MLB Power Rankings: Where All 30 Teams Stand on Opening Day
The 2017 MLB season kicked off with a tripleheader of games on Sunday, and ahead of Monday's full slate of action, it's time to officially unveil our Opening Day power rankings.
All offseason we've shuffled teams around based on free-agent signings, trades, injuries and position battles. In many cases there was a simple shift in opinion as the cold winter months wore on and we moved closer to the start of the regular season.
From here on out, we'll have actual on-field results to base these rankings on, but for now, they're still largely subjective and based on how the teams stack up on paper.
These rankings are a fluid process throughout the course of the season. Win, and you climb. Continue to win, and you'll continue to climb. It's as simple as that, yet it never fails to spark some of the best debate in the MLB community.
So who is baseball's No. 1 team on Opening Day? Where does your favorite team fall in our first regular-season power rankings? (Names in bold signify new acquisitions.)
30. San Diego Padres
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Season Outlook
Fun fact: The San Diego Padres are spending less on their active roster ($28.8784 million) than they are on players who have been traded or released ($37.05 million), per Spotrac.
This is what ground zero of a rebuild looks like, folks.
The Opening Day roster will feature six rookies—including three Rule 5 picks—and a starting rotation made up of four veterans who signed one-year deals in the offseason and one holdover who was a Rule 5 selection a year ago.
Wil Myers has established himself as a franchise cornerstone, and the arrivals of Manuel Margot, Hunter Renfroe and Austin Hedges provide some hope for the future, but a 100-loss season looks inevitable in 2017.
Opening Day Roster
| LF Travis Jankowski | RHP Jhoulys Chacin |
| CF Manuel Margot (R) | LHP Clayton Richard |
| 1B Wil Myers | RHP Trevor Cahill |
| 2B Yangervis Solarte | RHP Jered Weaver |
| RF Hunter Renfroe (R) | RHP Luis Perdomo |
| 3B Ryan Schimpf | |
| C Austin Hedges | RHP Miguel Diaz (R) |
| SS Erick Aybar | RHP Jarred Cosart |
| RHP Christian Bethancourt | |
| C Luis Torrens (R) | LHP Jose Torres (R) |
| C Hector Sanchez | RHP Craig Stammen |
| IF Allen Cordoba (R) | LHP Brad Hand |
| IF/OF Luis Sardinas | LHP Ryan Buchter |
| RHP Brandon Maurer | |
29. Cincinnati Reds
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Season Outlook
The Cincinnati Reds have closed out back-to-back seasons in the NL Central cellar and there's a good chance that's where they'll reside once again this coming season.
With Homer Bailey (elbow bone chip removal) and Anthony DeSclafani (sprained elbow) both starting the season on the disabled list, the team will get an early look at a handful of young arms that includes Amir Garrett, Rookie Davis, Robert Stephenson and Cody Reed.
A path has also been cleared for speedy middle infielder Jose Peraza to take over as the starting second baseman after he hit .324 with 21 stolen bases in 72 games as a rookie.
Evaluating the young talent and continuing to build for the future looks like the name of the game in 2017.
Opening Day Roster
| CF Billy Hamilton | RHP Scott Feldman |
| 2B Jose Peraza | LHP Brandon Finnegan |
| 1B Joey Votto | RHP Rookie Davis (R) |
| LF Adam Duvall | LHP Amir Garrett (R) |
| 3B Eugenio Suarez | |
| RF Scott Schebler | LHP Cody Reed |
| SS Zack Cozart | RHP Robert Stephenson (R) |
| C Tucker Barnhart | LHP Wandy Peralta |
| RHP Barrett Astin (R) | |
| C Stuart Turner (R) | RHP Blake Wood |
| 1B/OF Patrick Kivlehan (R) | LHP Tony Cingrani |
| IF Scooter Gennett | RHP Michael Lorenzen |
| IF/OF Arismendy Alcantara | RHP Drew Storen |
| RHP Raisel Iglesias |
28. Chicago White Sox
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Season Outlook
All eyes will be on the Chicago White Sox Triple-A affiliate, the Charlotte Knights, to begin the 2017 season.
