Long Overdue Chin Music Power Rankings: Cinco de Mayo Editio
May 7, 2017 0:31:02 GMT -5
Cubs GM (Scott B), D Backs GM (Tyler), and 2 more like this
Post by Red Sox GM (Ty) on May 7, 2017 0:31:02 GMT -5
Gentleman,
Below is your Almost-in-Time-for-Cinco-de-Mayo Power Rankings. I appreciate everyone’s tolerance of my tardiness and general buffoonery and hope you all enjoy.
30. Los Angeles Angels
It wasn’t that long ago that an AL West team who’d spent a few years mired in mediocrity completely burned it to the ground. Within a few years they had risen from the ashes like a magnificent phoenix and now are perched firmly atop their division and among the league’s very best. That was the Mariners circa 2013. This year, John has entirely committed himself to the cellar in the short term in the hopes of rebuilding his club with copious amounts of young talent, the likes of which will challenge those aforementioned Mariners. He’s done quite well in assembling an enviable farm system where once there was a relative black hole. Time will tell if he’s got the right pieces, but as far as rebuilding goes, he’s off to a great start.
29. Los Angeles Dodgers
It’ll be a bleak year in the City of Angels with both teams in full on tank mode. After an improbable, ownerless run through the postseason, new Dodgers ownership decided to blow things up in a big way, shedding both talent and onerous contracts in favor of cheap, high-upside prospects and picks. They’ll have money to burn next year, when Arrieta and Lonnie Fat Stacks take significant pay cuts and a slew of early draft picks with which to continue to build the farm. How effectively they spend their capital, both draft and financial, will determine how quickly the Trolley Dodgers return to prominence.
28. St. Louis Cardinals
The Cards suffer from a serious lack of direction. When half of your starting lineup is either injured or riding the bus, you’re not in for much success in the short-term. What’s more concerning, though, is that poor Yu Darvish is being wasted and Jedd Gyorko is having a career year. Those guys have no place on this team and should be promptly traded before Yu gets hurt and the real Jedd Gyorko shows up. Longoria and Carlos Gomez might have some good baseball left in them, but that should also happen on someone else’s roster. We’ll see if ownership shows up and embraces reality, or if they’ll lose a year and an opportunity to improve.
27. Minnesota Twins
Mike is trotting out a little league team again this year. The old man on the roster (Raisel Iglesias) was born- allegedly- in 1990. It’s 2017 and the Twins are still rebuilding. I would have thought he’d be cemented atop the AL Central by now with all the top-flight prospects he’s owned over the years. This team is no different- his system is the envy of the league, but he’s accumulated a grand total of 83 ABs on the season. Minny’s future looks bright, but we’ve said that before. It’ll be interesting to follow the prospect saga unfold in the coming years.
26. Oakland Athletics
The A’s seem destined to spend another year in the bottom third of the league. The major league pieces they have are intriguing, and even good in some cases. They just make more sense on a team that’s closer to contention. If Bird can work the trade market this season, he’s got enough assets to net a decent haul of young talent to begin a necessary rebuild. Otherwise, it’s a slow road to improvement reliant on hitting it big in the draft and free agency.
25. Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays wisely embraced the rebuilding process this offseason, effectively punting this year and pinning their hopes on Cuban phenom Yoan Moncada. That makes the unfortunate series of events of this young season easier to bear. They lost Chad Bettis, who was slated to be their rotation anchor, for an undetermined period of time as he battles ball cancer. In a metaphorical nut-punch, Blake Treinen was awful as the Nats closer and was promptly demoted, tanking any trade value he might have had and the Rays’ ERA all at once. In what should have been good news, Brandon Finnegan flashed some promise in his brief stint as a healthy major league pitcher, but he’s since been stuck in baseball purgatory for 3 weeks. Fortunately, Kyle Freeland has provided a bit of optimism to a major league roster otherwise bereft of much hope. Moncada and Lewis Brinson can’t arrive soon enough.
24. San Diego Padres
First, the good news: the Dominican Robin Hood has racked up 8 saves in the desert. He’s also accumulated a double-digit ERA in the process. It’s been that kind of year for the Fathers. Their best hitter hasn’t stepped to the plate yet this year. One of their best pitchers just landed on the DL with the expectation that he won’t be back until the 4th of July. In what was going to be a tough year anyway, those things don’t help. This is a team that has the potential to climb up these rankings pretty quickly with pitching to spare if things break their way, but some tinkering might be in order.
