MUST READ!! I'm Back! My Rankings for the 2015 MLB Season
It's the best time of year laddies and gentlemen! The NBA and NHL postseason are coming up the MLB season is starting up. For a long time now I have been trying to find the direction I want my blog to go in and with all this happening in the world of sports why wouldn't I start up again. So with out further ado here are my rankings of all 30 teams in the MLB.
#30 Philadelphia Phillies: Sorry Philly, this is just the cruel reality. With players like Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Cliff Lee showing their age and an unhappy Cole Hamels I just don't know what positive to go on. Yes Ben Revere and Dominic Brown are the faint bright spot in this rebuilding project they still have questions. Revere has very little power, and Brown has the power but is extremely inconsistent. This team will be the worst team and with Hamels possibly out the door soon, if not than by the trading deadline the Fighting Phills are looking at 62-65 wins this season.
#29 Colorado Rockies: Yes the Rockies have the same high powered offense with Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tuloitzki but the pitching is just not there. Jorge De La Rosa is not a number one starter. The Catcher position is still a major question mark. Same goes for the closer role. On top of all that the Rockies just the beloved Todd Helton and have no real plan for his replacement. Justin Morneau is a good player but not the long time solution. Morneau has maybe 3 years left and they will have the same problem as before. The Rockies are looking at 64-68 wins this year and with guys like Arenado and LeMahieu the future is looking pretty decent.
#28 Minnesota Twins: The once young Twins have aged and this is the start of the decline. Joe Mauer probably restricted to 1st base only this team is some trouble. The outfield is just all kinds of problems. Torii Hunter is a great veteran but I don't know how much he has left in the tank and will most likely be the everyday DH by the end of the year. Hughes and Santana are a good one two punch at the top but then from there its a question mark. Nolasco is an up and down pitcher and I think Minnesota is hoping for the same thing that happened to Hughes last year. Perkins at the back end is a good closer not great and definitely not the same pitcher he was 3 or so years ago. I see about 67 wins for Minnesota and with this pitching staff it might be a few more but not that much.
#27 Arizona Diamondbacks: Arizona sorry but the Super Bowl is over. Now its time to with a very suspect team this year. Yes Yasmany Tomas did choose your team, and you still have Goldschmidt so the corners are set for years to come. Trumbo is not the everyday rightfielder but he will have some good numbers offensively but thats about all you will see from him. A young unproven catcher will a decent staff that will get one of the best lefties in Corbin back in the middle of season. We will see what will happen with Aaron Hill who has one more year under his belt so there's that. Addison Reed is okay and will have his 8 to 10 blown saves. So Arizona your probably looking at 70-73 wins this season.
#26 Texas Rangers: It could have been better for you this year, but unfortunately Yu Darvish is gone again for this year. But it isn't all that bad. The big Prince Fielder is coming back from that neck injury and is in a hitters ballpark for 81 games this year. Another team with a young catcher with a hurting staff. We will see where the Rangers go with that. Right field is still morning the loss of Nelson Cruz who is back in the division playing in Seattle. Questions surround the middle of the pen and whether or not they can get the ball to Feliz will remain to be seen. 2nd Base is going to be played by brothers who bare the same name (Rougned Odor) so that should be interesting. Other than that the infield is really solid. If they had Darvish they would be better but still no where close to winning the division. 75 wins looks manageable for Texas this year.
#25 Houston Astros: Houston we are working out the problem. Evan Gattis a major improvement and will do tremendous things for Houston.This team will have much success in the near future. The lineup is looking solid anchored by the raining batting champ Jose Altuve and young slugger George Springer this team will score some runs. Dexter Fowler, Matt Dominguez, and Jed Lowrie are good compliments to these young studs. The pitching this year will not be there this year but reinforcements are on the way. I could see the Astros could possibly crack 80 wins. 78 wins at the least.
#24 Tampa Bay Rays: What a difference a year makes. With the departure of David Price and Will Myers this team is hurting. No clear closer and a probable platoon in right we will see where this young pitching will take this team. Longoria is still there and with Cabrera signing to play second this team lacks power. I see the Rays playing a ton of 1 run games and I don't know if the young pitching can handle it. This team like Houston bearing any major trades will be really good in the near future. The Rays are looking at .500 this year most likely.
#23 Oakland Athletics: Wow! This team who last year was looking a possible dynasty in the AL West just had the tables turn on them. Losing Lester and Samardzija has hurt them extremely. Grey and Chavez led a young staff with a really good left handed closer in Doolittle. The offense in a big ballpark have little power. Ike Davis and Billy Butler are the new additions but we will see if they can hit it out of the yard. Also the are extremely left handed. With the trades of Donaldson and Cespedes the lost all right hand power. Brett Lawrie will finally get to play his true position, but the loss of power will really hurt the A's in a stacked AL West. Realistically 84 wins for Oakland but you never know with the way they scrap and always seem to be right there at the end of the season.
