Spring Training has finally come to a close, as baseball fans rejoice in the resumption of Major League Baseball. The feeling of baseball in April seems like a lifetime ago, and while Rob Manfred did a great job at putting on the 60 game showcase in 2020, it certainly felt like a few teams didn’t belong where they ended up. **cough** Miami Marlins **cough**. Pre-season favorites like the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, and Tampa Bay Rays all performed to their standards, with the Dodgers finally clinching a World Series title, avenging their 2017 loss to the Houston Astros. Moving into 2021, many storylines remain. Will the Dodgers repeat? Are the Chicago White Sox still one year away? Can the New York Yankees stay healthy? Who even plays for the Pittsburgh Pirates anymore? The 2021 season is sure to be exciting, so let’s see where each team is standing going into the year.
Arizona Diamondbacks
The D’Backs are likely to roll out a similar lineup as last year, with the exception of Pavin Smith, who hit .270/.341/.405 in 44 plate appearances in his MLB debut last season. Smith should fill in for Calhoun as he recovers from a torn meniscus and is certainly a player to keep an eye on. Zac Gallen should step up and continue being this team’s number one starter, and Ketel Marte should see some positive regression in the power department after just a two home run season in 2020. The postseason is certainly out of reach for Arizona, but they should put up a good battle for third place in a top heavy NL West.
Atlanta Braves
After a heartbreaking game seven loss to the Dodgers in the NLCS last year, the Braves re-signed their biggest free agent in Marcell Ozuna while also bolstering their starting rotation with signings of Charlie Morton and Drew Smyly. The offensive production from Ronald Acuna Jr., Ozzie Albies, and NL MVP Freddie Freeman will surely dictate how far this team goes this season, but the additions to the rotation will definitely take a lot of pressure off the offense. Also, look out for top prospect Christian Pache, who is slated to start the season in center field. Pache already looks like a perennial gold glover, but if he can produce with the bat, we could see the Braves in the NLCS once again.
Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles go into 2021 in an unfortunately familiar spot. They have some intriguing young guys on the roster but not nearly enough talent to compete with the top teams in their division. Ryan Mountcastle had himself quite a debut season in 2020 slashing a .333/.386/.492 line in 137 plate appearances. He should lead an offense that will also be welcoming the return of Trey Mancini, who missed the 2020 season with colon cancer. Highly anticipated No. 2 overall prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, Adley Rutschman should also be making his debut at some point in 2021, which will certainly provide some spark to a team that will likely finish near the bottom of the American League.
Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox certainly have the ability to surprise some people in 2021. Despite a rough showing last season, the Sox still have a loaded lineup along with some intriguing pitching additions. J.D. Martinez and Xander Bogarts are still there, Rafael Devers and Alex Verdugo are bound to continue improving, and a strong spring training from Bobby Dalbec (7 homeruns in 51 plate appearances) will make this lineup competitive with the best of the best. The rotation is a bit shaky but Nathan Eovaldi and Eduardo Rodriguez should be able to hold it down while former Cy Young winner Chris Sale recovers from Tommy John surgery. The Sox have a formidable team and, if they can figure out their bullpen, can make a serious push for a wild card spot.
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs may be one of the most confusing teams in 2021. I have no idea if this team is pushing to be a playoff team, or are trying to unload talent and start fresh. They traded 2020 Cy Young runner up Yu Darvish to the Padres and for a while it looked like 2016 MVP Kris Bryant may be on his way out as well. But then the Cubs sign Joc Pederson to a $7 million deal and it looks like they want to make the playoffs. At this point, I don’t even know if the Cubs know what they want to do. Kyle Hendricks will lead a mediocre rotation, and for some reason Craig Kimbrel is still being trusted as a closer in 2021. The lineup is strong with Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo, and Ian Happ along with Byrant and Pederson. But this team just has too many holes for it to make a push, even in a weak NL Central.
Chicago White Sox
White Sox fans, I know you all have been waiting for a while and that wait might just be over. After a quality season in 2020, the Sox added Lance Lynn to a rotation that already had a clear cut ace in Lucas Giolito. The bullpen, while still a question mark, did add Liam Hendricks who has had a sub 2.00 ERA the last two seasons. Their lineup will once again be led by 2020 MVP Jose Abreu along with Tim Anderson and Eloy Jimenez. If Luis Robert and Yoan Moncada can continue to improve at the plate, and the bullpen finds trusted arms in the 7th and 8th innings, this team is bound for a deep playoff run.
