MLB Power Rankings by La Velle E. Neal
AMERICAN LEAGUE
1. New York Yankees
They got the man they needed in righthander Gerrit Cole. Injuries ravaged them in 2019.
2. Oakland Athletics
Quality lineup. Good rotation. Strong bullpen. Sleeper pick for a strong season.
3. Tampa Bay Rays
Adding Nick Anderson to that bullpen was a major development. Always overachievers.
4. Minnesota Twins
Get to pound on the Royals, Tigers and Pirates in Central play with an even more powerful lineup.
5. Houston Astros
Hard to boo a team when the stands are empty. Can starting staff hold up?
6. Cleveland Indians
Cleveland knows how to develop starting pitchers, and that's a very valuable commodity.
7. Texas Rangers
Kyle Gibson, Lance Lynn, Danny Santana. Twins South. Is that a good or bad thing?
8. Chicago White Sox
They will be ranked much higher in 2021 but still appear to be a year or two away.
9. Boston Red Sox
Mookie Betts is gone, and Martin Perez might be the No. 2 starter. Tough times at Fenway.
10. Los Angeles Angels
A healthy Shohei Ohtani is good for baseball. Anthony Rendon added to the mix.
11. Toronto Blue Jays
Will be fun to watch Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and other young players develop.
12. Detroit Tigers
Countdown to Casey Mize promotion is on. No. 1 overall pick in 2018 might be needed quickly.
13. Seattle Mariners
Strange not to see Felix Hernandez on the roster. Rebuilding team won't be a factor.
14. Kansas City Royals
Will Whit Merrifield, the best player on the team, end up on a contender at the trade deadline?
15. Baltimore Orioles
At least they can't lose 100 games for the third straight season.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
Even with David Price opting out, this team is still loaded to the brim for another great season.
2. Atlanta Braves
Can Marcell Ozuna's arrival make up for Josh Donaldson's departure? A team with great promise.
3. Washington Nationals
With Anthony Rendon gone, let the Juan Soto show begin. Defending champs are pitching-rich.
4. Chicago Cubs
Look for new manager David Ross to start to turn things around for a team that won it all in 2016.
5. St. Louis Cardinals
Jack Flaherty leads the pitching staff, but how many runs will they score?
6. New York Mets
New pitching coach Jeremy Hefner has some reclamation projects, and won't have Noah Syndergaard at all.
7. Philadelphia Phillies
They'll hit but might be a little short on pitching after a year in which things unraveled late.
8. Cincinnati Reds
Decent rotation, solid bullpen and they will hit. Don't sleep on Cincy.
9. Arizona Diamondbacks
Ketel Marte is a star, and they also have Eddie "The Stick" Escobar.
10. Milwaukee Brewers
The starting rotation is a little thin; at least Ryan Braun can DH as the AL rule becomes universal.
11. San Diego Padres
Will a young starter please step forward? Don't waste Manny Machado's prime.
12. Colorado Rockies
How well will an unhappy Nolan Arenado play? He's one of the few bright spots.
13. San Francisco Giants
Madison Bumgarner is a D-Back, and Buster Posey opted out. Hope has vanished in the Bay.
14. Miami Marlins
James Rowson as new offensive coordinator has his work cut out for him.
15. Pittsburgh Pirates
Chris Archer is out for the season, and there's not much optimism at PNC Park.