That roster is home to a number of the team's top prospects—including Yoan Moncada, Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez, Carson Fulmer and Zack Burdi—and those players all figure to work their way into significant roles at the MLB level in short order.
A long overdue rebuild finally kicked into high gear when the team shipped off Chris Sale and Adam Eaton during the winter meetings, and there figures to be more wheeling and dealing between now and Aug. 1.
Jose Quintana is the crown jewel of the remaining trade chips, and this season will be all about maximizing the value of incumbent veterans and smoothly transitioning the next wave of young talent to the MLB level.
Opening Day Roster
| SS Tim Anderson | LHP Jose Quintana |
| LF Melky Cabrera | RHP James Shields |
| 1B Jose Abreu | LHP Derek Holland |
| 3B Todd Frazier | RHP Miguel Gonzalez |
| RF Avisail Garcia | RHP Dylan Covey (R) |
| DH Cody Asche | |
| C Geovany Soto | RHP Michael Ynoa |
| 2B Tyler Saladino | RHP Anthony Swarzak |
| CF Jacob May (R) | RHP Jake Petricka |
| RHP Zach Putnam | |
| C Omar Narvaez (R) | LHP Dan Jennings |
| 1B/3B Matt Davidson | RHP Nate Jones |
| IF Yolmer Sanchez | RHP David Robertson |
| IF/OF Leury Garcia |
27. Minnesota Twins
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Season Outlook
The Minnesota Twins had the second-worst team ERA (5.08) in baseball a year ago and it's hard to see them taking a huge step forward from their 59-103 showing with essentially the same crop of arms.
Rookie Adalberto Mejia edged out Jose Berrios and Tyler Duffey for the No. 5 starter job, and the team signed veteran relievers in Craig Breslow and Matt Belisle to round out the bullpen, but it still looks like one of the weaker staffs in the league top-to-bottom.
Breakout seasons from Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano would go a long way on the offensive side of things, and the new catching tandem of Jason Castro and Chris Gimenez will no doubt have a positive impact on the aforementioned pitching staff.
Still, a battle with the Chicago White Sox for fourth place in the AL Central seems like the best-case scenario.
Opening Day Roster
| 2B Brian Dozier | RHP Ervin Santana |
| CF Byron Buxton | LHP Hector Santiago |
| 1B Joe Mauer | RHP Kyle Gibson |
| 3B Miguel Sano | RHP Phil Hughes |
| RF Max Kepler | LHP Adalberto Mejia (R) |
| DH Robbie Grossman | |
| LF Eddie Rosario | RHP Tyler Duffey |
| SS Jorge Polanco | RHP Justin Haley (R) |
| C Jason Castro | LHP Craig Breslow |
| RHP Michael Tonkin | |
| C Chris Gimenez | LHP Taylor Rogers |
| IF Eduardo Escobar | RHP Matt Belisle |
| IF/OF Danny Santana | RHP Ryan Pressly |
| RHP Brandon Kintzler |
26. Oakland Athletics
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Season Outlook
The Oakland Athletics added some useful veteran pieces this offseason with Matt Joyce, Trevor Plouffe and Rajai Davis joining the starting lineup and Santiago Casilla bolstering the bullpen.
However, with Sonny Gray (shoulder strain) beginning the season on the disabled list, their starting rotation boasts a combined 92 career starts, and most of those have come from Kendall Graveman and Sean Manaea—a duo better suited to be rounding out a staff than fronting it.
Ryon Healy was a pleasant surprise as a rookie and slugger Khris Davis is capable of matching his 42-homer, 102-RBI season, but the lineup doesn't exactly boast the firepower to prop up that suspect starting rotation.
In what could wind up being a four-team battle for AL West supremacy, the A's appear to be the one clear also-ran in the division.