Cincinnati Reds
Despite losing 2020 Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer to free agency, the Reds still have an extremely formidable rotation. Sonny Gray and Luis Castillo are still capable of winning the team ball games and Wade Miley is sure to bounce back after a weird 2020 season. The only question for them is who can they trust on offense? Nick Castellanos, Eugenio Suarez, and Mike Moustakas are all too talented to not rebound from 2020, but is former top prospect Nick Senzel going to finally show up? How much does Joey Votto have left in the tank? There are simply too many uncertainties with this offense, but the talent from their pitching staff will still keep them in the mix until mid-July.
Cleveland
While they may have snuck their way into the playoffs in 2020, the loss of Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco in their trade with the Mets makes it quite difficult to see this team making any sort of playoff push this year. Jose Ramirez is a lock to continue mashing baseballs, and Franmil Reyes still has plenty of pop, but aside from them there isn’t much to love in this lineup. Off-season pick up Eddie Rosario adds some much needed power, but what was once a strong pitching staff is suddenly very top-heavy. Shane Bieber will be in contention for the Cy Young as always, and Zac Plesac is a great No. 2, but I;m not sure who else I can really trust in their rotation. It’ll be interesting to see if top prospect Triston McKenzie can build off his strong 2020, but Cleveland just lost too much talent to comfortably say they can finish near the top of the AL Central.
Colorado Rockies
Whenever your team trades away a franchise cornerstone you typically get sad but realize that at least your team got key pieces to help rebuild and work towards the future. Well unfortunately for the Rockies, when they dealt Nolan Arenado and $50 MILLION to the Cardinals, they didn’t even get any of the Cardinals top five prospects back. They still have Trevor Story and Charlie Blackmon, who may be two of the best pure hitters in the NL, and Germán Márquez will lead the rotation but aside from every fifth day when Márquez is on the hump, this team isn’t worth watching. Get comfy in the NL West basement Rockies fans, you’ll be there for a while.
Detroit Tigers
The Tigers haven’t been good for a while, and as much as I think they are still a ways away from contention, they should quietly surprise some people this year. The rotation is especially intriguing. Spencer Turnbull will start on opening day, but No. 6 overall prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, Casey Mize will be right behind him and should bounce back after a rough debut in 2020. Miguel Cabrera, even as DH, will provide some consistency in a lineup accompanied by Willi Castro who impressed at the plate in 2020 but needs to improve his fielding. Jonathan Schoop showed he still has pop in his bat, and Wilson Ramos was certainly a quality pick up in free agency. They won’t come close to a wild card spot, but don’t be surprised if this team hovers around the 70-80 win mark.
Houston Astros
Despite losing 2017 World Series MVP George Springer to free agency, and Justin Verlander to Tommy John surgery, the Astros still have much of the core that led them to that 2017 World Series win. The infield of Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and Alex Bregman had down years in 2020, but I’m ready to chalk that up to all the noise surrounding the team regarding their cheating scandal in 2016. The real question is going to be their pitching. Zack Grienke isn’t getting any younger, and while Jake Odorizzi is a solid pickup, there’s not much to love in the rotation. The AL West is certainly up for grabs, but the Astros are going to need big seasons from their big three and will have to find some consistency in their pitching to reclaim the AL West crown.
Kansas City Royals
While the Royals certainly have some interesting names on the roster, they are still a few pieces away from being mentioned near the top of the AL Central. Whit Merrifield and Salvador Perez should continue being as consistent as they come at the plate and in the field, and while they don’t have a clear cut ace in the rotation, Brad Keller, Danny Duffy and Mike Minor are all capable guys. The bigger question relies on whether or not Jorge Soler’s breakout 2019 campaign was an outlier, or if 2020 was just a weird year. I’m in favor of the latter, and think that same narrative carries over to free agency acquisition Carlos Santana. Young guys Aldalberto Mondesi and newly acquired Andrew Benentendi still need to prove they can consistently produce offensively, but all in all, the Royals are a name to keep an eye on in 2021.
