There's been a few things to look at going into this season. One thing is some of the new rule changes that have been implemented into the league for this season. First, there's the “No pitch” intentional walk. Managers will now signal the umpire that they want to issue a walk and the player will simply take his base. I like the idea it just saves a little bit of time. There will also be new guidelines for reviewing a play. Managers now have 30 seconds to decide whether or not to challenge and the umpires have a two minute limit on reviewing before issuing their decision. This is a good rule because, the way things are set up now a challenge could take too long so it'll help speed things up. I kinda like the new rule changes, because it will help move things along. This will also be the first year in quite a long time where Vin Scully isn't going to be behind the mic for the Dodgers
There are so many questions that teams and fans have going into the start of the season. Can the new managers in Arizona (Torey Lovullo), Atlanta (Brian Snitker), Chicago with the White Sox (Rick Renteria) and Colorado (Bud Black) lead their clubs to contention? Can the Cubs repeat as World Champions, something we haven't seen in baseball since the 1998 through 2000 New York Yankees? Looks like a few teams have some strong showings for this year. The Yankees are going to get a full year of the baby bombers. Can they live up to the hype this season? Which team has the best rotation? The Mets, Nats, Giants, Indians, Red Sox? Can Seattle finally cash in on all the moves that GM Jerry Dipoto made?
Those questions will be answered as the year goes along. For the purpose of this article, lets move on shall we. Here's how I see the 2017 Major League Baseball season breaking down.
American League East:
1. Boston Red Sox (95-67)*
The Red Sox will become the first team since the 2011 and 2012 Yankees to win the division in back to back seasons. They made a few changes from last season. Big Papi David Ortiz has retired and is no longer there. Aaron Hill is gone, so is Clay Buckholtz (who was traded for Josh Tobias). The biggest move the Red Sox made was trading with the White Sox for Chris Sale. With him and David Price at the top of the rotation, Boston may have the best one-two punch in the big leagues. They also have Rick Porcello, Drew Pomeranz and Eduardo Rodríguez, which could be very dangerous. As far as being able to put runs on the board, Boston still has plenty of power to be able to do that. Mookie Betts and Hanley Ramírez are both expected to have big years again for Boston. Maybe adding Mitch Moreland will help replace some of the offense lost by Ortiz retirement. They may not be able to score the 835 runs they did last year, but they are still a good offense and can top the division once again.
2. Toronto Blue Jays (87-75)
Last year, they finished tied with Baltimore for 2nd in the AL East, but this year's club from the North looks a little bit different. Jose Bautista is back in the mix again in the middle of the Tornoto lineup, but he won't have his normal running buddy in Edwin Encarnación with him, as he left for Cleveland. So, in order to try and replace that production, the Jays signed Kendrys Morales. The offense is still pretty potent. The have Josh Donaldson, Russell Martin, Troy Tulowitzki, Justin Smok, Melvin Upton, they have all the possible firepower to make noise in the East. As far as pitching goes, I'm not totally sure yet. R.A Dickey is gone, he left for Atlanta. Francisco Liriano will asked to be taking on a larger role with this team now to replace Dickey. J.P. Howell and Joe Smith were brought in to help out with the bullpen, which could possibly be a weak spot for the Jays. Still I think Toronto has enough talent to really be in the mix for a playoff spot most of the season.
3. Baltimore Orioles (85-77)
Things have changed a little bit in Baltimore. The O's did a lot to bring back bigtime slugger Mark Trumbo. Trumbo is coming off a 47 home run year last year, which lead all of baseball. Welington Castillo was a nice pickup behind the plate, replacing Matt Weiters. Castillo, its believed by some around baseball, is just there to hold down the fort behind the plate until Chance Sisco is ready, but remember Castillo is no slouch either so he's good for a little while. They still have J.J Hardy, Chris Davis, and Manny Machado to help with the production department. The pitching, and more specifically the starting rotation, could leave something to be desired. They did nothing to try and improve on that rotation from last year, with Wade Miley still at the top of the retation. Yovani Gallardo leaving didn't help much. The team can score, but lack of pitching may hurt them.
