Just a reminder, these rankings do NOT reflect what each major league club did in 2010, but instead, focus on their Potential to Win the World Series in 2011, based on their current rosters, and other factors. Feel free to comment.
2 - Philadelphia Phillies - Nobody can compete with their starting pitching, they can slug the ball, and the pen is solid. The thing I don't like is their lack of table-setters… that's why they can be inconsistent, offensively. A healthy Rollins is their spark. I like them as the team to beat in the NL.
3 - Chicago White Sox - I have a feeling about this team… love the Dunn signing, and they did well bringing back Konerko and Pierzynski. The rotation is excellent, especially if Peavy is back. Beckham is way better than he played last year, and if they start Morel at 3B, he might be a nice complimentary piece (and will eventually be more than that). At the very least, they'll contend for the division.
4 - New York Yankees - The Yankees can crush the ball, yes. But their pitching (aside from Sabathia and maybe Hughes) is suspect, especially if Pettitte retires. For the first time in a while, they haven't made a huge splash in the off-season. But Arod, Jeter, Granderson, and Texiera all had poor seasons in 2010; I would expect a strong rebound. The offense might be enough.
5 - Minnesota Twins - Their starting pitching gives me the willies… but somehow, they get production out of these guys every year. If Mauer and Morneau are healthy, they're solid. If new SS Tsuyoshi Nishioka can also give them a spark, the offense could really roll. I think they have too many "ifs"... especially given that the top of the AL Central could be vastly improved.
6 - Milwaukee Brewers - The way they absolutely cleaned out their farm system scares me, but I really like them for 2011. Teaming Grienke and Marcum (who is very underrated) with Gallardo and Wolf gives them one of the best rotations in the majors, in my opinion. I am a big believer in Weeks, Fielder, Braun; but I'm bear-ish on McGehee and Hart. The pen is ok. They'll contend and may win the NL Central.
7 - San Francisco Giants - The pitching is great, and the stars aligned for them last year in winning the World Series. I won't keep you in suspense - it's not going to happen again this season. They have way too many holes offensively (though I love Posey), and since it's an odd-numbered year, that means Aubrey Huff will be closer to a .700 OPS than the near .900 he posted in 2010.
8 - St. Louis Cardinals - They've got 3-time MVP Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday, and one of the best pitching staffs in the league. The bullpen is good, but the rest of the offense is just OK. It helped when they resigned veteran Jake Westbrook and brought in Lance Berkman, though who knows how he'll handle a return to the OF (ugly). They've got enough to get back to the playoffs.
9 - Atlanta Braves - A lot of things have to go right for the Braves to be really good in 2011, as they'll probably be relying on youth in the starting rotation (Minor), at 1B (Freeman), and closing games (Kimbrel). But I really like the acusition of Uggla, and Jason Heyward will be a beast for years. They probably won't pass the Phillies, but they'll contend.
10 - Texas Rangers - They definitely took a step back in the off-season, losing Cliff Lee to PHI and probably losing Guerrero, but a healthy Brandon Webb could help them (very iffy). A full season from a healthy Ian Kinsler can fill the void offensively, but you worry about the pitching... they would have rather avoided moving Neftali Feliz into the rotation, but might have to try it, ultimately.
11 - Colorado Rockies - The whole infield is suspect, other than Tulowitksi; he and Gonzalez are monsters. Jimenez is a star at the top of the rotation, but they lost De La Rosa, and aren't very deep there. The pen is decent, but not great... If RHP Jhoulys Chacin, who dominated in the minors and pitched well as a rookie, can step up a notch, they could be formidable.
12 - Tampa Bay Rays - Other people have more faith than me; I don't know that you can lose 1/3 of your offensive core, and almost your entire bullpen, and still contend in the AL East. Supposedly they're looking to deal Garza, which would allow them to give a rotation spot to Jeremy Hellickson. Zobrist will bounce back, and Sean Rodriguez may break out. Their depth chart is still VERY solid.
13 - Oakland Athletics - For the first time in a while, I think: "That team could win". They did some good work in the offseason, specifically Willingham (RF), Dejesus (LF), Matsui (DH), and Harden (RP). Team that with a very young, very nasty starting rotation, solid young position players like Pennington, Barton, and Suuzki, and vets like Crisp and Ellis... they could definitely win this division. I figure them for 1st or 2nd place. They could skyrocket if they signed Beltre.