Los Angeles Angels
If there was ever an opportunity for the Angels to finally win the AL West and make a deep playoff run, 2021 is the year. 2020 off-season pickup Anthony Rendon is the perfect ‘Robin’ to Mike Trout who will no doubt be in the running for AL MVP once again. David Fletcher and Jared Walsh showed some flashes at the end of 2020 and will be key cogs in a suddenly dangerous lineup. The only question resides in the pitching staff. While Dylan Bundy’s 2020 was remarkable, it is still a small sample size. Pickups of Jose Quintana and Raisel Iglesias should provide some stability in the rotation and bullpen respectively but whiffing in the Trevor Bauer sweepstakes really hurt this team from spending money elsewhere. Maybe two-way star Shohei Ohtani finally stays healthy? We know what he can do with the bat, but if he can be the ace pitcher we saw in 2018, this Angels team could pose problems for the rest of the AL.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Very rarely do championship teams retain every piece of their core. The 2019 Nationals lost Anthony Rendon, the 2017 Astros lost Gerrit Cole. The Dodgers though, well they not only kept their entire core, but also acquired the top available pitcher without losing any of their top prospects. 2020 Cy Young Trevor Bauer will somehow only slot in as their third starter surrounded by the likes of Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buerhler, and David Price. Not to mention they also won the 2019 off-season with their trade acquisition of Mookie Betts who showed he is still the second best player in baseball last year. You know your team is really good when you are four sentences in and haven’t mentioned players like Cody Bellinger or Corey Seager. I don’t even know what else to say. Even if they do run into injuries, they still have bench players who would start for 20+ teams right now. I hope you MLB fans enjoyed making fun of the dodgers over the past five years, cause now they are gonna be laughing at us on their way to another World Series.
Miami Marlins
The Marlins were the darlings of 2020 last year after a surprise postseason appearance. Manager Don Mattingly has done a tremendous job and while another playoff appearance would surely be a shock, this team is far from a basement dweller. Starling Marte was a great acquisition in 2020, and will be a great top of the order hitter. Corey Dickerson and Jesus Aguilar are still great hitters and the 2020 performance from the presumed opening day starter Sandy Alcantara was certainly encouraging. This team also has No. 15 prospect, according to MLB pipeline, Sixto Sanchez who showed flashes of ace potential in 2020. The NL East is arguably going to be the toughest division to play in in 2021, but this team will still pose problems for even the best teams this season.
Milwaukee Brewers
Call me crazy but I think the Brewers are going to be back at the top of the NL Central in 2021. 2020 was a weird season and this team made some great moves in a division that is open for the taking. Kolten Wong is as consistent as it gets at second base, and Jackie Bradley Jr. is a perennial gold glove candidate in the outfield. They still have 2018 MVP Christian Yelich, who is too talented not to bounce back, and Lorenzo Cain who will be healthy after an injury riddled 2020. The issue has always been pitching with this team, but Brandon Woodruff and dark-horse Cy Young candidate Corbin Burnes are ready to shoulder the load in the rotation while the two best relievers in baseball, Josh Hader and Devin Williams, hold it down in the later innings. They are getting overshadowed by the Dodgers, Padres, and Mets right now, but this team is poised to make noise in 2021.
Minnesota Twins
If there’s one thing you can’t take away from the Twins, it’s that they can hit the ball. With the likes of Max Kepler, Josh Donaldson, Jorge Polanco and Nelson Cruz ready to spearhead a top tier offense, and Kenta Maeda set to continue upon a Cy Young-like performance in 2020, this team can hold their own against anyone. The difference from this team squeaking into the postseason and actually making a run will come down to players like Jose Berrios and Byron Buxton. Berrios, while has shown flashes, hasn’t been the player he was touted to be. Buxton is as good as it gets in the field, but his inconsistencies at the plate make it hard for him to showcase his elite speed on the basepaths. If those two can perform to their previous expectations from when they came out of the minors, this team will be no easy foe in a postseason series.
New York Mets
The Mets and new owner Steve Cohen had one goal in mind after the 2020 season. Bring in talent by any means necessary. And they did just that. Acquiring Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco from Cleveland while also signing Taijuan Walker, James McCann, and Trevor May, the Mets may have the most improved team on paper going into 2021. They still have the best pitcher in baseball with Jacob deGrom, and a strong bullpen backed by Edwin Diaz and Seth Lugo. While their offense is certainly not consistent, the additions of Lindor and McCann along with the continued improvement of Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil, and Brandon Nimmo make for a suddenly dangerous lineup. Pitching is certainly still this team’s strong suit, but the improvement in their lineup makes for a team that can not only make a run for the division but also pose a threat for a deep run in the playoffs.
