2021 Opening Day MLB Team Rankings
Photo Via: Sean M. Haffey — Getty ImagesThe inaugural Opening Day MLB Team Rankings are here. Below is a current power ranking of all 30 major league clubs, with just a couple notes on their personnel outlook, but not a deep-dive into statistical analysis. There will also be a mid-season power rankings and the final rankings after the regular season concludes.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The defending World Series champs are reloaded and ready to go this season. The rotation features two Cy Young Award winners (Trevor Bauer and Clayton Kershaw), the bullpen has another (David Price), and the roster as a whole includes three league MVP Award winners (Mookie Betts, Cody Bellinger, Clayton Kershaw).
The lineup is a problem for pitchers across the league, as it is nicely balanced with familiar faces from last year’s team. Although Joc Pederson and Enrique Hernandez departed, the Dodgers will bring back a swarm of sluggers led by Betts, Bellinger, Corey Seager, and Justin Turner.
The bullpen has depth, but one concern is whether longtime closer Kenley Jansen is still the right guy to shut the door in the ninth inning. Blake Treinen, Corey Knebel, and Brusdar Graterol are all in line for high-leverage innings. In whole, the entire squad is the best in the majors by a fair margin, at least for now.
Lineup: A
Bench: B-
Rotation: A+
Bullpen: A-
San Diego Padres
San Diego grounded up tons of hype last year, but after a whirlwind of transactions this offseason, the fans are ready to see the Padres in action for a full season. Acquisitions of Blake Snell, Yu Darvish, and Joe Musgrove (despite the departure of Zach Davies) immediately placed San Diego in the conversation surrounding the best rotations in baseball, despite Mike Clevinger being sidelined for the 2021 season. Korean infielder Ha-seong Kim signed a four-year deal, which will provide the lineup with versatility, speed, and youth. The ever so electric Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado will lock down the left side of the infield and heart of the order.
However, there have already been a few concerning minor injuries this spring. Tatis Jr. recently exited a spring training game with a hip injury after missing games due to body aches earlier. Dinelson Lamet’s arm is still not completely healed from the elbow injury that kept him out of the Postseason in 2020. Star reliever Drew Pomeranz has a sore forearm on his throwing arm. Centerfielder and projected leadoff hitter Trent Grisham has a Grade 1 hamstring strain. Outfielder Tommy Pham recovered from a stab wound suffered during the offseason. Starting catcher Austin Nola’s fractured middle finger has prohibited him from getting back into game action this spring. The club also has a plethora of relief pitchers battling injuries.
Assuming all of the injuries remain minor, the Padres are set to win lots of ballgames. Oh, and they also have the top pitching prospect in baseball, MacKenzie Gore, ready to be called up at any moment.
Lineup: A-
Bench: B+
Rotation: A
Bullpen: B
New York Yankees
If the lineup is able to maintain good health, get ready to see tons of home runs in the Bronx. Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton each pose the threat to lead the major leagues in the category. Luke Voit led the majors in it last season, but will miss at least a month to begin 2021 due to a partially torn meniscus. With D.J. LeMahieu setting the table at the top of the lineup, the middle of the order guys should have plenty of opportunities to drive in runs.
The pitching rotation has a few more uncertainties. One of the best aces in baseball will take the mound every fifth day or so for the Yankees. After that, the rotation consists predominantly of pitchers who have missed a significant number of games over the past few seasons. Corey Kluber will don the pinstripes this season and look to regain a semblance of his Cy Young Award winning days despite missing nearly the entirety of the last two seasons. Jameson Taillon threw 37 innings in 2019, but required his second Tommy John surgery and missed the remainder of that season and all of the 2020 season. Jordan Montgomery returned at the end of the 2019 season from a Tommy John surgery. Domingo German has not pitched professionally since the end of the 2019 season due to a suspension for violation of the league’s domestic violence policy. Luis Severino is set to return this summer from his own Tommy John surgery. Clearly, the concerns regarding the rotation are centered around innings consumption. Luckily for the Yanks, the team has depth at the position if spot starts or temporary replacements are needed.
Even after the announcement that Zack Britton will miss the first few months of the season, the bullpen is still one of the best in the game, but could improve. Another injury to the core relief pitching group could change the outlook of the roster, however.
