The time for small talk has ended. We have waited long enough, here's how we see the 2016 Major League Baseball Season going down.
AL West:
1. Texas Rangers*
You wanna talk about one of the surprise teams from last year, the Rangers fit the bill in the American League. Colby Lewis and Yovani Gallardo got the Rangers there as their most consistent starters, while Mitch Moreland and Prince Fielder carried the offense. They were good enough to grab 88 wins and came in at the end of the year red hot. I don't see much changing this year, except maybe the wins. Texas I can see landing 90-91 wins on the year. Why? Well think about it. Yu Darvish is healthy again, for now at least. He'll be joined in the rotation by Cole Hamels (who'll be here for a full year), Derek Holland, Colby Lewis, and Martin Perez. Texas kept the roster pretty much in tact from last year, which was one of the deepest in all of baseball. Last year they had trouble staying healthy till down the stretch, now they have a fully healthy team. They could be very dangerous.
2. Houston Astros (WC)
AJ Hinch has talent here to work with. A season ago the Astros got into the postseason as a Wild Card team and will get back there again this year. Houston lost a little bit of pop, as Chris Carter signed over the winter with the Brewers. That being said, Houston still has a very good team. The only major addition to the lineup was Ken Giles being brought in to shore up the relief corps. This team now has a full year of service from Carlos Gomez and Mike Fiers, a healthy George Springer and two extra months of Carlos Correa, this has a chance to be a significantly improved team. I can see somewhere in the 90 win range for the Astros. Having one of the better one-two punches in the American League in Dallas Keuchel and Collin McHugh, you have something to really build off of from a pitching point of view.
3. Seattle Mariners
Talk about a team looking to rebound. Two years ago, Seattle won 87 games and finished 3rd in the West. Then last year, they take a step backwards, winning just 76 games and falling to 4th in the division. Aside from Nelson Cruz and his career-high 44 homers and 93 RBI in 2015, there wasn’t a whole lot to be excited about from an offensive standpoint with the Mariners last year. This year, there's a new power in charge in Seattle. Scott Servais is calling the shots from the bench, while new General Manager Jerry Dipoto has already started putting a stamp on rebuilding this team. To build around Cruz and Cano, a man who in which hasn't really lived up to the contract yet in Seattle. Chris Iannetta was brought in to catch, Adam Lind comes in at 1st, along with Nori Aoki and Leonys Martin to bolster what was a weak outfield. That should help the offense out. Now throw in Wade Miley will provide stability in the back end of the rotation, behind Felix Hernandez and bringing back Hisashi Iwakuma. Seattle is going to be better this year, I'd say around 82-85 wins.
4. Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim
They just missed out on a playoff spot a season ago, losing out to Houston by one game. They had a big year from both Mike Trout and Albert Pujols (both had 40+ homers and 90+ RBI's). Garrett Richards was the best pitcher on that staff, winning 15 games. But they took a step backwards in the offseason. Albert, as much as I love watching the guy play, may not have much left. I know he had a big year last year but who knows how much he has left in the tank. Iannetta left for Seattle, and they have holes to fill. Trout is the best player in the game, there isn't much debate about it. What can be debated is how much talent their is around him, and on paper at least there isn't much to work with in Anaheim. The Angels didn't make many improvements in the areas they were lacking, such as catcher, second base, leftfield, and designated hitter. With that being said, it will be tough to contend in the AL West against the offense-heavy Rangers, the rebuilt Astros and the overhauled Mariners Los Angeles will be lucky to come away with 80 wins.
5. Oakland Athletics
Here's a team that had been a power in the West, but now seems to be going in the wrong direction. 68 wins a season ago (its fewest wins in a season since 1997) is a step backwards for the Green and Gold in Oakland. Oakland won't be as bad as they were last year. They made some good additions to their club, bringing in guys like Khris Davis, Yonder Alonso and Jed Lowrie should give the offense a boost and give Josh Reddick some much needed support and protection. An overhauled bullpen around a healthy Sean Doolittle in the closer's role should help rectify that glaring weakness. It's the starting pitching behind ace Sonny Gray that now looks like the issue. I don't feel too confident in Oakland, I'll say around 75 wins at best.