14 - Florida Marlins - I'm not exactly sure what their depth chart will look like, but this team can contend. Their starting rotation is both talented & deep, Hanley Ramirez is a top 10 player, and both Morrison and Stanton will be All-Stars in a few years. They need to figure out what they're going to do at 3B, and while the pen has talented arms, it scares me a little. They traded Uggla at the right time.
15 - Cincinnati Reds - They didn't do anything in the off season to get better in the short-term.. But their core is young (aside from Rolen), there's room for organic growth here, and Joey Votto is one of the best players in either league. I love that they locked up Bruce for the long haul, and Aroldis Chapman is electric out of the pen. Some people disagree with me, but I think the rotation will regress.
16 - Los Angeles Angels - They're still the front-runners to sign Beltre, but I didn't like their off-season. They lost Matsui, and there's not enough punch in this lineup, as constituted. The rotation is under-rated, but I don't like their pen: I HATE signing Downs (35) for 3 years ($15MM), and am luke-warm on Takahashi for 2 years, $8MM. If they sign Beltre, they'll give up their #2 AND #3 picks in 2011.
17 - Los Angeles Dodgers - I don't know what to think about the Dodgers. They did ok so far, picking up Garland (SP), Guerrier (RP), and Uribe (2B); I like Kemp and Ethier, and I like their rotation OK… but I don't get a warm and fuzzy from this team - something screams "84 wins" at me, and in theory, they should be better than that. Their corner infielders are relatively weak, and... Jay Gibbons? REALLY?
18 - Detroit Tigers - The Tigers got better in the off-season with Vmart and Beniot, but I don't think they can beat the ChiSox or Twins. Not enough in the rotation behind Verlander, and if they move Coke to the rotation, they hurt the bullpen. I don't believe in Peralta at SS, Inge is iffy offensively at 3B, and they're still looking for someone to step up at 2B. Cabrera is a stud, but they have too many needs.
19 - New York Mets - I like the Mets more than others, especially their offense (I know, right?). Aside from 2B, I like their infield (Wright, Reyes, Davis), and their outfield production will improve in 2011, if Beltran stays healthy (Pagan could be even better than he was last season, and Bay has to be). But their pitching... behind Santana (hurt), they have a lot of guys that could be really good, or bad. The bullpen looks really rough right now. Probably 3rd or 4th place, in a solid NL East.
20 - San Diego Padres - I would love to sit here and destroy the Padres for trading A-Gone, but.. I can't. They had no options there. Aside from that, they've done well this off-season, acquiring both Bartlett (SS) and Hudson (2B), and adding a nice back-of-the-rotation guy in Harang. They still have talent, especially on the mound. Latos is disgustingly good, and their pen was magic last year. Probably not enough pop, but they'll suprise people for the 2nd year in a row.
21 - Chicago Cubs - In my daughter's own words: "Ucckka Pooo!". I like Castro and Soto, I think Ramirez will rebound, and I've come around some on Byrd. But it's not enough - Pena and Soriano are both a mess, and I don't trust anyone on their entire pitching staff. In my eyes, they're no better than a 4th place team next year.
22 - Baltimore Orioles - They traded for Reynolds (3B) and Hardy (SS), signed Lee (1B), and will team them with Roberts (2B) to form a solid-if-unspectacular infield. The OF has tons of upside with Jones and Markakis; both are due to produce on a larger scale. Ditto Matt Wieters behind the plate. The young pitching is the key here; aside from Matusz and Guthrie, they're still probably a few years away. They could win close to 80 games and still finish in 4th in this division.
23 - Toronto Blue Jays - The Jays lost their best starter (Marcum) and reliever (Downs), catcher (Buck), 1B (Overbay), and probably their closer (Gregg). They added Rajai Davis (OF) and Encarnacion (3B), but still... that's a tough off-season by any standard. They have offensive upside with Bautista, Hill, Lind and Wells, but their pitching (especially the pen) looks messy; Ricky Romero anchors a very young rotation. They'll probably battle the Orioles for last place in the AL East.
24 - Arizona Diamondbacks - The offense has some nice pieces (Upton, Young, Johnson, Montero, Drew), despite losing both their corner infielders. The starting rotation is a bit on the ugly side, but I like Hudson and Kennedy. The pen has been reworked; Hernandez and Putz will both be good, and Mickolio could suprise. They're a little bit of an enigma to me, and I had to talk myself into it... but they're not completely terrible.
