Pitchers and catchers have officially reported, full-squad workouts are almost here and spring training games start in a week. Although there are still some quality free agents on the market, most of the offseason moves have been made, so it’s time for my first MLB power rankings of the year.
Let’s take stock of the league landscape after all of the signings and trades, also factoring in rookies who are ready to make their mark, breakout candidates, players coming back from injury-filled seasons, and more.
Here is how I view MLB’s 30 teams, from the upper echelon to the bottom dwellers, as spring training gets underway and a new season beckons — remember, the Dodgers and Cubs will open the 2025 campaign on March 18 in Japan. Batter up.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers had the best offseason in baseball — in case that wasn’t clear, more than 30 people in the game unanimously voted the defending World Series champs as the most improved team in the National League in Jayson’s Stark’s annual spring survey. They added two No. 1-caliber starters in Blake Snell, who has already proven it, and Japanese star Roki Sasaki, who has the potential to develop into an ace. They brought back their best reliever from last year and the postseason, Blake Treinen, but also added two more impact closers in Tanner Scott , who is expected to get the most save opportunities according to manager Dave Roberts, and Kirby Yates, who is coming off a 33-save, 1.17 ERA season. They solved the left field position by signing Michael Conforto, reunited with slugger Teoscar Hernández on a three-year deal, and improved up the middle by adding second baseman Hyeseong Kim, a 26-year-old with eight years of experience in the Korean Baseball Organization. They had arguably the best contract extension of the offseason, locking up the versatile Tommy Edman for the long term. And if all that wasn’t enough, they ended the offseason by bringing back two of their clubhouse leaders, utilityman Kiké Hernández and franchise icon Clayton Kershaw.
I haven’t even mentioned their three-time MVP, Shohei Ohtani, who is ramping up to pitch again, or their many other shining stars. The best team in baseball got much better this winter. They are the heavy favorites to win it all again in 2025.
2. New York Yankees
The Yankees might have lost the Juan Soto sweepstakes to the Mets, but their pivot was truly impressive. Their remade roster looks like a better overall team than the one that won the American League pennant last year. The Yankees improved the top of their rotation by signing lefty Max Fried and strengthened their bullpen by trading for Devin Williams, one of the best closers in the sport. They replaced Soto’s offense with veterans Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt.
However, the best part of their offseason was the considerable improvement to their team defense, in center and right field and at second and third base. Bellinger is an upgrade in center over Aaron Judge, who moves to right field, where he’s an improvement over the departed Soto; Jazz Chisholm Jr. moves from third to second base to replace the departed Gleyber Torres while, for now, Oswaldo Cabrera and DJ LeMahieu take over at the hot corner.
3. Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies had a relatively quiet offseason, but two of their moves should have a positive impact. Their biggest and best move was the trade with the Marlins for lefty Jesús Luzardo, who gives them arguably the NL East’s best five-man rotation with Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sánchez and Ranger Suárez. Plus, one of the best pitching prospects in baseball, Andrew Painter, who had Tommy John surgery in 2023, should be ready to contribute by midseason. I also liked their under-the-radar signing of closer Jordan Romano, who pitched only 13 2/3 innings last season due to injury, but could be a value signing if he stays healthy; the two-time All-Star took a below-market contract of one year at $8.5 million. (I didn’t love their signing of veteran Max Kepler, who is slated to start in left field for the Phillies but has never played there in the majors, but perhaps he’ll have a bounce-back year.)
After winning 95 games last season and losing in the NLDS to the Mets, the Phillies mostly ran it back and appear to again have one of the stronger, well-rounded rosters in the game. With Wheeler, Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber as part of the core, they have the talent to compete for a title.
