Ranking the best rebuilding teams in Major League Baseball

Rebuilding Major League Baseball teams have always been a point of interest for me. Seeing the potential in a team and how that grows into the future. Young guys hitting their ceiling and leading a team to the playoffs, or repeated mistakes from an organization causing them to have to more time in the league’s basement.

Right now, almost a third of Major League Baseball is rebuilding, looking to gain assets and develop their players to become World Series contenders

This article is going to review each of those rebuilding teams, analyzing the best and worst pieces on the roster, as well as the farm system to see what young players could be ready to contribute for their big league clubs within the next year or two.

Some notable teams not included in the list are the Oakland A’s as they have not had the chance to go full-blown fire sale just yet, as well as the Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Guardians, Los Angeles Angels, and Minnesota Twins as they were all either in playoff contention in 2021 or were expected to be and look to be heading that way once again in 2022. The last team not included is the Arizona Diamondbacks as I am not really sure where the team currently stands. Hopefully, once the lockout is over, we can figure out which direction this team is heading in.

Also, all of these rankings are fairly close to each other for the most part. I do believe the number one team does outrank higher all the others on the list, but it doesn’t mean that the rest of the teams are super far behind.

I would love to see your rankings in the comment section and we can talk about why we feel the way we do about any of the teams I talk about here.

#9: Colorado Rockies

Along with Arizona, this team is also in one of the weirder spots in the league. Brendan Rodgers is finally up but there are not many other young guys there with him or coming up soon. They finally have a solid first baseman in C.J Cron. Ryan McMahon is a solid defender at third, but has a below average bat. Former All-Star Charlie Blackmon has fallen off a cliff at the plate since 2019.

The position player prospects closest to the majors are Michael Toglia, Ryan Vilade, and Willie MacIver, who all struggled mightily in the minors last season. There are other guys like Zac Veen and Ezequiel Tovar, but they are a few years away at this point. So there’s not much hitting on the MLB squad and no prospects really coming to help out. Connor Joe could continue to hit well which might give the team maybe three guys who could hit at an average to above-average level.

Pitching-wise, this team does not look any better. German Marquez has been one of the best and most consistent pitchers in Rockies history, which is a positive note. Antonio Senzatela got an extension after a good season in 2021 looking at just base level stats. However, expected numbers show he should regress back moving forward. After that, there is Peter Lambert, Austin Gomber, and Kyle Freeland, who all do not seem like much in regard to being top end talent. Ryan Rolison is the closest top pitching prospect, but he struggled at times last season in the minors.

Thankfully the only bad deal on the books is Charlie Blackmon which will most likely finish after the 2023 season. All the other contracts are reasonable so they do have some money to spend and expressed interest in doing this offseason before the lockout started.

However, I am not really sure why they would be looking to do that given the team’s current state. There really isn’t much going in any area for them to expect some sort of playoff push. I think continuing to sell off pieces like Kyle Freeland or Raimel Tapia and getting off Charlie Blackmon’s money is the way this team should be heading so they can have some more young guys in the wake to lead this team in the future.

#8: Pittsburgh Pirates

Oneil Cruz and Ke’Bryan Hayes pairing along with Bryan Reynolds looks like it could be a solid foundation to build this lineup around. Cruz especially looks like he will be able to hit at an above-average level in the majors at least. Hayes will probably take some more time to get to that level as his best tool is in the field. Travis Swaggerty, Liover Peguero, and Mason Martin all look like they have the potential to help in some capacity at the Major League level, Swaggerty probably more so than the other two given his success at Triple-A and a more disciplined approach at the plate

The Pirates seventh overall pick in the 2020 draft, Nick Gonzales, performed well in 2021 with 18 home runs, a .950 OPS, and a 150 WRC+ in his first stint in the minors at High-A. He most likely won’t be up until earliest the 2023 season, but has shown a superior hitting ability already.

The pitching for this team is really what keeps them down as the lineup does look to have some glimmer of hope heading into the the future. There really isn’t anyone currently on the roster I can see being in a playoff-contending rotation except for maybe newly acquired Zach Thompson from Miami. Bryse Wilson and Wil Crowe are former top prospects for other teams who could set their feet with the Pirates, but their Major League careers so far have not been working out.

