MLB Power Rankings: Getting ready for Opening Day
As we get ready for Opening Day, it is time for our first MLB Power Rankings of the new season.
A new season is upon us. For the most part, it is a time of hope, a time to dream that our favorite teams can put it all together, and come away with a World Series title. Of course, given the movement towards tanking that occurred this offseason, there are also those teams that seemingly do not have a chance in the coming year.
This is also the time of year when baseball experts put together their best Nostradamus impression and seek to discern the future as it comes to baseball. Plenty of words have been typed on our predictions, with an in depth look at each team. And now, with the season set to begin, it is time for our preliminary MLB power rankings.
Obviously, there will be plenty of changes as the year goes on. No one can accurately predict all 30 teams, but there is plenty of fun in seeing how close the predictions are. Of course, depending on how badly some of these predictions can go, maybe we don’t want to look back at this in another four or five months.
Let us take a look at our predictions for the upcoming season. Here are the MLB power rankings, Opening Day edition!
82. New ownership, same old Marlins. With a focus on being profitable, Derek Jeter and company ripped the team apart, taking away any reason to watch the franchise. Even Marlins Man did not renew his season tickets. There may well be several AAA teams with more talent than Miami this year.. . . Miami Marlins. 30. team
team. 63. The Tigers are in the midst of a rebuild, and have already moved most of their tradeable assets. The problem is, players like Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez are making up a large chunk of the payroll, but Detroit could not give them away if they wanted to.. . . Detroit Tigers. 29
28. team. 61. The Cincinnati Reds are not just Joey Votto any longer. There are some exciting young players that will be spending their first full season in the majors this year. Jesse Winker and Luis Castillo may well be future building blocks. 2018 may be rough, but the future is coming.. . . Cincinnati Reds
. Kansas City Royals. 27. team. 7. On the plus side, the Royals brought back Mike Moustakas. On the negative side, they brought back Alcides Escobar. After a nice run of postseason appearances and a World Series title, Kansas City appears to be back to their status as an afterthought, especially after Salvador Perez injured himself when walking down stairs. At least the trade deadline should be exciting..
One of the possible highlights to the 2018 campaign would have involved seeing A.J. Puk make his major league debut. Instead, he may be having Tommy John surgery, putting his promising career on hold. There are quite a few prospects coming up, but Puk was expected to be the future ace of the rotation.. . . Oakland Athletics. 26. team. 96
25. team. 11. The Orioles would seemingly be the perfect candidates to rebuild, with Manny Machado, Adam Jones, and Zach Britton all slated for free agency after this season. Instead, they signed Alex Cobb to a three year deal. Come 2019, Cobb may be the best player on the team.. . . Baltimore Orioles
The San Diego Padres made one of the biggest splashes in free agency, landing Eric Hosmer. Paired with Wil Myers, the Padres hope they have their 1-2 punch in the lineup. Once the pitching develops, San Diego will be a fun team to watch. But the future is not here just yet.. . . San Diego Padres. 24. team. 127
Even though it was inevitable, the trade of Evan Longoria was still a shock for the Rays. He was the last piece from their World Series run in 2008, a franchise icon and the greatest player in the history of the team. One has to wonder who is going to be next to be traded from Tampa Bay.. . . Tampa Bay Rays. 23. team. 21
22. team. 62. By comparison, the Mariners were relatively quiet this offseason. Dee Gordon was their biggest move, although the return of Ichiro will bring more fans to the stadium. Nostalgia aside, Seattle’s failure to address the rotation could be their downfall this season.. . . Seattle Mariners
As another member of the Atlanta Braves glory years will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this year, the current Braves may be emerging. The young talent is either in the majors, or on the cusp of breaking through. It may still be a year or two, but the future is looking bright once again down in Georgia.. . . Atlanta Braves. 21. team. 17
. Texas Rangers. 20. team. 126. The Rangers brought in a lot of interesting pitchers on low cost deals, bringing in th elikes of Matt Moore, Doug Fister, Tim Lincecum, and Bartolo Colon. This would be exciting – if the Rangers transported back to 2013. Unfortunately, this is 2018, so those moves may not pan out. At least Joey Gallo will hit the ball a long way if he makes contact..
team. 6. The Phillies might not be a real contender this season, but the framework is in place. Carlos Santana and Jake Arrieta give the team a level of respectability, and the future stars of the franchise are reaching the major league level. The future is bright in Philadelphia.. . . Philadelphia Phillies. 19
The White Sox, very quietly, had a solid offseason. They rebuilt their bullpen after trading most of it away last season, and the young starters are getting ready to make an impact at the major league level. If everything breaks right for Chicago, they could end up around .500 for the season.. . . Chicago White Sox. 18. team. 128
. Pittsburgh Pirates. 17. team. 4. The focus, understandably, is on what the Pirates lost with Gerrit Cole and Andrew McCutchen. However, what is lost is that the Pirates still have a solid roster and starting rotation. If the young kids can fulfill expectations, and Gregory Polonco and Starling Marte can return to form, the Pirates could compete in a tough NL Central..