23. Cincinnati Reds
I like what the Reds have done and believe they are well-positioned to move towards contention in the coming years. Jose Ramirez and Trevor Story are legit building blocks, and Domingo Santana has shown flashes of his immense potential. They also have a lot of warm bodies that could find homes on contenders looking for depth down the stretch. The pitching is pretty bleak, with Kendall Graveman as the staff ace, but Lucas Giolito waits in the wings. There’s a decent collection of prospects to work with here as well. Sticking to the plan should result in steady improvement towards challenging the Cubs in a few years.
22. Detroit Tigers
When your 3rd best pitcher is jokingly tweeting that his outfielders should be playing in the stands, things aren’t going well. Offensively, they’re not offensive, though Kyle Seager has been a pretty big disappointment thus far. They’re perennially chasing contention, rather than hitting the reset button, and they haven’t made much tangible improvement in a few years. Dumping Kershaw’s contract helps, but a concerted effort to get younger at the expense of the immediate future would be wise. Either way, I admire the desire to win.
21. Miami Marlins
When the season began, the Marlins had the most formidable rotation in the league. An ill-advised ride on a dirt bike and a superhero’s unwillingness to submit to employer-recommended diagnostic testing have ravaged their staff and their playoff hopes. Nobody is equipped to deal with that kind of injury luck, but the Fish have plenty of talent to contend in future years as long as Thor and MadBum can regain their pre-injury dominance. If I’m Al, I’m selling short-term pieces and tooling up for a post-season run built around my pitching and Altuve in 2018.
20. Cleveland Indians
A year removed from what looked like a budding dynasty, the Indians suffered the toughest offseason in the league- maybe in the history of the league- losing former MVPs Harper and Donaldson. As such, Ryan opted for the half-measure, retaining the likes of McCutchen and Pollock, Strasburg and Lynn but not surrounding them with enough to solidify themselves as contenders. It’s a down year across the AL Central, but the White Sox have gained some serious ground and the Royals still have the potential to be great. The Tribe would probably be better off packing it in this year and moving the pieces that they don’t see as long-term solutions.
19. Colorado Rockies
The Rox are sort of caught in no man’s land at the moment. They’ve got an average-ish lineup, albeit with a great piece in Blackmon and promising rookie Mitch Haniger. Dickerson is working to dispel the doubts about his production away from Coors after a pretty terrible year in 16, which helps as well. The rotation lacks a bona fide ace, and about 3 other respectable starters. If you squint real hard, you might be able to convince yourself that Aaron Sanchez can be the best pitcher in a playoff rotation, but not coupled with the likes of Josh Tomlin and Francisco Liriano who’d both look better as long-relief guys or spot starters. In short, the roster should look a lot different in a few months if they want to best position themselves for future success.
18. Baltimore Orioles
The O’s live in a tough zip code. The East is again crowded at the top, and the Orioles reside somewhat south of the contenders. The good news is that their serious investment in Brantley hasn’t blown up yet, and Coors Field agrees with Mark Reynolds. Also, Goldschmidt is still Goldschmidt. Conversely, there are a lot of crooked numbers in the ERA column. Chase Anderson is a bright spot, but he’s 29. In short, it’s not the O’s year, but there are quite a few veteran producers that should be valuable trade chips to help reload.
17. Philadelphia Phillies
The Phils have a better team than you think, or at least better than I thought. With an exciting young core of Machado (who really doesn’t ph***ing like to be thrown at apparently), Trea Turner and Tim Beckham (?!?), the phuture of their ophensive phoundation is phrightening. Additionally, there’s a ton of other useful pieces on the roster, both bats and arms. Gio Gonzalez isn’t this good, and I’d recommend selling on Feliz while he’s still the ‘closer,’ but there’s enough on the roster to conceivably push for a Wild Card spot. Whatever direction they take, they’ll be in the mix in the NL East for the foreseeable future.