New York Yankees
While some may say there is a new king of New York with the Mets off-season moves, the Yankees still have the same core that led them to a 103 win season in 2019. Gerrit Cole is still the best pitcher in the AL, and having Corey Kluber and James Taillon in the rotation may be looked back as steals of the 2020 offseason. Their lineup of DJ Lemahieu, Aaron Judge, and Giancorlo Stanton may be the best three-headed monster in baseball, not to discredit Luke Voit and Gleyber Torres who have also shown amazing prowess at the plate. At this point it just boils down to if this team can stay healthy. Judge hasn’t played a full season since 2017 and Stanton hasn’t had one since 2018. This team has the talent to go all the way, but with teams like the Blue Jays gunning for the AL East crown, the Yankees will need full seasons from their stars if they want a chance to compete in a top heavy division.
Oakland Athletics
It seems like every year the Athletics go through the same cycle. “Wow, really good season from the A’s.” → “You know, maybe this team can make a solid run next season.” → “Dang, lots of losses in the offseason, I don’t know if they can make up for all that.” → “Wow, really good season from the A’s.” Well, I’m done writing this franchise off. They seem to always find a way to sneak into the postseason or in last year's case, win the division. Once again, the A’s lost a lot of talent with the departures of long time shortstop Marcus Semien and top closer Liam Hendricks, but this team finds diamonds in the rough better than anyone else. Co-stars Matt Chapman and Matt Olson will continue leading this team on both sides of the ball. And while their rotation lacks a clear-cut ace, the trio of Chris Bassitt, Frankie Montas, and Jesus Luzardo should get the job done with hopes that the latter of the three will eventually fulfill that previous top prospect status and take over the ace helm by the end of the season.
Philadelphia Phillies
I’m going to start this by saying that I have no affection with the Phillies, or Philadelphia for that matter whatsoever. But dang I want this team to succeed so bad. The Bryce Harper hate has reached levels that makes his overrated label suddenly appear underrated. The contract is big, but for a guy that consistently has an OPS around .900, he’s absolutely worth it. They also managed to keep star catcher J.T. Realmuto and shortstop Didi Gregorious this offseason as part of a lineup that should put up lots of runs again. Alec Bohm can no doubt rake, but he needs to pick a position, and their rotation behind Aaron Nola still has so many questions. Their bullpen was one of the worst in the league in 2020, and while Archie Bradley is a great signing, I have no clue who else they can trust in the later innings. This team has the talent to match up with just about anybody, but the holes in their pitching combined with how strong the NL East is, means this team will need more than a few balls to bounce their way to make the postseason in 2021.
Pittsburgh Pirates
You know how I said the Rockies are shaped up for a rough 2021? Well, the Pirates may be in for a lot worse. While their division is certainly not as competitive as the NL West, there’s a lot less to like on this team. Presumed opening day starter Steven Brault had a solid 2020 but he’s in no way a top of the rotation guy, and aside from the No. 9 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, Ke’Bryan Hayes who set the league on fire in 2020 with a .376/.442/.682 slash line, their lineup is full of question marks. Hayes should be the front runner for the NL Rookie of the Year, and will certainly appear on his fair share of SportsCenter Top 10s, but this team is far from any type of contention. Expect them to hover around 50-60 wins near the bottom of the MLB.
San Diego Padres
Every Padres fan is asking themselves the same question right now. “Why couldn’t we be in any other division right now?” Because wow is this team good. Rising superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. continues to flip bats and piss pitchers off, Manny Machado is as good as he’s ever been, and Eric Hosmer still knows how to hit and field as good as any first basemen can. Not to forget this team added 2020 Cy Young runner up Yu Darvish along with 2018 Cy Young winner Blake Snell without giving up top prospect MacKenzie Gore or 2020 breakout star Dinelson Lamet. This team might just be the second best team in baseball, it’s just that the best team resides in the same division. Still, they are a lock for a postseason appearance and have the tools to beat any team in a five or seven game series.