Toronto Blue Jays. 16. team. 39. The Blue Jays are in a tough spot for 2018. They are not quite good enough to contend for the AL East, but they are not bad enough to be one of the tanking teams in the league. Depending on health and whether or not players rebound, their season could go one of two ways.. .
New York Mets. 15. team. 3. For a brief moment, it looked as though the five Young Guns that the Mets touted for their pitching staff would actually all take a turn together. Then Zack Wheeler was sent to AAA. So much for that. If the Mets can get healthy, they may be an interesting team to watch, even without Tim Tebow reaching the majors.. .
. . Milwaukee Brewers. 14. team. 76. One of the biggest surprises of 2017, the Brewers are not going to sneak up on anyone this year. This is also a flawed team, with holes in the rotation, especially with Jimmy Nelson not returning until sometime around midseason. And yet, the Brewers have five outfielders. A trade would have made sense, although nothing has happened to this point.
13. team. 108. The Rockies rode a solid pitching staff and timely hitting to a playoff berth last year. 2018 appears to be much the same, with Wade Davis replacing Greg Holland as closer (seems like we saw that once before) and not much else being done. With the NL West getting stronger, that may not be enough.. . . Colorado Rockies
team. 40. The Giants quest to regain their even year magic has already had a rough start. Both Madison Bumgarner and Jeff Samardzija will begin the season on the disabled list, leaving Johnny Cueto and a host of nothing in the rotation. Andrew McCutchen and Evan Longoria should be upgrades, but they will need to weather the start of the season.. . . San Francisco Giants. 12
33. The Cardinals improved their offense with the acquisition of Marcell Ozuna, but there are still quite a few questions. The rotation needs some work, and St. Louis is riding with Luke Gregerson as their closer once he is healthy. Bringing in Greg Holland would have made sense, and may be a decision the Cardinals regret.. . . St. Louis Cardinals. 11. team
Minnesota Twins. 9. team. 2. The Twins revamped their starting rotation, adding Jake Odorizzi and Lance Lynn. Addison Reed and Fernando Rodney have fortified their bullpen. Logan Morrison adds another power bat to the lineup. Minnesota is the most complete team in the AL Central, and might end the Indians’ reign.. .
team. 102. After years of disappointment, the Angels will be fun to watch this year. The infield is much more athletic, and far better defensively, than in years past. And then there is the matter of Shohei Otani, who is attempting to become the modern day Martin Dihigo. That quest to become a viable two way player in the majors will be fascinating to watch.. . . Los Angeles Angels. 8
8. The Arizona Diamondbacks should be a solid team in the coming year. The back of the bullpen has their own Cerberus to close out games, and the starting rotation should take another step forward. However, the rest of the division got stronger as well, and could keep the Diamondbacks from showing progress.. . . Arizona Diamondbacks. 7. team
. Washington Nationals. 6. team. 90. In theory, the Nationals should be the class of the NL East again this year, and find their way in the postseason. However, playoff appearances are no longer enough. The Nationals are looking to not only advance, but to reach the World Series for the first time in franchise history. Anything less will be another disappointment..
. Chicago Cubs. 5. team. 9. The Cubs seem to clearly be the class of the NL Central. They have a strong lineup, a solid pitching staff, and a deep bullpen. There are questions about the closer situation, and whether or not Kyle Schwarber can be the player the Cubs thought he would be. Even with those problems, the Cubs are still one of the favorites to win the World Series..
If this is a rebuild, every team wishes for what the Yankees have accomplished. Even as New York slashed payroll and got below the luxury tax, they added Giancarlo Stanton to Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez. Just wait until they begin spending again next offseason. The Evil Empire is back.. . . New York Yankees. 4. team. 43
3. team. 14. Last year, the Red Sox needed an ace, and they got Chris Sale. This year, they needed a true power hitter, so they signed J.D. Martinez. There is no questioning that they filled the holes on their roster, but will that be enough to dethrone the Astros? Improvement from their young stars may be the deciding factor.. . . Boston Red Sox
. Los Angeles Dodgers. 2. team. 71. At some point, the Dodgers have to break through. The roster is far too talented for them not to win a World Series, especially with an ownership group willing to spend whatever it takes to reach the postseason. On the 30th anniversary of their last championship, Los Angeles may be primed to bring a title back..
Houston Astros. 1. team. 135. Let’s face it – the Houston Astros are the envy of virtually every team in the game. They have a deep starting rotation, a young and dynamic offense, and a stellar bullpen. There are few holes on the roster, making it possible that the Astros earn the first World Series repeat in the 21st century.. .