Opening Day Roster
| RF Matt Joyce | RHP Kendall Graveman |
| 2B Jed Lowrie | LHP Sean Manaea |
| DH Ryon Healy | RHP Jharel Cotton (R) |
| LF Khris Davis | RHP Andrew Triggs |
| C Stephen Vogt | RHP Raul Alcantara |
| 3B Trevor Plouffe | |
| SS Marcus Semien | RHP Frankie Montas (R) |
| 1B Yonder Alonso | LHP Daniel Coulombe |
| CF Rajai Davis | RHP Liam Hendriks |
| RHP John Axford | |
| C Josh Phegley | RHP Ryan Dull |
| 1B/OF Mark Canha | RHP Santiago Casilla |
| IF Adam Rosales | LHP Sean Doolittle |
| RHP Ryan Madson |
25. Milwaukee Brewers
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Season Outlook
The Milwaukee Brewers will be hoping for more surprise performances like the ones they received from Jonathan Villar, Junior Guerra and Keon Broxton a year ago.
Guerra has a chance to emerge as a valuable trade chip if he can prove his out-of-nowhere performance as a 31-year-old rookie was the real deal—he pitched to a 2.81 ERA and 1.13 WHIP over 121.2 innings of work.
Make no mistake, this club is still very much in the flipping veteran pieces for prospect-talent stage of rebuilding, albeit a bit further along in that process than some of the teams ranked below them here.
Outfielder Lewis Brinson and left-hander Josh Hader look like the next top prospects on the horizon in what should be an exciting year of ushering in rookie talent and another push for fourth place in the NL Central.
Opening Day Roster
| 2B Jonathan Villar | RHP Junior Guerra |
| CF Keon Broxton | RHP Zach Davies |
| LF Ryan Braun | RHP Wily Peralta |
| 1B Eric Thames | RHP Chase Anderson |
| RF Domingo Santana | RHP Jimmy Nelson |
| 3B Travis Shaw | |
| SS Orlando Arcia | RHP Taylor Jungmann |
| C Jett Bandy | LHP Tommy Milone |
| RHP Jared Hughes | |
| C Manny Pina (R) | RHP Jacob Barnes |
| 1B Jesus Aguilar | RHP Jhan Marinez |
| IF/OF Hernan Perez | RHP Carlos Torres |
| OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis | RHP Corey Knebel |
| RHP Neftali Feliz |
24. Philadelphia Phillies
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Season Outlook
One thing the Philadelphia Phillies have on most of the other teams in this bottom tier is a starting rotation with significant upside.
Jeremy Hellickson proved to be a successful reclamation project a year ago, and the team is hoping for similar results from Clay Buchholz. Meanwhile, the young trio of Jerad Eickhoff, Aaron Nola and Vincent Velasquez are all capable of taking another step forward after flashing plenty of potential a year ago.
However, the offense—which finished last in the majors at 3.77 runs per game—could struggle to score runs once again, even with the offseason additions of Howie Kendrick and Michael Saunders.
The Phillies appear to be one year away from spending big in free agency and making a serious run at contending, but for now, the focus remains on shaping the young core and deciding who fits into the long-term plans.
Opening Day Roster
| 2B Cesar Hernandez | RHP Jeremy Hellickson |
| LF Howie Kendrick | RHP Jerad Eickhoff |
| CF Odubel Herrera | RHP Clay Buchholz |
| 3B Maikel Franco | RHP Vincent Velasquez |
| RF Michael Saunders | RHP Aaron Nola |
| 1B Tommy Joseph | |
| SS Freddy Galvis | LHP Adam Morgan |
| C Cameron Rupp | RHP Edubray Ramos |
| LHP Joely Rodriguez (R) | |
| C Andrew Knapp (R) | RHP Pat Neshek |
| 1B Brock Stassi (R) | RHP Hector Neris |
| 1B/OF Daniel Nava | RHP Joaquin Benoit |
| IF Andres Blanco | RHP Jeanmar Gomez |
| OF Aaron Altherr |
23. Atlanta Braves
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Season Outlook
The Atlanta Braves will usher in SunTrust Park with a roster that features an interesting mix of up-and-coming young talent and veteran leadership.
Adding the trio of Bartolo Colon, Jaime Garcia and R.A. Dickey should help bring some stability to a rotation that finished 28th in starter's ERA (4.87) and burned through 16 different starters over the course of last season.