25 - Washington Nationals - The Nats aren't there yet, but if Strasburg comes back healthy, there is long-term potential here. I love the upside of an infield with Zimmerman, Desmond and Espinosa, and the addition of Werth helps fill the void left by Dunn and WiIllingham's departures. Adding a 1B bat like Adam LaRoche would also help. But there isn't enough pitching - what they do have is either hurt (Strasburg), old (Hernandez), inexperienced (Zimmerman), or mediocre (Marquis, Lannan, etc..). They're probably still ticketed for 4th or 5th in the division.
26 - Cleveland Indians - The Indians haven't done much at all during the off-season, and that's a BAD thing in this case. Choo is extremely underrated, both Sizemore and Cabrera are solid ballplayers, and Carlos Santana is a future All-Star… but that's about it for position players. Carmona had an ok year, and Chris Perez turned into a decent closer, but the pitching staff has major holes. They'd be a good bet for last place... if they weren't in the same division as KC.
27 - Houston Astros - This team is a mess. The infield is a mix of question marks and cast-offs, ditto for the entire pitching staff. And while the OF is service-able, it definitely doesn’t set the world on fire. About the only interesting thing to watch in Houston this season is how Brett Wallace (1B) and Chris Johnson (3B) progress. It'll be a long year for the Astros.
28 - Seattle Mariners - Well… they signed Jack Cust! This one is simple - the Mariners are VERY bad offensively. Ichiro is still Ichiro; he recorded 200+ hits for the 10th straight year. But honestly, it's like Safeco field is the place that hitters go to die. Hernandez is a great pitcher (obviously), but they don't have enough arms, either. Last place, no question. Anything else would shock me.
29 - Pittsburgh Pirates - This team has 3 players I really like: Alvarez, McCutcheon, and Walker. I'm also a fan of Meek and Snyder. They did ok this offseason, signing Overbay, Olsen, Diaz, and Correia. They don't have enough of anything to be competitive, especially pitching, but they're better than KC is right now.
30 - Kansas City Royals - GREAT minor league system - TERRIBLE major league roster. They had to deal Grienke. I get it. I still hate it. They're awful. The infield? Bad! The outfield? WORSE! Pitching? Full of guys who could all win the local "Most likely to get killed by a line drive" competition. Soria and Butler are the only bright spots. Last place by a significant margin. The major's worst team.
1 - Boston Red Sox - They already had excellent starting pitching, a solid bullpen, Dustin Pedroia, and Kevin Youkilis. Add Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez, and a bunch of ex-closers… NASTY. More than enough to absorb the loss of Beltre and VMart. #1 even though they play in the AL East.
2 - Philadelphia Phillies - Nobody can compete with their starting pitching, they can slug the ball, and the pen is solid. The thing I don't like is their lack of table-setters… that's why they can be inconsistent, offensively. A healthy Rollins is their spark. I like them as the team to beat in the NL.
3 - Chicago White Sox - I have a feeling about this team… love the Dunn signing, and they did well bringing back Konerko and Pierzynski. The rotation is excellent, especially if Peavy is back. Beckham is way better than he played last year, and if they start Morel at 3B, he might be a nice complimentary piece (and will eventually be more than that). At the very least, they'll contend for the division.
4 - New York Yankees - The Yankees can crush the ball, yes. But their pitching (aside from Sabathia and maybe Hughes) is suspect, especially if Pettitte retires. For the first time in a while, they haven't made a huge splash in the off-season. But Arod, Jeter, Granderson, and Texiera all had poor seasons in 2010; I would expect a strong rebound. The offense might be enough.
5 - Minnesota Twins - Their starting pitching gives me the willies… but somehow, they get production out of these guys every year. If Mauer and Morneau are healthy, they're solid. If new SS Tsuyoshi Nishioka can also give them a spark, the offense could really roll. I think they have too many "ifs"... especially given that the top of the AL Central could be vastly improved.
6 - Milwaukee Brewers - The way they absolutely cleaned out their farm system scares me, but I really like them for 2011. Teaming Grienke and Marcum (who is very underrated) with Gallardo and Wolf gives them one of the best rotations in the majors, in my opinion. I am a big believer in Weeks, Fielder, Braun; but I'm bear-ish on McGehee and Hart. The pen is ok. They'll contend and may win the NL Central.
7 - San Francisco Giants - The pitching is great, and the stars aligned for them last year in winning the World Series. I won't keep you in suspense - it's not going to happen again this season. They have way too many holes offensively (though I love Posey), and since it's an odd-numbered year, that means Aubrey Huff will be closer to a .700 OPS than the near .900 he posted in 2010.