There is potential in Roansy Contreras as he had a fantastic season across the minors in 2021. Quinn Priester I am more hesitant on as his FIP and expected numbers do not look promising, but I am hopeful he can get closer to his very high ceiling now that he has had some real time in the minors. Lastly, Miguel Yajure looks like he could be a decent back-end to mid-rotation guy. So there is potential for a solid rotation if the prospects are able to pan out.

With practically no money on the books, the Pirates could look to be spenders in free agency, but we all know that is not really their style. Looking at younger hitters like Kyle Schwarber, Michael Conforto, or Jorge Soler would really jazz up their lineup. However, I think it is more likely they go for young-bargain options to fill out the lineup and rotation like Dan Vogelbach or Yusei Kikuchi. A reunion with Andrew McCutchen would be interesting if he is not able to find his way on to a contender.

Limited top end and even average rotation options with not a lot of potential lineup depth could hinder this team from being in playoff contention in the near future.

#6: Washington Nationals

Juan Soto basically carries this team past the others you have seen so far because the odds of any of their players reaching his level is incredibly slim.

As for the rest of the lineup, they have a solid two-man game behind the dish with Keibert Ruiz and Riley Adams. Ruiz looks likely to stick there as the long-term option. Adams has struggled defensively as a catcher. However, if he can maintain his high level offensively production, a WRC+ at least over 120, he could be moved to be the designated hitter or an outfielder as he would have a decent arm. Extending Josh Bell would be a good shout as he proved last season he can be an above-average hitter.

There are some questions marks as how other guys will perform around the rest of the lineup though with Carter Kieboom and Luis Garcia in the infield with a stop gap at second in Cesar Hernandez. Plus the outfield having essentially an empty bat in Victor Robles, despite his amazing fielding, and a maybe for left with Yadiel Hernandez as he wasn’t bad across 112 major league games. That really isn’t much here though to surround one of the best hitters in baseball.

The rotation is a strange one to try and work out. Patrick Corbin is making big bucks with not good production, but has been a top guy in the past. Strasburg hasn’t really played since 2019 and Josiah Gray will most likely need some time to settle in. After that, not much is there to help immediately. Cade Cavalli and Jackson Rutledge could come up some time this season but have a good amount of command issues to work out before they get major league innings.

Trevor Story could really help this team’s infield problems, as could Carlos Correa if they want to spree for him. They do already have big contracts with Strasburg and Corbin that don’t look great for the remaining years so they might be hesitant to go for the big guns. Any of Conforto, Bryant, Castellanos, or bringing back Schwarber would provide this lineup with a lot more firepower.

Carlos Rodon is probably the best pitcher on the market to go all out for, or they could go for stop gaps like Zack Greinke, Matt Boyd, Tyler Anderson, or Chris Archer.

Washington really just started their rebuild during last season after selling off Max Scherzer and Trea Turner so it is early for them. Locking up Juan Soto for the foreseeable future and then moving forward with him as the centerpiece will be what makes them a playoff and World Series contender once again.

#5: Chicago Cubs

The infield looks pretty set up for the future with Patrick Wisdom and Frank Schwindel as good options in the corners, despite them being older. Schwindel tore the cover off the ball with a 163 WRC+ once he joined the Cubs, seventh-best in all of MLB in the second half of the season.  Wisdom was good all around, providing an Outs Above Average in the 82nd percentile, along with an .823 OPS and 115 WRC+ on the season. He did start to fall off some in the second half which is a bit worrisome.

The Nick and Nico connection up the middle feels alright. Madrigal has hit better so far between the two of them with a 113 WRC+ in comparison to Hoerner’s 104. Both of them seem to have overperformed expected stats last season, so I am interested to see if they either progress or regress in 2022.

Outfielder Brennan Davis is on the way to help, as he has looked great so far with a 135 WRC+ in Double-A and moving up part way through the year to finish off 2021 with a 150 WRC+ across 15 Triple-A games. Miguel Amaya was also coming soon but he is now set for Tommy John surgery and will probably be out till 2023.

Pitching seems to be the bigger struggle for this squad. The signing of Marcus Stroman does help give them a good, consistent option there but after him it looks shaky. Kyle Hendricks did not perform well in 2022, and Wade Miley is decent but not exactly a big needle mover. Adbert Alzolay and Justin Steele both seem like they would be better as relievers so far. Brailyn Marquez does look to be on his way to the Majors soon after some injury problems in 2021 which could help the rotation a lot.