Those are clearly stopgap additions, though, as the team waits on a deep crop of pitching prospects that largely populated the lower levels of the minors last season. Meanwhile, shortstop Dansby Swanson has emerged as the face of the team's rebuilding efforts as the first star-caliber player to rise to the MLB ranks from what is one of the better farm systems in baseball.
The future is bright and the present should be at least relatively competitive, although contending is still unlikely.
Opening Day Roster
| CF Ender Inciarte | RHP Julio Teheran |
| SS Dansby Swanson (R) | RHP Bartolo Colon |
| 1B Freddie Freeman | LHP Jaime Garcia |
| LF Matt Kemp | RHP R.A. Dickey |
| RF Nick Markakis | RHP Mike Foltynewicz |
| 2B Brandon Phillips | |
| 3B Adonis Garcia | RHP Josh Collmenter |
| C Tyler Flowers | RHP Chaz Roe |
| LHP Eric O'Flaherty | |
| C Anthony Recker | RHP Jose Ramirez |
| C Kurt Suzuki | LHP Ian Krol |
| IF Jace Peterson | RHP Arodys Vizcaino |
| IF/OF Emilio Bonifacio | RHP Jim Johnson |
| IF/OF Chase d'Arnaud |
22. Tampa Bay Rays
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Season Outlook
As is usually the case, the Tampa Bay Rays will go as far as their starting rotation can carry them in 2017.
Despite trading Matt Moore last summer and Drew Smyly during the offseason, the staff still has a chance to be a strength if Chris Archer returns to ace form, Alex Cobb stays healthy and Blake Snell takes another step forward in his sophomore campaign.
The offense got a nice boost from Brad Miller and his 30-homer performance alongside Evan Longoria last season, and Colby Rasmus, Wilson Ramos, Derek Norris and Mallex Smith were all added to the mix during the offseason. Still, this won't be a club that outslugs opponents, especially in the AL East.
This franchise has gotten more out of less, but at this point, it looks like they'll have their hands full trying to avoid a second consecutive last-place finish.
Opening Day Roster
| DH Corey Dickerson | RHP Chris Archer |
| CF Kevin Kiermaier | RHP Jake Odorizzi |
| 3B Evan Longoria | RHP Alex Cobb |
| 2B Brad Miller | LHP Blake Snell |
| RF Steven Souza | RHP Matt Andriese |
| 1B Logan Morrison | |
| SS Tim Beckham | RHP Austin Pruitt (R) |
| LF Mallex Smith | RHP Erasmo Ramirez |
| C Derek Norris | RHP Jumbo Diaz |
| RHP Danny Farquhar | |
| C Jesus Sucre | LHP Xavier Cedeno |
| 1B/OF Rickie Weeks Jr. | RHP Tommy Hunter |
| IF Daniel Robertson (R) | RHP Alex Colome |
| OF Peter Bourjos |
21. Los Angeles Angels
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Season Outlook
The Los Angeles Angels offseason additions may appear modest on the surface, but they shored up several weaknesses without sacrificing any future financial flexibility.
Second base (.235 BA, .620 OPS) and left field (.204 BA, .584 OPS) were both offensive black holes last season, and starting pitching depth was a concern as well.
Adding Danny Espinosa, Cameron Maybin, Ben Revere, Jesse Chavez, Yusmeiro Petit and Bud Norris addressed all three of those issues without breaking the bank.
Whether that's enough to make a run at contending in a talented AL West remains to be seen, but they appear to be in better shape than the group that went 74-88 a year ago.
Opening Day Roster
| 3B Yunel Escobar | RHP Ricky Nolasco |
| RF Kole Calhoun | RHP Matt Shoemaker |
| CF Mike Trout | RHP Garrett Richards |
| DH Albert Pujols | LHP Tyler Skaggs |
| 1B C.J. Cron | RHP Jesse Chavez |
| LF Cameron Maybin | |
| SS Andrelton Simmons | RHP Yusmeiro Petit |
| 2B Danny Espinosa | RHP Bud Norris |
| C Martin Maldonado | RHP Blake Parker |
| LHP Jose Alvarez | |
| C Carlos Perez | RHP J.C. Ramirez |
| IF Cliff Pennington | RHP Andrew Bailey |
| IF/OF Jefry Marte | RHP Cam Bedrosian |
| OF Ben Revere |
20. Kansas City Royals
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Season Outlook
The Kansas City Royals are gearing up for one last hurrah before the band breaks up in free agency.