Lineup: A
Bench: B
Rotation: B+
Bullpen: A-
Atlanta Braves
The National League East division arguably hosts the toughest competition in MLB. The Braves are the first team from the group to appear on this list, but the season will not be a cakewalk. Atlanta features a talented lineup, led by reigning NL MVP Freddie Freeman and superstar outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. The team can field with the best of them, too. Dansby Swanson is one of the slickest fielding shortstops in the league and rookie centerfielder Cristian Pache has extraordinary defensive expectations.
Last year, the Braves ranked 15th in MLB in earned run average (4.41 ERA). The additions of Charlie Morton and Drew Smyly combined with the emergence of rookies Ian Anderson and Bryse Wilson set the rotation up nicely to improve in that category. Max Fried will lead the group, which will be adding Mike Soroka, likely at some point in the first month of the season.
Atlanta’s relief pitching is not the best around, but it can get the job done. Lefty Will Smith will serve as the team’s closer if all goes to plan. The rest of the bullpen will look a little different than last year. Righties Darren O’Day, Mark Melancon, and Shane Greene became free agents (Greene remains unsigned). Instead, relievers like Luke Jackson and Chris Martin will be relied on in high-leverage situations.
With the ability to add to this team prior to the trade deadline, Atlanta is right in the thick of teams with a realistic chance at winning a championship this year.
Lineup: A
Bench: B-
Rotation: B+
Bullpen: B-
Chicago White Sox
The White Sox are possibly the most interesting team in the majors this year. The organization brought in Tony LaRussa as manager and made a number of offseason roster moves. Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn, and Dallas Keuchel make up the first three rotation spots. Outfielder Adam Eaton returned to the South Side and star closer Liam Hendriks arrived for the first time.
Eloy Jimenez, the young and powerful left fielder, is expected to miss 5-6 months as a result of a pectoral tendon tear. Slugging prospect Andrew Vaughn - a first baseman - is already getting run in left field during spring training and is a candidate to play there for what would be his rookie season. Vaughn would not have to cover much ground in left field, as centerfielder Luis Robert can nearly cover the entire outfield himself. There might not be a middle infield in baseball that will have a higher combined batting average than Chicago’s Tim Anderson and Nick Madrigal. Reigning AL MVP Jose Abreu is about as sure of a thing at the plate as it gets. The lineup can definitely slug with the best of them.
However, the team’s bullpen is its biggest strength. Hendriks is a lockdown closer. Rookie left-hander Garrett Crochet turned many heads last season with his blazing fastball, despite not playing in a minor league game. Righty Codi Heuer debuted last season and maintained a 0.89 WHIP in 23.2 innings. Lefty Aaron Bummer impressed in 2019 and 2020 in the setup role. Not to mention hard-throwing righty Michael Kopech may be able to provide long relief in the majors this season.
The injury to Jimenez is a tough one, but it is likely the White Sox will still be right there in October (possibly with Jimenez back in the lineup).
Lineup: A-
Bench: C+
Rotation: A-
Bullpen: A
New York Mets
The new ownership regime in Queens made some big splashes in preparation for the 2021 season. Superstar shortstop Francisco Lindor - in his final year of team control - was the biggest of them all. He was acquired by the Mets from Cleveland, along with veteran starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco. The team added James McCann to be the starting catcher, Trevor May as a setup man, Taijuan Walker as a starting pitcher, Aaron Loup as a left-handed reliever, and Kevin Pillar for outfield defense and depth, among others.
The lineup was mostly driven by Pete Alonso, Dominic Smith, Michael Conforto, and Jeff McNeil last season. Now with the switch-hitting Lindor at shortstop, there is a certain level of star power that did not present itself in the past for the Mets.
The rotation headed by ace Jacob deGrom will be superior to most when fully healthy. Noah Syndergaard needs to rehabilitate and return from his Tommy John surgery (expected this summer) and Carrasco is currently sidelined with a torn hamstring. For the bullpen, Edwin Diaz is expected to close out games.
In the NL East, the Mets will be in the running for the division crown.
Lineup: A-
Bench: B
Rotation: A
Bullpen: B-
Houston Astros
The “core” Astros are broken up for the first time, with George Springer moving to Toronto in free agency. However, Houston is still prepared to run out a talented lineup each day. Outfielder Kyle Tucker took a step forward in 2020, progressing to the point where it appears he has played his final minor league game. Yordan Alvarez is expected to return after missing all but two games last season due to issues with both knees. The lineup still consists of Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, and Michael Brantley. In that sense, it is fair to say Houston will score plenty of runs.