San Francisco Giants
For a good portion of 2020, the Giants looked like they might make the playoffs. Unfortunately they just missed the cut and with the NL West’s top two spots virtually locked up, the Giants will have a tough time getting that close in 2021. Still, there are a lot of bright spots on this team. Mike Yastrzemski and Donovan Solano had encouraging 2020 seasons but the reality is: this team is aging, and aging fast. I expect them to be big sellers at the deadline this year as they prepare to retool for contention down the road. Names like Johnny Cueto, Brandon Belt, and Alex Dickerson along with the aforementioned Yastrzemski and Solano could return hefty hauls from needy teams in late July. The Giants could add to an already impressive farm system, highlighted by No. 23 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, Joey Bart, who should benefit from starting a full season in 2021.
Seattle Mariners
As far as exciting teams in 2021, the Mariners might be at the top of my list. Kyle Lewis will look to build upon a 2020 breakout season while No. 4 and No. 5 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline, Jarred Kelenic and Julio Rodriguez should join Lewis in what could be the best outfield in baseball in a couple of years. The rotation is still shaky, but the addition of James Paxton is certainly a help and Marco Gonzales looks to have found a home in Seattle after a rough beginning to his career. The team is still a few years away from legit contention, but just seeing the progression of their prospects is enough for me to get excited about this team.
St. Louis Cardinals
It’s very rare that a team walks away from acquiring a star player via trade without saying goodbye to some top prospects. Well, the Cardinals did just that. Their infield of Paul Goldschmidt, Paul Dejong and newly acquired Nolan Arenado is already enough to put this team near the top of the NL Central. Losing Kolten Wong certainly hurts, but No. 13 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, Tommy Edman should progress and fulfill the hole Wong left behind offensively. The rotation behind Jack Flaherty is certainly less than desirable, but with Yadier Molina still behind the dish I’m willing to bet their pitching will do just fine. This team is still a few moves in the rotation away from winning their division, but merely seeing Arenado free of the porous Rockies Franchise will be enough for me to tune in.
Tampa Bay Rays
Much like the Oakland A’s, the Rays seem to find quality pitchers out of thin air more often than I get turned down on a Friday night. They lost Blake Snell and Charlie Morton this offseason, meaning this team thinks Tyler Glasnow will be able to take over and lead this rotation. While Glasnow certainly has the stuff to be an ace pitcher, his lack of consistency, especially in the playoffs, make causes for concern. Postseason hero Randy Arozarena will lead a lineup that lacks a clear cut star, but has several names that any pitcher in the AL will surely speak high of. To put it simply, the Rays are too good of a franchise to simply write off. The AL East definitely got better, and the Rays probably got worse, but I won’t be shocked if I see this team at the top of the AL East again in September.
Texas Rangers
Every team in the AL West has an interesting storyline in 2021. Well, every team besides the Rangers. Trust me, I tried to find something but all I got is that Joey Gallo might lead the league in homeruns. Gallo has hit 40+ homers in every healthy season and some encouraging increased plate discipline in 2019 means pitchers may have a tougher time striking him out. Acquiring Dane Dunning from the White Sox for an aging Lance Lynn was a great move, and I like Sam Huff a lot behind the plate, but the AL West is simply way too competitive to say this team will win any more than 60 games in 2021.
Toronto Blue Jays
I know a lot of Blue Jays fans are really excited about 2021 and their additions of George Springer and Marcus Semien. And they should be, those two are two of the best at their respective positions. But they still have way too many questions in the rotation. Hyun-Jin Ryu is a great ace, but who’s behind him? No. 10 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, Nate Pearson needs to stay healthy before I can trust him as anything more than a bullpen guy and while I like Robbie Ray he isn’t a top end guy by any means. Bo Bichette will surely continue progressing, and a much slimmer Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will hopefully finally show the world why he was compared to a young Miguel Cabrera in 2019. This team is going to produce runs at an extremely high rate, the x-factor will just be if their pitching can hold their own.
Washington Nationals
Two years removed from a World Series win, the Nationals are looking to recreate the magic they saw in 2019 by signing players coming off poor seasons, and betting on their talent. Even if just one of Josh Bell and Kyle Schwarber return to their 2019 form, this Nationals team could steal the NL East crown and make another run. Young stars Juan Soto and Trea Turner will still be leading this lineup at the top of the order, and the three headed monster of Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, and Patrick Corbin in the rotation is as good as it gets as long as they stay healthy. A lot of people are looking at the Mets and Braves as the NL East favorites, but with this much talent, it would just be disrespectful to simply write the Nationals off.