16. New York Mets
Barney is at it again, pursuing that elusive World Series, equipped with Mike Trout and his usual stable of 4th starters. They’ll be better than they’ve shown to this point, as Beltre is yet to play, Trumbo, Miller and Frazier have been gawdawful and Steven Wright can’t go Benedict Arnold on their ERA and WHIP anymore. On the bright side, Frazier will have plenty of time to turn it around in Queens. It’ll take a Herculean effort from Trout and a lot of luck in the rotation if the Mets are going to close the gap on the Nationals, but a miracle run to the Wild Card is at least plausible. It’s also plausible that they finish 4th in their division, though it won’t be without a fight.
15. Pittsburgh Pirates
Larry has the misfortune of sharing a division with a juggernaut, but this team, despite its quality of talent, isn’t going anywhere due to a complete lack of depth. I’m really high on most of the guys they’re trotting out there every day, but injuries are going to happen, and there just isn’t enough volume on the roster to carry them. The good news is that there’s plenty of guys to be optimistic about that should stay in Pittsburgh for quite a while- Gordon, Bogaerts, Springer, Fulmer, Glasnow, Salazar and Bundy are all foundational types, and Larry will pick his spots to fill in the gaps around them and make another run with this group soon enough.
14. Milwaukee Brewers
Luca has aggressively pursued contention this year, and he’s done pretty admirably in my opinion. While he’s spent quite a bit of future cash in the process, he’s got an interesting team that, with some luck and additional pitching, could find itself in the hunt for a Wild Card. The injury to Donaldson hurt, but he should be back shortly and Alex Avila is hitting like prime Alex Rodriguez in his stead. While he’s due to regress, I’m a believer in Sano, and Sanchez and Kipnis will get theirs. The biggest problem is in the rotation, where it’s Kershaw and Clayton Richard holding down the fort. When Richard is you #2, you need some help. Hopefully for the Brew Crew, they’ll get some. Otherwise they’re destined for a middle-of-the-pack finish.
13. Atlanta Braves
Swo’s got a good team. With proper attention and a little luck, this could be a fringe playoff team, but as it stands, he’s probably another year away. I expected more from Bird and Walker, but there probably aren’t enough arms to make anything happen this year. Scherzer is still great, but the Braves had better commit to contention soon or they risk wasting an elite SPs prime with nothing to show for it. The good news is that the farm system is strong and ready to serve as trade bait for immediate help, or, more likely, fortification of the major league roster as guys graduate.
12. Chicago White Sox
Our resident reptilian wrangler has really improved his team over last year. He’s sacrificed some long-term assets and flexibility to do it, but they’re presently in the driver’s seat in the AL Central. The offense is good enough, headlined by newly-acquired cornerstone Kris Bryant, but they’ll need health and good luck with their pitching- like 25 more Cy Young-like starts out of Mike Leake- to fend off a talented Royals squad to reach the post-season. I’m sure there will be more tinkering between now and the trade deadline, so stay tuned.
11. Houston Astros
I’ve long thought that these Astros were on the cusp of making some noise, and while I’m not certain the scorching hot start is likely to continue, this is the most promising team they’ve had in Houston in a long time. Zimmerman is mashing, Cozart is doing his best to hit his way out of Cincy, Carrasco is dominating and even Jorge de la Rosa has reinvented himself as a legitimate late-inning reliever. Those names shouldn’t inspire a ton of confidence, but regardless, Houston has a greatly improved team either way and is well positioned to either sell high on some of their better performing assets or push to unseat Mike as division champ.
10. San Francisco Giants
In what looks to be a competitive NL West this year, I’ve got Adkins just behind Tyler, though the runner-up could be in play for a Wild Card berth. I really like the offense, particularly Shaw, Diaz and Hernandez, but he’ll need to add to his pitching staff if he wants to solidify his place in the playoffs. Trading saves or prospects/picks for volume pitching stats, or scouring the FA pool for middle relief and spot starters would help his case in the short-term.
9. Arizona Diamondbacks
Tyler and Adkins seem destined to take their division race down to the wire this year. I’ve got the DBacks with the slight edge. Aaron Judge looks like he’s sufficiently figured out major league pitching, and Max Kepler- long a personal favorite- is having a fine season. Perhaps the best news in Arizona is that Jason Heyward is average again, following his abhorrent 16 campaign. What really solidifies his place as division favorite is his pitching, which is far from flashy, but adequately voluminous and generally not terrible. Way to go, Tyler.