On the flip side, the pitching staff has been marred with injuries. The team’s ace, Justin Verlander, underwent Tommy John surgery and only just began throwing again, but is expected to miss the entire season. Framber Valdez broke out in 2020, but suffered a fractured finger on his throwing hand this spring and will miss significant time (although he is expected to avoid a season-ending surgery). Top pitching prospect Forrest Whitley will miss the 2021 season after also undergoing Tommy John surgery. The Astros signed Jake Odorizzi late this spring to join Zack Greinke, Lance McCullers Jr., Jose Urquidy, and Cristian Javier on the rotation.
Ryan Pressly is likely to fill the closer role. The bullpen as a whole is not overwhelmingly skillful, but should be able to hold its own. As a team, Houston will certainly be aiming for a division title and a Postseason run.
Lineup: A-
Bench: C+
Rotation: B
Bullpen: B-
Minnesota Twins
The Twins are one of the most interesting teams in baseball. The lineup has been cranking out home runs for a couple years now. When you have Nelson Cruz, Josh Donaldson, and Miguel Sano occupying the middle of your order, it should not be a surprise. The Twins also have guys that can hit for contact, such as Luis Arraez and Andrelton Simmons. Defensively, Byron Buxton in centerfield and Simmons at shortstop can each be fairly considered the best at their respective positions. Highly-regarded outfield prospect Alex Kirilloff did not break camp with the team, but can get the call soon.
The starting rotation is above average. Kenta Maeda has been fantastic and serves as the team’s top starter. Jose Berrios follows with a solid resumé. Randy Dobnak, Michael Pineda, and J.A. Happ fill out the rest of the 5-man squad.
The Twins’ bullpen lost Trevor May to the Mets in free agency, but scooped up Alex Colomé for themselves. Colomé, Taylor Rogers, and Tyler Duffey will likely all see save opportunities this season. After those three, the bullpen has a lot to prove. All in all, the Twins are ready to smash the baseball again, so they just need to pitch well enough to get by.
Lineup: A-
Bench: B-
Rotation: B
Bullpen: B
Tampa Bay Rays
Expectations are high for Tampa Bay after a World Series appearance in 2020. This time, the starting rotation is reshaped. Blake Snell was sent to San Diego by way of a trade. Charlie Morton signed with Atlanta. That means Tyler Glasnow is the team’s top starter. After him, Tampa Bay has a variety of options to start games. Ryan Yarbrough, Rich Hill, Chris Archer, and Michael Wacha are projected to round out the five-man rotation, but Shane McClanahan, Luis Patiño, Trevor Richards, and Josh Fleming can all be inserted at a moment’s notice. Yonny Chirinos is currently injured and Brent Honeywell Jr. is expected to return to the mound this season.
Nick Anderson’s injury is a big blow to the “stable”, but he is likely to return around the All-Star Break. Pete Fairbanks and Diego Castillo make up the other two heads of the three-headed monster you saw last year.
Manager Kevin Cash typically platoons the lineup based on the pitching matchup. After completely dominating last Postseason, all eyes are on Randy Arozarena to see if he can pick up where he left off. Austin Meadows and Brandon Lowe are probably the other two most complete hitters on the team.
The top prospect in baseball, shortstop Wander Franco, could make his major league debut for Tampa Bay this season. If that happens, Willy Adames would need to either find a new position or a play a bench role.
The Rays will be vying for a second consecutive division title in 2021.
Lineup: B
Bench: A
Rotation: B+
Bullpen: B+
St. Louis Cardinals
In one of the offseason’s flashiest trades, the Cardinals acquired third baseman Nolan Arenado to go along with first baseman Paul Goldschmidt as a corner infield tandem consisting of studs formerly of the NL West. The rest of the team is not bad either, particularly the pitching staff.
Led by Jack Flaherty, the starting pitching is among the best in baseball. Kwang Hyun Kim flourished in his 2020 rookie campaign after coming over from the KBO, and will hopefully return from the injured list in mid-April.. Adam Wainwright re-signed for another year in St. Louis after posting a 3.15 ERA in 65.2 innings in 2020. Carlos Martinez and Alex Reyes can both be utilized in longer roles in the bullpen, but the former is more likely to be a starter. Andrew Miller, Jordan Hicks, and Giovanny Gallegos make up the back end of the ‘pen.
