that, it's really weak, and the bullpen isn't enough to salvage the rotation. Ultimately, considering the competition, it will be difficult for the Indians to get to playoff contention without a fuller squad.
17. Tampa Bay Rays - Right now, the Rays have an almost full pitching staff that can definitely hold its own in the AL. There some risk but that's what you get with youth - the upside certainly warrants having this rotation. Buxton is a good starting point for the offense, but he has to be surrounded by more dependable options until he gets used to Major League pitching. The Rays have started doing this with players like Bruce and Martin, but they have a long way to go before this is a full lineup to complement the staff.
Tier 5: At a standstill (plus the top of the AL West)
18. Seattle Mariners - This team is really young, and it has a lot of players who are playing like they're in their primes. Noah Syndergaard is an animal, and Lindor and Eaton, along with Kyle Seager, head a pretty promising lineup. There are, however, a lot of question marks behind Thor and an injury-laden Alex Cobb, and the bullpen is empty. Until the Mariners fill out their team (and they have the assets to do so), they'll have trouble taking the non-rate categories in matchups with teams that simply have more full-time players.
19. Texas Rangers - The Rangers have had trouble breaking through in the AL West over the past few years, but now could be their chance. It's not that this is a really strong team right now, but there are plenty of decent players and enough room (and money) where they can make some changes. The lineup revolves around Carlos Gomez, who was insanely good in 2013/14 but merely serviceable last year. Their other Carlos, however, might be their best player. I'm a big fan ofSS prospect Carlos Herrera Carlos Carrasco, and I think he's potentially a top-15 pitcher next season. After that, however, it's hard to say whether Rick Porcello and Alfredo Simon will regain form next season. If not, it will be difficult for the Rangers to have enough pitching to take the West.
20. Washington Nationals - Sorry Bryan, but I'm not sure about that bet (though you do have a lot of money and can work some Bryan voodoo magic). There are just too many players that don't have a lot of promise. The offense has Joe Panik and Alcides Escobar, a pretty good double play combo, but I don't know how Wright and Ellsbury and Choo will perform. On the pitching side, Felix is still an ace, but the rotation has a lot of back-end starters after that. Basically, in order to be a contender with this current roster construction, Washington needs to have all its formerly good players be good players again. It's possible (see: Tigers lineup last season), but I wouldn't say that's the most likely outcome.
21. Milwaukee Brewers - The Brew Crew are still retooling on the Major League level, so it's not the deepest team ever. I still think Tulo is elite, injuries and all, and Yadi will probably be solid, but he'll also be 34. I like Kevin Pillar a lot, especially in the Jays' lineup. The pitching is pretty weak, though James Shields is one of the league's most dependable pitchers (he's thrown 200+ IP every season since 2007). However, for now, it looks as though the Brewers are mostly waiting on their big prospects to come up before making a move in the Central.
22. Los Angeles Dodgers - The Dodgers seem to be creeping closer and closer to a rebuild, and it might be time for one in L.A. The team's most attractive pitcher and hitter (not by looks - that would take a lot of Google Images searches) are Anibal Sanchez and Howie Kendrick, respectively. After that, most of the players are back-end SP types or bottom-of-the-lineup hitters. With a lot of money available this season, it may be smart to ship it out for lots of useful assets for the future.
Tier 6: Rebuilding but hey I recognize that one guy on your roster
23. Toronto Blue Jays - We are starting to see the semblance of an actual roster here. I'm a really big fan of Severino, and Franco, Herrera, and Gregorius should be solid moving forward. Osuna is a good bullpen piece already. This is clearly a team in rebuild mode still, but it is at least beginning to see the fruits of its labor.
24. Colorado Rockies - For the most part, the Rockies have traded their MLB talent for prospects. Some players, like 2015 All-Star Game starter D.J. Lemahieu and perennial ok player Nick Markakis, are worth a damn, but almost all of this franchise's value is tied up in the farm. Players like Judge and Urias could make an impact as soon as this season. Regardless of whether they play and play well, this team will be well under .500.
25. Houston Astros - There are some vestiges of a team here, and word has it Max traded Ryan Zimmerman somehow (I don't actually know because I'm still working on this shit). Rajai Davis is the type of player that I would trade for at the deadline because he wouldn't cost too much and he hits ok and I don't know what that has to do with anything. The pitching has a good amount of promise, even sans-Pineda, and I expect Alvarez to bounce back. The lineup is going to struggle a lot, however, because there's nobody there, which typically doesn't help.