8. Texas Rangers
Jared has maintained a competitive roster for years, but hasn’t been able to overtake the vaunted Mariners in his own division. He made some aggressive offseason moves with catching Mike in mind, and, in the early going, he’s still firmly in the hunt. He’s got competition from the Stros and a deficiency in offensive depth, but there’s enough minor league currency to patch any holes that may arise. Price will need to come back effectively if they’re going to be real contenders, because the rest of the staff is due for some regression, but the Rangers are in good hands and the West could be up for grabs.
7. New York Yankees
A year ago, the Bombers got off to a great start and slowly faded down the stretch. Here we are again, and I expect a similar regression as the calendar turns to the dog days of summer. The injuries are piling up for a team that can’t afford them, and Chase Headley and Chris Owings just aren’t this good. The rest of the team is good enough to push for a top 10 finish, but extended absences from their best pitcher (Felix) and one of their best offensive players (Cespedes) will be tough to overcome. That said, kudos to Matt for putting together another competitive squad.
6. Kansas City Royals
On offense, this has got to be Black Kevin’s youngest team to date. They’ve got gobs of potential, but still have a lot to prove. If all goes well, we’re looking at a group of bats that should make the Royals AL favorites for years to come. Big Sexy anchors a relatively uninspiring and aged pitching staff. If Matz and Manaea can get healthy and pitch to their potential, they should be enough to get them past the surprisingly good White Sox in a down year across the board in the AL Central.
5. Boston Red Sox
As a commissioner, you’d think I’d be aware that I can’t start 7 infielders. Apparently I didn’t get the memo, as almost a month into the season I had last year’s NL batting champ riding the pine while I’m trotting out an uninspiring trio of outfielders: Marte (cheater), Holt (bad at hitting, hurt) and Rosario (spectacularly average). Things are so bad that newly acquired Brett Gardner ($9M, OPS of .550 prior to his recent power surge) becomes my best option in the outfield. At least my starting pitching has been shelled, so I’ve got that going for me, which is nice. Perhaps I’m an eternal optimist, but I expect better things from my roster and am betting on another playoff appearance.
4. Seattle Mariners
Mike may have his hands full this year in defending his AL West crown, as his thin offense got even leaner after news that Adam Eaton will miss the remainder of the season. He can’t afford any more injuries or ineffectiveness, or else he’ll have some tough decisions to make. There is a ton of high-end talent on the roster, but not enough secondary pieces to really feel comfortable. They should still win the division, but much more than that isn’t a given unless they’re able to fill in the gaps via shrewd FA pickups or selling of the farm.
3. Washington Nationals
Another year, another solid Nats squad. They’re very thin on offense, and have outpitched their talent despite a plethora of injuries to this point. However, they’re good enough to make the playoffs again this year. Jason Vargas is not a Cy Young candidate, but he won’t have to be once Rodon and Smyly come back, and Dahl’s return will be a welcome one for the offense, which will need to be augmented if they’re going to be considered a legitimate title contender. Cork knows what needs to be done, and he’ll find a way to be in the hunt come September.
2. Toronto Blue Jays
Angel stepped into a pretty desirable situation, taking over for Jordan who had a long and successful run in Toronto. He hasn’t had to do much, but he hasn’t screwed the pooch, either- except for leaving Rendon and his 3 dongs and 10 steaks on his bench last week. It’s a well-rounded team with no real weaknesses and a devastating rotation (I’m a believer in both Paxton and Walker). There’s plenty of potential for growth on offense as well, between Polanco, Yelich, Hamilton and Buxton, but if Miggy comes back and does Miggy things, they won’t need much. Another bullpen arm or two couldn’t hurt, but this is a playoff team and a true contender.
1. Chicago Cubs
Scott has what might be his best team ever, and he can sleepwalk his way to a NL Central title. I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect Eric Thames to be Ted Williams over a full season, but it is reasonable to expect similar things from Bryce Harper and an overall outstanding offense. If there’s a criticism, it’s the starting pitching, which is good, not great. They’re good enough to bring a title back to the North Side as is, but they might consider devoting any potential trade resources to bolstering the rotation. Either way, watch out for the Cubbies.