Lorenzo Cain, Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and Alcides Escobar are all set to hit the open market next offseason, and it's abundantly clear that the small-market club can't afford to keep all of those guys.
That said, healthy seasons from Cain and Moustakas and a bit more stability in the starting rotation with the additions of Jason Hammel, Travis Wood and Nathan Karns could help the team rebound from a disappointing title defense and there's enough talent here for a run at a wild-card spot.
Otherwise, a summer fire sale could forthcoming, and they could certainly use the prospect talent as they currently boast one of the weaker farm systems in baseball.
Opening Day Roster
| LF Alex Gordon | LHP Danny Duffy |
| 3B Mike Moustakas | RHP Ian Kennedy |
| CF Lorenzo Cain | RHP Jason Hammel |
| 1B Eric Hosmer | LHP Jason Vargas |
| C Salvador Perez | RHP Nathan Karns |
| DH Brandon Moss | |
| RF Paulo Orlando | LHP Mike Minor |
| SS Alcides Escobar | RHP Chris Young |
| 2B Raul Mondesi | LHP Travis Wood |
| RHP Peter Moylan | |
| C Drew Butera | LHP Matt Strahm (R) |
| IF Christian Colon | RHP Joakim Soria |
| IF Cheslor Cuthbert | RHP Kelvin Herrera |
| OF Terrance Gore |
19. Arizona Diamondbacks
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Season Outlook
The Arizona Diamondbacks are one of the more intriguing dark-horse candidates on the heels of a wildly disappointing 69-93 season.
A.J. Pollock and David Peralta should provide a major boost to the offense after playing a combined 60 games while battling injuries a year ago, while the starting rotation has significant upside and couldn't possibly be worse than the group that posted an NL-worst 5.19 ERA.
Taijuan Walker, Robbie Ray and Brandon Drury all profile as potential breakout candidates, and the starting staff has considerable depth with former top prospects Archie Bradley and Braden Shipley among those waiting in the wings.
The retooled bullpen could be the biggest X-factor as the D-backs look to make a significant turnaround and contend for a playoff spot.
Opening Day Roster
| CF A.J. Pollock | RHP Zack Greinke |
| SS Chris Owings | LHP Patrick Corbin |
| 1B Paul Goldschmidt | RHP Taijuan Walker |
| 3B Jake Lamb | LHP Robbie Ray |
| LF Yasmany Tomas | RHP Shelby Miller |
| 2B Brandon Drury | |
| RF David Peralta | RHP Archie Bradley |
| C Jeff Mathis | LHP Jorge De La Rosa |
| RHP J.J. Hoover | |
| C Chris Iannetta | LHP Andrew Chafin |
| C/OF Chris Herrmann | RHP Tom Wilhelmsen |
| IF Nick Ahmed | RHP Randall Delgado |
| IF/OF Daniel Descalso | RHP Fernando Rodney |
| OF Jeremy Hazelbaker |
18. Miami Marlins
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Season Outlook
There are obvious reasons for optimism with a Miami Marlins team that finished 79-82 a year ago.
Full seasons of Giancarlo Stanton (119 games) and Dee Gordon (79 games) should boost the offense, while the additions of Junichi Tazawa and Brad Ziegler to an already talented bullpen potentially gives them one of the best relief corps in all of baseball.
It's hard to look past that starting rotation, though.
Edinson Volquez and Dan Straily were nice additions to round out the staff, but the lack of incumbent talent means those two will be fronting the staff. It's essentially a collection of No. 4/5 starter types hoping to make it through the lineup twice before turning things over to that dangerous bullpen.
That might not sound like a recipe for success, but this is a better team than the one that won 79 games, so wild-card contention would appear to be within reach.