#22 Atlanta Braves: Another team with major roster turnover. The Braves could have been that team in the NL East that built that dynasty. But they turned over their roster. Jayson Heyward is gone and so is Justin Upton. Shelby Miller is a good pitcher that will help this staff. The loss of Gattis is massive and will really hurt Atlanta.Nick Markakis is no Heyward but he is a solid veteran. We will see what kind of bounce back season Melvin Upton Jr. (B.J. Upton) will have. The corner infield is one of the best in the game. Kimbrel has a new compliment in Jason Grilli so the back end of that pen is arguably the best in the senior circuit if not the whole league. The down fall of this team is power, also they are unfortunately in one of the hardest divisions in the game. 84-87 wins for this team and that is probably going to be their ceiling for the next few years.
#21 Cincinnati Reds: The second coming of the Big Red Machine is on the decline. The Reds who just seem to fade at the end every year. This roster up and down has great players they just can't get it down. With Votto coming off the injury hopefully he can give some oomph in the middle of that order. Who knows what Jay Bruce will give Cincinnati. The Starting pitching is the major question mark for this team. Will Chapman stay healthy? So because of all these questions I have to put them here. With 85-89 wins this year.
#20 Milwaukee Brewers: How can this team survive this year? The pitching is decent, K-Rod is a skeleton of himself and will be lucky to have 20 saves. Broxton is a suspect set up/closer and I don't think will last long on this team. The lineup will save this teams backside a ton this year. Adam Lind is the first good replacement for Prince. I really like Jonathan Lucroy, he one of the best catchers in the league.The swagger at the top with Carlos Gomez is a perfect cherry on top to this good veteran lineup. 88-92 wins this season for the Brew Crew.
#19 Cleveland Indians: This team is getting better in a hard division. They have the raining AL Cy Young Award Winning in Kluber. The added Brandon Moss who will rack in that ballpark. Yan Gomes is a decent catcher, I would rather have Santana behind the plate but with his knee problems he is a decent first baseman. Brantley will hopefully keep getting better because he is their best player on either side of the ball. Swisher can provide a swagger in the club house and be a decent DH/Right Fielder with Moss. The closer spot is the major concern of this club. There is no real answer and a scarce market, the Indians will have to make do. The Tribe is looking at 88-90 wins.
#18 New York Mets: Are the Mets on the rise? The answer is almost. The injury to Wheeler is huge to the Mets. I wouldn't bring up Syndergaard or Montero just yet. I would save them for another year and wait until next year to have a great young staff with Wheeler in it. Harvey and DeGrom will lead this staff and I like Mejia as the closer. Cuddyer is a nice upgrade in right. Granderson is a bust, Duda has some upside let's see if he can repeat last year. Wilmer Flores is a huge upgrade from Tejada. Flores has some pop in his bat which is not normal for a Shortshop. d'Arnuad is still coming into his prime. He is a fantastic defensive catcher just can't hit all that well. The Mets will be a force once there pitching gets healthy. 87-90 wins in a jam packed NL East.
#17 New York Yankees: I think this is the beginning of the end for the Bronx Bombers. All the old contracts are pilling up. Garrett Jones will rack in Yankee Stadium. Brian McCain and Mark Teixeira will have bounce back years this year. The pitching staff is top 5 in the league. I like Eovaldi is a good addition to this staff. Dellin Betances is the good replacement for Mariano Rivera. That curveball is the new cutter in the Bronx. Ellsbury and Gardner are the future along with Miller, Tanaka, and Betances. A-Rod will have a major league average year this year from the DH spot. Headley is looking to be the San Diego of himself. The second base situation is looking bright. Hoefully Pirela gets healthy soon because he has been killing it this spring. The Yanks are looking at 88-92 wins this season, but will still be far from the top of the division.
#16 Pittsburgh Pirates: I feel bad for this team. They have a lot of talent throughout this roster. You can't help but route for this team when it gets to the end of the year. However with that said, Shortstop is a real problem. Mercer has proven that he can't hit. The back of that rotation is also a concern, but they will have some help with Cervelli finally getting his chance in the majors. Josh Harrison will get the chance as well to prove himself after an amazing 2014. Let's see what what Gregory Polanco will do this season for to help raise the Jolly Rodger. The Pirates are looking at 92-95 wins but will be third in the division.
