2019 Preseason Power Rankings
Mar 27, 2019 18:45:12 GMT -5
Colorado Rockies, Chicago Cubs, and 2 more like this
Post by Philadelphia Phillies on Mar 27, 2019 18:45:12 GMT -5
Last year, I correctly picked all 6 division winners and 2 of the Wild Card teams (even if my overall rankings were pretty off). I also picked Atlanta to make the playoffs and they lost over 100 games, so take my guesses with a bit of a grain of salt. I also put a lot more time into this last year, but here goes.
Also, the people in this league are too nice. If you think a ranking I have is way off, say so, I like good debate!
1. Chicago Cubs – Duh. All-star-caliber players at literally every offensive position, 3 legit aces and 3 very solid starters. The Cubs have an eh bullpen, but honestly, who the hell cares, this team is stacked and will be for the foreseeable future.
2. Colorado Rockies – The lineup, like a true Colorado team is the major strength of this team. A top 4 of Murphy, Arenado, Soto and Yelich rivals anybody and there is more depth than last year. The rotation has some question marks, but also some potential breakout options (Lucchesi, Keller) and the bullpen is very solid.
3. Cleveland Indians – Outside of the Cubs, this is the most well-rounded team. The lineup is solid throughout and the Nola-led rotation is near the top. If Glasnow and Robles meet their potential this year, they could really challenge the Cubs.
4. Los Angeles Angels – The Angels don’t have a ton of depth and they have a bunch of injury prone players (Profar, Lucroy, Pollock, Eaton, Gardner), but that rotation is beastly. Berrios is their 4th starter! They have 4 guys starting on opening day, so hopefully for them the starts start to get staggered as time goes on.
5. Atlanta Braves – The Braves offense is very hard to predict. Devers could have a sophomore slump, Aguilar hasn’t performed for long enough for me to trust him, and I don’t know what the hell happened to Dozier last year. If they can perform decently, the star-studded rotation should carry the Braves to the playoffs. Kershaw is a huuuuuge question mark though and may be the one that decides the Braves’ season.
6. Toronto Blue Jays – That’s right, I’m picking the Jays to go from worst to first, but that does not mean I don’t have reservations. They will be relying on a lot of youth, including the top 2 prospects in baseball and might not be quite ready this year. However, is anybody is going to beat the Cubs a couple years from now, this is the team. Late rotation additions make this a formidable team but the youth makes this team very hard to predict.
7. Philadelphia Phillies – My team, so I might be biased. The Phillies have great depth for both the lineup and pitching. They will probably need it given how old they are. If Betts repeats from last year and the rotation performs decently, the Phils should be in the thick of the playoff hunt.
8. Boston Red Sox – This might be a bit low for the Red Sox. They have won the tough AL East two years running and easily last year, and I think they have the second best offense in the league behind Cubs. The problem is their rotation. I expect them to add help at some point, but right now I don’t really see the rotation getting much more than a QS per week, which will hurt a ton.
9. San Diego Padres – The top part of the lineup should be solid and the Padres will be doing a great job of taking advantage of the assist points. I don’t really see the Padres competing with the Rockies for the division, but if Muncy can build off of his out of nowhere 2018 and Snell can repeat his Cy Young pitching, the Padres should make the playoffs.
10. Cincinnati Reds – The Olson injury hurts, but he was actually sort of expendable when you look at the Reds deep lineup. I’ve pretty much given up on Buxton, but he could be a catalyst to bringing the Reds back to the postseason. Like the lineup, the rotation is very deep, albeit not spectacular. If the Reds go far, it will be because of depth.
11. New York Mets – The Mets have a ton of depth. The trio of Justin Turner, Strasburg, and Bauer pose health concerns, but if those three stay healthy and a couple players emerge as better than expected (Rosario? Nimmo?), this Mets team will make the playoffs.
12. New York Yankees – I always underestimate the Yankees and its probably because of my general dislike of the Evil Empire. They might have the most depth of any team, and maybe too much given the upcoming roster crunch at the time of writing this. Still, Story and Judge headline a very solid lineup that should consistently put up points. The rotation concerns me, but shouldn’t kill the Yankees. They have a tough division to deal with though.
13. Los Angeles Dodgers – If Gleyber and Andujar take a step forward this year, this team could be dangerous. The rotation is the clear strength though with a Cole/Greinke 1-2 punch. Matt Harvey still somehow has a starting job too. I don’t think this a playoff team right now, but they have enough youth that they could surprise and make it interesting.