I think the Cubs could definitely look to spend more once the lockout is done or go a make some big moves. Carlos Rodon would help the rotation and signing Carlos Correa, who they were rumored to be in on before, or Trevor Story to give them another above-average bat would give this team a more consistent in the lineup.

I think the rotation answers will probably be on the trade market with Oakland having multiple options, the Marlins also have young trade pieces, as well as Sonny Gray and Kyle Freeland most likely being available. A Jason Heyward, Patrick Corbin swap would be interesting. It gets Washington off some money and a good defensive outfielder at the least, and gets Chicago another arm that could potentially get back to all-star form.

If the Cubs can get Madrigral and Hoerner hitting at least average, and one more arm to pair with a Stroman and Marquez at the top end of the rotation, there is a potential playoff team here. That’s a surprising state for a team that has been selling off their top end talent for the past year, especially with older prospects in Wisdom and Schwindel taking over.

#4: Texas Rangers

Marcus Semien and Corey Seager add a lot to this team especially with some other good prospective bats either in the lineup already like Nathaniel Lowe and Adolis Garcia. Along with young guys on the way up in Josh Jung and Sam Huff. That gives them two potentially top 30 players in baseball in one lineup, matched up with four other good to great hitters that could create one of the better lineups in baseball.

One thing I don’t understand is why they traded away Joey Gallo if this is the direction the team was planning on going. The argument I guess is that they did not know they would sign Seager and Semien six months ago but they could have also just waited until the offseason to trade Gallo. One of the biggest problems still left for this team is their outfield, which having Gallo as a fantastic hitter and one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball would have solved.

The rotation still looks really iffy, even after the Jon Gray signing. Dane Dunning looks like he could be okay, not sure if he has top-end potential though. Spencer Howard was acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies last season and did not pitch very well to start but looks like there could be a higher ceiling based off his past in the minors.

The number two overall draft pick in last year’s draft, Jack Leiter, could move through the minors pretty quickly but will probably need to work out his arm to ensure he can handle pitching a full major league season. Cole Winn could be an option as he had a solid year in Double-A and moved up to Triple-A at the end of the year. If all goes well, he could be in the Majors by the midway point of the season.

If this team is looking to flip this rebuild into contender status, they are going to need some top-end pitching, which could be found in free agency with guys in Carlos Rodon or bringing Clayton Kershaw home to Texas. They could also look to the trade market for Frankie Montas, Sonny Gray, or take a risk with former All-Star Patrick Corbin if the Nationals will take on a lot of his contract. They have some trade chips now in Justin Foscue, Ezequiel Duran, and Josh Smith as they are now blocked up the middle from their new signees.

The lineup looks like it could be set for the future more so than anything else here. Its holes are pretty deep ones but could be filled fairly easily with average talent. The rotation is what holds this team back from being one of the brighter teams in the future. That could turn around fairly quickly with a breakout season and a big move.

#3: Detroit Tigers

Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene look to be on their way to the Major League squad at some point in 2022. Torkelson played from High-A all the way through to Triple-A, hitting well above average at every single level. Greene played 40 games in Triple-A with a 153 WRC+ and .953 OPS. Depending on what rules are changed during the lockout, I could see both of these guys either making the Opening Day roster or brought up some time in late April or early May.

They will be joining a couple other young hitters in Jeimer Candelario and Akil Baddoo who look to build on their production last season. As well as some other okay hitters through the lineup in Robbie Grossman, Jonathan Schoop, and some other prospect that have seen Major League time in Isaac Paredes or Daz Cameron. A more quiet name that played great in the minors last season is Ryan Kriedler, who could fill in at second base nicely.

Also, the Tigers signed Javier Baez to be the shortstop that leads this team into the future. I think he could be a solid option moving forward. However, if you want to see my deeper thoughts on the move you can find them here.

The rotation is where this team gets really interesting. Former number one overall pick Casey Mize, along with Tarik Skubal and Matt Manning all have top of the rotation potential. All three have also struggled at the Major League level so far, but those ceilings could still be reachable as they adjust to hitters and continue to improve their games. They also signed Eduardo Rodriguez this offseason to be the de facto ace of the team, which looks like a solid pairing given his career performance and the state of this team.