#15 Baltimore Orioles: This team is getting healthy and is really good. Adam Jones is Adam Jones and will put up great numbers. Chris Davis is going to be the full time DH, and maybe fill in the gap that Nelson Cruz left. They are getting Manny Machado, and Matt Wieters back. I have concerns about the pitching though. The staff is unproven and they don't really have a true number one. They will be a pest in the AL East and win 95 games this year.
#14 Kansas City Royals: Its not everyday that the defending AL Champs are ranked this low. James Shields is a ginormous loss for KC. The young flame throwing pen is still there and so is Hosimer, Perez, and Moustakas there. The will scrap and claw in this packed division. This team will make noise for years to come but the rotation this year is just not there. They didn't have the power last year and that still bothers me. The Royals are looking at 94-98 wins this year.
#13 San Francisco Giants: Yes, I have the World Champions at 13. They lost their heart and sole in the Panda this offseason. Mike Morse moved to Miami and he was a key player on the team last year against left handed pitching. Casey McGehee if he has another close to what he had last year in Miami will really help San Fran. Panik is going to have hit for a full year and keep playing great defense. If this team was in any other division they would probably win. They will make a case for the Wild Card but just fall short. The defending champs will have 94-99 wins this year and still end up third in the division.
#12 St.Louis Cardinals:This team is so confusing to me. I know they are always in the conversation for the division but I just don't see it. Jayson Heyward is a great addition to this team. The pitching is my big concern for this team. It showed in the playoffs, how thin this pitching is. Yes, they are extremely talented. Kolton Wong is unproven and looks to be a spark at the top of the lineup. I see them falling just short because of all they gave up. Allen Craig is gone for good now, Shelby Miller was a good middle of the order starter, and Oscar Tavaras who unfortunately passed away in a car accident last year. Jhonny Peralta I am not high on same with Jon Jay. I think both of them are lacking on defense and might cost them a few games over the course of the season. Trever Rosenthal is a good closer but was shaky in the playoffs last year. Its going to be close and this year and the Red Birds probably have somewhere between 94-98 wins.
#11 Detroit Tigers: The Tigers improved and hurt their team at the same time. Getting Cespedes and Simon are big for this team. But losing Rick Porcello and Austin Jackson is big. Soria is a great compliment to Nathan and if he struggles Soria can take over. Miguel Cabrera is still the best hitter in the game and will continue to be for a long time. If Victor Martinez, J.D. Martinez, and Nick Castellanos will be the X Factors this season. They must play at a high level to give Detroit the chance at the division. Chicago is really good and they will battle until the final day for this division. Price and Verlander are the great top to this top 5 rotation. This team is extremely talented and will play great baseball. But since its a crazy year this year they fall outside of the top 10 in my ranking and the way I look at this team they will have 98-102 wins this season.
#10 Boston Red Sox: They are the absolute best team on the offensive side of the ball. But their pitching just will not be able to keep up. This offseason got Red Sox Nation back on the World Series bandwagon. But, they spent way too much money on offense. The Red Sox of all teams should know that pitching and defense wins championships. Hanley Ramirez in left field I just don't see how that's a good idea. The signing of Yoan Moncada was a waste of time for Boston. Their farm system is probably the best in the game but it just makes it that much harder. The outfield is going to be a problem because of Hanley learning a new position that he will only need for maybe 3 years, and the log jammed situation in center field. Mookie Betts should get the opening day spot but you still have Allen Craig and Shane Victorino. So, it should be very interesting how Boston manages this situation making everyone happy and winning at the same time. I have a head ache just thinking about it. Boston should be excited but the way the outfield and pitching is worries me. I haven't even mention the closer spot which is the worst position on the team right now. 100-104 wins is what Boston is looking at and a possible Wild Card.
#9 Chicago White Sox: This team is really good, but still have giant questions on this team. Melky, Samardzija, and Roberson where must signs because that's where they hurt the most last year. LaRoshe is a nice add at DH. However, second base, catcher, and third are my questions. Also the bottom of the lineup is very venerable. After Alexi Ramirez who do they have? Tyler Flowers is a pitiful catcher who can barely get over the Mandoza Line. I see them winning the division because it is going to be an absolute dog fight. Which every team doesn't win the division will have to scrap for that Wild Card. The other pair of Sox are looking at 99-102 wins. This division might come down to tie breakers like so many others.
#8 Los Angeles Angels: Good team in a great division. This is another dog fight that I just see the Angels losing. Right field is a problem, losing Howie Kendrick will hurt a lot, and Josh Hamilton is back in rehab. The pitching is their but will probably fade in the end, like they always do. The closers role is in the hands of a fossil in Houston Street. Howie Kendrick was a big loss for this team and it will show greatly this season as they have Josh Rudledge starting at second. He is no were close to Kendrick at the plate. Mike Trout is my M.V.P this year and continue to be the best player in the game today. I just feel bad because the team that they have has to get out to an amazing start to hang with Seattle and if they don't they might not make the playoffs. An even 100 wins for the Hallows this time around.
