Predicting MLB's 10 Most Exciting Teams to Watch in 2017
From all the talk about how Major League Baseball needs to speed things up, you'd swear there wasn't any entertaining baseball to be found anymore.
Baloney.
I can think of at least 10 teams that are going to play fun and exciting baseball in 2017. So, I consulted my "How to Internet" guidebook and put them in a slideshow.
A disclaimer: "Fun and exciting" isn't necessarily the same as "good." There are some really good teams on this list, but it is not a countdown of the best teams in MLB going into 2017.
This is a subjective matter, but here's a list of things I went looking for:
- Overall quality: Simply being good isn't the deciding factor, but good teams are more fun than bad teams.
- Star Power: Because star players are fun.
- Individual Strengths/Weaknesses: A team that can only hit isn't as much fun as a team that can hit and pitch, which isn't as much fun as a team that can hit and pitch and field. Et cetera.
Now, then. What's say we start with a trip to Queens?
10. New York Mets
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Despite their recent success, it still feels weird to invoke the New York Mets as a team worth watching in a world where #LOLMets is a deeply rooted tradition.
Hmmm...Better pivot this thing toward excellence nobody can argue with: Noah Syndergaard.
Syndergaard throws harder than any other starter on record. He also has strong command and an electric curveball, changeup and slider. It's enough to make the real Thor look at his magic hammer and feel like he got cheated.
There are question marks behind Syndergaard in the Mets' rotation. But if healthy, Jacob deGrom, Steven Matz and Matt Harvey will also feature sizzling stuff. The club's options for the No. 5 slot—Seth Lugo, Robert Gsellman and Zack Wheeler—would be in the running for higher spots in many other rotations.
All this electric stuff is as much a necessity as a cool selling point. Mets starters will need to throw the ball by hitters, lest they place too much trust in a defense that will likely be woefully inefficient again. There will be nights when that's easier said than done.
Say this about the Mets lineup, though: It'll keep the dingers coming.
Led by Yoenis Cespedes' 31 and Curtis Granderson's 30, the Mets finished second in the National League in home runs last season. And that was largely without help from Lucas Duda, David Wright and Travis d'Arnaud. If they keep their health in 2017, even more power will be in order.
The Mets in a Nutshell: They won't play the prettiest brand of baseball, but any given game could feature a dominant starting performance and a few dingers.
9. Texas Rangers
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After taking some hits this offseason, the Texas Rangers might have better odds of finding Tom Brady's missing jersey than of winning a third straight AL West title in 2017.
They're not going to go quietly, however.
Nor will they stop being fun to watch. When they've been at their best, the Rangers have had one of the league's most multi-talented lineups. They've hit, they've run and they've played defense.
This well-rounded attack will return in 2017 and will once again be spearheaded by Adrian Beltre, Elvis Andrus, Rougned Odor and Carlos Gomez. And while Odor's and Gomez's antics have rubbed more things than just Beltre's head the wrong way, there's swagger here that's hard to ignore.
The Rangers lineup will also feature a good dose of power. Mike Napoli will do his part in his return to Texas, and Beltre, Odor, Jonathan Lucroy and Nomar Mazara all pack a punch as well. This may also be the year that Joey Gallo, he of the rare 80-grade power, finally puts it together.
Where Texas' roster begins to look a little shaky is on the mound. As Gertrude Stein might say, "there's not much there there."
It's not all bad, though. Ace lefty Cole Hamels and strikeout maestro Yu Darvish are a hell of a one-two punch. Elsewhere, Sam Dyson and Matt Bush are among the returnees from last year's hard-throwing bullpen.
The Rangers in a Nutshell: A step down from 2016 is in order, but the Rangers will still be a good place to look for good baseball at any given moment.
8. Colorado Rockies
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The Colorado Rockies have the rotten luck of sharing the NL West with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants, so it's difficult to see them finishing any higher than third in 2017.
It'll be a fun ride there, however.
The Rockies are going to hit. As in, even more than usual. It wasn't just because of Coors Field that they led the NL in runs last year, after all. In Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story, DJ LeMahieu, Carlos Gonzalez and Charlie Blackmon, their lineup was anchored by legitimately good hitters.
The signing of Ian Desmond gives them another quality bat. If David Dahl gets regular playing time, that'll be yet another. All told, I have a hard time disagreeing with ESPN.com's Buster Olney's assessment that Colorado's lineup is the second best in the entire league.
Most years, the counterpoint would boil down to, "Yeah, but pitching." Not so much this year.
Jon Gray turned himself into a potential ace with the adjustments he made in 2016. Tyler Anderson, Tyler Chatwood and Chad Bettis were above average pitchers as well. And with a collective taste for ground balls, these guys will keep an athletic infield busy.
Don't discount what the Rockies have in their bullpen, either. Health will be the deciding factor, but the trio of Jake McGee, Adam Ottavino and Greg Holland has the potential to be elite.