8 - St. Louis Cardinals - They've got 3-time MVP Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday, and one of the best pitching staffs in the league. The bullpen is good, but the rest of the offense is just OK. It helped when they resigned veteran Jake Westbrook and brought in Lance Berkman, though who knows how he'll handle a return to the OF (ugly). They've got enough to get back to the playoffs.
9 - Atlanta Braves - A lot of things have to go right for the Braves to be really good in 2011, as they'll probably be relying on youth in the starting rotation (Minor), at 1B (Freeman), and closing games (Kimbrel). But I really like the acusition of Uggla, and Jason Heyward will be a beast for years. They probably won't pass the Phillies, but they'll contend.
10 - Texas Rangers - They definitely took a step back in the off-season, losing Cliff Lee to PHI and probably losing Guerrero, but a healthy Brandon Webb could help them (very iffy). A full season from a healthy Ian Kinsler can fill the void offensively, but you worry about the pitching... they would have rather avoided moving Neftali Feliz into the rotation, but might have to try it, ultimately.
11 - Colorado Rockies - The whole infield is suspect, other than Tulowitksi; he and Gonzalez are monsters. Jimenez is a star at the top of the rotation, but they lost De La Rosa, and aren't very deep there. The pen is decent, but not great... If RHP Jhoulys Chacin, who dominated in the minors and pitched well as a rookie, can step up a notch, they could be formidable.
12 - Tampa Bay Rays - Other people have more faith than me; I don't know that you can lose 1/3 of your offensive core, and almost your entire bullpen, and still contend in the AL East. Supposedly they're looking to deal Garza, which would allow them to give a rotation spot to Jeremy Hellickson. Zobrist will bounce back, and Sean Rodriguez may break out. Their depth chart is still VERY solid.
13 - Oakland Athletics - For the first time in a while, I think: "That team could win". They did some good work in the offseason, specifically Willingham (RF), Dejesus (LF), Matsui (DH), and Harden (RP). Team that with a very young, very nasty starting rotation, solid young position players like Pennington, Barton, and Suuzki, and vets like Crisp and Ellis... they could definitely win this division. I figure them for 1st or 2nd place. They could skyrocket if they signed Beltre.
14 - Florida Marlins - I'm not exactly sure what their depth chart will look like, but this team can contend. Their starting rotation is both talented & deep, Hanley Ramirez is a top 10 player, and both Morrison and Stanton will be All-Stars in a few years. They need to figure out what they're going to do at 3B, and while the pen has talented arms, it scares me a little. They traded Uggla at the right time.
15 - Cincinnati Reds - They didn't do anything in the off season to get better in the short-term.. But their core is young (aside from Rolen), there's room for organic growth here, and Joey Votto is one of the best players in either league. I love that they locked up Bruce for the long haul, and Aroldis Chapman is electric out of the pen. Some people disagree with me, but I think the rotation will regress.
16 - Los Angeles Angels - They're still the front-runners to sign Beltre, but I didn't like their off-season. They lost Matsui, and there's not enough punch in this lineup, as constituted. The rotation is under-rated, but I don't like their pen: I HATE signing Downs (35) for 3 years ($15MM), and am luke-warm on Takahashi for 2 years, $8MM. If they sign Beltre, they'll give up their #2 AND #3 picks in 2011.
17 - Los Angeles Dodgers - I don't know what to think about the Dodgers. They did ok so far, picking up Garland (SP), Guerrier (RP), and Uribe (2B); I like Kemp and Ethier, and I like their rotation OK… but I don't get a warm and fuzzy from this team - something screams "84 wins" at me, and in theory, they should be better than that. Their corner infielders are relatively weak, and... Jay Gibbons? REALLY?
18 - Detroit Tigers - The Tigers got better in the off-season with Vmart and Beniot, but I don't think they can beat the ChiSox or Twins. Not enough in the rotation behind Verlander, and if they move Coke to the rotation, they hurt the bullpen. I don't believe in Peralta at SS, Inge is iffy offensively at 3B, and they're still looking for someone to step up at 2B. Cabrera is a stud, but they have too many needs.
19 - New York Mets - I like the Mets more than others, especially their offense (I know, right?). Aside from 2B, I like their infield (Wright, Reyes, Davis), and their outfield production will improve in 2011, if Beltran stays healthy (Pagan could be even better than he was last season, and Bay has to be). But their pitching... behind Santana (hurt), they have a lot of guys that could be really good, or bad. The bullpen looks really rough right now. Probably 3rd or 4th place, in a solid NL East.
