MLB: Ranking each division from worst to best
It’s always fun to compare MLB divisions prior to the regular season. So much can change throughout, but where does each division rank as we currently stand?
Opening day is less than two weeks away. Lineups are looking more realistic, workloads are progressing for pitchers, and MLB rosters are beginning to take shape. The excitement is amping up for players, as well as fans.
This is the time of the year in which fans begin to critique their team, but also their division. Most fans find a way to weave their team to the top, no matter how far-fetched the scenario may be, or how delusional the fan may be. But that’s what spring is all about—pure optimism.
One of the more entertaining argument topics that transpires throughout the MLB season is divisional comparison. For example, you might be a Red Sox fan and your buddy is an Indians fan. Say each team has the same record three months in. Which team is better?
The deciding factor would have to be strength of schedule. That’s when each fan compares opponents, in which most opponents will exist in each team’s division. To answer the question, the Red Sox are better in this scenario. Let’s face it, the AL Central looks awfully top-heavy entering the 2018 season.
For the sake of preseason argument, where does each MLB division rank in comparison to the others?
National League East
The NL Central will improve in 2018; however, it won’t quite make up the distance from the next ranked division.
Washington Nationals
Far and away the heavyweights of the division, don’t be surprised if the Nationals have wrapped things up by the end of August. Though, everyone knows the Nats will be good, what about their divisional opponents?
New York Mets
The Mets could be good. New York’s story remains the same: starting pitching MUST stay healthy. Noah Syndergaard and Jacob DeGrom have the ability between the two of them to lead the Mets to a wildcard berth. That being said, New York needs close to 200 innings from each of them to make that happen.
On the other hand, Matt Harvey continues to look unconvincing, and the team still has yet to see if former top prospect Zach Wheeler is big league capable.
Atlanta Braves
Excitement is brewing for the Braves, as the team’s bulk of young talent is gradually surfacing on MLB turf. Ronald Acuna, the Braves’ top prospect and MLB’s #2 overall prospect, should reach the big leagues at some point in 2018. Acuna will join other young talents such as Dansby Swanson, Johan Camargo, and Ozzie Albies. Atlanta is on their way to eventual success, but, for 2018, an upgrade from a bad team to an average team will satisfy.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies will be an interesting watch in 2018. They liken the Braves in young talent. Continued progress from outfielder Nick Williams and starting pitcher Aaron Nola is key for the present and the future. Maikel Franco and Vince Velasquez need to prove that they can live up to their talent. And boy would it be nice if Rhys Hoskins could follow-up his unbelievable home run tear from last season.
Philadelphia also boldly signed MLB veterans Carlos Santana and Jake Arrieta. The signings set a good precedent for the Phillies this season, implying they have every intention to compete for a playoff spot.
Miami Marlins
Lastly, the Marlins have no chance of success in 2018 after losing their five best players. The rebuild has unfortunately just begun. Thus, they have a long way to go before they’re taken seriously again.
American League Central
The AL Central has a nearly identical makeup to the NL East. One outstanding team—the Cleveland Indians. One without an outside playoff shot—the Minnesota Twins. One up and coming team—the Chicago White Sox. One very average team—the Kansas City Royals. And one mediocre team—the Detroit Tigers.
The reason the AL Central ranks higher is that the Twins are slightly better than the Mets and the Tigers are marginally better than the Marlins.
Cleveland Indians
Championship expectations continue to loom over Cleveland. There has been very little turnover within their roster over the past two seasons. The same goes for 2018. Cleveland should cruise to a division title, then its off to the races in the postseason.
Minnesota Twins
The Twins will enter the season with a balanced offense and a lockdown bullpen. It will be interesting to see what Byron Buxton displays. He possesses the type of talent that could carry a team. The question marks surround Minnesota’s starting staff. Ervin Santana will have to pitch like an ace again, Jose Berrios will have to take the next step, and new additions Jake Odorizzi and Lance Lynn will have to contribute to their respected roles.
Kansas City Royals
KC doesn’t have much to offer this season. Bringing back Mike Moustakas helps; however, that won’t be enough for them to make any sort of run. Their rotation lacks promise, as does their offense. The Royal reign is over; back to the days of struggle.
