Ranking the Best Rebuilding Teams in MLB
Rebuilding can be a tough proposition for any franchise and its fanbase. We rank the progress and potential of five MLB clubs aiming toward the future.
While winning in baseball is the most traditional form of growing a fan base, there’s a small but vocal contingent of fans that want mediocre teams to bottom out and start from scratch. It’s most noticeable in basketball with the Philadelphia Sixers and “The Process”, but MLB has slowly started catching onto the rebuilding trend.
But still, the majority of fans hate MLB rebuilds. Think about it this way.
Would you rather have your team make the playoffs as a Wild Card team and get bounced in the one-game elimination – or worse, miss the playoffs with a winning record? Most likely, no.
If the team doesn’t have a strong core of prospects or young talent, there’s a strong argument that can be made to start a rebuild.
Some teams have quietly bought into the idea. Rather than spending money on veteran free agents that typically turn into bloated contracts after a few seasons, teams like the Philadelphia Phillies are slowly collecting talent that will pay off in a big way in the near future. It happened just a season ago with the Houston Astros, and seems to be the best way to build a team in 2016 with free agents descending into the unknown.
However, there’s still teams out there that believe wheeling and dealing trade candidates and wining and dining free agents will send their franchise deep into the playoffs. The San Diego Padres under general manager A.J. Preller attempted to go from worst to first in one offseason, but are now still stuck in the basement of the National League West with plenty of bad contracts.
Here’s our rankings of the best rebuilding teams in MLB, based on current young talent, the potential to trade veterans and the strength of their farm systems.
Note that teams under .500 like the Oakland Athletics (due to their propensity to turn things around in one offseason), the Los Angeles Angels (because, well, they have Mike Trout), Tampa Bay Rays (same reason as Oakland), Arizona Diamondbacks (lots of major league talent), and the Milwaukee Brewers (they’re only 2.5 games behind the Pirates) will not be included in the rankings.
Next: Honorable Mentions
Honorable Mentions
Oakland Athletics
The A’s have plenty of young players and always manage to find Triple-A studs that make an impact, but they don’t have many top prospects outside of Franklin Barreto.
Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers have one of the best farm systems in baseball, and are poised to continue accumulating talent when they inevitably trade Ryan Braun.
Los Angeles Angels
Once the Angels have a healthy pitching staff and can add a few more bats around Mike Trout, they’ll be back in contention.
Tampa Bay Rays
Pitching will always be the Rays’ strong suit, and they’ll need to land a solid bat with Corey Dickerson struggling in his move from Colorado.
Colorado Rockies
The Rockies have played admirably this season and could rise up the NL West if they can add a dominant pitcher.
Next: SoCal Struggles
5. San Diego Padres
At 27-42 on the season with Matt Kemp struggling and a weak farm system, the Padres come in last in these rankings. While they haven’t been disastrous this season, their major league roster is bogged down with underperforming veterans and a weak pitching staff sans Tyson Ross.
The offense isn’t horrible, but it’s really just mediocre. The Friars rank 19th in baseball with 278 runs scored – which is actually better than the Kansas City Royals – but only have a collective .239 team batting average.
Wil Myers has thrived in his move to first base, both at the plate and on the field. The 25-year-old is slashing .284/.328/.515 with 15 home runs and 41 RBI, all while striking out less than seasons past. Outside of Myers, things don’t look great. Kemp has 15 homers but has an OBP under .300, Melvin Upton Jr. has come back down to Earth after a hot start, and the infield has been brutal.
With Ross on the disabled list, the starting rotation has been the team’s real weak point. They rank 25th in the league with a 4.58 ERA, and only have one solid starter with Drew Pomeranz putting together a spectacular season. The trio of Colin Rea, Luis Perdomo and Erik Johnson has been collectively terrible, but Rea could put things together eventually as he’s only 25 and a former top prospect in the organization.
Down in the minors, the Padres only have three players in MLB.com’s top 100 prospect list. Manny Margot is the team’s top prospect, and he looks to be the only candidate to be a valuable everyday starter. Javier Guerra has struggled in Class A Advanced, but Hunter Renfroe is hitting the ball well enough to make a contribution this season.
Outside of that trio, the Padres don’t have much young talent rising through the ranks. Logan Allen, a 19-year-old southpaw, has solid command but will take a while before he’s ready to join the major league club.
If San Diego hopes to make any sort of leap in the NL West in the next few seasons, they’ll have to trade off any expendable player and hope to land a solid prospect in the process.
Next: Pitching Woes in Ohio
4. Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are still clinging to the trio of Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce for offensive production, but that may come to an end soon when their prospects finally reach the big leagues.
Despite Votto’s struggles this season, the Reds rank 15th in baseball with 297 runs scored and have looked solid at the plate for most of the year. While Bruce has hit the ball well and Billy Hamilton has finally figured things out at the plate, the key cog in the Reds lineup has been Adam Duvall. The 27-year-old is hitting .262 with an .895 OPS and 19 home runs, while his slugging percentage is just above .600.
The Reds pitching, on the other hand, has been a different story. Cincinnati’s pitching staff ranks last in the league with a 5.38 ERA, but looks even worse with a 5.59 FIP as no other team is above five.
The starting rotation hasn’t been horrible, with Anthony DeSclafani‘s return giving the team a boost and Dan Straily and Brandon Finnegan eating up innings – but the bullpen has been a train wreck. Tony Cingrani has struggled in the closer’s role with a 1.42 WHIP, while J.C. Ramirez and Alfredo Simon have been awful.
The eventual return of top pitching prospect Robert Stephenson will give the team a boost, but they’ll need to look to acquire relievers if they decide to trade any of their veterans this season.