Below is your Almost-in-Time-for-Cinco-de-Mayo Power Rankings. I appreciate everyone’s tolerance of my tardiness and general buffoonery and hope you all enjoy.
30. Los Angeles Angels
It wasn’t that long ago that an AL West team who’d spent a few years mired in mediocrity completely burned it to the ground. Within a few years they had risen from the ashes like a magnificent phoenix and now are perched firmly atop their division and among the league’s very best. That was the Mariners circa 2013. This year, John has entirely committed himself to the cellar in the short term in the hopes of rebuilding his club with copious amounts of young talent, the likes of which will challenge those aforementioned Mariners. He’s done quite well in assembling an enviable farm system where once there was a relative black hole. Time will tell if he’s got the right pieces, but as far as rebuilding goes, he’s off to a great start.
29. Los Angeles Dodgers
It’ll be a bleak year in the City of Angels with both teams in full on tank mode. After an improbable, ownerless run through the postseason, new Dodgers ownership decided to blow things up in a big way, shedding both talent and onerous contracts in favor of cheap, high-upside prospects and picks. They’ll have money to burn next year, when Arrieta and Lonnie Fat Stacks take significant pay cuts and a slew of early draft picks with which to continue to build the farm. How effectively they spend their capital, both draft and financial, will determine how quickly the Trolley Dodgers return to prominence.
28. St. Louis Cardinals
The Cards suffer from a serious lack of direction. When half of your starting lineup is either injured or riding the bus, you’re not in for much success in the short-term. What’s more concerning, though, is that poor Yu Darvish is being wasted and Jedd Gyorko is having a career year. Those guys have no place on this team and should be promptly traded before Yu gets hurt and the real Jedd Gyorko shows up. Longoria and Carlos Gomez might have some good baseball left in them, but that should also happen on someone else’s roster. We’ll see if ownership shows up and embraces reality, or if they’ll lose a year and an opportunity to improve.
27. Minnesota Twins
Mike is trotting out a little league team again this year. The old man on the roster (Raisel Iglesias) was born- allegedly- in 1990. It’s 2017 and the Twins are still rebuilding. I would have thought he’d be cemented atop the AL Central by now with all the top-flight prospects he’s owned over the years. This team is no different- his system is the envy of the league, but he’s accumulated a grand total of 83 ABs on the season. Minny’s future looks bright, but we’ve said that before. It’ll be interesting to follow the prospect saga unfold in the coming years.
26. Oakland Athletics
The A’s seem destined to spend another year in the bottom third of the league. The major league pieces they have are intriguing, and even good in some cases. They just make more sense on a team that’s closer to contention. If Bird can work the trade market this season, he’s got enough assets to net a decent haul of young talent to begin a necessary rebuild. Otherwise, it’s a slow road to improvement reliant on hitting it big in the draft and free agency.
25. Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays wisely embraced the rebuilding process this offseason, effectively punting this year and pinning their hopes on Cuban phenom Yoan Moncada. That makes the unfortunate series of events of this young season easier to bear. They lost Chad Bettis, who was slated to be their rotation anchor, for an undetermined period of time as he battles ball cancer. In a metaphorical nut-punch, Blake Treinen was awful as the Nats closer and was promptly demoted, tanking any trade value he might have had and the Rays’ ERA all at once. In what should have been good news, Brandon Finnegan flashed some promise in his brief stint as a healthy major league pitcher, but he’s since been stuck in baseball purgatory for 3 weeks. Fortunately, Kyle Freeland has provided a bit of optimism to a major league roster otherwise bereft of much hope. Moncada and Lewis Brinson can’t arrive soon enough.
24. San Diego Padres
First, the good news: the Dominican Robin Hood has racked up 8 saves in the desert. He’s also accumulated a double-digit ERA in the process. It’s been that kind of year for the Fathers. Their best hitter hasn’t stepped to the plate yet this year. One of their best pitchers just landed on the DL with the expectation that he won’t be back until the 4th of July. In what was going to be a tough year anyway, those things don’t help. This is a team that has the potential to climb up these rankings pretty quickly with pitching to spare if things break their way, but some tinkering might be in order.
