MLB

American League East

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1. Boston Red Sox

A stellar rotation instantly makes them World Series contenders.

2. Toronto Blue Jays

Their lineup is still among the best, but will the bullpen be able to keep a lead?

3. Baltimore Orioles

There are too many question marks in the rotation to put them anywhere past a Wild Card spot.

4. New York Yankees

While a Wild Card spot isn’t out of the question, giving their young nucleus a season to grow could help them in the long run.

5. Tampa Bay Rays

They could certainly be an interesting team to watch if they played in a different division. Continue reading →

National League Central

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1. Chicago Cubs

They are easily the favorites to repeat this year and could be for many more seasons.

2. St. Louis Cardinals

While they aren’t the flashiest team, they have plenty of depth to plug up any holes.

3. Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates could be in a transitional year with rumors swirling about trading McCutchen.

4. Milwaukee Brewers

They’re still a year or two away from being potential contenders.

5. Cincinnati Reds

The rebuilding project has begun with the offseason trade of Brandon Phillips. Continue reading →

American League Central

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1. Cleveland Indians

Having a 3-1 series lead last year, only to see it disappear will take a long time to overcome. They’re still the team to beat in the AL.

2. Kansas City Royals

This could very well be the last time they’ll be contenders with the current group of players from the 2015 World Series team.

3. Detroit Tigers

Being hamstrung by huge salary commitments have kept Detroit from making major roster moves.

4. Minnesota Twins

It wasn’t the best year for this group, but having the likes of Dozier and Buxton aren’t bad building blocks going forward.

5. Chicago White Sox

The restart button has been pushed and there will be many more moves to come. Continue reading →

National League West

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1. Los Angeles Dodgers

They spent money to keep some key players, but others will need bounce back years if they are to be World Series contenders.

2. San Francisco Giants

Shoring up the 9th inning was a priority and they did with the Melancon signing.

3. Colorado Rockies

Their lineup is the best in the division, but their rotation still has too many question marks.

4. Arizona Diamondbacks

They could be sneaky good this year, but after a front office and managerial change that probably won’t be the case this year.

5. San Diego Padres

Once again they will be paying a heavy price for GM A.J. Preller’s over ambitious 2014 offseason. Continue reading →

American League West

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1. Houston Astros

They are in it to win right now with the acquisitions of Beltran and McCann.

2. Texas Rangers

Their bullpen and top of the rotation give them a distinct advantage for a Wild Card spot.

3. Seattle Mariners

With the massive turnover of the roster, things will need to click right away for their playoff drought to end.

4. Los Angeles Angels

Everything i.e, health and player performance, has to go right for them to contend for a Wild Card spot.

5. Oakland Athletics

This will be another rebuilding year, but there are some interesting pieces coming from the minors very soon. Continue reading →