14. Oakland Athletics – Trout, Lindor, Harper, Benintendi, Chapman. The A’s have the best 1-5 in the league. The also have Walker Buehler. And, uh, not much else. If Oakland can fill out their roster a bit with some surprises or low cost players, they can make a run, but they need help right now.
15. Milwaukee Brewers – The Brewers remind of the real-life Rays a bit. No real studs, but a bunch of solid players. Kikuchi is a wild card that could help a ton and it will be interesting to see what Anibal is this year. In the NL Central, they are going to find it tough to make a playoff run this year.
16. St. Louis Cardinals – The Cardinals have been one of the best teams in the league the first couple years, but it looks like they are in a bit of a partial rebuild. The only above-average hitters I see are Peralta and Realmuto. deGrom should be good for a win/week and the rotation should be solid, but I think this team will be taking a step back this year. The Fulmer injury hurts.
17. Baltimore Orioles – The Orioles have some holes and will struggle with Russell suspended to start the year. The rotation is solid and Paxton could be top 10 in New York. Health will be a huge key as there is no depth and little margin for error in the AL East.
18. Tampa Bay Rays – Like the Orioles, the Rays have some holes. They don’t have a LF on their roster at the moment and they don’t have a lot of help in the lineup beyond Cruz and Jose Ramirez. A three man rotation doesn’t look like it will be enough to combine with one of the best bullpens in the league for the Rays to be a playoff team this year, but crazier things have happened.
19. Texas Rangers – Carpenter, Cano, and Donaldson make a solid 1-3 but age and injury concerns make me fear that they won’t be able to make up for the rest of the lineup which is not great. Bumgarner and Freeland are the only definites in the rotation, but watch out for Alcantara, I liked what I saw from him last year.
20. Houston Astros – The Salvy and Seager injuries are killers. Despite Altuve, this lineup does not have much going for it without them. The rotation and bullpen are good, but Folty’s probable regression and injury are concerning for a staff with no true ace.
21. Chicago White Sox – Wilson Ramos is probably the best hitter on the White Sox which isn’t great. The rotation should get innings, but there is not much upside there. They need Keuchel to sign for a contender to get him wins and need some breakouts (Maikel Franco? Pirela?), but I don’t think it is very likely.
22. Arizona Diamondbacks – The lineup is deep with many mediocre players. Bauers could be a stud though and if a couple of their many bats surprise, watch out. I like Bieber and Clevinger a lot and the DBacks will be relying on their necessarily different pitching schedules, but I don’t think they will be enough.
23. Seattle Mariners – I actually like the Mariners lineup. I think Miggy has a bounceback year and Swanson takes a step forward. Carlos Santana will benefit from being back home in Cleveland. Pivetta might break out and be an ace (I think he is a bit overhyped but I hope I’m wrong) but he isn’t enough to be an entire rotation.
24. Minnesota Twins – Decent lineup, but lack of anyone to write home about. Good bullpen and I like Luke Weaver to have a good year. I just don’t think there are enough pieces to make a run this year. Hiura and Luzardo could make a splash late, but I don’t think it will be enough.
25. Washington Nationals – It looks like Greg Bird will have a final chance thanks to Hicks’ injury, but I don’t think he is ever going to be a regular. There is some interesting youth (Laureano, O’Neill, Paddack, Newcomb, Urias), but I think this team is a year or two away.
26. Miami Marlins – The Marlins have opted for a rebuild and it made sense given the state of the top of the NL East. Jesse Winker could be sneakily really good and it will be interesting to watch for breakouts of guys that haven’t quite put it together I think (Margot, Piscotty, Urena, Rodon). Also, watch out for Jared Eickhoff, I think he ends the year in the Phillies rotation.
27. Pittsburgh Pirates – Will Corey Seager be back to stardom? (probably) Will Khris Davis justify $48 Million this year? (No – but I get the deal from the Pirates perspective). Taillon, DeSclafani and Eflin should steal some games and the Pirates could be a thorn in the side of their division mates trying to make a playoff push.
28. Kansas City Royals – Their lineup would have been alright about 5 years ago, but Crash Davis might be negative more than positive and their probable best hitter is retired. There is reason for hope in the Royals rotation, but I feel bad for Treinen wasting his good years on this team.
29. San Francisco Giants – Garret Cooper made the Marlins! Dustin Pedroia is injured again… The real question for this team is will the Giants be able to trade Pedroia, Alonso, Parra, Tulo, or King Felix at the deadline?