#7 Toronto Blue Jays: The Jays this season look prime for the AL East crown. Donaldson is a great right hand bat in the middle of that order. Russell Martin is coming home to Canada and will work wonders for this staff. Offensively they are WAY to right handed and that puts some worries in my head come playoff time. The staff is young and ready to show the league what they can do. This team reminds me of the Baltimore Orioles just a few years ago. Jose Reyes will possibly grab 70 bags at the top if he stays healthy. I like what they are doing in Toronto but they need a closer like so many other teams. This starting pitching might be asked to more than they are capable which will hurt them come playoff time. I see the Blue Jays getting 100-105 wins.
#6 Miami Marlins: This was my pick to win the NL East until the Nationals got Big Max. Miami just did everything right this offseason. Their rotation got better with Latos and they are getting Fernandez back in the middle of the year. The outfield is the second best outfield in the league. Martin Prado is going to great for the Marlins and in that park. I love the trade for Dee Gordon who will get 60 bags at the top of that order. Players like Mike Morse and Ichiro are moves that fly under the radar but will really help them. There is not a whole in this team they are just S.O.L because of what Washington did. The Marlins are looking at a huge improve from last year with 101-105 wins in my book.
#5 Los Angeles Dodgers: This team is old! Good, but really old. They also lost a ton of talent over the winter meetings. Howie Kendrick will play great in Dodger Stadium and be the one of their top players. Klayton Kershaw isn't going anywhere and that staff got better. Brandon McCarthey and Brett Anderson make that already stacked rotation better. They just aged this offseason. Jimmy Rollins is not the answer for Hanley, AndreEither is older and unhappy, and what will Joc Pederson do? In my honest opinion I think you have to keep Kemp because I am not high on Pederson yet. Even if he is the big deal, trade Either because he looks like he wants out. Kemp will make the Dodgers pay for years to come playing for the Padres, But they will be the clear cut second place team in the NL West. The Old over-payed Dodgers will be saved by the pitching and have 100-106 wins.
#4 San Diego Padres: Incredible Offseason! The moves that they where able to make this winter are second to none. The Outfield is revamped and the best in all of baseball. The good pitching rotation became great. The locked the closers role with Joaquin Benoit. I like Yander Alonso at first and the addition of Derek Norris behind the dish. The only real whole in this team is at short. They lost their leadoff guy in Everth Cabrera which hurts them in a way. Still this team is young great and will dominate the National League for years to come. 108-113 wins for this club of studs.
#3 Chicago Cubs: Worst to First? The ending of the curse? Not so fast Chi-Town. This team is the youngest team in the league. Kris Bryant is on absolute FIRE this spring, (leader in Home Runs this spring). The players they have coming up like Jorge Solar, Javier Baez, Luis Valbuena show bright future for the Cubbies. The Pitching with Lester, Wood, Hammel is there. Miguel Montero is a big boost behind the plate and will call a good game. They also have the best Manager in the business in Joe Madden on the bench. The Cubs will go far for about 10 years or so will this club and Farm System. I see 109-112 wins for the Cubs.
#2 Seattle Mariners: This club didn't improve that much but where they did will help them in major ways. Nelson Cruz will provide the best protection available for Robinson Cano who will have a M.V.P type of season. I am a big believer in protection for your best hitter. Cano will have Austin Jackson to drive in which is a great man to patrol center and lead off. Seth Smith will be that quiet player on this team that will have a good year but won't even get noticed. Kyle Seager was showing promise last year and this year can only help. Dustin Ackley who needs to learn to adjust to the shifts he has been seeing in Spring Training. Catcher and First are the weak points of this team but that will go unnoticed by the performance of the stars. King Felix will have a bounce back year and might lose this year. Tijuan Walker looks ready for the big leagues and you always can turn to the arrow throwin Fernando Rodney at the end of the ball game. This is the best team in the entire AL and will have 110-112 wins.
#1 Washington Nationals: How can they lose? Gio Gonzalez is not a number 5 starter. Not only do they have the best rotation in recent memory, they finally get to move Ryan Zimmerman over to first base. Bryce Harper will prove that he is right up there with Mike Trout and have a M.V.P type of year. Max Scherzer will have his best year because he is going to the National League. Denard Span is my question mark for this team. He seems like he has slowed down. Jason Werth is ageing and that will need to be fixed. This is no doubt the best team in baseball and a lot of people's World Series pick with that. This is a type of team that showed star power before they got knocked out of the playoffs last year. #Natitude will be in full effect this season. This team if healthy may go after the All-Time Wins record of 116. I see them at 112-118 wins.