4. Texas Rangers
The Rangers were 78-84 last season, finishing in third in the AL West, 10 1/2 games behind the division-winning Astros. So why do I have them fourth in my initial power rankings? Several reasons. First, they have a significant number of impact players who were injured last year and are now healthy, such as ace Jacob deGrom, outfielder Evan Carter and third baseman Josh Jung. Second, they have a plethora of young talent ready to break out, including Wyatt Langford, Carter and right-hander Kumar Rocker. Third, they acquired two more power bats this offseason, trading for first baseman Jake Burger and signing designated hitter Joc Pederson, which lengthens their lineup and gives them eight out of nine batters who have hit 20-plus homers in a season. Fourth, they have a deep starting rotation.
Combine those four factors with the core of their lineup, led by Corey Seager, Marcus Semien and Adolis García, and it’s easy to see the Rangers being formidable again. When future Hall of Fame manager Bruce Bochy led the Giants to three World Series titles, he did it every other year (2010, 2012, 2014) rather than consecutively. Will history repeat itself this year for Bochy?
5. Arizona Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks shocked the baseball world when they swooped in and signed Scottsdale resident Corbin Burnes to a six-year, $210 million deal, giving them a rotation that’s capable of running the table in October. With Burnes, Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Eduardo Rodriguez, Brandon Pfaadt, Ryne Nelson and Jordan Montgomery, the D-Backs have quality and quantity in their starting pitching ranks.
They did lose three-time Gold Glove first baseman Christian Walker in free agency, but pivoted immediately when it was clear they needed to replace him, acquiring Josh Naylor in a trade with the Guardians. Naylor hit 31 home runs last season, helping power Cleveland to the ALCS. Also, I expect a bounce-back year from right fielder Corbin Carroll, a possible breakout-type year from catcher Gabriel Moreno and, by season’s end, an impactful debut from rookie infielder Jordan Lawlar.
6. New York Mets
The Mets had a sensational offseason, highlighted by winning the bidding war for Juan Soto, a generational talent they signed to a record-breaking $765 million deal. They bided their time with Pete Alonso and were able to bring back the power-hitting first baseman on a two-year, $54 million pact that one could argue was the best value signing of the offseason. The top five in the Mets’ lineup is now strong with Francisco Lindor leading off and Mark Vientos and Brandon Nimmo following Alonso in whatever order manager Carlos Mendoza decides.
The biggest question with the Mets, like last year, is going to be the starting rotation. Kodai Senga is their most talented starter, but can he stay healthy and rediscover his 2023 form? Sean Manaea is back after a career-best year, but can he replicate it? The Mets supplemented their rotation by signing Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes — again, can the former stay healthy, and can the latter successfully transition from the bullpen back to being a starter? (Holmes also needs to improve his changeup to help him get left-handed hitters out, which has been an issue.)
Despite the pitching questions, there’s a lot to like. This Mets team also has elite leadership and a special clubhouse culture.
7. Atlanta Braves
I wanted to put the Braves just ahead of the Mets, but with ace Spencer Strider, who is recovering from internal-brace elbow surgery, not expected back until late April, and star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. (knee surgery) expected to miss the first month or so too, I decided to put Atlanta one slot below New York. The Braves improved in left field with the signing of Jurickson Profar and should get bounce-back years from first baseman Matt Olson, third baseman Austin Riley and second baseman Ozzie Albies, which will help. I also think we could see center fielder Michael Harris II have a career-best season. However, it will be difficult for the Braves to replace Max Fried and Charlie Morton, in terms of their starting pitching value but also their leadership.
8. Boston Red Sox
Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow had a strong offseason, dramatically improving the roster without committing to any contracts beyond three years. He saved his best move for last, signing Gold Glove third baseman Alex Bregman to a three-year, $120 million deal with opt-outs and deferrals. Bregman provides the Sox with much-needed right-handed pull-power and leadership — by voice and example. He’s a proven postseason performer and two-time World Series champion.
Breslow also did an excellent job in trading for Garrett Crochet, who becomes their No. 1 starter, and signing Walker Buehler, who pitched so well in the postseason for the Dodgers that there is hope he could regain the form that propelled him to two top-10 finishes in the NL Cy Young Award voting (2019, 2021). The Red Sox also improved the balance of their bullpen, inking lefties Aroldis Chapman and Justin Wilson.
