Pre-Spring Training MLB Power Rankings

by Andrew Pasquini, Sports 1140 KHTK

1. Chicago Cubs (103-58 in 2016): The defending world champions look to continue dominance with a young core of Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo.

2. Cleveland Indians (94-67): Adding Edwin Encarnacion gives this team a power bat they were lacking last season where they finished 10th in the AL in home runs.

3. Boston Red Sox (93-69): David Price, Rick Porcello, and now Chris Sale. Boston's rotation might be the best in the MLB and could lead Boston to another title.

4. Los Angeles Dodgers (91-71): Adding a much needed second baseman in Logan Forsythe might be enough to give the Dodgers a fifth straight NL West crown.

5. Houston Astros (84-78): One of the best line-ups in baseball with Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, and George Springer got better with additions Josh Reddick and Carlos Beltran.

6. San Francisco Giants (87-75): Madison Bumgarner, Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija, Matt Moore, and new closer Mark Melancon make the Giants entire pitching staff a solid one.

7. Washington Nationals (95-67): Bryce Harper looks to return to his MVP form and a rotation that features Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzer makes Washington a threat in the NL.

8. New York Mets (87-75): A talented and young pitching staff and keeping Yoenis Cespedes might have been enough to make the Mets a dark horse to win the NL.

9. Texas Rangers (95-67): After losing key veteran bats, the Rangers look for Yu Darvish and Cole Hamels to carry the Rangers to another AL West title.

10. Seattle Mariners (86-76): A very balanced team that features Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz with a solid rotation featuring Felix Hernandez, 2017 could be the breakout year for the Mariners.

11. Toronto Blue Jays (89-73): Losing Edwin Encarnacion leaves a hole in the middle of the order that Toronto hope Kendrys Morales and Steve Pearce can fill.

12. St. Louis Cardinals (86-76): After missing the playoffs for the first time since 2010, the Cardinals look to continue their winning ways behind bats like Matt Carpenter and Dexter Fowler.

13. Baltimore Orioles (89-73): Mark Trumbo returned to Baltimore giving the Orioles one of the most feared line-ups in baseball

14. Detroit Tigers (86-75): The Tigers are a year older but with players like Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander, Detroit can still be a threat.

15. Colorado Rockies (75-87): The Rockies have a lot of good bats but they'll go as far as the pitching staff will allow them.

16. New York Yankees (84-78): A young Yankee team that features Gary Sanchez and Greg Bird makes the Yankees a young and intriguing team.

17. Miami Marlins (79-82): After an improved 2016, the Marlins look to improve in 2017 behind the big bat of Giancarlo Stanton.

18: Kansas City Royals (81-81): Eric Hosmer, Salvador Perez, Lorenzo Cain, and Jorge Soler gives the Royals a scary middle of the line-up

19. Pittsburgh Pirates (78-83): A team that's suffering from a very top heavy division but did keep Andrew McCutchen and with rookie Josh Bell, the Pirates have some bats to build around.

20: Arizona Diamondbacks (69-93): A team that was expected to make an impact in 2016 that has the talent to make an impact in 2017.

21. Philadelphia Phillies (71-91): There's a lot of young talent on this team with Maikel Franco and Odubel Herrera that give the Phillies some glimmer of hope.

22. Atlanta Braves (68-93): Added an interesting mix of veteran talent (Bartolo Colon) and prospects in the off-season. Atlanta might be one of the more interesting teams to watch in 2017.

23. Tampa Bay Rays (68-94): Chris Archer and Kevin Kiermaier are two of the best young players in baseball today and look to have a strong 2017

24. Los Angeles Angels (74-88): A line-up that features Mike Trout is always a nice thing to go into a season with.

25. Chicago White Sox (78-84): A rotation lead by Jose Quintana and a line-up lead by Jose Abreu, Chicago has a solid base to build off of.

26. Oakland A's (69-93): Sonny Gray looks to bounce back after a rough 2016. The A's have a solid bullpen and hope 2017 is a step in the right direction.

27. Cincinnati Reds (68-94): A young rotation and young line-up around Joey Votto, 2017 might be a glimpse to the future for the Reds.

28. Milwaukee Brewers (73-89): Keon Broxton is a name to watch and could have a break out season.

29. Minnesota Twins (59-103): The biggest question entering the season for the Twins is what they'll do with Brian Dozier.

30. San Diego Padres (68-94): Wil Myers in the middle of the line-up is a nice start for the Padres but they lack just about everything else.

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.