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#30 Philadelphia Phillies: Sorry Philly, this is just the cruel reality. With players like Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Cliff Lee showing their age and an unhappy Cole Hamels I just don't know what positive to go on. Yes Ben Revere and Dominic Brown are the faint bright spot in this rebuilding project they still have questions. Revere has very little power, and Brown has the power but is extremely inconsistent. This team will be the worst team and with Hamels possibly out the door soon, if not than by the trading deadline the Fighting Phills are looking at 62-65 wins this season.
#29 Colorado Rockies: Yes the Rockies have the same high powered offense with Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tuloitzki but the pitching is just not there. Jorge De La Rosa is not a number one starter. The Catcher position is still a major question mark. Same goes for the closer role. On top of all that the Rockies just the beloved Todd Helton and have no real plan for his replacement. Justin Morneau is a good player but not the long time solution. Morneau has maybe 3 years left and they will have the same problem as before. The Rockies are looking at 64-68 wins this year and with guys like Arenado and LeMahieu the future is looking pretty decent.
#28 Minnesota Twins: The once young Twins have aged and this is the start of the decline. Joe Mauer probably restricted to 1st base only this team is some trouble. The outfield is just all kinds of problems. Torii Hunter is a great veteran but I don't know how much he has left in the tank and will most likely be the everyday DH by the end of the year. Hughes and Santana are a good one two punch at the top but then from there its a question mark. Nolasco is an up and down pitcher and I think Minnesota is hoping for the same thing that happened to Hughes last year. Perkins at the back end is a good closer not great and definitely not the same pitcher he was 3 or so years ago. I see about 67 wins for Minnesota and with this pitching staff it might be a few more but not that much.
#27 Arizona Diamondbacks: Arizona sorry but the Super Bowl is over. Now its time to with a very suspect team this year. Yes Yasmany Tomas did choose your team, and you still have Goldschmidt so the corners are set for years to come. Trumbo is not the everyday rightfielder but he will have some good numbers offensively but thats about all you will see from him. A young unproven catcher will a decent staff that will get one of the best lefties in Corbin back in the middle of season. We will see what will happen with Aaron Hill who has one more year under his belt so there's that. Addison Reed is okay and will have his 8 to 10 blown saves. So Arizona your probably looking at 70-73 wins this season.
#26 Texas Rangers: It could have been better for you this year, but unfortunately Yu Darvish is gone again for this year. But it isn't all that bad. The big Prince Fielder is coming back from that neck injury and is in a hitters ballpark for 81 games this year. Another team with a young catcher with a hurting staff. We will see where the Rangers go with that. Right field is still morning the loss of Nelson Cruz who is back in the division playing in Seattle. Questions surround the middle of the pen and whether or not they can get the ball to Feliz will remain to be seen. 2nd Base is going to be played by brothers who bare the same name (Rougned Odor) so that should be interesting. Other than that the infield is really solid. If they had Darvish they would be better but still no where close to winning the division. 75 wins looks manageable for Texas this year.
#25 Houston Astros: Houston we are working out the problem. Evan Gattis a major improvement and will do tremendous things for Houston.This team will have much success in the near future. The lineup is looking solid anchored by the raining batting champ Jose Altuve and young slugger George Springer this team will score some runs. Dexter Fowler, Matt Dominguez, and Jed Lowrie are good compliments to these young studs. The pitching this year will not be there this year but reinforcements are on the way. I could see the Astros could possibly crack 80 wins. 78 wins at the least.
#24 Tampa Bay Rays: What a difference a year makes. With the departure of David Price and Will Myers this team is hurting. No clear closer and a probable platoon in right we will see where this young pitching will take this team. Longoria is still there and with Cabrera signing to play second this team lacks power. I see the Rays playing a ton of 1 run games and I don't know if the young pitching can handle it. This team like Houston bearing any major trades will be really good in the near future. The Rays are looking at .500 this year most likely.
#23 Oakland Athletics: Wow! This team who last year was looking a possible dynasty in the AL West just had the tables turn on them. Losing Lester and Samardzija has hurt them extremely. Grey and Chavez led a young staff with a really good left handed closer in Doolittle. The offense in a big ballpark have little power. Ike Davis and Billy Butler are the new additions but we will see if they can hit it out of the yard. Also the are extremely left handed. With the trades of Donaldson and Cespedes the lost all right hand power. Brett Lawrie will finally get to play his true position, but the loss of power will really hurt the A's in a stacked AL West. Realistically 84 wins for Oakland but you never know with the way they scrap and always seem to be right there at the end of the season.