But the best news for the Red Sox organization, and eventually their big-league lineup, is the number of top prospects who are on the doorstep, such as second baseman Kristian Campbell, right fielder Roman Anthony and shortstop Marcelo Mayer. All three could be playing at Fenway Park by season’s end. Another key for the Sox will be the continued development of their young outfielders — Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela and Jarren Duran — along with first baseman Triston Casas.
Tying it all together, they have one of the best managers in baseball in Alex Cora, who always seems to overachieve with his teams.
9. Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles had a disappointing offseason, losing their best home run hitter, Anthony Santander, and his 44 bombs, and the ace of their staff, Corbin Burnes. They made a lot of moves this winter, but those didn’t move the needle enough for me. They needed right-handed power and added it with oft-injured corner outfielder Tyler O’Neill and backup catcher and DH Gary Sánchez. They signed two veteran starters, Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano, for the back of their rotation, which will help. But was it enough?
For the Orioles to take the next step, they’ll need catcher Adley Rutschman and second baseman Jackson Holliday to be much better, and they must hope Félix Bautista successfully returns from Tommy John surgery to again be an impact closer.
10. San Diego Padres
The Padres didn’t have payroll flexibility to retain left fielder Jurickson Profar and shortstop Ha-Seong Kim, who were both huge losses for them in free agency. They’ll also be without one of their best starting pitchers, Joe Musgrove, who had Tommy John surgery in October and is expected to miss the entire season. However, president of baseball operations A.J. Preller was creative in signing veteran starter Nick Pivetta to a back-loaded contract that allows San Diego to pay the righty just a $1 million base salary in 2025.
In my view, the Padres were the second-best team in baseball last year to the Dodgers, but losing Profar, Kim and Musgrove puts them back among the chasing pack. They’re still a legitimate wild-card contender, thanks to their core position players, led by Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill, and the top of their starting rotation, led by Dylan Cease, Michael King and Yu Darvish. The Padres spent the winter listening to offers on both Cease and King, but after not liking any trade package proposals, now appear intent to try to win with them and re-evaluate their situation, based on where they are in the postseason race, at the trade deadline.
11. Houston Astros
The Astros said goodbye to two of their best players — Kyle Tucker, whom they traded to the Cubs after realizing they couldn’t extend his contract despite several attempts, and Bregman, who signed a $40 million average annual value deal with Boston. They did sign Gold Glove first baseman Christian Walker and acquired third baseman Isaac Paredes from the Cubs in the Tucker swap, giving them a strong infield on both sides of the ball. However, their outfield is one of the worst in baseball if you don’t count designated hitter Yordan Alvarez. When was the last time you saw a regular lineup where all three outfielders were expected to hit seventh, eighth and ninth? I don’t remember one, but that’s where the combination of Chas McCormick, Jake Meyers, Ben Gamel and Taylor Trammell, in some order, are expected to land on Opening Day.
The Astros have help coming in the farm system with Cam Smith (the best player they received in the Tucker trade) and Jacob Melton, but neither is expected to be major-league-ready at the start of the season.
12. Detroit Tigers
The Tigers had a solid offseason, highlighted by bringing back right-hander Jack Flaherty, who, along with AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, Jackson Jobe (the best pitching prospect in baseball), Reese Olson and veteran Alex Cobb, gives their pitching staff a strong foundation. They decided to move Colt Keith to first base, which opened up second base for the newly acquired Gleyber Torres, who will help their offense. Being on a one-year deal gives Torres plenty of incentive to put together a better offensive season than he had in 2024 with the Yankees.
The key for the Tigers will be the continued development of All-Star left fielder Riley Greene, designated hitter Kerry Carpenter and center fielder Parker Meadows. The Tigers play with a lot of energy and togetherness, and coming off their exciting run last season, just might be primed to win the AL Central this year.