Chicago White Sox
The White Sox are progressing in their rebuild, but they will suffer from growing pains in 2018. Expect them to remain towards the bottom in MLB in wins.
Detroit Tigers
Finally, the Detroit Tigers are a shadow of their recently prideful teams. They have a few rotation arms that could keep them competitive, though, even that’s a stretch. This may be the final year we see Miguel Cabrera in a Tigers uniform.
National League West
This is where controversy may stir. The NL West is the “prove it” division. Coming off a season in which the division had three postseason participants, two of the teams will need to prove capable of postseason returns before the NL West gets a promotion.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers are of no concern. Like the Nationals and Indians, the Dodgers are just about guaranteed a spot in the postseason. They should find themselves in at least the Championship Series in 2018.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona has some questions to answer: Can Robbie Ray match his 2017 campaign? What is to be made of Zack Greinke’s velocity downturn? Is their lineup able to overcome the void left by J.D. Martinez?
The D’Backs remain talented; however, it’s going to take a lot to even win 2nd place in the NL West. We’ll see what kind of season the team can put forth soon enough.
Colorado Rockies
Colorado made perhaps the most impactful move of the offseason when signing closer Wade Davis to a three-year deal. Also, they brought on reliever Bryan Shaw over from the Cleveland Indians. These two have outstanding track records; it will be interesting to see how they fare at the menacing Coors Field.
Offensively, the Rockies are one player removed from having the same cast as last year. Thus, their offense should be elite. From a starting pitching standpoint, the Rocks will need good years from Jon Gray, Kyle Freeland, and Chad Bettis.
San Francisco Giants
The Giants added some flare this offseason, signing Andrew McCutchen and Evan Longoria. Each will contribute nicely to an offense that was very lackluster in 2017. But neither presence will lead the Giants back to the playoffs. In the end, they don’t have nearly enough to compete with the upper echelon of NL teams.
San Diego Padres
Eric Hosmer brought some momentum to the Padres. Despite the team having a big name for the first time since Adrian Gonzalez, they are still a ways away from MLB relevance.
National League Central
Aside from a couple of notable moves, the NL Central pretty much stayed put this offseason. It leads to believe the division will see similar results in 2018 as it saw in 2017. Ultimately, the Central doesn’t quite have the firepower that the remaining two divisions have.
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs are still the talk of MLB, deservedly so. They are in their prime as a unit, and any result shy of a World Series victory will be a disappointment. Agree with it or not, the Cubbies are the third best team in the NL as we currently stand.
Milwaukee Brewers
The Brew Crew is very intriguing. Adding outfielders Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yelich will deepen the lineup and increase RBI opportunities for the Brewers’ power bats. However, do they have the starting pitching to contend for a division title?
St. Louis Cardinals
Moving on, the Cardinals had a quiet offseason. Marcel Ozuna will undoubtedly strengthen the Cards’ lineup; however, St. Louis failed to bring in a much-needed lights out closer. Greg Holland is still available, but the team seems ready to move forward with what they already have.
Adam Wainwright and Michael Wacha will be under the spotlight this season. The Cardinals rotation will need at least one of them to regain their prized form to compete in the NL Central.
Cincinnati Reds
The Reds appear to be still stuck in neutral. Though they have a few exciting young players, the team continues to be the brunt of the division, and they’ll be one of the lesser MLB teams.
Pittsburgh Pirates
With that being said, the Pirates could give them some competition for last place. Pittsburgh finally got rid of Andrew McCutchen. They of course parted ways with Gerrit Cole as well. The Pirates will have their worst season in quite some time in 2018.
American League West
The AL West is the most improved division from last season. It is a top-heavy division, but there is no dunce, and the division that holds the defending champs is going to be ranked high.
Houston Astros
Houston does not have a problem. In fact, the Houston Astros appear to have improved this offseason with the addition of Gerrit Cole. The former Pirates ace will slot as the number three starter for the ‘Stros.
The Houston Astros have the look of that impressive Chicago Cubs team from two seasons ago—in the midst of a potential dynasty.