#22 Atlanta Braves: Another team with major roster turnover. The Braves could have been that team in the NL East that built that dynasty. But they turned over their roster. Jayson Heyward is gone and so is Justin Upton. Shelby Miller is a good pitcher that will help this staff. The loss of Gattis is massive and will really hurt Atlanta.Nick Markakis is no Heyward but he is a solid veteran. We will see what kind of bounce back season Melvin Upton Jr. (B.J. Upton) will have. The corner infield is one of the best in the game. Kimbrel has a new compliment in Jason Grilli so the back end of that pen is arguably the best in the senior circuit if not the whole league. The down fall of this team is power, also they are unfortunately in one of the hardest divisions in the game. 84-87 wins for this team and that is probably going to be their ceiling for the next few years.
#21 Cincinnati Reds: The second coming of the Big Red Machine is on the decline. The Reds who just seem to fade at the end every year. This roster up and down has great players they just can't get it down. With Votto coming off the injury hopefully he can give some oomph in the middle of that order. Who knows what Jay Bruce will give Cincinnati. The Starting pitching is the major question mark for this team. Will Chapman stay healthy? So because of all these questions I have to put them here. With 85-89 wins this year.
#20 Milwaukee Brewers: How can this team survive this year? The pitching is decent, K-Rod is a skeleton of himself and will be lucky to have 20 saves. Broxton is a suspect set up/closer and I don't think will last long on this team. The lineup will save this teams backside a ton this year. Adam Lind is the first good replacement for Prince. I really like Jonathan Lucroy, he one of the best catchers in the league.The swagger at the top with Carlos Gomez is a perfect cherry on top to this good veteran lineup. 88-92 wins this season for the Brew Crew.
#19 Cleveland Indians: This team is getting better in a hard division. They have the raining AL Cy Young Award Winning in Kluber. The added Brandon Moss who will rack in that ballpark. Yan Gomes is a decent catcher, I would rather have Santana behind the plate but with his knee problems he is a decent first baseman. Brantley will hopefully keep getting better because he is their best player on either side of the ball. Swisher can provide a swagger in the club house and be a decent DH/Right Fielder with Moss. The closer spot is the major concern of this club. There is no real answer and a scarce market, the Indians will have to make do. The Tribe is looking at 88-90 wins.
#18 New York Mets: Are the Mets on the rise? The answer is almost. The injury to Wheeler is huge to the Mets. I wouldn't bring up Syndergaard or Montero just yet. I would save them for another year and wait until next year to have a great young staff with Wheeler in it. Harvey and DeGrom will lead this staff and I like Mejia as the closer. Cuddyer is a nice upgrade in right. Granderson is a bust, Duda has some upside let's see if he can repeat last year. Wilmer Flores is a huge upgrade from Tejada. Flores has some pop in his bat which is not normal for a Shortshop. d'Arnuad is still coming into his prime. He is a fantastic defensive catcher just can't hit all that well. The Mets will be a force once there pitching gets healthy. 87-90 wins in a jam packed NL East.
#17 New York Yankees: I think this is the beginning of the end for the Bronx Bombers. All the old contracts are pilling up. Garrett Jones will rack in Yankee Stadium. Brian McCain and Mark Teixeira will have bounce back years this year. The pitching staff is top 5 in the league. I like Eovaldi is a good addition to this staff. Dellin Betances is the good replacement for Mariano Rivera. That curveball is the new cutter in the Bronx. Ellsbury and Gardner are the future along with Miller, Tanaka, and Betances. A-Rod will have a major league average year this year from the DH spot. Headley is looking to be the San Diego of himself. The second base situation is looking bright. Hoefully Pirela gets healthy soon because he has been killing it this spring. The Yanks are looking at 88-92 wins this season, but will still be far from the top of the division.
#16 Pittsburgh Pirates: I feel bad for this team. They have a lot of talent throughout this roster. You can't help but route for this team when it gets to the end of the year. However with that said, Shortstop is a real problem. Mercer has proven that he can't hit. The back of that rotation is also a concern, but they will have some help with Cervelli finally getting his chance in the majors. Josh Harrison will get the chance as well to prove himself after an amazing 2014. Let's see what what Gregory Polanco will do this season for to help raise the Jolly Rodger. The Pirates are looking at 92-95 wins but will be third in the division.
#15 Baltimore Orioles: This team is getting healthy and is really good. Adam Jones is Adam Jones and will put up great numbers. Chris Davis is going to be the full time DH, and maybe fill in the gap that Nelson Cruz left. They are getting Manny Machado, and Matt Wieters back. I have concerns about the pitching though. The staff is unproven and they don't really have a true number one. They will be a pest in the AL East and win 95 games this year.