4. New York Yankees (83-79)
Here's where we can see if the baby bombers are going to really pay off. A lot of the rookies are going to be expected to have big roles with this baseball team. Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez are expected to have big years, same thing with possibly Greg Bird if he's healthy at first base. But if Bird isn't healthy, they have a plan at first base. Matt Holiday can play and so can Chris Carter, but his strikeout totals can be an issue. To help out the pitching, they brought back Aroldis Chapman to close out games. With him and Dellin Betances in the back of the pen, the Yankees could be a very dangerous team if they get a lead late in a game. They have the talent to possibly make noise with the bat, which is what they did at the end of last year. Pitching is the biggest issue in the Bronx. Mostly the starting pitching. Behind Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda, and CC Sabathia, there's nothing really special about the Yankees pitching staff. Who knows how the rest of the rotation will pan out. Pitching might be the biggest issue with the Yanks, but they could still be a threat to the O's for 3rd in the division.
5. Tampa Bay Rays (75-97)
Talk about a reloading team. Tampa made some splashes over the winter, trading Drew Smyly to the Seattle Mariners and second baseman Logan Forsythe to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Boith deals netted some minor league depth including pitching stud Jose De Leon. A bounce-back year from Chris Archer, a healthy season from Alex Cobb and a step forward from Blake Snell could give them a formidable staff. Compared to the rest of the division, they are still a step or two behind when it comes to offense. Sure, they still have Evan Longoria leading the charge and having Nick Franklin, Kevin Kiermaier and Colby Rasmus helping fill that attack. They also added Wilson Ramos and Rasmus which will make them a good team once they pull it all together. Tampa isn't quite at that level yet but they are on the move.
American League Central:
1. Cleveland Indians (96-66)*
A season ago, the Indians went on a magical run, winning 94 regular season games and taking that tidal wave all the way to game seven of the World Series. They came up one win short against the Cubs. This year they look to make another run at a World Title. There have been a few changes that the Tribe have made. Mike Napoli, Rajai Davis and Coco Crisp are all gone. They did bring in a very heavy hitter in Edwin Encarnación to add power to a potent lineup. Austin Jackson and Chris Colabello are the only other notable additions and both should have a chance to win a bench spot as non-roster invitees to help bolster an even more loaded ballclub. And look at the pitching staff that the Tribe already have. Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar weren't very effective during the playoff run last year, but they should be back to form this year. They still have Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, and Josh Tomlin in the front line and Bryan Shaw and Andrew Miller in the back end of the pen, the Indians are going to be a very tough team to beat this year.
2. Detroit Tigers (84-78)
Detroit is going to take a slight step backwards this year. There was rumor that Detroit would possibly start a rebuild and maybe even move Miguel Cabrara and/or Justin Verlander. Neither guy was moved, which right now is a very good thing. Those two guys are the most talented guys on the team. They brought back Alex Avila to help on the offensive side of things. With guys like Justin Upton, JD Martinez, Ian Kinsler, Nick Castellanos they have some offensive weapons to work with this year. Then there's Michael Fulmer, last year's rookie of the year. Can he replicate his success from a season ago? Daniel Norris and Matt Boyd could be solid bets to be reliable rotation options. Detroit has a very shaky bullpen which does leave one to wonder how much room there is in this division for mistakes for a team like Detroit.
3. Kansas City Royals (83-79)
This Royals team could be a bit of a surprise in the Central this year. Wade Davis, Kendrys Morales, Jarrod Dyson, Edinson Volquez, they're all gone now. You'd think losing some talent like that would put a hurting on a team. Well they still have plenty of talent left in Kansas City. Brandon Moss and Jorge Sole were brought on board to help out on the offensive side of things. Eric Hosmer, Lorenzo Cain, Mike Moustakas and Alcides Escobar are still going to be counted on to carry the offense, but those four guys are staring down free agency by next winter. KC is going to make things interesting, because remember this was a team who went to back to back World Series in 2014 and 2015, a lot of talent is still together from those teams. Some pieces are missing and the=at might end up hurting again this year. Just doesn't feel like the mojo is quite the same with this ball club.