Tier 7: You're probably here on purpose*
*That goes for the previous tier, too
26. Oakland Athletics - The defending AL champs decided to tear it down (thank the Lord). There's still some potential on the MLB roster, including the polarizing Javier Baez and the formerly good prospect who is now sorta good except for last year Leonys Martin. The minor league system has a lot of players who I've heard of before, and since most of my prospect knowledge comes from 2012 and 2013, that probably means they're close to the Majors. Other than that, it will be a few years before the A's can expect enough production from those prospects to become a powerhouse again.
27. St. Louis Cardinals - Having J.D. Martinez gets you up here. J.D. Martinez hit 38 homers last year, huh, never woulda guessed. After that, there's nothing to really see, although I can see a lot of prospects in the minors, some of who can contribute this year. A few seasons down the road, however, is when the Cards will start seeing more success.
28. New York Yankees - Well, there's more here than there was when Justin took over. The emergence of Matt Duffy helps a lot, and Justin tells me David Lough is good. Right now, the little production the Yankees get on the MLB level is mostly from the waiver wire, a solid strategy until the team can get a greater influx of talent from more drafting and trading.
29. Atlanta Braves - There are a decent amount of names on the 40-man roster. Some of them are probably real baseball players, but I didn't bother to check. One fun fact is that Edinson Rincon apparently plays third base, also known as "the hot corner" by many baseball superfans, and rincon is Spanish for corner.
30. Los Angeles Angels - This is...a team, I guess. They exist in theory. Ketel Marte is a player who can contribute. Scott Baker was good in 2011. Brandon Cumpton was a Major Leaguer once, but he's probably only there because Santi finds the name funny. Before this rebuild starts turning prospects into players, they'll have to start selling cap money to people to come to the games and look like "fans." I respect the grind, though. Oy vey.
Here are my power rankings. I did not factor in cap space or moves that I think teams will make before the season begins. I also did not factor in future seasons. All I care about (in these rankings) is what these teams have right now. If you feel bad about your team's spot, there's plenty of time to make moves and change your position. I plan on doing a very similar post after free agency, so this ranking will be cool to see in comparison to the other.
I tried to organize every team in tiers, since it's almost impossible to split up teams very close in talent. Like, I really had to think about where I ended up putting some of these teams. There are rankings within the tiers, but I wouldn't pay too much attention to them.
Tier 1: Best of the Best
1. Boston Red Sox - Not only are the Red Sox young, but they are also really talented right now. It's hard to argue against Miguel Cabrera and Kris Bryant, one of the best 3-4 combos in the league. The lineup is deep, though, including Xander Bogaerts as one of the league's top shortstops, and Mookie Betts and Joc Pederson as two outfielders whose skillsets balance well. The rotation is probably even stronger - Jose Fernandez is a top-5 pitcher when healthy, and Sonny Gray has established himself as an ace. Shelby Miller, Lance Lynn, and others are #2 pitchers serving as much less than that. Plus, the Red Sox can expect a little production from rookies as usual. The dynasty of the East has arrived.
2. Miami Marlins - This team traded Mike Trout and Nelson Cruz yet the lineup is still ridiculous. Josh Donaldson and Yoenis Cespedes have a ton of power, Freddie Freeman is still a really good option at first, and A.J. Pollock is a budding star. The rest of the lineup is deep (I didn't even mention Dickerson), and the rotation can also hold its own. Maybe its stability right now is a little concerning, but I'm a fan of each of the top three pitchers. The bullpen is filled to the brim, too, so I'm not too worried about the Marlins losing lots of pitching counting statistics. Even if they do, there aren't going to be many teams beating this lineup.
3. Philadelphia Phillies - Not only are the Marlins and Phillies rivals, but they're also pretty similar teams at this point. The Phillies probably have the second strongest lineup in the NL at this point, headed by Anthony Rizzo, Carlos Correa, and George Springer. However, there are quality contributors at basically every position. As I've said before, this rotation is an ace away from being really good. Iwakuma and Quintana are pretty dependable, and Gio Gonzalez, Alex Wood, Anthony Desclafani, plus others make this rotation deep and fairly high quality. The bullpen is shallow but has a few good contributors. Even before free agency, this is a team that can compete with the best of the NL.