23. Cincinnati Reds
I like what the Reds have done and believe they are well-positioned to move towards contention in the coming years. Jose Ramirez and Trevor Story are legit building blocks, and Domingo Santana has shown flashes of his immense potential. They also have a lot of warm bodies that could find homes on contenders looking for depth down the stretch. The pitching is pretty bleak, with Kendall Graveman as the staff ace, but Lucas Giolito waits in the wings. There’s a decent collection of prospects to work with here as well. Sticking to the plan should result in steady improvement towards challenging the Cubs in a few years.
22. Detroit Tigers
When your 3rd best pitcher is jokingly tweeting that his outfielders should be playing in the stands, things aren’t going well. Offensively, they’re not offensive, though Kyle Seager has been a pretty big disappointment thus far. They’re perennially chasing contention, rather than hitting the reset button, and they haven’t made much tangible improvement in a few years. Dumping Kershaw’s contract helps, but a concerted effort to get younger at the expense of the immediate future would be wise. Either way, I admire the desire to win.
21. Miami Marlins
When the season began, the Marlins had the most formidable rotation in the league. An ill-advised ride on a dirt bike and a superhero’s unwillingness to submit to employer-recommended diagnostic testing have ravaged their staff and their playoff hopes. Nobody is equipped to deal with that kind of injury luck, but the Fish have plenty of talent to contend in future years as long as Thor and MadBum can regain their pre-injury dominance. If I’m Al, I’m selling short-term pieces and tooling up for a post-season run built around my pitching and Altuve in 2018.
20. Cleveland Indians
A year removed from what looked like a budding dynasty, the Indians suffered the toughest offseason in the league- maybe in the history of the league- losing former MVPs Harper and Donaldson. As such, Ryan opted for the half-measure, retaining the likes of McCutchen and Pollock, Strasburg and Lynn but not surrounding them with enough to solidify themselves as contenders. It’s a down year across the AL Central, but the White Sox have gained some serious ground and the Royals still have the potential to be great. The Tribe would probably be better off packing it in this year and moving the pieces that they don’t see as long-term solutions.
19. Colorado Rockies
The Rox are sort of caught in no man’s land at the moment. They’ve got an average-ish lineup, albeit with a great piece in Blackmon and promising rookie Mitch Haniger. Dickerson is working to dispel the doubts about his production away from Coors after a pretty terrible year in 16, which helps as well. The rotation lacks a bona fide ace, and about 3 other respectable starters. If you squint real hard, you might be able to convince yourself that Aaron Sanchez can be the best pitcher in a playoff rotation, but not coupled with the likes of Josh Tomlin and Francisco Liriano who’d both look better as long-relief guys or spot starters. In short, the roster should look a lot different in a few months if they want to best position themselves for future success.
18. Baltimore Orioles
The O’s live in a tough zip code. The East is again crowded at the top, and the Orioles reside somewhat south of the contenders. The good news is that their serious investment in Brantley hasn’t blown up yet, and Coors Field agrees with Mark Reynolds. Also, Goldschmidt is still Goldschmidt. Conversely, there are a lot of crooked numbers in the ERA column. Chase Anderson is a bright spot, but he’s 29. In short, it’s not the O’s year, but there are quite a few veteran producers that should be valuable trade chips to help reload.
17. Philadelphia Phillies
The Phils have a better team than you think, or at least better than I thought. With an exciting young core of Machado (who really doesn’t ph***ing like to be thrown at apparently), Trea Turner and Tim Beckham (?!?), the phuture of their ophensive phoundation is phrightening. Additionally, there’s a ton of other useful pieces on the roster, both bats and arms. Gio Gonzalez isn’t this good, and I’d recommend selling on Feliz while he’s still the ‘closer,’ but there’s enough on the roster to conceivably push for a Wild Card spot. Whatever direction they take, they’ll be in the mix in the NL East for the foreseeable future.