13. Seattle Mariners
The Mariners have arguably the AL’s best starting rotation (Logan Gilbert, Luis Castillo, George Kirby, Bryce Miller, Bryan Woo) and an impact closer in Andrés Muñoz, but they don’t have enough offense to be higher in these power rankings. After their offense led the majors in strikeouts last season, they did nothing to address it this winter outside of publicly acknowledging they needed to upgrade on the infield corners. Ownership did not provide the money to pursue top free agents such as Pete Alonso and Alex Bregman, and the front office wasn’t able to make trades for more affordable bats like Josh Naylor and Jake Burger, who were both dealt.
Seattle continues to have a batter’s eye issue at T-Mobile Park, with players throughout the league complaining about it; the club hasn’t made changes to address those concerns and also has refused to bring the outfield walls in, which I’m sure their pitchers appreciate but it does strain the hitters.
The Mariners are hoping a full year with manager Dan Wilson at the helm and Edgar Martinez and Kevin Seitzer as hitting coaches will help them win despite their shortcomings. However, with such a strong farm system, I don’t understand why they don’t trade some of that talent to get a difference-making bat or two to help this team now.
14. Cleveland Guardians
The Guardians made it all the way to the ALCS last year thanks to the best bullpen in baseball, led by closer Emmanuel Clase (who finished third in the AL Cy Young voting) and set-up man Cade Smith (who finished ninth in the AL Cy Young voting as a rookie). However, with bullpens, you never know from year to year if you’ll get similar performance. More importantly, the Guardians lost the right side of their infield, trading away impending free agent Josh Naylor to the Diamondbacks and three-time Gold Glover Andrés Giménez to the Blue Jays. They will certainly miss Naylor’s power and Giménez’s platinum defense, even if the moves made business sense for the organization.
They did improve their starting pitching, acquiring Luis Ortiz in a trade with the Pirates and re-signing Shane Bieber, who is rehabbing from Tommy John and could provide a big boost to their rotation later in the year. But the big question for the Guardians is offense, not pitching. Do they have enough to win the AL Central again or even make the playoffs? Young hitters such as Kyle Manzardo and Chase DeLauter could be key.
15. Kansas City Royals
The Royals filled a key need for a leadoff hitter when they acquired Jonathan India from the Reds in a trade for right-hander Brady Singer. India is expected to play third base and lead off for Kansas City. He has the ability to create traffic at the top of their lineup, so star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (my pick for AL MVP this year), first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino and catcher Salvador Perez should have more runners to drive in when they come to the plate.
Kansas City bolstered their pitching staff by re-signing Michael Wacha (3.35 ERA, 166 2/3 innings last year) and adding Michael Lorenzen (3.31 ERA, 130 1/3 innings) and Carlos Estévez (2.45 ERA, 26 saves). But I still think the Royals need one more bat and one more starting pitcher to win the AL Central this year.
16. Chicago Cubs
The Cubs had a strong offseason, headlined by the trade with the Astros to land star right fielder Kyle Tucker, who instantly improved all facets of this team. They strengthened their bullpen in both quantity and quality of arms, acquiring Ryan Pressly from the Astros to be their new closer, along with Eli Morgan from the Guardians, Ryan Brasier from the Dodgers and Cody Poteet from the Yankees. I liked the pickup of left-handed starting pitcher Matthew Boyd, who pitched well in the playoffs for Cleveland, and the speed they added to their bench with the versatile Jon Berti. The key for this team could be rookie Matt Shaw, who will get an opportunity to win the starting third-base job after Isaac Paredes was included in the Tucker trade.
17. Cincinnati Reds
The best move the Reds made was landing legendary manager Terry Francona, who has won 1,950 regular-season games, three manager of the year awards and two World Series titles. He takes over an up-and-coming young team that lacked discipline and consistency a year ago and was by far the most under-achieving team in the big leagues.