4. Chicago Cubs - The Cubbies is too cute of a nickname for CubCorp. Anyway, this team is good. Mike Trout, I like that player. CarGo is another nice bat to have, and Sano is going to be slaying baseballs for a decade plus. There are more decent hitters, but this is still a thin lineup for a competitor like the Cubs. The rotation, however, is stacked. You know you got it good when Matt Harvey is your #5. Also, it must be nice to have the best hitter and the best pitcher *scrolls down, sees Aroldis Chapman* oh, and the best reliever. lol
5. Pittsburgh Pirates - Another pair of NL rivals listed together. The Pirates are a more well-rounded team than the Cubs, sporting the significantly better lineup right now (Schwarber, Abreu, Arenado...I'm foaming a little bit at the mouth). The rotation is not quite as strong, but it has a lot of young and talented pitchers, and some of those young and talented pitchers will be good pitchers in 2016 (this is the analysis you paid for). Also, Wade Davis. It's essentially a coinflip for the NL Central title right now.
Tier 2: Serious Contenders
6. Chicago White Sox - Same shit, different year, Mike. Lots and lots of power (Stanton, Bautista, Encarnacion), as well as contributions from Buster Posey, Ian Kinsler, Justin Turner, and others. The team isn't the deepest and could fill up some holes in the lineup, but the hitting certainly isn't the problem. deGrom and Jansen head the rotation and bullpen, respectively, but the White Sox probably need another starter to pair with Scott Kazmir before considering themselves complete.
7. Kansas City Royals - As I said in another post, arguably the most complete team right now. The Royals have solid starters and decent depth anywhere. The lineup is headed by Joey Votto, perennial good hitter, followed by Brandon Crawford, Carlos Santana, and other above-average contributors. The staff ace is Corey Kluber, one of the best, and Kevin Gausman is a good candidate to take the next step this season. There's a lot of average here, but a lot of average without any holes and with a few stars makes this a pretty good team.
8. Arizona Diamondbacks - The defending champs have lost some firepower, but they're still elite. The pitching is nowhere near as strong as it was a few months ago, but Bumgarner is a top-ten pitcher and Garrett Richards is a pretty nice #2 to have. The lineup isn't great, but Andrew McCutchen alleviates a lot of problems, and Ryan Braun is still pretty good. Eric Hosmer also improved a lot last season. The real star of this team, though, is actually the bullpen. Dellin Betances is elite, Cody Allen and Kelvin Herrera are nearly so, and Steve Cishek is another good option. However, in order to retain the crown, though, the D-Backs might have to improve in the other, more consequential areas.
9. Detroit Tigers - The lineup is like a hand-painted vase on the San Andreas Fault. It could shatter to pieces in any second, but it's pretty right now. Luckily for the Tigers, no earthquakes came last year, and Prince/Tex/A-Rod were all really good again! There's also Gardner, Pence, and Wieters, but the Tigers have to hope this isn't the year when everybody ages. Even if they do, this team has a really nice rotation, arguably the best in the AL. It's hard to argue with a 1-3 of Chris Sale, Adam Wainwright, and Jeff Samardzija, and Clay Buchholz has been quietly good as well. If Detroit hits as well as they did last year, they should expect another playoff berth.
Tier 3: Sacks
10. New York Mets - Jack gets a lot of shit, but I'm actually a fan of this team. First off, Harper/Davis/Cruz is a killer middle of the order with insane power. The lineup also includes McCann, Revere, and a bounceback candidate in Pablo Sandoval. The rotation doesn't have as many sure-thing, known commodities, but Julio Teheran and Michael Pineda are both candidates to improve this season. Also, Chen and Gibson are solid mid-rotation options, and the bullpen is fine (Papelbon and Harper on the same team tho). The Mets are still a few steps behind the Phillies and Marlins, but they are on the path to contention.
11. San Diego Padres - Another sack that's proving people wrong and making a good team. The Padres' goldmine is their pitching, where Price and Darvish head a rotation with question marks but also potential. The bullpen has Jeurys Familia, who is now arguably an elite closer (he's top 10). The lineup isn't amazing at first glance, but it's pretty deep, and pretty good. After Lorenzo Cain and Todd Frazier, there's Lucas Duda, Alex Gordon, Wil Myers, and Andrelton Simmons to name a few. Plus, they have money (but so does everyone else). People might not realize, but the Padres are good.