The outfield is the most polarizing aspect of the club. Harrison Bader is remarkable in centerfield, but needs to improve in the batter’s box. The switch-hitting Dylan Carlson enters his first full season hoping to become a mainstay. Tyler O’Neill has an elite power and speed combination, but needs to make more contact to make it work.
The Cards are the top NL Central team on this list.
Lineup: B
Bench: B-
Rotation: B+
Bullpen: A-
Philadelphia Phillies
Just one year after the hiring of manager Joe Girardi, the Phillies brought in Sam Fuld as the new general manager and Dave Dombroski as the team’s president of baseball operations. The two major focuses of the offseason were to revamp the bullpen and bring back J.T. Realmuto. Last season was historically bad for the Phillies bullpen, so the club went shopping this offseason. Now, Archie Bradley will be a setup man, José Alvarado was acquired by trade with Tampa Bay, and J.T. Realmuto was re-signed for five years.
Aside from Realmuto — the best catcher in baseball — the Phillies lineup includes star outfielder Bryce Harper, slugging first baseman Rhys Hoskins, blooming power-hitting third baseman Alec Bohm, and veteran shortstop Didi Gregorius.
The rotation is top-heavy with Aaron Nola leading the charge and Zack Wheeler as the second starter. Zach Eflin, Matt Moore, and Chase Anderson are projected to complete the group. In the bullpen, Hector Neris was named the team’s closer to begin the season. Fighting for the division in the NL East is a tall task, but the Phillies have an outside shot at making it happen. The more likely scenario is that they find themselves in the conversation for a Wild Card berth.
Lineup: B+
Bench: C
Rotation: B
Bullpen: B-
Milwaukee Brewers
With Keston Hiura moving to first base, the Brewers filled the second base position by adding Kolten Wong. The best player on the team is still Christian Yelich, who looks to bounce back into MVP consideration after a down year in the shortened season. Jackie Bradley Jr. should be able to make the outfield a great defensive group once he returns from injury.
The rotation is extremely good at the top with Brandon Woodruff and Corbin Burnes leading the charge. There are not many teams in the majors with a comparable top two starters. The bullpen also has a fantastic top two pitchers, with Josh Hader and Devin Williams posting unreal strikeout rates.
Lineup: B-
Bench: C+
Rotation: B+
Bullpen: A-
Cleveland Indians
Trading the franchise player is typically the indication of a team in a full-blown rebuild. In Cleveland, however, the Indians dealt Francisco Lindor to the Mets, yet maintained a roster that is talented enough to make the Postseason this year. The starting rotation is especially strong in comparison to teams below Cleveland on this list. Shane Bieber is coming off of a Cy Young Award winning season where he also earned the pitcher’s Triple Crown. Zach Plesac has been very effective on the mound, Aaron Civale has shown signs of middle or front-end starter capability, and Triston McKenzie is a rising newcomer. Logan Allen and Cal Quantrill serve as the options for the fifth spot.
The lineup’s main ticket is third baseman José Ramírez, who stands out as the best hitter on the team. Franmil Reyes has also been a reliable hitter with power. Josh Naylor returns after impressing fans in the short Postseason series against the Yankees. Cesar Hernandez has been a doubles machine and Roberto Pérez has been an incredible catcher. Eddie Rosario is new to the mix in town, as are Amed Rosario and Andrés Giménez. The prospect that is most likely to make an immediate impact on the lineup is Nolan Jones, who can be stationed at any of the corner infield or corner outfield spots. Jones has a lot of pop in his bat, but just needs to find an everyday place to lock down. Ultimately, the lineup lacks the variety of stars needed to be amongst the game’s best.
Cleveland has a reliable closer in James Karinchak, who strikes out hitters at an unbelievable rate. Emmanuel Clase, who dials it up to 100 mph on many occasions, is expected to be healthy this season. Nick Wittgren, Bryan Shaw, Oliver Perez, and Phil Maton are all familiar names returning to the bullpen. Trevor Stephan, a 25-year-old who has talent, was selected in the Rule 5 draft from the Yankees, and will have the chance to stay in the majors with Cleveland this year.