The Reds are led by the strong, young starting rotation of Hunter Greene, Andrew Abbott, Rhett Lowder and Nick Lodolo, which has been bolstered by the addition of veteran Brady Singer, acquired in the Jonathan India trade, and Nick Martinez, who accepted the qualifying offer. They also traded for lefty reliever Taylor Rogers, who will join Alexis Díaz, Emilio Pagán and Sam Moll at the back of the bullpen. The offense is led by shortstop Elly De La Cruz and second baseman Matt McLain. De La Cruz hit 25 home runs and stole 67 bases last year and has the ceiling to become a Hall of Famer, while Matt McLain, who missed all of last season with a shoulder injury, is the Reds’ most complete and technically sound player.
The Reds have a lot of positional flexibility; there could be platoons all over the field. It will be interesting to see how quickly Francona decides who to play where. One thing is for sure, he’ll hold these young players accountable and insist on them being fundamentally sound; Cincinnati fans will see hustle more consistently than they saw last year. Still, defense and middle-of-the-lineup thunder are the two biggest questions for this team.
18. Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers are due for a step back after dominating the NL Central the past couple of years. They had a difficult offseason, losing shortstop Willy Adames, one of the faces of the franchise, in free agency to the Giants and trading impact closer Devin Williams to the Yankees. They still have a strong young core of players led by Jackson Chourio, a star in the making, and arguably the best offensive catcher in baseball last year, William Contreras. They have a Gold Glove winner at second base in Brice Turang and speed up and down the lineup with players like Garrett Mitchell and Sal Frelick. They expect to have a healthy Christian Yelich back, which would be huge, but reportedly he might not be ready by Opening Day.
The big question is their starting rotation after Freddy Peralta. Will Brandon Woodruff’s stuff return after a long injury layoff? Can Tobias Myers replicate, or better, his rookie performance? Will Nestor Cortes’ shoulder stay healthy? Will DL Hall find command and control and stay healthy? (Early in camp, he’s been shut down with a lat strain.) Will Aaron Civale’s ERA be closer to 4.00 or 4.50?
19. Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays had a strong offseason, acquiring the power bat of Anthony Santander, who hit 44 home runs last year for the Orioles. Being able to put Santander between Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette in their lineup should be a game-changer as it will be difficult for opposing pitchers to pitch around any of them. I expect Bichette to have a bounce-back year offensively and defensively; he’ll be better while playing alongside the newly acquired Andrés Giménez, arguably the best defensive second baseman in the league.
The Blue Jays also added several pitchers to the staff including veteran Max Scherzer and a trio of relievers (Jeff Hoffman, Yimi García and Josh Walker). Scherzer joins a solid rotation that includes Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, Chris Bassitt and Bowden Francis. The three relievers will join Chad Green, Erik Swanson and Nick Sandlin, giving Toronto depth and quality in the bullpen.
Coming off a last-place finish last year, the Blue Jays should at the very least be relevant again and win more than they lose in 2025.
20. Minnesota Twins
The Twins had a quiet offseason outside of signing lefty reliever Danny Coulombe and outfielder Harrison Bader, who helps mitigate the injury risk that comes with center fielder Byron Buxton. The main reason I don’t have the Twins higher in these rankings is the health factor. Their two best players besides Buxton are infielder Royce Lewis and shortstop Carlos Correa, and all three are on the injured list too often. In fact, the Twins have never had the trio on the active roster at the same time for 140 of the 162 games in a season.
The starting rotation, led by Pablo López, Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober and Simeon Woods Richardson, is solid; the Twins now have much better depth, a real weakness that last year contributed to their end-of-season collapse. They hope a healthy Chris Paddack, who was limited to 88 innings last year due to injury, can have a breakout year.
21. San Francisco Giants
The Giants’ best offseason moves were hiring Buster Posey as president of baseball operations and Zack Minasian as general manager. Although they haven’t been that aggressive with moves out of the gate, they did sign shortstop Willy Adames to a franchise-record contract (seven years, $182 million) and added future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander on a one-year, $15 million deal. They also traded reliever Taylor Rogers and cash to the Reds for reliever Braxton Roxby in a salary dump type of move.