Tier 4: Thinking about the playoffs
12. Baltimore Orioles - Holes and all, this should be one of the better lineups in the AL. Goldschmidt and Altuve are two of the league's best players, and the outfield is extremely deep. The Orioles seem to be going for a quantity-over-quality approach for pitching, both in the pen and the rotation. The bullpen should be fine overall, but the Orioles lack really dependable starters. Jungmann, Hahn, Fiers, and others are all good mid-rotation starters with talent to be more, but this team is probably an ace away from really serious contention.
13. San Francisco Giants - The Giants have a pretty solid lineup, headed by Wong and Marte (the latter of which is pretty unappreciated) and backed by lots of above-average hitters in the outfield or first base. The pitching staff right now isn't the strongest, but I'm a fan of both Estrada and McHugh, probably the team's two best starters. In addition, Craig Kimbrel, still an elite closer, helps this team's Ks and rate statistics a lot. With a lot of money still in the bank, and a weaker Diamondbacks team, the Giants should still end up competing in what could be an open-ended West.
14. Minnesota Twins - Manny Machado, Dallas Keuchel, and Chris Archer is a pretty fuckin awesome core. The Twins still have some substance after that - Jason Kipnis can still be a very good contributor at second, and the rest of the lineup is mostly filled. However, while this team has a lot of players, there aren't enough dependable ones for this to be a playoff-bound squad as it stands now. Essentially, a lot of these guys are fringy or below-average, which is fine at some positions, but it is too characteristic of the team to expect strong production as a whole.
15. Cincinnati Reds - I like the moves this team has been making! The Reds are in a tough division, and the easiest, or really the best, way out is through strong trading. I mean, duh. But yea, Cody knows how to get value on the MLB level. Adrian Gonzalez, Marcell Ozuna, and Brian Dozier will all produce, and the rest of the lineup is thin right now, but there are some serviceable options there. There's also top prospect Corey Seager who can already hit, and Gregory Bird who will fill in for Teixeira when he gets injured. The pitching is not as stable, as it is definitely contingent on the development of some pitching prospects/newbies and also the health of Zack Wheeler. Although the Reds can only hope for a shot at a Wild Card this season, they are set up to move up in the National League.
16. Cleveland Indians - The epitome of the stars-and-scrubs team construction. The lineup is strong because it includes Longoria, Adam Jones, and Cano, and there are ok players at the other positions. By default, it's better than most right now. The rotation has Max Scherzer, who is really fucking good and sometimes overshadowed by other (real-life) NL starters. After that, it's really weak, and the bullpen isn't enough to salvage the rotation. Ultimately, considering the competition, it will be difficult for the Indians to get to playoff contention without a fuller squad.
17. Tampa Bay Rays - Right now, the Rays have an almost full pitching staff that can definitely hold its own in the AL. There some risk but that's what you get with youth - the upside certainly warrants having this rotation. Buxton is a good starting point for the offense, but he has to be surrounded by more dependable options until he gets used to Major League pitching. The Rays have started doing this with players like Bruce and Martin, but they have a long way to go before this is a full lineup to complement the staff.
Tier 5: At a standstill (plus the top of the AL West)
18. Seattle Mariners - This team is really young, and it has a lot of players who are playing like they're in their primes. Noah Syndergaard is an animal, and Lindor and Eaton, along with Kyle Seager, head a pretty promising lineup. There are, however, a lot of question marks behind Thor and an injury-laden Alex Cobb, and the bullpen is empty. Until the Mariners fill out their team (and they have the assets to do so), they'll have trouble taking the non-rate categories in matchups with teams that simply have more full-time players.
19. Texas Rangers - The Rangers have had trouble breaking through in the AL West over the past few years, but now could be their chance. It's not that this is a really strong team right now, but there are plenty of decent players and enough room (and money) where they can make some changes. The lineup revolves around Carlos Gomez, who was insanely good in 2013/14 but merely serviceable last year. Their other Carlos, however, might be their best player. I'm a big fan of
20. Washington Nationals - Sorry Bryan, but I'm not sure about that bet (though you do have a lot of money and can work some Bryan voodoo magic). There are just too many players that don't have a lot of promise. The offense has Joe Panik and Alcides Escobar, a pretty good double play combo, but I don't know how Wright and Ellsbury and Choo will perform. On the pitching side, Felix is still an ace, but the rotation has a lot of back-end starters after that. Basically, in order to be a contender with this current roster construction, Washington needs to have all its formerly good players be good players again. It's possible (see: Tigers lineup last season), but I wouldn't say that's the most likely outcome.