The Rockies in a Nutshell: Their offense will test the limits of scoreboards everywhere, and the entire team will look unbeatable on days when the pitching is there.
7. Houston Astros
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When Sports Illustrated proclaimed the Houston Astros the 2017 World Series champs back in 2014, maybe they knew what they were doing after all.
The Astros are projected by PECOTA to be the American League's best team in 2017. There's a lot to unpack with that, but the club's new-look lineup is a big factor.
The Astros relied too heavily on Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, George Springer and Evan Gattis last year, leading to ups and downs with their run scoring. But in recent months, top prospect Alex Bregman, Cuban import Yulieski Gurriel and offseason additions Carlos Beltran, Josh Reddick, Brian McCann and Nori Aoki have all joined the fray.
Like that, what was one of the league's shallowest lineups is now one of the deepest.
"I think we have guys that may hit at the bottom of the order that have never done it before, and that's a great luxury to have as a manager," Astros skipper A.J. Hinch told Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.
Of course, the Astros will also need to pitch. The pressure is on Dallas Keuchel, Collin McHugh, Lance McCullers, Charlie Morton and Mike Fiers to put rough 2016 seasons behind them and give the club good starting pitching.
The names involved make that a solid bet, however. So does the ability of the club's relievers to ease the burden. Ken Giles and Luke Gregerson are returnees from last year's low-key elite bullpen.
The Astros in a Nutshell: Their lineup is going to grind opposing pitchers into dust, and their own pitchers should be good enough to ensure it doesn't go to waste.
6. Los Angeles Dodgers
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With Vin Scully having hung up his mic, the Los Angeles Dodgers will have to entertain fans without any help from the GOAT in 2017.
Fair enough.
The Dodgers have won four straight NL West titles and are projected by PECOTA to be the best team in any division in 2017. They have the stars for the job, including baseball's best pitcher (Clayton Kershaw) and arguably baseball's best shortstop (Corey Seager) and closer (Kenley Jansen).
However, it's really what's underneath these guys that makes the Dodgers so good.
Nobody else is on Seager's level in their lineup, but it's filled with players who can both hit the ball and catch it. That's Joc Pederson, Justin Turner, Adrian Gonzalez, Logan Forsythe, Yasmani Grandal—and possibly Yasiel Puig too if he gets his act together.
Likewise, there's nobody on Kershaw's level in the Dodgers pitching staff. Unless you want to count Rich Hill, of course. When he hasn't been hurt, he's demonstrated the term "spin rate," as he's put up a 2.00 ERA over the last two years. Kenta Maeda also makes his pitches dance.
Some combination of Julio Urias, Scott Kazmir, Brandon McCarthy, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Alex Wood will ensure the Dodgers get good work at the back end of their rotation, too. Sergio Romo, Pedro Baez and Grant Dayton will be a strong bridge to Jansen late in games.
The Dodgers in a Nutshell: The lack of weak links will keep the wins coming, and the big stars will ensure it doesn't always feel like business as usual.
5. Toronto Blue Jays
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With respect to 2016 All-Star Michael Saunders, Edwin Encarnacion is the guy the Toronto Blue Jays are really going to miss. The Blue Jays without him is like Indiana Jones without a bullwhip.
Good thing they still have the hat, the jacket and the satchel.
Encarnacion-sized hole be damned, it's hard to look at a lineup anchored by Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista, Troy Tulowitzki, Kendrys Morales, Russell Martin and Devon Travis and be unimpressed. To wit, the PECOTA projections have Toronto pegged for the AL East's best offense—or "offence," if you prefer.
Meanwhile, what the Blue Jays have on the mound really deserves more attention.
They're returning American League ERA champ Aaron Sanchez and J.A. Happ, Marco Estrada and Marcus Stroman. They combined for a 3.52 ERA in 767 innings last year. The upside of Sanchez and Stroman is a reason to expect even better things in 2017.
Another perk offered by Blue Jays starters? They were the quickest workers in the league last year. And hey, who wouldn't want to work quickly when you have the AL's best defense (or defence) behind you?
That defense will also be back in 2017. It will be more efficient than flashy most nights, but Kevin Pillar will do his part to meet any flashiness quotas. The dude can catch literally anything.
The Blue Jays in a Nutshell: A major power source has gone out, but the Blue Jays will still feature a mix of power, pitching and defense.
4. Washington Nationals
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Now begins the obligatory preseason hype for the Washington Nationals. Based on their spotty track record of living up to it, this is dangerous ground.
And make no mistake, there's a threat of the Nats going splat again in 2017. Their are real question marks in their lineup and rotation, and their bullpen could use at least one name-brand reliever.
But the stars, people. The stars!
The middle of Washington's lineup will be lethal if Bryce Harper turns back the clock to 2015 and teams up with the 2016 versions of Anthony Rendon and Daniel Murphy. Jayson Werth isn't shabby either, and Ryan Zimmerman actually had a large hand in making the Nats the league's hardest-hitting team last year.