#14 Kansas City Royals: Its not everyday that the defending AL Champs are ranked this low. James Shields is a ginormous loss for KC. The young flame throwing pen is still there and so is Hosimer, Perez, and Moustakas there. The will scrap and claw in this packed division. This team will make noise for years to come but the rotation this year is just not there. They didn't have the power last year and that still bothers me. The Royals are looking at 94-98 wins this year.
#13 San Francisco Giants: Yes, I have the World Champions at 13. They lost their heart and sole in the Panda this offseason. Mike Morse moved to Miami and he was a key player on the team last year against left handed pitching. Casey McGehee if he has another close to what he had last year in Miami will really help San Fran. Panik is going to have hit for a full year and keep playing great defense. If this team was in any other division they would probably win. They will make a case for the Wild Card but just fall short. The defending champs will have 94-99 wins this year and still end up third in the division.
#12 St.Louis Cardinals:This team is so confusing to me. I know they are always in the conversation for the division but I just don't see it. Jayson Heyward is a great addition to this team. The pitching is my big concern for this team. It showed in the playoffs, how thin this pitching is. Yes, they are extremely talented. Kolton Wong is unproven and looks to be a spark at the top of the lineup. I see them falling just short because of all they gave up. Allen Craig is gone for good now, Shelby Miller was a good middle of the order starter, and Oscar Tavaras who unfortunately passed away in a car accident last year. Jhonny Peralta I am not high on same with Jon Jay. I think both of them are lacking on defense and might cost them a few games over the course of the season. Trever Rosenthal is a good closer but was shaky in the playoffs last year. Its going to be close and this year and the Red Birds probably have somewhere between 94-98 wins.
#11 Detroit Tigers: The Tigers improved and hurt their team at the same time. Getting Cespedes and Simon are big for this team. But losing Rick Porcello and Austin Jackson is big. Soria is a great compliment to Nathan and if he struggles Soria can take over. Miguel Cabrera is still the best hitter in the game and will continue to be for a long time. If Victor Martinez, J.D. Martinez, and Nick Castellanos will be the X Factors this season. They must play at a high level to give Detroit the chance at the division. Chicago is really good and they will battle until the final day for this division. Price and Verlander are the great top to this top 5 rotation. This team is extremely talented and will play great baseball. But since its a crazy year this year they fall outside of the top 10 in my ranking and the way I look at this team they will have 98-102 wins this season.
#10 Boston Red Sox: They are the absolute best team on the offensive side of the ball. But their pitching just will not be able to keep up. This offseason got Red Sox Nation back on the World Series bandwagon. But, they spent way too much money on offense. The Red Sox of all teams should know that pitching and defense wins championships. Hanley Ramirez in left field I just don't see how that's a good idea. The signing of Yoan Moncada was a waste of time for Boston. Their farm system is probably the best in the game but it just makes it that much harder. The outfield is going to be a problem because of Hanley learning a new position that he will only need for maybe 3 years, and the log jammed situation in center field. Mookie Betts should get the opening day spot but you still have Allen Craig and Shane Victorino. So, it should be very interesting how Boston manages this situation making everyone happy and winning at the same time. I have a head ache just thinking about it. Boston should be excited but the way the outfield and pitching is worries me. I haven't even mention the closer spot which is the worst position on the team right now. 100-104 wins is what Boston is looking at and a possible Wild Card.
#9 Chicago White Sox: This team is really good, but still have giant questions on this team. Melky, Samardzija, and Roberson where must signs because that's where they hurt the most last year. LaRoshe is a nice add at DH. However, second base, catcher, and third are my questions. Also the bottom of the lineup is very venerable. After Alexi Ramirez who do they have? Tyler Flowers is a pitiful catcher who can barely get over the Mandoza Line. I see them winning the division because it is going to be an absolute dog fight. Which every team doesn't win the division will have to scrap for that Wild Card. The other pair of Sox are looking at 99-102 wins. This division might come down to tie breakers like so many others.
#8 Los Angeles Angels: Good team in a great division. This is another dog fight that I just see the Angels losing. Right field is a problem, losing Howie Kendrick will hurt a lot, and Josh Hamilton is back in rehab. The pitching is their but will probably fade in the end, like they always do. The closers role is in the hands of a fossil in Houston Street. Howie Kendrick was a big loss for this team and it will show greatly this season as they have Josh Rudledge starting at second. He is no were close to Kendrick at the plate. Mike Trout is my M.V.P this year and continue to be the best player in the game today. I just feel bad because the team that they have has to get out to an amazing start to hang with Seattle and if they don't they might not make the playoffs. An even 100 wins for the Hallows this time around.