AL Central
1. Kansas City Royals*
Manager Ned Yoast and the boys from KC are going to repeat as the AL Central Champs for the 3rd year in a row. That's no knock on anybody else in the American League Central, its just the defending World Champions are just that damn good. Johnny Cueto had a small impact on the team but didn't stick around very long, as he left for San Francisco over the winter. Still the starting rotation of Edinson Volquez, Yordano Ventura (who people are expecting a big year out of), Ian Kennedy, Kris Medlen, and Chris Young. Bringing back Alex Gordon at a discounted rate was a huge feather in the cap for the champs, and while guys like Ian Kennedy, Joakim Soria, Dillon Gee and Travis Snider are not the most exciting offseason additions, they're exactly the kind of players this team has targeted to fill out the roster around its homegrown core. The Royals are a fast team, with great defense and a good bullpen, one which could be again the best in the American League. Kansas City doesn't need the flashiest players, they just need the right ones. Kansas City has that and they are going to take the division with around 92-95 wins under their belt.
2. Detroit Tigers
Last season was a bad year for the Tigers, finishing with 74 wins, which put them in last in the Central, the worst season since 2008 for Detroit. This coming after four straight AL Central titles. J.D. Martinez carried the team last year, driving in over 100 runs, he's expected to do that again this year. Detroit is also expecting a return to form of former AL MVP Miguel Cabrera, who hit just 18 home runs, his lowest total since his rookie year with the Marlins in 2003. New general manager Al Avila came in and got right to work on reloading the roster. He managed to bring in an impressive and deep crop of talent headlined by Justin Upton and Jordan Zimmermann. The biggest difference might come in the bullpen, where Justin Wilson, Mark Lowe and Francisco Rodriguez were added to a relief corps that has perennially been among the worst in baseball. Mix that in with the talent that was already in place, the Tigers will be back to being a force in the American League Central once again. I can see 87ish wins for the Tigers this year.
3. Cleveland Indians
Don't sleep on the tribe this season. They finished with 81 wins last year, which was good for 3rd place in the division. They're going to finish in the exact same spot this year. But they can make a lot of noise in that Central division. The rotation trio of Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar rivals any in the AL, which could make the Tribe a danger to play against. Michael Brantley and Carlos Santana lead the offensive charge a season ago. Adding a talent corp of Mike Napoli, Rajai Davis, Juan Uribe and Marlon Byrd could build around the two big bats in the lineup. But will it be enough? Not this year. With Detroit improved and the Royals still the class of the division, Cleveland stays in 3rd with 85 wins.
4. Chicago White Sox
Robin Ventura is trying to help find a way to improve his beloved White Sox. A 4th place finish last year, winning 74 games, wasn't exactly what Robin had in mind. This year things might be a little bit different. They do have a core of elite players in which they can build around, their ace Chris Sale, Jose Abreu with the big bat in the middle of the lineup, and David Robertson as The Closer. Chicago has some valuable complementary pieces in place, guys like centerfielder Adam Eaton and their number two starter Jose Quintana. They were able to add pieces like Brett Lawrie and Todd Frazier, but with how top heavy the division is, its going to be tough for the White Sox. I'd say 80 wins for Chicago.
5. Minnesota Twins
There isn't much hope for good baseball in the Twin Cities right now. They haven't made the playoffs since winning the division in 2010. I'll give them credit they did win 83 games a season ago. The hot start last year showed Minnesota had flashes, but they folded down the stretch. Minnesota had a chance to build on last year, but they didn't really make much of an impact in the free agent market, unlike the rest of the division. Tori Hunter, one of their leaders and best offensive players from last year, isn't there anymore since he's retired. Trevor Plouffe is the man in the middle of that lineup, but there's no real protection around him. This could be a long summer in Minnesota, with the team not getting more than 73 wins.
AL East
1. Toronto Blue Jays*
Manager John Gibbons has the defending American League East Champions set to repeat as the beasts of the East again this year. The Jays will be looking to build off their 93 win division title a season ago for another deep run this year. And why not. Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and AL MVP Josh Donaldson are back in the middle of the lineup. You have Troy Tulowitzki for a full year (health provided) which is going to be a big help. Drew Storen was brought on board to solidify the bullpen. One thing that could stick in my craw is the starting rotation. David Price is out, so too is Mark Buehrle (as of now). The starting rotation now has Marcus Stroman (who looks to be the ace of the staff), Marco Estrada, R.A. Dickey, J.A. Happ, and Aaron Sanchez. On paper, its not one of the pitching staffs that can really scare people. It looks good enough to propel the Jays to another 93 wins and a division title for the 2nd year in a row, something that hasn't happened since the Jays won three straight division titles from 1991-93.