Detroit is loaded with pitching talent as they still have others in the farm that could come up and help this team in some form or fashion in upcoming seasons in Alex Faedo and Joey Wentz. Faedo is coming off of a UCL injury this past season and Wentz struggled with his command a lot in 2021 but still has great stuff.

Miguel Cabrera is still under contract for two more seasons pulling in $30 million for each. Now, along with Javier Baez and Eduardo Rodriguez contracts, Detroit sits at $103 million total in salary. I don’t see them doing too much else this offseason other than maybe a veteran pitcher and some bullpen pieces.

With the two new signings and two new prospects set to make their debuts in 2022, this team has pushed forward to potentially breaking out of their rebuild and towards playoff contention. I think they might have already been there if Detroit decided to go all out for Carlos Correa rather than Javy Baez. The pitching keeps this team a little behind as well as a lack of proven MLB quality bats, but their potential is one of the highest in the league.

#2: Miami Marlins

The Marlins have already shown their ability to push for the playoffs despite being a rebuilding team, a fantastic sign for a young and growing ball club. Jazz Chisholm and Jesus Sanchez will hopefully be big breakout hitters for Miami in 2022, giving them a solid pair to build around, which they have already started.

Jesus Aguilar has been solid ever since the fish claimed him off waivers before the 2020 season. Brian Anderson looks to bounce back in 2022 after a down and injury-riddled season. Miguel Rojas is one of the best defensive infielders in baseball and Garrett Cooper is one of the more underrated hitters in the game with over a 130 WRC+ since 2020.

Some interesting additions have been made so far with Avisail Garcia and Joey Wendle. In 2020, Garcia provided the Brewers with an above-average bat and solid defense. While I am unsure if the defense will hold up based off his metrics. His expected hitting stats say Garcia might have underperformed at the plate last season, which is a great sign for Miami. Wendle is a versatile player who, despite playing all over the field, manages to have great defense and still be at least an average hitter if not better.

Jacob Stallings was acquired from the Pirates just before the lockout, which should not only help their lineup but also the rotation. Hitting-wise, he is decent for a catcher who will get consistent plate appearances. For the pitching side, Stallings was one of the best defensive catchers in all of baseball last season which will only help this fantastic rotation get better.

Pitching is the real calling card for this squad. Sandy Alcantara was an ace level pitcher in 2021 and is now locked up with a pretty team-friendly deal for the next five seasons. Pablo Lopez and Trevor Rogers have both pitched at well above-average levels, along with Elieser Hernandez still putting up at least average numbers plus all the prospects they still have coming in Sixto Sanchez, Edward Cabrera, Max Meyer, and Braxton Garrett. Jesus Luzardo is another one too if he can find his footing with them.

That is nine potential MLB studs. Obviously this team can’t have all of them so they will have to make decisions on who to keep and who not. That is a solid problem to have, especially when just looking at through the teams in this article, a lot of other teams’ biggest problem is starting pitching. This depth could help them acquire position players to build alongside their young guys.

This rotation is what really puts this team up high because of the production as well as its value to the rest of the league. The lineup is further behind with not a lot of prospects on the way to help out, other than those already on the MLB team. If they are able to make some moves for other hitting prospects or MLB talent, they could easily move out of rebuilding status and into full on contenders.

#1: Kansas City Royals

Since 2017, the Royals have been building their team back up to become World Series champions again, like they were in 2014. They have done an amazing job so far with the prospects they have been able to either acquire or, most of time, draft. Developing what look like future stars on a playoff contender for years to come

If you want my full breakdown on why the Royals are the best rebuilding team in baseball, you can follow the link here.

In summary, the combination of current MLB players being average or well above, with a quartet of young hitters coming in who look like they will contribute to winning as soon as they get the call. A team committed to strong defense, speed, and overall hitting ability throughout their lineup.

The pitching has not fully presented itself in the majors, much like the Detroit Tigers, but there are several pitchers in the Royals rotation currently that look to have top end talent with a couple still coming up through the system.

Kansas City could have one of the most well-rounded but also just overall talented rosters in baseball in a year or two. That is why I think, at this moment, they are the best rebuilding team in baseball.