Overall, the Indians are good — but not great — ball club. Starting pitching should be able t o keep the team in many games, but run production might not be prominent enough to propel the Indians into 93-plus wins.
Lineup: C+
Bench: B
Rotation: B+
Bullpen: B
Chicago Cubs
The young core of position players from the 2016 World Series team had its first departure from the Cubs this offseason. Kyle Schwarber signed with the Nationals. In an effort to regain left-handed outfield power, the Cubs brought in Joc Pederson. Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, and Willson Contreras remain as the foundation of the club. Ian Happ has developed into a talented switch-hitting outfielder as well. David Bote is the team’s Opening Day starting second baseman, but Nico Hoerner may be recalled to the majors and play second.
The rotation is no longer led by Yu Darvish, who was traded to San Diego. Now, Kyle Hendricks leads the pack, which consists of Zach Davies, Trevor Williams, Adbert Alzolay, and the return of Jake Arrieta.
Craig Kimbrel is still the closer. Brandon Workman, Andrew Chafin, Dan Winkler, and Alec Mills will all be on the roster, with the latter likely joining the rest in the bullpen.
The NL Central is a division without a clear frontrunner, so the Cubs Postseason hopes are alive for this season. However, this team is not nearly as talented as the Cubs squads that made runs deep into October.
Lineup: B
Bench: C
Rotation: B-
Bullpen: B-
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics took home the division title in 2020 and will look to do the same in 2021, but with a different look. Home run smasher Khris Davis was traded to the Rangers in a deal that brought shortstop Elvis Andrus to Oakland. Marcus Semien and Liam Hendriks went to the Blue Jays and White Sox, respectively, in free agency. The A’s picked up Trevor Rosenthal to become their back-end bullpen piece. Sergio Romo was also added to the bullpen this offseason. Mitch Moreland, acquired in free agency, is in line to get a lot of at bats this year.
The player that draws the most attention in Oakland mans the hot corner. Matt Chapman is one of few players in the majors who can drastically change a game with his glove. Across the diamond, Matt Olson is one of the best home run hitting and defensive first basemen in baseball. The Chapman-Olson tandem represents the heart and soul of the team. Ramon Laureano, Chad Pinder, and Mark Canha are all valuable players as well.
Lefty pitcher Jesus Luzardo is considered to have top notch potential. He will join Chris Bassitt, Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas, and Daulton Jefferies in the starting rotation. A.J. Puk has returned from yet another injury and is a candidate to jump in the rotation if needed. As for the bullpen, it is worth noting Jake Diekman’s unbelievable 2020 season, so he will fill the setup role and will be next man up for the ninth inning behind Rosenthal.
Lineup: B-
Bench: B
Rotation: B
Bullpen: B+
Washington Nationals
Starting pitching let down the Nats in 2020, as Washington ranked last in the majors in H/9 and HR/9 for the season. The offense finished in the top half of the league in runs, batting average, on-base percentage, and on-base plus slugging percentage.
This year, the Nationals’ noteworthy newcomers are Kyle Schwarber, Josh Bell, Jon Lester, and Brad Hand. The lineup begins with Victor Robles, Trea Turner, Juan Soto, Bell, and Schwarber in roughly that order. The bottom end of the starting nine has veteran experience, but lacks players entering their prime (Starlin Castro, Yan Gomes, Josh Harrison).
It is a redemption year for the starting pitching. Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzer enter the season nicked up, and Patrick Corbin’s velocity is down this spring. However, all three are expected to make their regularly scheduled starts in the first three games of the season, so that is quite the talent to send to the mound in an opening series. Lester rounds out the rotation with Joe Ross.
After Hand at closer, the most interesting arm in the bullpen belongs to Tanner Rainey. He possesses an uncanny ability to throw extremely hard, but there is room for improvement with his command.
Only one season removed from a World Series championship, the Nationals are one of, if not the most, difficult team to rank on this list.
Lineup: B
Bench: C+
Rotation: B+
Bullpen: B-
Los Angeles Angels
Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon make up arguably the best 1-2 punch of all lineups in baseball. David Fletcher can hit anything thrown his way. Shohei Ohtani has displayed power, especially to the opposite field, at the plate. But after those four, the lineup is below average. It includes some veterans, like Albert Pujols, Justin Upton, and Dexter Fowler, who have all had great major league careers, but have their best days behind them. The Angels need to find a way to keep Jared Walsh in the lineup after his impressive 2020 season. On the defensive side, Jose Iglesias was brought in to be the starting shortstop after defensive-wizard Andrelton Simmons left in free agency. Simmons is one of the best defensive shortstops in the game’s history, but Iglesias is remarkable in his own right. After a full season starting for the Angels, it is likely Iglesias’s incredible defense will be a topic of conversation.