2. Boston Red Sox (WC)
Its been a rough go of it for the Boston Red Sox the last few years. I know they won the World Series in 2013, but three of the last four years have resulted in last place finishes for the Sox. Not this year. This will be the year that the Red Sox get back on track. While Toronto may not have a pitching staff that scares you, the Red Sox sure do. David Price was brought in to be the ace of a staff that also has Clay Buchholz, Rick Porcello, Joe Kelly, and Steven Wright. Oh yeah, you can also now throw in the hard-throwing duo of Craig Kimbrel and Carson Smith to the back of the bullpen to go along with Koji Uehara and you really got something to build off of in Boston. The offense in Boston won't scare you qiute like they do in Toronto, its nothing to sleep on. With Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz coming down the home stretch of their respective careers, the young duo of Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts appear ready to emerge as the new faces of the franchise. Boston gets into the playoffs with 89 wins.
3. New York Yankees
A season ago the Yankees surprised a lot of people by winning 87 games and getting a wild card spot. This year, I don't feel that much luck. New York spent no money what so ever in the offseason, rebuilding the team by trading for Aroldis Chapman in the pen and Starlin Castro playing 2nd base over Stephen Drew. The team is hoping that both can make a legitimate difference. Chapman will miss the opening month of the year due to suspension, but with him Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller shutting the door in the late innings, they are going to be dangerous. The question is can they get the ball to those three guys with the lead? I'm not really sure. The starting rotation of Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda, Nathan Eovaldi, Luis Severino, and CC Sabathia really has me worried. Why? Because there is no bigger boom-or-bust rotation in the league than this one. And then there's the offense. You have Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and Carlos Beltran powering the middle of the offense. All three guys are getting up there in age and there's no promises in regards to their health. It leaves one to wonder how good the boys in the Bronx. I say middle of the road and 83 to 85 wins for the Yanks this year if that.
4. Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa finished two games under 500 a season ago. This year, Tampa could take another step forward. They have a pitching staff in Tampa that could be something to work with. When you have a top three on your pitching staff of Chris Archer, Jake Odorizzi and Drew Smyly, it can make you a contender to at least be able to hang around for a while in this division. Offense might still be an issue in Tampa. Sure, you still have Evan Longoria, and sure adding guys like Corey Dickerson, Logan Morrison, Brad Miller and Steve Pearce won't hurt. But I still don't think it's going to be enough to propel the Rays to the next level. Tampa is a .500 team with 82 wins this year.
5. Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore finished right at .500 last year, winning 81 games. Chris Davis powered the offense and will be counted on to do it again this year. Now they've added Pedro Alvarez and Mark Trumbo to the lineup along with bringing Davis back. The pitching staff of Ubaldo Jimenez, Yovani Gallardo, Chris Tillman, Miguel Gonzalez, and Kevin Gausman is average at best. The team offense has power, but what good will it do if nobody is able to get on base ahead of these guys? I'd say 75 wins for Baltimore this year.
NL West
1. San Franciso Giants*
Something to keep in mind here with the National League West is the year. It's 2016, an even number year. What does that mean? It could be the year of the Giants. Out of the last six years, three of them have resulted in the Giants winning the World Series. Those three years were 2010, 2012 and 2014. Does anybody else smell a trend here? Last year was a down one for the Giants, but they have made moves to change up their luck this year. San Francisco has a solid offense, with Buster Posey leading the charge. Then you have guys like Brandon Belt, Joe Panik, Matt Duffy and Hunter Pence, just to name a few, that can lead this team. What's going to be the strength is their loaded pitching staff. When you have a starting staff of Madison Bumgarner, Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija, Jake Peavy, and Matt Cain, that's one scary staff. Throw in the fact that you have another solid young arm in Chris Heston waiting in the wings, San Francisco is going to overtake teh Dodgers and win the division. 92ish wins is where the Giants are gonna land.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles seems that they might have taken a step backwards this year as far as being the class of the West. After winning the NL West with 92 wins a season ago, Los Angeles looks to be getting back into the post season. It's a distinct possibility it could happen. Adrian Gonzalez powered the offense last year, driving in 90 runs. Expect another big year from him. Same is expected from 2nd year pro Joc Pederson, who did blast 26 homers in his rookie year. From an offensive perspective, this is the exact same team on the field that was there a year ago. So why are they not winning the division? Because the pitching staff took a major hit. Clayton Kershaw is basically by himself as the star of that rotation. Zach Grenkie is gone and behind Kershaw the Dodgers have Scott Kazmir, Alex Wood, Kenta Maeda, and Mike Bolsinger. There's nothing to take away from this Dodgers team, they are going to be very good, but because the rest of the Natinoal league got better, it may be tough for the Dodgers to reach the playoffs.