Their rotation is strong with Verlander joining veterans Logan Webb, Robbie Ray and Jordan Hicks, but the key will be the continued development of their young starters such as lefty Kyle Harrison and righty Hayden Birdsong. The Giants are hoping a full, healthy season from center fielder Jung Hoo Lee will help the top of their lineup create more traffic, but the big question for San Francisco is whether the bottom half of the lineup will produce enough offense for them to contend.
22. Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays were busy this offseason. They improved at catcher by signing Danny Jansen, who should help their pitching staff with his elite game-calling ability. They improved their infield by landing Ha-Seong Kim, who will upgrade their shortstop position on both sides of the ball once he’s ready to return from offseason shoulder surgery. They also made a smart trade with the Athletics, parting with starting pitcher Jeffrey Springs (and fellow lefty Jacob Lopez) but receiving right-handers Joe Boyle and Jacob Waters, a prospect bat (Will Simpson) and a 2025 competitive balance draft pick in return. But the most exciting new player on the Rays roster is 21-year-old third baseman Junior Caminero, who has tremendous bat speed and raw power. He impressed in winter ball and also showed he’s already one of the best in the game at bat flips, with a Freddie Freeman-José Bautista combination of swag and style.
Their young starting rotation, if healthy, should offer consistency and a high ceiling. Led by Shane McClanahan, Taj Bradley, Ryan Pepiot, Shane Baz, Zack Littell and Drew Rasmussen, the Rays have the starting pitching to keep them competitive this year. The biggest question will be whether they have enough offense to stay in a pennant race all season long, and how they handle playing their home games at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.
23. Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates’ starting rotation — Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes, Jared Jones, Mitch Keller, Bubba Chandler, Bailey Falter and Johan Oviedo — is good enough to make the playoffs. However, on offense, they have big questions. It looks like moving Oneil Cruz to center field was a success and that he’ll be their long-term solution there. First baseman Spencer Horwitz, whom they acquired in a trade with the Guardians, should be a solid addition to the lineup, but he might not be ready for the start of the season after undergoing wrist surgery. It’s also unclear how much veterans Tommy Pham and Andrew McCutchen have left in the tank, whether Joey Bart can replicate the success he had last year, if Ke’Bryan Hayes can stay healthy for a full season, among other key questions. (Can Bryan Reynolds have a career year? Will any of their young position-player prospects, like Nick Gonzales or Endy Rodríguez, make an impact?) And, finally, in the bullpen, can two-time All-Star David Bednar bounce back after a poor year?
24. Washington Nationals
The Nationals didn’t make any huge splashes this offseason, but they did improve around the edges by acquiring first baseman Nathaniel Lowe in a trade with the Rangers and making three smaller signings — DH Josh Bell and veteran starters Michael Soroka and Trevor Williams. Following a 71-91 season last year, any improvement in the standings will have to come from their developing young players such as shortstop CJ Abrams and outfielders Dylan Crews, Jacob Young and James Wood, along with starting pitchers MacKenzie Gore, Jake Irvin and Mitchell Parker. Their next group of prospects headed to Washington at some point this season includes third baseman Brady House, outfielder Robert Hassell III and starting pitcher Cade Cavalli, who is still working his way back after undergoing Tommy John surgery two years ago.
25. St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals are clearing their roster of veteran players and headed for a complete rebuild as longtime exec John Mozeliak prepares to step down after this season and turn baseball operations over to Chaim Bloom. The club didn’t re-sign first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and now is trying to trade third baseman Nolan Arenado. The Cardinals are hoping some of their young major leaguers — such as shortstop Masyn Winn, right fielder Jordan Walker, center fielder Victor Scott II, infielder Nolan Gorman and catcher Iván Herrera — continue to develop this year and help build optimism for the 2026 team. For this season, the biggest question is at what point the Cardinals will entertain trading their veteran starting pitchers; Sonny Gray, Erick Fedde and Miles Mikolas are all expected to be moved by the trade deadline.