Los Angeles Angels
The Angels shared much of the MLB conversation this offseason after signing Japanese sensation Shohei Otani. The team intends to play Otani both ways; he has struggled with the bat in spring training, though, he has impressed on the mound. Time will tell if Otani is MLB legitimate, and if he can handle the extreme pressure. He’ll join a six-man rotation with additional high expectations from Garrett Richards and Andrew Heaney, who is returning from Tommy John surgery.
You’d have to like what the Halos did with their lineup as well, retaining Justin Upton and adding Zack Cozart and Ian Kinsler. This could be the year the Angels finally make a run with Mike Trout.
Seattle Mariners
Speaking of teams trying to get over the hump, the Seattle Mariners are due for at least a playoff bid given the number of high-caliber players on their roster. They’ll pose one of MLB’s best lineups, but they will need solid seasons from Mike Zunino, Mitch Haniger, and Ben Gamel to give it the proper balance.
Seattle will also need healthy seasons from James Paxton and Felix Hernandez, along with improved seasons from Ariel Miranda and Marco Gonzales.
Texas Rangers
The Rangers are in an uncomfortable situation. Not only are they planning on a six-man rotation, but they’re planning on doing so with scraps. Pitchers past their prime, including Matt Moore, Doug Fister, and Bartolo Colon, are in line to be in the rotation. The team is also trying to convert two relievers, Matt Bush and Mike Minor, to starters.
It may be a long year for a Texas team that has reached the MLB playoffs in five of the past eight seasons. Don’t be surprised if they are significant sellers at the trade deadline.
Oakland Athletics
The Athletics are consistent, if nothing else. They continue to put forth acceptable records given their low budget. However, 2018 could be a little better than acceptable. Oakland has a number of young studs that should gain some serious MLB experience this season. This includes Matt Chapman, Matt Olson, and Franklin Barreto.
American League East
Per usual, the Yankees and Red Sox steal the show in the AL East. The separation between these two teams and the rest of the division is unfair, as the rest of the division isn’ that bad. Fans may be sick of the attention and credit the AL East gets; however; you can’t intelligently argue against this division in 2018.
New York Yankees
When you think New York Yankees, you think “WOW.” A heart of the order that consists of Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, and Didi Gregorious playing half their games at tiny Yankee Stadium…that’s just not fair. World Series expectations surround the Yanks as well. Offense is an unlikely issue for New York, nor is the bullpen.
Though, their starting pitching lacks depth; therefore, they cannot afford any serious injuries. Something tells me anything the Yankees lack come mid-season, they’ll buy come late July.
Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox are walking side-by-side with the Yankees. It’s safe to say the greatest rivalry in sports has been renewed. Boston sports a lethal lineup that can hit from top to bottom. Power was an issue last season, but it will not be an issue in 2018. J.D. Martinez will hit his fair share of homers, and watch out for a power surge from Xander Bogaerts.
The Sox have some early injuries to their rotation, but Chris Sale and David Price are healthy. They’ll get Eduardo Rodriguez and Drew Pomeranz back soon enough.
There is a lot to play out once the regular season begins, yet, as we stand today, the Red Sox appear to be a complete team than the New York Yankees.
Toronto Blue Jays
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Toronto could compete for a wildcard spot if they play to their full capabilities. This means Justin Smoak will have to match what he did last season, Troy Tulowitzki will have to play like he did in Colorado, and Josh Donaldson will have to contend for MVP honors. The Jays will also need Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez to be healthy.
One thing the Blue Jays do have is an elite closer. If they can take the lead into the 9th, Roberto Osuna will secure the victory.
Baltimore Orioles
Same story different year for the Orioles. They have tons of pop, but pitching is their Achilles Heel. If they can absorb outstanding seasons from Kevin Gausman and Dylan Bundy, then they may have a shot at the wildcard.
More likely than not, this is the last hoorah for Baltimore, as Manny Machado is on his way out next offseason, at the very latest.
Next: Fantasy baseball duds to avoid
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays tanked. They will compete with the Miami Marlins for the worst record in MLB, as well as the lowest attendance in 2018. Add each team to the list of horrible Florida professional sports teams.