16. New York Mets
Barney is at it again, pursuing that elusive World Series, equipped with Mike Trout and his usual stable of 4th starters. They’ll be better than they’ve shown to this point, as Beltre is yet to play, Trumbo, Miller and Frazier have been gawdawful and Steven Wright can’t go Benedict Arnold on their ERA and WHIP anymore. On the bright side, Frazier will have plenty of time to turn it around in Queens. It’ll take a Herculean effort from Trout and a lot of luck in the rotation if the Mets are going to close the gap on the Nationals, but a miracle run to the Wild Card is at least plausible. It’s also plausible that they finish 4th in their division, though it won’t be without a fight.
15. Pittsburgh Pirates
Larry has the misfortune of sharing a division with a juggernaut, but this team, despite its quality of talent, isn’t going anywhere due to a complete lack of depth. I’m really high on most of the guys they’re trotting out there every day, but injuries are going to happen, and there just isn’t enough volume on the roster to carry them. The good news is that there’s plenty of guys to be optimistic about that should stay in Pittsburgh for quite a while- Gordon, Bogaerts, Springer, Fulmer, Glasnow, Salazar and Bundy are all foundational types, and Larry will pick his spots to fill in the gaps around them and make another run with this group soon enough.
14. Milwaukee Brewers
Luca has aggressively pursued contention this year, and he’s done pretty admirably in my opinion. While he’s spent quite a bit of future cash in the process, he’s got an interesting team that, with some luck and additional pitching, could find itself in the hunt for a Wild Card. The injury to Donaldson hurt, but he should be back shortly and Alex Avila is hitting like prime Alex Rodriguez in his stead. While he’s due to regress, I’m a believer in Sano, and Sanchez and Kipnis will get theirs. The biggest problem is in the rotation, where it’s Kershaw and Clayton Richard holding down the fort. When Richard is you #2, you need some help. Hopefully for the Brew Crew, they’ll get some. Otherwise they’re destined for a middle-of-the-pack finish.
13. Atlanta Braves
Swo’s got a good team. With proper attention and a little luck, this could be a fringe playoff team, but as it stands, he’s probably another year away. I expected more from Bird and Walker, but there probably aren’t enough arms to make anything happen this year. Scherzer is still great, but the Braves had better commit to contention soon or they risk wasting an elite SPs prime with nothing to show for it. The good news is that the farm system is strong and ready to serve as trade bait for immediate help, or, more likely, fortification of the major league roster as guys graduate.
12. Chicago White Sox
Our resident reptilian wrangler has really improved his team over last year. He’s sacrificed some long-term assets and flexibility to do it, but they’re presently in the driver’s seat in the AL Central. The offense is good enough, headlined by newly-acquired cornerstone Kris Bryant, but they’ll need health and good luck with their pitching- like 25 more Cy Young-like starts out of Mike Leake- to fend off a talented Royals squad to reach the post-season. I’m sure there will be more tinkering between now and the trade deadline, so stay tuned.
11. Houston Astros
I’ve long thought that these Astros were on the cusp of making some noise, and while I’m not certain the scorching hot start is likely to continue, this is the most promising team they’ve had in Houston in a long time. Zimmerman is mashing, Cozart is doing his best to hit his way out of Cincy, Carrasco is dominating and even Jorge de la Rosa has reinvented himself as a legitimate late-inning reliever. Those names shouldn’t inspire a ton of confidence, but regardless, Houston has a greatly improved team either way and is well positioned to either sell high on some of their better performing assets or push to unseat Mike as division champ.
10. San Francisco Giants
In what looks to be a competitive NL West this year, I’ve got Adkins just behind Tyler, though the runner-up could be in play for a Wild Card berth. I really like the offense, particularly Shaw, Diaz and Hernandez, but he’ll need to add to his pitching staff if he wants to solidify his place in the playoffs. Trading saves or prospects/picks for volume pitching stats, or scouring the FA pool for middle relief and spot starters would help his case in the short-term.
9. Arizona Diamondbacks
Tyler and Adkins seem destined to take their division race down to the wire this year. I’ve got the DBacks with the slight edge. Aaron Judge looks like he’s sufficiently figured out major league pitching, and Max Kepler- long a personal favorite- is having a fine season. Perhaps the best news in Arizona is that Jason Heyward is average again, following his abhorrent 16 campaign. What really solidifies his place as division favorite is his pitching, which is far from flashy, but adequately voluminous and generally not terrible. Way to go, Tyler.