For years now, pitching has been what has kept the Angels away from the top of the AL West. This year, the rotation is peculiar. Dylan Bundy, who broke out in 2020, will be the top starter. After him, Andrew Heaney, Shohei Ohtani, Griffin Canning, and the newly acquired Alex Cobb and José Quintana will see the majority of the remaining starts. In what has been another area of concern for the Halos — the bullpen — Raisel Iglesias was acquired from the Reds to be the closer. Veterans Tony Watson, Steve Cishek, Alex Claudio, and Junior Guerra were all brought in to bolster the relief core. In an under the radar move, the Angels received reliever Aaron Slegers in a trade with Tampa Bay.
Lineup: B+
Bench: B-
Rotation: B-
Bullpen: B
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays will begin the season playing their home games in Dunedin. With new additions to the lineup, the Jays are looking like a real contender. George Springer signed a massive contract and will be the starting centerfielder. Marcus Semien signed a one-year deal and will play second base.
The squad has youngsters, too. Bo Bichette is one of the league’s best all-around shortstops, Cavan Biggio is a patient hitter who can play all over the field (likely to play mostly third base this year), and Vlad Guerrero Jr. is set to move from third to first base this season.
The pitching is a major concern: both starting and relief. Hyun-Jin Ryu has been incredible and will headline the staff, but there are no certainties after him. Tanner Roark, Steven Matz, and Ross Stripling will be in the rotation to start the season. Robbie Ray is out temporarily with an elbow contusion, and Nate Pearson has a strained groin. Kirby Yates signed to become the closer, but will miss the entire season due to injury. The closer-by-committee may consist of Jordan Romano, Rafael Dolis, Tyler Chatwood, and David Phelps. Julian Merryweather and Ryan Borucki will also grab some important innings throughout the season.
The Blue Jays are far more talented on offense than they are at pitching. If Toronto makes the Postseason, it will struggle to match up well against opponents’ frontline starters.
Lineup: B+
Bench: B
Rotation: C+
Bullpen: C+
Boston Red Sox
Boston’s offensive core of Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, J.D. Martinez, Christian Vazquez, and Alex Verdugo makes you wonder how the team could lose so many games in 2020. Well, most of that answer involves the pitching staff. Chris Sale, the team’s ace, missed all of 2020 and is set to return mid-way through 2021 from Tommy John surgery.
The arrival of Bobby Dalbec as a power threat could make a huge difference for Boston. Additionally, the Red Sox clearly made versatility a priority this offseason. Enrique Hernandez, Marwin Gonzalez, and Danny Santana were signed in free agency. All can play a plethora of positions, but Santana is recovering from a foot infection which hospitalized him and may not make the major league roster. The outfield underwent major changes with the departures of Jackie Bradley Jr. and Andrew Benintendi and the arrivals of Hunter Renfroe and Franchy Cordero.
The rotation consists of a mix of risky, but talented arms. Nathan Eovaldi, Garrett Richards, Nick Pivetta, and Martin Perez are joined by up-and-comer Tanner Houck. The bullpen received a boost from the Yankees in Adam Ottavino, who will offer late-inning assistance with Matt Barnes, who may miss time to begin the season. The bullpen as a whole clearly ranks in the bottom half of the majors.
Lineup: B
Bench: B
Rotation: C
Bullpen: C
Kansas City Royals
A new wave of Royals baseball is coming, but for now the team is in the bottom half of the league. Whit Merrifield is the heartbeat of the lineup. He has played in all of the team’s games for two consecutive seasons now and is a hits machine. Salvador Perez is the veteran leader with experience in high-pressure games and situations in which he was able to extract a World Series MVP. Andrew Benintendi and Carlos Santana were the biggest additions to the starting group and both come with World Series play in their past. Jorge Soler has the potential to lead the league in home runs this season, even though the primary focus of Kansas City is on the base paths (Adalberto Mondesi - 10-day IL, Whit Merrifield, Jarrod Dyson, and Michael A. Taylor are all among the league’s best base stealers).