30. Detroit Tigers – Well, the Tigers still suck. Watch for Fried and Wright in Atlanta as they have really high potential and are both in the rotation to start the year. The Tigers have some regulars with potential in the lineup (I like Candelario to breakout this year) but since they haven’t called up their only two starting pitchers, I’m keeping them in the cellar to start the year.
Also, the people in this league are too nice. If you think a ranking I have is way off, say so, I like good debate!
1. Chicago Cubs – Duh. All-star-caliber players at literally every offensive position, 3 legit aces and 3 very solid starters. The Cubs have an eh bullpen, but honestly, who the hell cares, this team is stacked and will be for the foreseeable future.
2. Colorado Rockies – The lineup, like a true Colorado team is the major strength of this team. A top 4 of Murphy, Arenado, Soto and Yelich rivals anybody and there is more depth than last year. The rotation has some question marks, but also some potential breakout options (Lucchesi, Keller) and the bullpen is very solid.
3. Cleveland Indians – Outside of the Cubs, this is the most well-rounded team. The lineup is solid throughout and the Nola-led rotation is near the top. If Glasnow and Robles meet their potential this year, they could really challenge the Cubs.
4. Los Angeles Angels – The Angels don’t have a ton of depth and they have a bunch of injury prone players (Profar, Lucroy, Pollock, Eaton, Gardner), but that rotation is beastly. Berrios is their 4th starter! They have 4 guys starting on opening day, so hopefully for them the starts start to get staggered as time goes on.
5. Atlanta Braves – The Braves offense is very hard to predict. Devers could have a sophomore slump, Aguilar hasn’t performed for long enough for me to trust him, and I don’t know what the hell happened to Dozier last year. If they can perform decently, the star-studded rotation should carry the Braves to the playoffs. Kershaw is a huuuuuge question mark though and may be the one that decides the Braves’ season.
6. Toronto Blue Jays – That’s right, I’m picking the Jays to go from worst to first, but that does not mean I don’t have reservations. They will be relying on a lot of youth, including the top 2 prospects in baseball and might not be quite ready this year. However, is anybody is going to beat the Cubs a couple years from now, this is the team. Late rotation additions make this a formidable team but the youth makes this team very hard to predict.
7. Philadelphia Phillies – My team, so I might be biased. The Phillies have great depth for both the lineup and pitching. They will probably need it given how old they are. If Betts repeats from last year and the rotation performs decently, the Phils should be in the thick of the playoff hunt.
8. Boston Red Sox – This might be a bit low for the Red Sox. They have won the tough AL East two years running and easily last year, and I think they have the second best offense in the league behind Cubs. The problem is their rotation. I expect them to add help at some point, but right now I don’t really see the rotation getting much more than a QS per week, which will hurt a ton.
9. San Diego Padres – The top part of the lineup should be solid and the Padres will be doing a great job of taking advantage of the assist points. I don’t really see the Padres competing with the Rockies for the division, but if Muncy can build off of his out of nowhere 2018 and Snell can repeat his Cy Young pitching, the Padres should make the playoffs.
10. Cincinnati Reds – The Olson injury hurts, but he was actually sort of expendable when you look at the Reds deep lineup. I’ve pretty much given up on Buxton, but he could be a catalyst to bringing the Reds back to the postseason. Like the lineup, the rotation is very deep, albeit not spectacular. If the Reds go far, it will be because of depth.
11. New York Mets – The Mets have a ton of depth. The trio of Justin Turner, Strasburg, and Bauer pose health concerns, but if those three stay healthy and a couple players emerge as better than expected (Rosario? Nimmo?), this Mets team will make the playoffs.
12. New York Yankees – I always underestimate the Yankees and its probably because of my general dislike of the Evil Empire. They might have the most depth of any team, and maybe too much given the upcoming roster crunch at the time of writing this. Still, Story and Judge headline a very solid lineup that should consistently put up points. The rotation concerns me, but shouldn’t kill the Yankees. They have a tough division to deal with though.
13. Los Angeles Dodgers – If Gleyber and Andujar take a step forward this year, this team could be dangerous. The rotation is the clear strength though with a Cole/Greinke 1-2 punch. Matt Harvey still somehow has a starting job too. I don’t think this a playoff team right now, but they have enough youth that they could surprise and make it interesting.
14. Oakland Athletics – Trout, Lindor, Harper, Benintendi, Chapman. The A’s have the best 1-5 in the league. The also have Walker Buehler. And, uh, not much else. If Oakland can fill out their roster a bit with some surprises or low cost players, they can make a run, but they need help right now.