4. Chicago White Sox (69-93)
Last year Chicago won only 78 games, this year it doesn't look like its going to be any better. At least not right now, they didn't get any better. They did take a proper step in that rebuilding mode during the winter meetings, trading away Chris Sale and Adam Eaton.Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo López, and Dane Dunning are all coming to Chicago from Washington in the Eaton deal, while the Red Sox sent Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech, Luis Alexander Basabe, and Victor Diaz in exchange for Sale. So its a nice group of young talent to build off of for the White Sox. Justin Jackson, Justin Morneau, and Alex Avila are also gone for Chicago. They did retool a little by bringing in Derek Holland, Geovany Soto, and Everth Cabrera. Still there isn't enough talent here for the White Sox to be relevant just yet.
5. Minnesota Twins (64-98)
Last year, Minnesota finished the year with the worst record in all of baseball, going 59-103. This year, they will be an improved baseball team. No way they lose 100 games this year. Brian Dozier had a big year in Minnesota last year, and you can expect a lot of the same from him this year. Jason Castro was brought in to replace Kurt Suzuki behind the plate, and its also worth noting in Minnesota that Trevor Plouffe is no longer a Twin. What hurts Minnesota here is the fact that they get no favors playing in a top-heavy division. A pitching staff with a major league-worst 5.08 ERA returns mostly intact. It could be a long summer in the Twin Cities.
American League West
1. Houston Astros (90-72)*
Going from a 3rd place team to a division winner is a pretty big jump, but the Astros are going to be that team to make the jump this year. they have a deep enough talent pool to be able to overtake both Texas and a hard charging Seattle club to take the West this year. As far as pitching goes, Houston may be a tad behind. Don't get me wrong, they have good starters in Dallas Keuchel and Collin McHugh, but after that, who knows. Keuchel is looking for, and will have, a bounceback season, and a healthy year from Lance McCullers would make all the difference in the world in their pursuit of a division title. The guys behind them like Joe Musgrove, David Paulino and injury-flier Charlie Morton are also capable of providing the rotation with a boost. On offense, they did very nice for themselves to bolster an already loaded lineup. Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann and Josh Reddick were brought on board to help power an offense that already featured the dynamic trio of Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and George Springer, giving the team an offense that potentially stacks up to any in baseball.Its been quite a drought in Houston, they haven't won a division title since winning the National League Central in 2001, so it'll be nice to see the Astros win a crown for a change.
2. Texas Rangers (89-73) (WC)
This team was the class of the American League West a season ago. Things are going to be a little different in Texas this year. Lets not get things confused here, Texas is still a very good baseball team, they will be in the mix all summer long for the division title. But there are a few things that The Rangers are going to have to take a good, long look at. There's still plenty of talent on the roster, but they've yet to address the departures of Mitch Moreland and Carlos Beltran and the starting rotation still looks unstable behind aces Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish. Hamels and Darvish rival any one-two combination in the league and Martin Perez is a solid back-end starter, but the rotation still looks like a question mark. A return to form from Ross would go a long way. The team is putting a lot of faith in the likes of Joey Gallo, Jurickson Profar, Andrew Cashner and Tyson Ross, which is a risky strategy for a team that has invested a ton of money and prospect talent in assembling the current MLB core. They will get into the playoffs but Texas will be feeling the heat for sure from Seattle.
3. Seattle Mariners (87-75) (WC)
Talk about re-tooling a baseball team, look no further then the Great Northwest. The M's haven't reached the postseason since 2001, so props to general manager Jerry Dipoto for not resting on his laurels after coming up just short with 86 wins a year ago. That's going to change this year, that's for sure. The Seattle Mariners currently have 17 newcomers on the 40-man roster, including 10 among the projected Opening Day roster. The middle of the lineup is already loaded with Robinson Canó, nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager. Jean Segura and Jarrod Dyson are now added into that mix, which will give Seattle a one-two punch atop the lineup that will have no problem setting the table for the three sluggers just mentioned. Oh but wait, there's more out of Seattle. Felix Hernandez is looking to hae a return to form in a big way this year. The King will take his old self back this season. Drew Smyly and Yovani Gallardo are joining the starting rotation, they are going to be counted on to replace Taijuan Walker, who was shipped to the Arizona Diamondbacks to land Segura. Seattle got some big upgrades this winters they could be a very dangerous team this year.
4. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (78-84)
The Angels have dominated the West for a long time, but as of late they have started to slip and are kind of in a bit of a rebuild mode. Anaheim won 74 games last year, their lowest win total since 1999. They are going to get a little better this year, but not a whole lot to really be a contender in this top heavy division. Yes they still have the best player in the American League, maybe in all of baseball, in Mike Trout. The Angels did some move making in the offseason to rebolster this lineup. Danny Espinosa, Cameron Maybin, Luis Valbuena and Ben Revere were all brought on board to try and help make this team better. It might not the most exciting group of offseason additions, but they did fill some rather glaring areas of need for this team. But in reality, its not enough to make them contenders in the West. The pitching in Anaheim makes you scratch your head as they don't really have a true stand out star ace. The management in Anaheim wasn't really able to build again around Mike Trout, which is what is going to hold the Angels back again this year.
5. Oakland Athletics (63-99)
Hate to say this A's fans but its going to be another long season by the Bay. After making the playoffs for three straight years, the A's have hit the bottom each of the last two, and this year won't be any better. Oakland did add a lot of talent this year, signing some useful veteran pieces this offseason like Trevor Plouffe, Rajai Davis, Matt Joyce and Santiago Casilla. But otherwise, there's nothing much else going in Oakland. They do have some good working parts, like Sonny Gray, but he's trying to bounce back from a bad year last year. That and they have a good young catcher in Stephen Vogt. Oakland may surprise a few teams but I'm not expecting much. It looks like the Athletics are the clear cellar-dwellers.
National League East:
1 Washington Nationals (91-71)*
They are still the class of the National League East, but they took a bit of a step back in the winter. Not in the short term but maybe in the long run. It's awfully hard to look past the damage acquiring Adam Eaton did to the Washington Nationals' farm system, but there's no question he makes them a better team for this year. Eaton will join budding superstar Trea Turner to form one of the best table-setting tandems in all of baseball, and they could both pile up runs scored if Bryce Harper returns to form and Daniel Murphy comes close to duplicating his 2016 numbers. They also added Matt Wieters behind the plate to help replace the loss of Wilson Ramos. From an offensive standpoint, the Nationals are going to be a very tough team to beat this year. One of the biggest question marks that this team has is pitching. Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg will front a rotation that's as talented as any in baseball, along with Gio Gonzalez and Tanor Roark. They still have standout setup man Shawn Kelley, who will slide into the closer's role to replace the departed Mark Melancon. The rest of the pen leaves a lot to be desired, which means that if they don't get it figured out, they could be caught in the race for the division title.
2. New York Mets (90-72) (WC)
For the first time in team history, the New York Mets will make the playoffs for the 3rd year in a row. While the Mets brought back an important trio of veterans in Yoenis Cespedes, Neil Walker and Jerry Blevins, they failed to make any significant additions to the roster. There's no doubt that this team is better with Cespedes right in the middle of it. But there are a couple of things that leave me wondering. Neil Walker is coming off back surgery, so there's no telling how effective he's going to be this year. He did have his best year last year, setting a career high in home runs with 22, so the team is hoping he can reproduce some of that magic again this season. The Mets lost quite a bit of depth in both the rotation and off the bench. Bartolo Colon, Jerry Blevins, Kelly Johnson, James Loney, Alejandro De Aza, and Jon Niese are all gone, with nobody really brought in to replace them. There's hope that Lucas Duda can stay healthy and give them some production at first base again, so we shall see what happens. The pitching rotation is still good, with Noah Syndergaard, Matt Harvey and Jacob DeGrom leading the charge. Steven matz is counted on to put up good numbers and they will get Zach Wheeler back this year, but he's going to start in the pen as Robert Gsellman will get the last rotation spot till Wheeler is ready. If everything falls right and into place for the Mets this year, they should be able to take the wild card spot and be in contention with the Nats for the Division Title all year long.