The rotation lacks depth, and is not great at the top either. Brad Keller is the team’s number one starter this year, followed by Mike Minor, rookie Brady Singer, veteran Danny Duffy, and then Jakob Junis is a strong candidate for the 5-spot. The bullpen is better than most would expect. Josh Staumont is their real prized piece. He can reach 100 mph with relative ease. Wade Davis and Greg Holland are on their second stints with the Royals after dominating during their 2015 World Series win. Jesse Hahn and Scott Barlow may get high-leverage innings as well.
Lineup: B-
Bench: C
Rotation: C
Bullpen: B+
Cincinnati Reds
In 2020, the Reds geared up for a Postseason push. The club acquired Trevor Bauer, Nicholas Castellanos, and Mike Moustakas in hopes of finding themselves in a position to win. Bauer won the Cy Young Award, but the team did not win a Postseason game. Then, the Reds lost Bauer to free agency and did not add much back.
The home run production will mostly come by way of Eugenio Suarez, who hit 49 in 2019 and then 15 in the shortened season (Suarez notably moved to shortstop this season). Joey Votto appears to be beyond his MVP-level days, but is still serviceable. Jesse Winker will bat leadoff often, since he gets on base at a great clip (.388 OBP in 2020). Nick Senzel and Jonathan India are early into their careers and can brighten the horizon for the Reds.
The rotation of Luis Castillo, Sonny Gray (10-day IL), Tyler Mahle, Jeff Hoffman, José De León, and Wade Miley is decent, but the Reds desperately need Gray to return soon. Amir Garrett and Sean Doolittle should see most of the late innings, with Garrett likely earning most of the team’s saves.
Lineup: B-
Bench: C
Rotation: C+
Bullpen: C+
Miami Marlins
The Marlins have put together a crafty lineup of players that were not original Miami draftees. Corey Dickerson, Starling Marte, Jesus Aguilar, and Adam Duvall all had success to some degree in other organizations before coming to the Marlins. Rookie Jazz Chisholm, who the Marlins acquired from the Diamondbacks for Zac Gallen, won the second base starting job.
Sandy Alcantara is a clear candidate to break out this season after putting together an impressive spring. Sixto Sanchez will start the season on the minor league roster, but is expected to rejoin the major league team soon, yet on a pitch count for the beginning of the year as he has yet to build up to a full season. Pablo Lopez impressed in 2020 as well. Elieser Hernandez and Trevor Rogers look to build big league resumés (both have the talent to be front-end starters).
Anthony Bass is expected to be the team’s full-time closer. Yimi Garcia, Dylan Floro, John Curtiss, and Adam Cimber are in the bullpen as well. It would be a surprise if the Marlins returned to the playoffs without the expansion MLB instituted last season.
Lineup: C+
Bench: B
Rotation: B
Bullpen: C+
Arizona Diamondbacks
Ketel Marte and David Peralta are the leaders of the lineup, but a lot of the other guys in there have something to prove. Eduardo Escobar has been great at times and Nick Ahmed is an excellent fielding shortstop.
With Zac Gallen starting the season on the injured list, the already questionable rotation becomes even more untrustworthy. Madison Bumgarner is attempting to use multiple arm angles and timing mechanisms this season. Merrill Kelly, Caleb Smith, Taylor Widener, and Luke Weaver are all in line to start games for Arizona. A selection of Joakim Soria, Kevin Ginkel, Stefan Crichton, and Taylor Clarke are the expected “closer by committee.”
Lineup: C
Bench: C+
Rotation: C+
Bullpen: C+
Colorado Rockies
After trading away Nolan Arenado, all eyes are on Trevor Story, who will hit free agency if he is not extended prior to the end of the season. Story has been one of the game’s best shortstops over the past few seasons. Charlie Blackmon has been a mainstay for Colorado and is still slated for the heart of the order. Top prospect middle infielder Brendan Rodgers will start the season on the injured list.
The rotation of German Marquez, Antonio Senzatela, Jon Gray, and Austin Gomber is temporarily without Kyle Freeland (10-day IL). The team’s closer, Daniel Bard, returned to the majors last season after years away from the bigs. Now, his fastball touches 100 mph.