8. Texas Rangers
Jared has maintained a competitive roster for years, but hasn’t been able to overtake the vaunted Mariners in his own division. He made some aggressive offseason moves with catching Mike in mind, and, in the early going, he’s still firmly in the hunt. He’s got competition from the Stros and a deficiency in offensive depth, but there’s enough minor league currency to patch any holes that may arise. Price will need to come back effectively if they’re going to be real contenders, because the rest of the staff is due for some regression, but the Rangers are in good hands and the West could be up for grabs.
7. New York Yankees
A year ago, the Bombers got off to a great start and slowly faded down the stretch. Here we are again, and I expect a similar regression as the calendar turns to the dog days of summer. The injuries are piling up for a team that can’t afford them, and Chase Headley and Chris Owings just aren’t this good. The rest of the team is good enough to push for a top 10 finish, but extended absences from their best pitcher (Felix) and one of their best offensive players (Cespedes) will be tough to overcome. That said, kudos to Matt for putting together another competitive squad.
6. Kansas City Royals
On offense, this has got to be Black Kevin’s youngest team to date. They’ve got gobs of potential, but still have a lot to prove. If all goes well, we’re looking at a group of bats that should make the Royals AL favorites for years to come. Big Sexy anchors a relatively uninspiring and aged pitching staff. If Matz and Manaea can get healthy and pitch to their potential, they should be enough to get them past the surprisingly good White Sox in a down year across the board in the AL Central.
5. Boston Red Sox
As a commissioner, you’d think I’d be aware that I can’t start 7 infielders. Apparently I didn’t get the memo, as almost a month into the season I had last year’s NL batting champ riding the pine while I’m trotting out an uninspiring trio of outfielders: Marte (cheater), Holt (bad at hitting, hurt) and Rosario (spectacularly average). Things are so bad that newly acquired Brett Gardner ($9M, OPS of .550 prior to his recent power surge) becomes my best option in the outfield. At least my starting pitching has been shelled, so I’ve got that going for me, which is nice. Perhaps I’m an eternal optimist, but I expect better things from my roster and am betting on another playoff appearance.
4. Seattle Mariners
Mike may have his hands full this year in defending his AL West crown, as his thin offense got even leaner after news that Adam Eaton will miss the remainder of the season. He can’t afford any more injuries or ineffectiveness, or else he’ll have some tough decisions to make. There is a ton of high-end talent on the roster, but not enough secondary pieces to really feel comfortable. They should still win the division, but much more than that isn’t a given unless they’re able to fill in the gaps via shrewd FA pickups or selling of the farm.
3. Washington Nationals
Another year, another solid Nats squad. They’re very thin on offense, and have outpitched their talent despite a plethora of injuries to this point. However, they’re good enough to make the playoffs again this year. Jason Vargas is not a Cy Young candidate, but he won’t have to be once Rodon and Smyly come back, and Dahl’s return will be a welcome one for the offense, which will need to be augmented if they’re going to be considered a legitimate title contender. Cork knows what needs to be done, and he’ll find a way to be in the hunt come September.
2. Toronto Blue Jays
Angel stepped into a pretty desirable situation, taking over for Jordan who had a long and successful run in Toronto. He hasn’t had to do much, but he hasn’t screwed the pooch, either- except for leaving Rendon and his 3 dongs and 10 steaks on his bench last week. It’s a well-rounded team with no real weaknesses and a devastating rotation (I’m a believer in both Paxton and Walker). There’s plenty of potential for growth on offense as well, between Polanco, Yelich, Hamilton and Buxton, but if Miggy comes back and does Miggy things, they won’t need much. Another bullpen arm or two couldn’t hurt, but this is a playoff team and a true contender.
1. Chicago Cubs
Scott has what might be his best team ever, and he can sleepwalk his way to a NL Central title. I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect Eric Thames to be Ted Williams over a full season, but it is reasonable to expect similar things from Bryce Harper and an overall outstanding offense. If there’s a criticism, it’s the starting pitching, which is good, not great. They’re good enough to bring a title back to the North Side as is, but they might consider devoting any potential trade resources to bolstering the rotation. Either way, watch out for the Cubbies.
