The Cleveland Indians
While Cleveland still has plenty to win it all this year, 2018 is likely their last year as a top contender. And they are even more top-heavy than the Dodgers.
Their offense, again like that of L.A., features some great young hitters led by all-world SS Francisco Lindor. His slash of .273/.337/.505 with 33 home runs is even more exciting as he collected it all at the age of 23. Again, he is likely to be better in 2018.
Perhaps he will take the same kind of step that third baseman Jose Ramirez took.
2017 saw the then 24-year old post his second consecutive season hitting over .300 (.318/.374/.583) while almost tripling his home run total, going from 11 to 29.
Those two, along with Edwin Encarnacion and his team-leading 38 home runs, form as a potent middle of the order as almost any team in the American League. And they will add C Francisco Mejia and his dynamic switch-hitting talents at some point this season.
After that, though, are several goods but not great players. There are those who hit for average but have no power—Michael Brantley, Lonnie Chisenhall—and those who hit for neither, including Yan Gomes, Jason Kipnis, Bradley Zimmer and Roberto Perez. That’s a lot of guys.
And the pitching is equally out of balance.