3. Miami Marlins (81-81)
This team is just going to keep getting better and better in Miami. Think about it, the Marlins finished only three games under .500. This year, still playing with a bit of a heavy heart since the loss of Jose Fernandez, the Marlins have enough talent to really be able to hang around in the East race for a little while. they have a decent starting pitching staff, which was bolstered by adding Edinson Volquez and Jeff Locke, to go along with Wei-Yin Chen and Tom Koehler. A very starting staff, but they are lacking an ace after the passing of Fernandez. So instead of trying to build up a starting staff, they focused on relief. In doing so they added Brad Ziegler and Junichi Tazawa to a bullpen that already featured the terrific trio of David Phelps, Kyle Barraclough and A.J. Ramos should give them one of the best relief corps in baseball. Oh and they have a pretty good offense too. Giancarlo Stanton had a slight down year a season ago, but is still considered by many to be one of the most feared hitters in all of baseball, if he can stay healthy. Christian Yelich had a coming out party last year and is expected to have another big year again this year. Derek Dietrich, Dee Gordon, and Marcell Ozuna can help support the offense that can help keep the Marlins in the hunt most of the year.
4. Atlanta Braves (76-86)
New year for the Braves in Atlanta, their first season in SunTrust Park, after spending the last 20 seasons in Turner Field. Atlanta isn't a contending team yet, but they made little steps in the right direction. Bringing in arms like Bartolo Colon and R.A. Dickey as well as the addition of Jaime Garcia in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals will help sure up that rotation. As far as the bats go, Matt Kemp, Brandon Phillips, Nick Markakis, Freddie Freeman and young stud Dansby Swanson are going to be counted on heavily to carry this team. Plus, the fact that Kurt Suzuki and Sean Rodriguez were brought on board adds a nice veteran presence to the bench and they're both capable of stepping into expanded roles if needed. They are still a little ways away from being real threats again in the NL East, but the Braves are heading in the right direction to be a top team once again.
5. Philadelphia Phillies (73-89)
My how the mighty have fallen. The last time the Phillies finished .500 or better was going 81-81 in 2012, they've had a losing record every year since and haven't come close to 80 wins in a year since then. That won't change this year. They did some retooling in the City of Brotherly Love this winter. Ryan Howard is no longer there, which will indeed be a strange sight to see, since he's been the anchor of that infield for more then a decade. Philly added some veteran presence in the form of Ivan Nova, Clay Buchholz, Joaquin Benoit and Pat Neshek. All of them are looking to show that they still have a little left in the tank and can still be contributes to this team. Howie Kendrick and Michael Saunders will join Odubel Herrea in the outfield and should help add some punch. They were kind of on the low side again in the offseason, but don't worry Phillies fans, they'll be right in the thick of things next off season.
National League Central:
1. Chicago Cubs (102-59)*
After coming off the best year that the Cubs have had in over a century, how can you top it? I mean think about tit 103 regular season wins and a World Series title.....can't beat that. But the Cubbies will try and do that again this year and then some. They have one of the best one two offensive punches in all of baseball with Anthony Rizzo and defending league MVP Kris Bryant in the heart of their lineup. The cubs did lose some significant talent over the winter, seeing Dexter Fowler, Aroldis Chapman, Jason Hammel, Jorge Soler, and David Ross all leave. So to replace that talent that was lost, Chicago has brought in Wade Davis, Jon Jay, Brett Anderson, and Koji Uehara. Chicago did a fantastic job of keeping this team in tact from a season ago, minus the fact that they lost Dexter Fowler to the Cardinals, Chicago is still a very loaded team. Oh and there is one thing I forgot to mention. Besides that one two punch in the batting order, there's also that three headed monster at the start of the pitching rotation. You may have heard of Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta and Kyle Hendricks, they're kinda good. If all goes right and everybody stays healthy, the Cubs could be looking at another trip to the fall classic.