Their farm system, though, is loaded with a mix of position players and pitchers that will make a contribution sooner rather than later. Jesse Winker looks to be waiting for Bruce’s trade to make his debut, while left-hander Cody Reed made his debut Saturday.
If the Reds can get a solid haul from their likely fire sale this July, expect them to be in contention in the NL Central within a few years.
Next: Future Wins for Twins
3. Minnesota Twins
After a surprise season that saw them finish 83-79 and nearly earn a Wild Card spot, the Minnesota Twins have struggled mightily this season and own the worst record in baseball at 20-47. Despite their struggles, they have a wealth of young talent that could seemingly push them back into contention as early as next season.
The offense, which was expected to be led by Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano, has struggled after Buxton’s demotion and Sano’s injury, but should improve now that Buxton is back and Sano will return soon. Max Kepler could also make solid contributions this season and looks to be a future starter in the team’s outfield this season and beyond.
After dominating in Triple-A, Buxton swung a hot bat upon his return to the Twins in May, but has dealt with a high strikeout rate since. He’s slashing .200/.234/.352 with a 40.6 percent strikeout rate in 113 plate appearances. He hit over .336 with six homers – including three in three straight games – in Triple-A, so it’s very likely that he’ll figure things out at some point this season.
As for the veterans, it’s possible that the Twins cash in on Eduardo Nunez‘s outstanding season and look to find suitors for the struggling duo of Brian Dozier and Trevor Plouffe. Some moves will need to be made to improve the offense, which currently ranks 27th with 255 runs scored.
The pitching staff has been equally bad this season, as the Twins are 29th with a 5.23 ERA. Ervin Santana, Kyle Gibson and Ricky Nolasco have all struggled atop the rotation, while Tyler Duffey and Pat Dean haven’t been consistent at the back end. The Twins resorted to calling up top prospect Jose Berrios earlier this season, but it was clear he needs more time in the minors.
With Buxton and Kepler figuring things out at the major league level and Berrios improving in Triple-A, the Twins have a solid core of players that could bring them back to .500 next season. Beyond that, Nick Gordon and Tyler Jay will look to make contributions in just a couple years after.
The Twins have the talent to compete, but it’s a matter of getting hot at the same time and landing veteran pieces to support the youngsters.
Next: Loaded Farm System
2. Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves have been the worst team in the NL at 21-46, but have a wealth of young talent and a star in Freddie Freeman that could catapult them atop the NL East in a matter of two or three years.
While the offense has only scored 222 runs this season, which is 29th in the majors, the Braves have a franchise cornerstone in Freeman and talented outfielders in Mallex Smith and Ender Inciarte. The infield is a mess outside of Freeman, but Jace Peterson has a knack for getting on base and has flashed his potential this season.
The pitching rotation looks good now, and will likely be dominant once Max Wisler and Aaron Blair figure things out at the major league level. Whereas Julio Teheran struggled last season and looked to be a trade candidate, his 2.93 ERA and 8.60 K/9 has him once again looking like the Braves’ long term ace.
A collective 4.52 ERA puts the Braves at number 23 in baseball, which isn’t bad considering the age of most of their starters. With the success of Atlanta’s young arms, they were without a doubt the winners of the Shelby Miller trade that netted them number-one pick Dansby Swanson.
Swanson has already made his way to Double-A, and could conceivably make his debut this September if things go well. His .269/.361/.430 slash line across the minors this season is impressive for a 22-year-old and will give the Braves a stud as early as next year.
Outside of Swanson, the Braves have four other players on the top 100 prospect list, and left-hander Sean Newcomb (#17) could make his debut this season. While the Braves don’t have many top position players in the minors, their wealth of pitching will afford them every opportunity to trade for marquee bats.
The Braves look like a force in the making with Swanson rising up the minors, Freeman returning to form and their trio of young pitchers making splashes at the major league level.
Next: Pitching Dominance in South Philly
1. Philadelphia Phillies
While the Phillies have cooled down to a 30-38 record after their surprisingly hot start, their season isn’t any less impressive considering the talent on their major league roster.
Although their current offense is the worst in the majors with only 218 runs scored, Philly found a stud in Odubel Herrera. The 24-year-old is building off his solid 2015 campaign to become the clear dominant force in the Phillies lineup. In 67 games, he’s slashing .304/.404/.421 with six homers, 35 runs scored and eight stolen bases. Unfortunately for Philly, his production isn’t enough to carry a dismal lineup.
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Maikel Franco is a future slugger at third base, but his average has come down to the .240s this season after staying near .300 in 2015. Outside of those two, the Phillies will have to wait for prospects in order to have any chance of consistently scoring runs.
The Phillies pitching, however, is what has made the team successful this season. Aaron Nola has established himself as the team’s ace, while Vincent Velasquez is another top of the rotation arm. Jeremy Hellickson has pitched well and looks to be a trade chip, while Jerad Eickhoff could stick around as a mid-rotation arm for the next few years.
Philadelphia’s impressive run this season with a weak roster only makes their future potential that much more interesting. Top prospect J.P. Crawford has struggled in Triple-A, but will likely become the team’s everyday shortstop this season – and could have an effect similar to Cleveland’s Francisco Lindor last season.
Former number-one pick Mark Appel is making strides in Triple-A while Jake Thompson looks like a future mid-rotation arm. Jorge Alfaro is crushing Double-A pitching and will likely be the team’s catcher next season, while Nick Williams is a clear candidate to take over left or right field late this season.
Next: Baltimore Orioles Trade Deadline Preview
The Phillies’ success without much offensive production is telling of their future rotation potential, and their prospects will only aid them in their rise this season and beyond.