Lineup: C+
Bench: C+
Rotation: C
Bullpen: C
San Francisco Giants
The game’s most underrated player right now could very well be Mike Yastrzemski. He is an on-base machine and has some pop, too. The addition of infielder Tommy La Stella and return of catcher Buster Posey should help the Giants score a few more runs this year than last. Alex Dickerson and Donovan Solano were instrumental in 2020 and can solidify their place in this league with another solid year.
The starting rotation is underwhelming but features familiar names. Kevin Gausman, Johnny Cueto, Logan Webb, Anthony DeSclafani, and Aaron Sanchez are expected to be the five starters. Jake McGee is the odds on favorite to earn the most saves, but Reyes Moronta, Tyler Rogers, and Matt Wisler might snag a few of their own this season.
Lineup: C+
Bench: C
Rotation: C
Bullpen: C
Detroit Tigers
Detroit’s lineup has some veterans, like Miguel Cabrera, Robbie Grossman, and Wilson Ramos, who can help teach the young guys, like Willi Castro and JaCoby Jones what they know. Akil Baddoo is a bench player for now, but impressed coaches in spring training.
Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal each made the starting rotation and will get the chance to develop in the majors. Matthew Boyd and Julio Teheran are also part of the starting pitcher group. Gregory Soto, Bryan Garcia, Buck Farmer, Daniel Norris, and José Cisnero will likely split late-inning assignments.
Lineup: C
Bench: C
Rotation: C+
Bullpen: C
Seattle Mariners
The next generation of Mariners baseball is going to arrive soon and break the streak of 19 (as of now) consecutive seasons missing the Postseason, but it will not be this year. For now, the excitement surrounding Kyle Lewis, Taylor Trammell, and Evan White will have to do.
The rotation does not turn many heads. James Paxton came back to the Mariners, where his MLB career started. He joins Justus Sheffield, the player he was traded for from the Yankees. The rest of the mostly left-handed starting five includes Marco Gonzales, Yusei Kikuchi, and righty Justin Dunn. Expect to also see some starts from Chris Flexen.
The bullpen, which includes Rafael Montero, Kendall Graveman, Casey Sadley, Keynan Middleton, Drew Steckenrider, Anthony Misiewicz, and Nick Margevicius is nothing to write home about.
Lineup: C
Bench: C-
Rotation: C
Bullpen: C
Texas Rangers
The Rangers enter the 2021 season lacking in each area of the game. Joey Gallo is a terrific fielder and power hitter, but unfortunately for Texas, there are not nine of him. David Dahl, Nate Lowe, and Brock Holt are new to the team this year. Isiah Kiner-Falefa won the Gold Glove Award at third base last season and has moved to shortstop this year.
Kyle Gibson, Kohei Arihara, Jordan Lyles, Mike Foltynewicz, and Dane Dunning all made the rotation. Most of the pitchers are projects, Arihara is new to American baseball, and Gibson is on the back-end of his career. Matt Bush and Ian Kennedy could share closer duties in the bullpen.
Lineup: C
Bench: C+
Rotation: C
Bullpen: D+
Pittsburgh Pirates
The one name to focus on for the Pittsburgh Pirates is Ke’Bryan Hayes. Not only is Hayes a phenomenal fielder who will undoubtedly take home Gold Glove awards in his career, but he rakes at the plate, too. Kevin Newman set the MLB record for spring training batting average in 2021 and won the shortstop job. Bryan Reynolds looks to regain his 2019 form after struggling last year.
The rotation is not flashy. Chad Kuhl, Tyler Anderson, Mitch Keller, J.T. Brubaker, and Trevor Cahill will each get the ball every fifth game for Pittsburgh. The team’s closer is Richard Rodriguez. The bullpen, aside from David Bednar, is on the weaker side in the game.
Lineup: C
Bench: C-
Rotation: C-
Bullpen: C-
Baltimore Orioles
The story of the Baltimore Orioles is the battle fought by Trey Mancini to get back on the field after being diagnosed with colon cancer. He joins a lineup with developing talent, like Anthony Santander, Ryan Mountcastle, and Austin Hays. Overall, the lineup would not really scare an opposing pitcher.
John Means is the top starter. Matt Harvey is also set for his major league return after making the O’s roster to break camp. Cesar Valdez, Tanner Scott, Dillon Tate, and Cole Sulser are going to share the opportunities to grab the last out of the ninth.
Lineup: C
Bench: C-
Rotation: D+
Bullpen: C-