21. Milwaukee Brewers - The Brew Crew are still retooling on the Major League level, so it's not the deepest team ever. I still think Tulo is elite, injuries and all, and Yadi will probably be solid, but he'll also be 34. I like Kevin Pillar a lot, especially in the Jays' lineup. The pitching is pretty weak, though James Shields is one of the league's most dependable pitchers (he's thrown 200+ IP every season since 2007). However, for now, it looks as though the Brewers are mostly waiting on their big prospects to come up before making a move in the Central.
22. Los Angeles Dodgers - The Dodgers seem to be creeping closer and closer to a rebuild, and it might be time for one in L.A. The team's most attractive pitcher and hitter (not by looks - that would take a lot of Google Images searches) are Anibal Sanchez and Howie Kendrick, respectively. After that, most of the players are back-end SP types or bottom-of-the-lineup hitters. With a lot of money available this season, it may be smart to ship it out for lots of useful assets for the future.
Tier 6: Rebuilding but hey I recognize that one guy on your roster
23. Toronto Blue Jays - We are starting to see the semblance of an actual roster here. I'm a really big fan of Severino, and Franco, Herrera, and Gregorius should be solid moving forward. Osuna is a good bullpen piece already. This is clearly a team in rebuild mode still, but it is at least beginning to see the fruits of its labor.
24. Colorado Rockies - For the most part, the Rockies have traded their MLB talent for prospects. Some players, like 2015 All-Star Game starter D.J. Lemahieu and perennial ok player Nick Markakis, are worth a damn, but almost all of this franchise's value is tied up in the farm. Players like Judge and Urias could make an impact as soon as this season. Regardless of whether they play and play well, this team will be well under .500.
25. Houston Astros - There are some vestiges of a team here, and word has it Max traded Ryan Zimmerman somehow (I don't actually know because I'm still working on this shit). Rajai Davis is the type of player that I would trade for at the deadline because he wouldn't cost too much and he hits ok and I don't know what that has to do with anything. The pitching has a good amount of promise, even sans-Pineda, and I expect Alvarez to bounce back. The lineup is going to struggle a lot, however, because there's nobody there, which typically doesn't help.
Tier 7: You're probably here on purpose*
*That goes for the previous tier, too
26. Oakland Athletics - The defending AL champs decided to tear it down (thank the Lord). There's still some potential on the MLB roster, including the polarizing Javier Baez and the formerly good prospect who is now sorta good except for last year Leonys Martin. The minor league system has a lot of players who I've heard of before, and since most of my prospect knowledge comes from 2012 and 2013, that probably means they're close to the Majors. Other than that, it will be a few years before the A's can expect enough production from those prospects to become a powerhouse again.
27. St. Louis Cardinals - Having J.D. Martinez gets you up here. J.D. Martinez hit 38 homers last year, huh, never woulda guessed. After that, there's nothing to really see, although I can see a lot of prospects in the minors, some of who can contribute this year. A few seasons down the road, however, is when the Cards will start seeing more success.
28. New York Yankees - Well, there's more here than there was when Justin took over. The emergence of Matt Duffy helps a lot, and Justin tells me David Lough is good. Right now, the little production the Yankees get on the MLB level is mostly from the waiver wire, a solid strategy until the team can get a greater influx of talent from more drafting and trading.
29. Atlanta Braves - There are a decent amount of names on the 40-man roster. Some of them are probably real baseball players, but I didn't bother to check. One fun fact is that Edinson Rincon apparently plays third base, also known as "the hot corner" by many baseball superfans, and rincon is Spanish for corner.
30. Los Angeles Angels - This is...a team, I guess. They exist in theory. Ketel Marte is a player who can contribute. Scott Baker was good in 2011. Brandon Cumpton was a Major Leaguer once, but he's probably only there because Santi finds the name funny. Before this rebuild starts turning prospects into players, they'll have to start selling cap money to people to come to the games and look like "fans." I respect the grind, though. Oy vey.