2. St. Louis Cardinals (90-72) (WC)
A season ago, the Cardinals missed the playoffs for the first time since 2010, finishing a game behind the Giants for the final Wild Card spot. This Cardinals team has made the playoffs 12 times in the last 17 years and they can get back there again this year. Losing Matt Holliday, Jaime Garcia, and Brandon Moss may hurt the Birds a little this year, but that's OK there is still plenty of talent on this team to make a run at it. Dexter Fowler signed a five year deal, so he will have no problem holding down center field at Bush Stadium. And not only that, but by slotting him in the leadoff spot in the lineup will allow Matt Carpenter to move down to a run-production spot in the middle of the lineup, where he can be more effective. They have the bats that can make a little noise in St Louis this year. Oh and their starting rotation isn't too shabby either. When Garcia got traded, it freed up some of the clutter in the rotation, which now has penciled in Michael Wacha, Adam Wainwright, Carlos Martínez, Mike Leake, and Lance Lynn. Pitching is there to keep the Cards in a lot of games, so is the hitting. It hurt a bit missing out by a game on the playoffs a season ago, but with everybody healthy now, they have something brewing in St Louis. The Cards will be back in the post season once again this year.
3. Pittsburgh Pirates (81-81)
Last season fell well short of expectations for the Pirates, after finally getting back into contention in the National League with a 98 win season the year before that. This year, the Pirates will be back to at least a .500 level team and will contend for a while but may run out of steam as the year moves along. Gerrit Cole and Andrew McCutchen will need to return to star-level production and Ivan Nova will need to prove his standout two months with the team were the real deal if they're going to quickly right the ship. With McCutchen, they need him to return to MVP form, and they have a little support around him to help him get back to that level. Josh Harrison and Starling Marte are expected to have solid years again in the Steel City this year. One thing that has me a little worried is starting pitching. Outside of Garrett Cole and Ivan Nova, there isn't much to make you happy or positive about. Chad Kuhl, Jameson Taillon and Drew Hutchison round out that rotation. Its a solid one, but when you look at the rotations that are ahead of them in St. Louis and Chicago, it leaves something to be desired.
4. Milwaukee Brewers (72-90)
There are rumblings and chances that the Brewers could be getting better, its just going to take a while. Milwaukee lost 41 home run man Chris Carter, and they are trying to replace Carter at first with Eric Thames. Now Thames is a solid baseball player, but he's a bit of a step down from Carter, at least in the power department. He's a better overall hitter which could be a plus for the Brew Crew. Ryan Braun, Thames and Travis Shaw are expected to try and carry this team, which shows how they are set up for the year. And look at the starting pitching staff. It's Junior Guerra, Zach Davies, Jimmy Nelson, Willie Peralta, and Matt Garza, you don't really see a standout ace there. It makes you wonder how long this rebuild might be in Milwaukee.
5. Cincinnati Reds (66-96)
Talk about another team that's in a bit of a rebuild. The Cincinnati Reds were the last team to sign someone to a major league deal this winter, breaking the seal when they added Drew Storen on a one-year, $3 million deal. He will be a big help to this team. The Reds have a solid starting rotation that consists of Homer Bailey, Anthony DeSclafani, Brandon Finnegan, Scott Feldman and Robert Stephenson will make the Reds a tougher draw than some might expect. They still have Billy Hamilton hitting leadoff, being able to set the table and Joey Votto has the power in the middle of the lineup. They have some pieces that might work well this year, but the Reds are a long way away from being in contention in the Central. Cincinnati has had a losing record in each of the last three seasons, and this year won't be any better.