This lineup also features a dynamite pair of table-setters. Trea Turner is a budding superstar with power and speed. Newcomer Adam Eaton has power and speed of his own, and energy to spare.
"He plays with an edge," Nats general manager Mike Rizzo said of Eaton, via MLB.com's Jamal Collier. "He's playing 100 miles an hour with his hair on fire, he hustles, he will dive for balls, he will steal a base, he goes into second base hard."
On the other side of the ball, Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg will feature no-hit stuff every fifth day. There's a drop-off after them, but Tanner Roark, Gio Gonzalez and Joe Ross are serviceable starters.
The Nationals in a Nutshell: An imperfect team, but one that should score a ton of runs and regularly enjoy dominant starting pitching.
3. Cleveland Indians
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What kind of list would this be without the defending American League champs, am I right?
It's a no-brainer, according to PECOTA. It has the Cleveland Indians winning the AL Central by plenty, with run prevention being the key to the quest.
It will be a source of entertainment, to boot. The Indians are carrying over one of last year's top defenses, and they have outstanding arms in their rotation and their bullpen.
Led by former Cy Young winner Corey Kluber, Cleveland starters were fourth in fastball velocity and strikeouts last year. And that was without full seasons from Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar, who are now healthy.
Indians starters will get to hand the ball off to Andrew Miller and Cody Allen. The former is a strikeout fiend with a WMD slider. The latter has wicked stuff of his own.
There's loads of talent in Cleveland's lineup as well. Encarnacion is in to provide thump alongside the underrated Carlos Santana. A healthy Michael Brantley will be another two-way star alongside Jose Ramirez, Jason Kipnis and the game's most well-rounded shortstop, Francisco Lindor.
“He’s one of those guys, kind of a foundation player," Kipnis told Tyler Kepner of the New York Times last October. "You can write him in the lineup, and you know he’s going to show up every day. Like: ‘We know Lindor’s in the lineup at short, and let’s worry about the other eight positions.’”
The Indians in a Nutshell: The same brand of baseball that got the Indians to the World Series in 2016 will be on display again in 2017.
2. Boston Red Sox
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David Ortiz, one of the most charismatic stars in recent memory, will not be suiting up for the Boston Red Sox in 2017. Alas.
But also, oh well.
After slugging 30 homers in 2016, Hanley Ramirez is a natural fit for Ortiz's designated hitter shoes. Dustin Pedroia is a fellow ol' standby who should provide his usual .300 average and Gold Glove defense.
Then there are Boston's Killer B's.
Mookie Betts couldn't beat Mike Trout for the AL MVP last year, but he nonetheless cemented himself as one of baseball's top two-way superstars. Jackie Bradley Jr. and Xander Bogaerts were All-Stars in 2016. Andrew Benintendi is going into his first major league season as MLB.com's No. 1 prospect.
That's a hell of a lineup, and it might not even be the best thing about the 2017 Red Sox.
It could be their starting rotation. It was good when it featured Cy Young winner Rick Porcello and former Cy Young winner David Price. The addition of Chris Sale, himself an annual Cy Young contender, made it better. Even at the back end, the Red Sox have a pair of All-Stars in Steven Wright and Drew Pomeranz.
Don't underestimate Boston's bullpen either. Craig Kimbrel will be joined by newcomer Tyler Thornburg and relief convert Joe Kelly, giving the Red Sox a late-inning relief corps that can bring it.
"We've got some arms, that's for sure," said Kimbrel, via Ian Browne of MLB.com.
The Red Sox in a Nutshell: With a stacked lineup, rotation and bullpen, Big Papi may miss the Red Sox more than they'll miss him.
1. Chicago Cubs
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Yes, a team that won 103 games and the World Series in 2016 will be fun to watch in 2017. Please contain your surprise.
Dexter Fowler, Aroldis Chapman and Jason Hammel are missing from last year's team. But the other big ones are still in place, which means the Cubs have largely kept intact a team that was good at everything.
After finishing second in the NL in runs and OPS, the Cubs are going to hit again in 2017. Kris Bryant will be the center of attention following his MVP win and will get plenty of support from Anthony Rizzo and Ben Zobrist. Following his torn ACL, Kyle Schwarber should be back with a vengeance in 2017.
The Cubs also retain a defense that was tops in efficiency in 2016. Addison Russell and Javier Baez are an excellent double-play combination. Chicago's defense should be further helped by having Willson Contreras behind the dish and Albert Almora in center field for the whole year.
The big sleeper in the mix? Jason Heyward.
The Cubs know he can field, but they signed him for $184 million because they thought he could hit. After producing just a .631 OPS in 2016, he's been working hard to prove them right in 2017.
With former Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta, reigning ERA champion Kyle Hendricks and Jon Lester leading the way, the Cubs rotation will make a run at matching last year's league-best 2.96 ERA. Wade Davis and a parade of impressive arms will clean up in the bullpen.
The Cubs in a Nutshell: Literally, the Cubs.
Data courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com, FanGraphs, Baseball Prospectus and Baseball Savant.