15. Milwaukee Brewers – The Brewers remind of the real-life Rays a bit. No real studs, but a bunch of solid players. Kikuchi is a wild card that could help a ton and it will be interesting to see what Anibal is this year. In the NL Central, they are going to find it tough to make a playoff run this year.
16. St. Louis Cardinals – The Cardinals have been one of the best teams in the league the first couple years, but it looks like they are in a bit of a partial rebuild. The only above-average hitters I see are Peralta and Realmuto. deGrom should be good for a win/week and the rotation should be solid, but I think this team will be taking a step back this year. The Fulmer injury hurts.
17. Baltimore Orioles – The Orioles have some holes and will struggle with Russell suspended to start the year. The rotation is solid and Paxton could be top 10 in New York. Health will be a huge key as there is no depth and little margin for error in the AL East.
18. Tampa Bay Rays – Like the Orioles, the Rays have some holes. They don’t have a LF on their roster at the moment and they don’t have a lot of help in the lineup beyond Cruz and Jose Ramirez. A three man rotation doesn’t look like it will be enough to combine with one of the best bullpens in the league for the Rays to be a playoff team this year, but crazier things have happened.
19. Texas Rangers – Carpenter, Cano, and Donaldson make a solid 1-3 but age and injury concerns make me fear that they won’t be able to make up for the rest of the lineup which is not great. Bumgarner and Freeland are the only definites in the rotation, but watch out for Alcantara, I liked what I saw from him last year.
20. Houston Astros – The Salvy and Seager injuries are killers. Despite Altuve, this lineup does not have much going for it without them. The rotation and bullpen are good, but Folty’s probable regression and injury are concerning for a staff with no true ace.
21. Chicago White Sox – Wilson Ramos is probably the best hitter on the White Sox which isn’t great. The rotation should get innings, but there is not much upside there. They need Keuchel to sign for a contender to get him wins and need some breakouts (Maikel Franco? Pirela?), but I don’t think it is very likely.
22. Arizona Diamondbacks – The lineup is deep with many mediocre players. Bauers could be a stud though and if a couple of their many bats surprise, watch out. I like Bieber and Clevinger a lot and the DBacks will be relying on their necessarily different pitching schedules, but I don’t think they will be enough.
23. Seattle Mariners – I actually like the Mariners lineup. I think Miggy has a bounceback year and Swanson takes a step forward. Carlos Santana will benefit from being back home in Cleveland. Pivetta might break out and be an ace (I think he is a bit overhyped but I hope I’m wrong) but he isn’t enough to be an entire rotation.
24. Minnesota Twins – Decent lineup, but lack of anyone to write home about. Good bullpen and I like Luke Weaver to have a good year. I just don’t think there are enough pieces to make a run this year. Hiura and Luzardo could make a splash late, but I don’t think it will be enough.
25. Washington Nationals – It looks like Greg Bird will have a final chance thanks to Hicks’ injury, but I don’t think he is ever going to be a regular. There is some interesting youth (Laureano, O’Neill, Paddack, Newcomb, Urias), but I think this team is a year or two away.
26. Miami Marlins – The Marlins have opted for a rebuild and it made sense given the state of the top of the NL East. Jesse Winker could be sneakily really good and it will be interesting to watch for breakouts of guys that haven’t quite put it together I think (Margot, Piscotty, Urena, Rodon). Also, watch out for Jared Eickhoff, I think he ends the year in the Phillies rotation.
27. Pittsburgh Pirates – Will Corey Seager be back to stardom? (probably) Will Khris Davis justify $48 Million this year? (No – but I get the deal from the Pirates perspective). Taillon, DeSclafani and Eflin should steal some games and the Pirates could be a thorn in the side of their division mates trying to make a playoff push.
28. Kansas City Royals – Their lineup would have been alright about 5 years ago, but Crash Davis might be negative more than positive and their probable best hitter is retired. There is reason for hope in the Royals rotation, but I feel bad for Treinen wasting his good years on this team.
29. San Francisco Giants – Garret Cooper made the Marlins! Dustin Pedroia is injured again… The real question for this team is will the Giants be able to trade Pedroia, Alonso, Parra, Tulo, or King Felix at the deadline?
30. Detroit Tigers – Well, the Tigers still suck. Watch for Fried and Wright in Atlanta as they have really high potential and are both in the rotation to start the year. The Tigers have some regulars with potential in the lineup (I like Candelario to breakout this year) but since they haven’t called up their only two starting pitchers, I’m keeping them in the cellar to start the year.