3. Arizona Diamondbacks
This is going to be a much improved baseball team this season. Arizona finished under .500 last year, that won't happen this year. I could see at worst an 81-81 record for the Diamondbacks this year. Here's why. They had a high scoring offense a season ago, one that was powered by Paul Goldschmidt, David Peralta, and A. J. Pollock. So the offense will be just fine this year, as they have stayed in tact. What killed Arizona a year ago was pitching. That has been addressed in a big way this year by GM Dave Stewart. I'd say its a good job when your new starting rotation now has Zack Greinke at the top of it. Looking Behind Greinke, you got Shelby Miller, Patrick Corbin, Rubby De La Rosa, and Robbie Ray. That's pretty impressive. Throw in the additions of Tyler Clippard back in the pen, it could make the Diamondbacks a very dangerous club to deal with in the West this season.
4. San Diego Padres
The Padres may have a small something brewing out west. Last year was down year for the Padres, but things MIGHT be turning around in San Diego. Justin Upton was the leader of the pack on offense with this team, but he's gone for Detroit, so his brother Melvin Upton Jr. has come in to help bolster that outfield which already has John Jay and Matt Kemp in it. Wil Myers is back and fully healthy at 1st base, and Alexei Ramirez was brought on board to solidify shortstop. What could hurt is the fact that Ian Kennedy, Yonder Alonso and Jedd Gyorko are no longer there. And outside of James Shields, nobody on that pitching staff really scares you. San Diego could be going up and this year is a start, but its not going to be a good year.
5. Colorado Rockies
This could be another long summer in Denver. For the Rockies, it's the same old story of a stacked offensive attack and no pitching to back it up. Sure they have a great one-two punch in the middle of that lineup, as Carlos Gonzalez, Charlie Blackman, and Nolan Arenado are going to once again be counted on to provide offensive punch. The pitching staff is nothing to write home about. Jorge De La Rosa is still the ace, but once again doesn't have much support on the staff. Sure, the return of Tyler Chatwood and a step forward from Jon Gray would help, but not enough for them to contend.
NL Central
1. Chicago Cubs*
Last season was a banner year for the Cubs. It was the first playoff appearance, and first time the team has won 90 games in a season, since 2008. This year, General Manager Jed Hoyer built a team that is going to be a major force in the National League. Chicago's offensee will be powered by their young guns of Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, Addison Russell and Jorge Soler. Anthony Rizzo can still swing a good bat. Oh, and they added new talent into the mix. Joining the Cubs are the new faces like Jason Heyward, Ben Zobrist, John Lackey and Adam Warren to a roster that was already overflowing with talent should make them the odds-on favorites to win. Warren will be a big help in the bullpen. As for the rotation, when you have one that consists of Jake Arrieta, Jon Lester, John Lackey, Jason Hammel, and Kyle Hendricks, Chicago may have one of the best rotations in all the National League. Chicago is primed to finally take that next big step and possibly get to the Series for the first time since 1945.
2. St. Louis Cardinals (WC)
This team has been one of the gold standards in baseball for a long time now. I mean the Cards haven't missed the playoffs since 2010, and since the turn of the century, they have only missed the playoffs four times in the last fifteen years. This year will be no different, St. Louis will be back to playing October baseball again. St Louis does have some aspects of their team that they are going to have to look at. Stephen Piscotty and Randal Grichuk will be relied on heavily in an offense that has struggled to consistently score runs at times, and losing Jhonny Peralta to a thumb injury doesn't help that situation. The potential is there for the Cards to be one of the top scoring teams in the league. They have Yadier Molina, who is still recovering from thumb issues of his own, and keeping him healthy will be incredibly important. When they're on their game, Matt Adams and Matt Holiday can provide scoring jump. And lets not forget about the Cards pitching staff. Adam Wainwright is back and fully healthy, and he'll be joined by Mike Leake, Michael Wacha, Jaime Garcia, and Carlos Martinez, so it gives St. Louis something to hang its hat on.
3. Pittsburgh Pirates
The last three years have been very good to the Pirates. They've finished 2nd in the division to the Cardinals each year and made the playoffs each year, but this year is going to be a little bit different. Don't get me wrong, the Pirates are still going to be a very good baseball team, but they won't be as good as they have been the past three years. It's a new look Pirates team this year. Some famaliar faces like Pedro Alvarez, Neil Walker, A.J. Burnett, J.A. Happ, Joakim Soria and Antonio Bastardo have left town. Taking their places are guys like John Jaso, David Freese, Jon Niese, Ryan Vogelsong, Juan Nicasio and Neftali Feliz. Andrew McCutchen and Starling Marte are still the heart and soul of that offense, but it still looks like a step back. Pittsburgh will still be competative, but with both the Cardinals and Cubs getting better, Pittsburgh will be on the outside looking in.