National League West
1. Los Angeles Dodgers (92-70)*
Los Angeles has won the National League West each of the last four seasons, this year will be no different. Dave Roberts is going to have his hands full this season. Think about what the Dodgers did last season, they won the West,and that's with Clayton Kershaw missing most of the year with injuries. He's also got Rich Hill right behind him in the rotation, after Hill signed back on to the staff over the winter. Behind them, the Dodgers have Kenta Maeda, Brandon McCarthy, and Hyun-jin Ryu, which makes for a pretty damn good starting rotation. Not only was it big to bring Hill back this offseason, so to was bringing back Kenley Jansen. Yeah LA is going to have a good pitching staff this year. Josh Reddick, Howie Kendrick, Chase Utley, Joe Blanton, and Carlos Ruiz are all gone, leaving a little wiggle room for the Dodgers. So the offense is going to be carried by Justin Turner, Adrian Gonzalez, and Corey Seager. Bringing in Logan Forsythe from the Rays was huge because the Dodgers weren't that grea against left handed pitching last year and he's a good hitter against lefties. Looking for steady play from the corner outfielders is going to be critical for the Dodgers this year, but oter then that, Los Angeles has a talented enough team to take home their 5th straight year.
2. San Francisco Giants (90-72)
San Francisco is going to put up a hell of a fight with the Dodgers for the division this season. One of the biggest offseason needs for the Giants was addressed, they got themselves a closer in Mark Melancon, who signed a big deal to come to San Francisco. The Giants should have the arms to be able to compete with the Dodgers in the starting rotation department. When you've got a rotation that consists of Madison Bumgarner, Johnny Cueto, Matt Moore, Matt Cain, and Jeff Samardzija, that's a pretty good starting rotation. I'm just not totally sure on how well they can bridge between the starters and Melancon in the pen. They have a decent hitting lineup, with guys like Brandon Crawford, Buster Posey, Brandon Belt, and Joe Panik. They shouldn't have too much trouble putting runs up on that board if they can stay healthy. There's only one stick in the mud for the Giants. A lack of depth, however, puts them just behind the Mets and Cardinals in the tightly-contested NL wild card race.
3. Colorado Rockies (81-81)
Colorado hasn't had a winning season since 2010 and haven't made the playoffs since 2009. The playoff drought will continue this summer, but they are heading in the right direction as far as the winning record goes. Colorado was actually really quite in free agency this winter. They signed Ian Desmond to a contract, which isn't exactly a good thing, He slumped badly last year and could possibly be looking at a position change during the year. He's not quite the player he once was. Luckly, to make up for this signing, they Rockies brought in Gregg Holland to bolster the pen. Holland has a chance to be a huge addition if he returns to his pre-injury form after missing last season following Tommy John surgery. The pitching staff in Colorado is kind of weak, but thankfully for them, they have some pretty decent offense in Denver. Trevor Story will be looking to build off that impressive rookie season. He'll have a little help in that lineup from the likes of Nolan Arenado, Charlie Blackmon, Carlos Gonzalez, and DJ LeMahieu to make the Rockies hang around a little while in the West.
4. Arizona Diamondbacks (80-82)
Things are going to go up for the Dimaondbacks this year. They finished last year with 69 wins, which now marks three years in a row they've finished with a losing record. For Arizona to get better, it'll have to come from their own in-house talent rather then trying to go get talent on the free agent market. At least as it looks right now. A.J. Pollock and David Peralta were both non-factors last season, and a bounce-back performance from Shelby Miller would go a long way as well. Chris Iannetta and Jeff Mathis will be tasked with handling the pitching staff and can provide a little with the stick. Paul Goldschmidt is expected to have another big year as well, which is nothing new for him. That being said, Taijuan Walker still has legitimate front-line upside and joins Zack Greinke and Robbie Ray to form an intriguing trio atop the rotation. Arizona has the potential to be really good, but they're not quite there yet.
5. San Diego Padres (65-97)
Looks like its going to be another long season in San Diego this summer. The Padres haven't reached the post season since winning the West in back to back years in 2005 and 2006, they haven't had a winning record since 2010. With a starting rotation that is rivaled by more than a few Triple-A staffs and Yangervis Solarte currently penciled in as the cleanup hitter, the Padres have to be considered the early favorites to be picking No. 1 overall in 2018. With no clear-cut star in the lineup or in the rotation, the Padres simply don’t have enough to create an impact in the NL West.
World Series Prediction: Cubs Over Red Sox in 6!
There you have it, our prediction for the 2017 Major League Baseball season!
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