10. Pittsburgh Pirates – The Pirates have had some tough luck the past few seasons playing in the NL Central. Despite winning 98 games in 2015, they didn’t make it past the Wild Card round. Last year was a down year all around however. McCutchen and Cole had the worst seasons in their respected careers, but I don’t see that happening for a second season in a row. I fully expect both of them to bounce back, and help lead one of the most talented teams in baseball.
9. New York Mets – There’s zero question that the Mets have the best rotation in baseball when healthy, but staying healthy has been the biggest problem. deGrom, Matz, and Harvey all failed to surpass 150 innings, and while the quality was there, the consistency was not. They’re basically the same team they were last year, so if the health of their rotation can improve, there’s no reason they can’t surpass the 87 win mark they posted last season.
8. Texas Rangers – The Rangers won’t win as many games as they did last season (95), but they shouldn’t be counted out completely. They won the most one-run games in baseball in 2016, and it’s hard to predict that happening again. That being said, they aren’t going to regress nearly as much people are predicting. Even if they drop down to the mid-80’s in the win column, they’ll still have a chance at the AL West, or at the very least, a Wild Card spot.
7. Houston Astros – After winning 84 and 86 games in 2016 and 2015 respectively, the Astros are poised to show why they’re one of the best teams in baseball. Their offense is top notch, with the likes of Correa, Altuve, and Springer making up one of the best lineups in the game. Their starting pitching took a step back last season, most notably by reigning Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel. I can’t see Keuchel performing as well as he did in 2015, but also can’t see him nearly as bad as last season. If he can find some middle ground, and Lance McCullers continues to impress, the Astros should have a good chance in the AL West.
6. San Francisco Giants – The Giants were uncharacteristically quiet this offseason, likely due to budget constraints and a weak free agent market. However, they did bring in Mark Melancon, which addresses their bullpen need. The even-year-magic may be over, but the Giants still have just a good a team as they did when they won the World Series. It’s hard to give either the Giants or the Dodgers the edge over each other, setting the stage for big showdowns between the two all season.
5. Los Angeles Dodgers – Like I said, the Dodgers and Giants are very close in so many ways, and no one would be surprised with either of them topping the NL West. The Dodgers have something the Giants do not, and that’s a once-in-a-generation pitcher. Of course, I’m referring to Clayton Kershaw, who missed a good chunk of time in 2016. That missed time was likely the only thing keeping him from another Cy Young winning season, as he posted a 1.69 ERA and 0.725 WHIP in just under 150 innings. A full season from the future Hall of Famer should give the Dodgers the edge over the Giants.
4. Washington Nationals – Bryce Harper will not be nearly as bad as he was in 2016. This you can count on. What you can’t count on is Daniel Murphy repeating his MVP-caliber year, Trea Turner being as good as everyone is expecting, and Stephen Strasburg staying healthy. While these things may very well happen, you can’t hang your hopes on them. Take away the health problems and this team makes a case for the best team in baseball. Even if Scherzer isn’t ready on Opening Day, the Nationals will have their eyes set on topping the NL East for a second straight season.
3. Cleveland Indians – The Indians won 94 games last season without Carlos Carrasco, Danny Salazar, and Michael Brantley playing full seasons. Well, they’re all back, along with new additions Edwin Encarnacion and Mike Napoli, and a full season of Andrew Miller. They came ever so close last season, and will likely be in the running late into October once again.
2. Boston Red Sox – Red Sox nation received a scare when David Price scheduled a meeting with Dr. James Andrews, a name you typically don’t want associating with pitchers. However as of now, he won’t need surgery, and while he may not be ready for Opening Day, he should be able to play a large chunk of the season. They added Chris Sale to a rotation consisting of Cy Young winner Rick Porcello, Price, and Steven Wright. While Papi’s retirement leaves a pretty big hole, the Red Sox still have plenty of offense to go around and is the team to beat in the American League.
1. Chicago Cubs – What is there really to say about the Cubs? They topped the power rankings prior to last season, held that position nearly all of 2016, and finished it off with a World Series win. They find themselves in the exact same situation as last season, except now they’re looking to make it back to back World Series wins instead of their first in 108 years. Find a weak spot on the Cubs’ roster, I dare you. They have the depth and obviously the talent to win 100 plus games once again, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they top next year’s list as well.
The 2017 Major League Baseball season begins on Sunday, April 2nd with a tripleheader starting at 1:10 p.m. ET. These are my rankings, what are yours?