4. Milwaukee Brewers
The Brew Crew has some decent pieces to make them a threat in the Central. They have an up and coming talent behind the plate in Jonathan Lucroy. Then there's Ryan Braun, who even though he isn't one of the most popular players ion all of baseball, but he can still be a productive offensive weapon. In comes Chris Carter from Houston to provide more power. With all the offensive weapons in the world, it may be for nothing if the pitching staff can't hold its own. Taylor Jungmann, Jimmy Nelson, Matt Garza, Wily Peralta, and Chase Anderson may be overmatched by the rest of the division this year.
5. Cincinnati Reds
Another team that could be a contender based on its offensive numbers. Joey Votto was on a tear after the all star break last year and will be counted on again to carry the load. Same thing with Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips, if he can stay healthy. But Todd Frazier is now in Chicago with the White Sox, so it leaves a bit of a hole in the lineup. And the Reds have one of the weakest starting rotations in the league. Raisel Iglesias, Anthony DeSclafani, Alfredo Simon, Brandon Finnegan, and Tim Melville could be overmatched. Its going to be a long year for the Reds.
NL East
1. New York Mets*
This team once again has a chance to be very very good. New York has never won the division in back to back years, and they are looking to make the post season in consecutive years for the first time since 1999 and 2000. And why not, they have a good enough team. Lets start with the pitching staff. New York's starting rotation of Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz, and Bartolo Colon are set to have another great year. Factor in Zach Wheeler, who will be back from Tommy John Surgery in July, and the Mets really have something brewing. Jeurys Familia will be expected to shut the door again much like he did last year. Addison Reed and Antonio Bastardo are going to be relied on to help bridge the gap from the starters to Familia. Oh and the offense is kinda good too. Yoenis Cespedes was brought back into the mix, and with the hot stretch he had last year it was totally worth the singing. Now to counter the loss of Daniel Murphy with the addition of Neil Walker should be enough for them to avoid the bouts of ineptitude they suffered last year. Replacing Ruben Tejada (who's now in St. Louis) with Asdrubal Cabrera and it gives the Mets something they really needed, a steady shortstop. The Mets will once again walk away with the division title.
2. Washington Nationals (WC)
This year is going to be a bounce back year for the Nationals, who collapsed last year in losing the division title to the Mets. Washington still has the best player in the National League in Bryce Harper in right field, its almost a lock he'll put up the fantastic numbers again. Anthony Rendon is back and healthy, Daniel Murphy left the Mets for DC and is looking to restart his career again in Washington. The Nationals have a deep and talented roster that will be competing with the Mets all year. Aside from the Mets rotation, Washington has a pretty good one of its own. When you have Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Tanner Roark, and Joe Ross, you will be able to hang around with the best of them in the National League. Washington is going to be a threat again, but the wild card is going to be the best they are going to do this year.
3. Miami Marlins
Don't sleep on the Marlins. They have two of the top up and coming talents in their lineup. Last year's hits leader in Dee Gordon is still killing it at 2nd base. Oh and they do have some guy named Giancarlo Stanton, who could be one of the more feared power hitters in all of baseball. Nobody hits more tape measure shots in the league than this guy, but the big problem with Stanton is he can't stay healthy. Now throw in guys like Marcell Ozuna and Jarred Cosart, Miami can have a little something going on. They have a good starter in Jose Fernandez, and when you have a guy like Wei-Yin Chen going behind him, it makes you look twice at Miami. They aren't quite at the level yet of the Mets and Nationals, but they'll finish right around the .500 mark this year.
4. Atlanta Braves
For a team that once dominated the division for so long, Atlanta has started to come around a little. Sure the last two years haven't been that good, but they have an upside. Atlanta still have one superstar in place in first baseman Freddie Freeman, but protecting him with the likes of Hector Olivera, Adonis Garcia and A.J. Pierzynski could make it a long year for the two-time All-Star. They do have a solid starting rotation in Julio Teheran, Matt Wisler, Bud Norris, Jhoulys Chacin, and Williams Perez. So that's something to build off of. As is having Jason Grilli to come out of the pen to shut the door. But there isn't enough protection in the lineup for Freddy Freeman to make Atlanta a contender again.
5. Philadelphia Phillies
Philly has fallen on hard times as of late. Ever since winning the division in 2001, the Phillies have really fallen on hard times. Ryan Howard can still hit but he's getting up there in age and isn't as productive as he once was and there's no protection for him in that lineup. Philly's starting rotation of Aaron Nola, Jeremy Hellickson, Charlie Morton, Jerad Eickhoff, and Vince Velasquez is nothing to write home about. Its going to be a long year in Philly this season.
So there you go. That's how the 2016 Major League Baseball season is going to play out!
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