#7 Toronto Blue Jays: The Jays this season look prime for the AL East crown. Donaldson is a great right hand bat in the middle of that order. Russell Martin is coming home to Canada and will work wonders for this staff. Offensively they are WAY to right handed and that puts some worries in my head come playoff time. The staff is young and ready to show the league what they can do. This team reminds me of the Baltimore Orioles just a few years ago. Jose Reyes will possibly grab 70 bags at the top if he stays healthy. I like what they are doing in Toronto but they need a closer like so many other teams. This starting pitching might be asked to more than they are capable which will hurt them come playoff time. I see the Blue Jays getting 100-105 wins.
#6 Miami Marlins: This was my pick to win the NL East until the Nationals got Big Max. Miami just did everything right this offseason. Their rotation got better with Latos and they are getting Fernandez back in the middle of the year. The outfield is the second best outfield in the league. Martin Prado is going to great for the Marlins and in that park. I love the trade for Dee Gordon who will get 60 bags at the top of that order. Players like Mike Morse and Ichiro are moves that fly under the radar but will really help them. There is not a whole in this team they are just S.O.L because of what Washington did. The Marlins are looking at a huge improve from last year with 101-105 wins in my book.
#5 Los Angeles Dodgers: This team is old! Good, but really old. They also lost a ton of talent over the winter meetings. Howie Kendrick will play great in Dodger Stadium and be the one of their top players. Klayton Kershaw isn't going anywhere and that staff got better. Brandon McCarthey and Brett Anderson make that already stacked rotation better. They just aged this offseason. Jimmy Rollins is not the answer for Hanley, AndreEither is older and unhappy, and what will Joc Pederson do? In my honest opinion I think you have to keep Kemp because I am not high on Pederson yet. Even if he is the big deal, trade Either because he looks like he wants out. Kemp will make the Dodgers pay for years to come playing for the Padres, But they will be the clear cut second place team in the NL West. The Old over-payed Dodgers will be saved by the pitching and have 100-106 wins.
#4 San Diego Padres: Incredible Offseason! The moves that they where able to make this winter are second to none. The Outfield is revamped and the best in all of baseball. The good pitching rotation became great. The locked the closers role with Joaquin Benoit. I like Yander Alonso at first and the addition of Derek Norris behind the dish. The only real whole in this team is at short. They lost their leadoff guy in Everth Cabrera which hurts them in a way. Still this team is young great and will dominate the National League for years to come. 108-113 wins for this club of studs.
#3 Chicago Cubs: Worst to First? The ending of the curse? Not so fast Chi-Town. This team is the youngest team in the league. Kris Bryant is on absolute FIRE this spring, (leader in Home Runs this spring). The players they have coming up like Jorge Solar, Javier Baez, Luis Valbuena show bright future for the Cubbies. The Pitching with Lester, Wood, Hammel is there. Miguel Montero is a big boost behind the plate and will call a good game. They also have the best Manager in the business in Joe Madden on the bench. The Cubs will go far for about 10 years or so will this club and Farm System. I see 109-112 wins for the Cubs.
#2 Seattle Mariners: This club didn't improve that much but where they did will help them in major ways. Nelson Cruz will provide the best protection available for Robinson Cano who will have a M.V.P type of season. I am a big believer in protection for your best hitter. Cano will have Austin Jackson to drive in which is a great man to patrol center and lead off. Seth Smith will be that quiet player on this team that will have a good year but won't even get noticed. Kyle Seager was showing promise last year and this year can only help. Dustin Ackley who needs to learn to adjust to the shifts he has been seeing in Spring Training. Catcher and First are the weak points of this team but that will go unnoticed by the performance of the stars. King Felix will have a bounce back year and might lose this year. Tijuan Walker looks ready for the big leagues and you always can turn to the arrow throwin Fernando Rodney at the end of the ball game. This is the best team in the entire AL and will have 110-112 wins.
#1 Washington Nationals: How can they lose? Gio Gonzalez is not a number 5 starter. Not only do they have the best rotation in recent memory, they finally get to move Ryan Zimmerman over to first base. Bryce Harper will prove that he is right up there with Mike Trout and have a M.V.P type of year. Max Scherzer will have his best year because he is going to the National League. Denard Span is my question mark for this team. He seems like he has slowed down. Jason Werth is ageing and that will need to be fixed. This is no doubt the best team in baseball and a lot of people's World Series pick with that. This is a type of team that showed star power before they got knocked out of the playoffs last year. #Natitude will be in full effect this season. This team if healthy may go after the All-Time Wins record of 116. I see them at 112-118 wins.
This Baseball season is going to absolutely nuts and I just can't wait! Come on the ride with me. I'M BACK!! #Baseballisbetter
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