26. Athletics
The Athletics have made the move from Oakland to West Sacramento as they wait for their new stadium to be built in Las Vegas, which they hope will be their permanent home in the future. They were active this offseason, signing starting pitcher Luis Severino to the largest contract in franchise history ($67 million over three years), acquiring starter Jeffrey Springs in a trade with the Rays, and improving their bullpen by inking righty reliever José Leclerc. The Athletics also signed All-Star Brent Rooker to a five-year, $60 million extension that includes a vesting option that could add a sixth year and make it a $90 million deal. The key for the team this season will be the continued development of outfielders Lawrence Butler and JJ Bleday and catcher Shea Langeliers; that trio will ultimately determine if the Athletics (69-93 last year, a 19-win improvement), can win more than they lose this year.
27. Los Angeles Angels
The Angels committed more than $100 million this offseason to land players, including pitchers Yusei Kikuchi, Kenley Jansen and Kyle Hendricks; infielders Kevin Newman and Yoán Moncada; catcher Travis d’Arnaud; and outfielder/DH Jorge Soler, whom they acquired in a trade with the Braves. Kikuchi is a solid middle-of-the-rotation starter, d’Arnaud is one of the game’s best backup catchers, and a declining Soler still has some power from the DH spot, but I just don’t see the bang for the buck considering what they spent on this overall group.
The Angels must hope that Mike Trout can stay healthy, first baseman Nolan Schanuel can develop some power, shortstop Zach Neto can be healthy and continue to develop into a team leader, and that second baseman Christian Moore is fast to the big leagues and works his way into the Rookie of the Year conversation. Coming off a 99-loss season, this team seems destined to again finish in last place.
28. Colorado Rockies
The Rockies have basically become a homegrown team. They didn’t make any trades of significance this offseason and signed only three major-league free agents, all of whom are backup players: infielder Kyle Farmer, catcher Jacob Stallings and second baseman Thairo Estrada. They each signed one-year deals for less than $5 million.
The Rockies’ two best young players are center fielder Brenton Doyle, already a two-time Gold Glove winner, and shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, who won his first Gold Glove last season and led the league in doubles. They will need a bounce-back year from outfielder Nolan Jones (75 OPS+ last season after 140 OPS+ in 2023) and some kind of contribution from Kris Bryant this season to be competitive. The Rockies have finished in last place the past three years; this year doesn’t look any different.
29. Miami Marlins
The Marlins have the most unrecognizable lineup in MLB at this point. They have spent the past two years trading major-league players for prospects and continued that trend this offseason by trading their best power hitter, Jake Burger, to the Rangers, and their best left-handed starter, Jesús Luzardo, to the Phillies. The Marlins’ infield is expected to include Jonah Bride at first base, Otto Lopez at second base, Xavier Edwards at shortstop and Connor Norby at third base. The outfield could be Jesús Sánchez in right, Derek Hill in center and Kyle Stowers in left, with Nick Fortes at catcher and Griffin Conine at DH, which would mean they’d have only two players — Sánchez and Bride — who hit more than 10 home runs last year.
On the pitching side, there’s reason for optimism. Former Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara will be their Opening Day starter and could compete for the Comeback Player of the Year. Eury Pérez, a potential future Cy Young winner, is progressing as he rehabs from his own Tommy John surgery, but isn’t expected back before midseason. The Marlins will lose 100 games and finish last in the NL East again. But as an organization, they’re building a strong foundation in player development, scouting, analytics and in the front office.
30. Chicago White Sox
The White Sox set a modern-era record for futility last year, losing 121 games. Since then they’ve traded their best starting pitcher, Garrett Crochet (getting a good prospect return from Boston) and now are trying to trade their best position player, center fielder Luis Robert Jr. They signed five free agents to one-year contracts this offseason: pitchers Martín Pérez and Bryse Wilson, outfielders Austin Slater and Mike Tauchman, and infielder/outfielder Josh Rojas. All signed for $5 million or less. The White Sox will finish in last place again this year as they focus on helping their prospects develop.
(Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; Photos: Cliff Welch / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images; Matt York / Associated Press; Cliff Welch / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images; Abbie Parr / Associated Press)