20 - San Diego Padres - I would love to sit here and destroy the Padres for trading A-Gone, but.. I can't. They had no options there. Aside from that, they've done well this off-season, acquiring both Bartlett (SS) and Hudson (2B), and adding a nice back-of-the-rotation guy in Harang. They still have talent, especially on the mound. Latos is disgustingly good, and their pen was magic last year. Probably not enough pop, but they'll suprise people for the 2nd year in a row.
21 - Chicago Cubs - In my daughter's own words: "Ucckka Pooo!". I like Castro and Soto, I think Ramirez will rebound, and I've come around some on Byrd. But it's not enough - Pena and Soriano are both a mess, and I don't trust anyone on their entire pitching staff. In my eyes, they're no better than a 4th place team next year.
22 - Baltimore Orioles - They traded for Reynolds (3B) and Hardy (SS), signed Lee (1B), and will team them with Roberts (2B) to form a solid-if-unspectacular infield. The OF has tons of upside with Jones and Markakis; both are due to produce on a larger scale. Ditto Matt Wieters behind the plate. The young pitching is the key here; aside from Matusz and Guthrie, they're still probably a few years away. They could win close to 80 games and still finish in 4th in this division.
23 - Toronto Blue Jays - The Jays lost their best starter (Marcum) and reliever (Downs), catcher (Buck), 1B (Overbay), and probably their closer (Gregg). They added Rajai Davis (OF) and Encarnacion (3B), but still... that's a tough off-season by any standard. They have offensive upside with Bautista, Hill, Lind and Wells, but their pitching (especially the pen) looks messy; Ricky Romero anchors a very young rotation. They'll probably battle the Orioles for last place in the AL East.
24 - Arizona Diamondbacks - The offense has some nice pieces (Upton, Young, Johnson, Montero, Drew), despite losing both their corner infielders. The starting rotation is a bit on the ugly side, but I like Hudson and Kennedy. The pen has been reworked; Hernandez and Putz will both be good, and Mickolio could suprise. They're a little bit of an enigma to me, and I had to talk myself into it... but they're not completely terrible.
25 - Washington Nationals - The Nats aren't there yet, but if Strasburg comes back healthy, there is long-term potential here. I love the upside of an infield with Zimmerman, Desmond and Espinosa, and the addition of Werth helps fill the void left by Dunn and WiIllingham's departures. Adding a 1B bat like Adam LaRoche would also help. But there isn't enough pitching - what they do have is either hurt (Strasburg), old (Hernandez), inexperienced (Zimmerman), or mediocre (Marquis, Lannan, etc..). They're probably still ticketed for 4th or 5th in the division.
26 - Cleveland Indians - The Indians haven't done much at all during the off-season, and that's a BAD thing in this case. Choo is extremely underrated, both Sizemore and Cabrera are solid ballplayers, and Carlos Santana is a future All-Star… but that's about it for position players. Carmona had an ok year, and Chris Perez turned into a decent closer, but the pitching staff has major holes. They'd be a good bet for last place... if they weren't in the same division as KC.
27 - Houston Astros - This team is a mess. The infield is a mix of question marks and cast-offs, ditto for the entire pitching staff. And while the OF is service-able, it definitely doesn’t set the world on fire. About the only interesting thing to watch in Houston this season is how Brett Wallace (1B) and Chris Johnson (3B) progress. It'll be a long year for the Astros.
28 - Seattle Mariners - Well… they signed Jack Cust! This one is simple - the Mariners are VERY bad offensively. Ichiro is still Ichiro; he recorded 200+ hits for the 10th straight year. But honestly, it's like Safeco field is the place that hitters go to die. Hernandez is a great pitcher (obviously), but they don't have enough arms, either. Last place, no question. Anything else would shock me.
29 - Pittsburgh Pirates - This team has 3 players I really like: Alvarez, McCutcheon, and Walker. I'm also a fan of Meek and Snyder. They did ok this offseason, signing Overbay, Olsen, Diaz, and Correia. They don't have enough of anything to be competitive, especially pitching, but they're better than KC is right now.
30 - Kansas City Royals - GREAT minor league system - TERRIBLE major league roster. They had to deal Grienke. I get it. I still hate it. They're awful. The infield? Bad! The outfield? WORSE! Pitching? Full of guys who could all win the local "Most likely to get killed by a line drive" competition. Soria and Butler are the only bright spots. Last place by a significant margin. The major's worst team.
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