Opening Day Roster
| 2B Dee Gordon | RHP Edinson Volquez |
| C J.T. Realmuto | RHP Dan Straily |
| CF Christian Yelich | RHP Tom Koehler |
| RF Giancarlo Stanton | LHP Wei-Yin Chen |
| 1B Justin Bour | LHP Adam Conley |
| LF Marcell Ozuna | |
| 3B Derek Dietrich | RHP Jose Urena |
| SS Adeiny Hechavarria | RHP David Phelps |
| RHP Nick Wittgren | |
| C A.J. Ellis | RHP Dustin McGowan |
| 1B/OF Tyler Moore | RHP Junichi Tazawa |
| IF Miguel Rojas | RHP Brad Ziegler |
| OF Ichiro Suzuki | RHP Kyle Barraclough |
| RHP A.J. Ramos |
17. Colorado Rockies
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Season Outlook
The Colorado Rockies have been a popular pick all offseason to be the surprise contender of 2017.
However, an injury-plagued spring costs them a few spots in these Opening Day rankings as David Dahl, Ian Desmond, Tom Murphy, Chad Bettis, Chad Qualls and Chris Rusin all start the season on the disabled list.
Once they're back to full strength, they should again boast one of the most potent offenses in baseball, and the trio of Jon Gray, Tyler Anderson and Tyler Chatwood atop the starting rotation finally gives the pitching staff the look of a group that is capable of backing that high-scoring lineup.
The rookie trio of Antonio Senzatela, Kyle Freeland and German Marquez will ultimately go a long way in determining just how good the rotation will be, and the same can be said for reclamation project Greg Holland at the back of the bullpen.
There's some intriguing potential here, though.
Opening Day Roster
| CF Charlie Blackmon | RHP Jon Gray |
| 2B DJ LeMahieu | LHP Tyler Anderson |
| 3B Nolan Arenado | RHP Tyler Chatwood |
| RF Carlos Gonzalez | RHP Antonio Senzatela (R) |
| SS Trevor Story | LHP Kyle Freeland (R) |
| LF Gerardo Parra | |
| 1B Mark Reynolds | RHP German Marquez (R) |
| C Tony Wolters | RHP Jordan Lyles |
| RHP Scott Oberg | |
| C Dustin Garneau | LHP Mike Dunn |
| IF Cristhian Adames | RHP Carlos Estevez |
| IF/OF Alexi Amarista | LHP Jake McGee |
| OF Stephen Cardullo (R) | RHP Greg Holland |
| RHP Adam Ottavino |
16. Baltimore Orioles
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Season Outlook
The Baltimore Orioles found their way into the Wild Card Game last season on the strength of a powerful lineup that led the majors with 253 home runs and a bullpen that finished third in the majors and first in the AL with a 3.40 ERA behind the trio of Zach Britton, Brad Brach and Darren O'Day.
It was hard to view them as a legitimate title contender, though, because of a weak starting rotation and that went unaddressed again this offseason.
Chris Tillman (shoulder bursitis) and Wade Miley (respiratory infection) will eventually join Kevin Gausman, Dylan Bundy and Ubaldo Jimenez to make up a fairly weak staff that is also thin on reinforcements should injuries become a bigger issue.
Expect the O's to once again be in the mix for a wild-card spot, but a step back from last year's 89 wins looks like a real possibility.
Opening Day Roster
| LF Hyun Soo Kim | RHP Kevin Gausman |
| CF Adam Jones | RHP Dylan Bundy |
| 3B Manny Machado | RHP Ubaldo Jimenez |
| 1B Chris Davis | |
| DH Mark Trumbo | LHP Vidal Nuno |
| RF Seth Smith | RHP Tyler Wison |
| 2B Jonathan Schoop | RHP Oliver Drake |
| C Welington Castillo | LHP Donnie Hart |
| SS J.J. Hardy | RHP Mychal Givens |
| RHP Darren O'Day | |
| C Caleb Joseph | RHP Brad Brach |
| 1B/OF Trey Mancini (R) | LHP Zach Britton |
| IF/OF Ryan Flaherty | |
| OF Craig Gentry | |
| OF Joey Rickard |
15. Pittsburgh Pirates
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Season Outlook
After a 98-win season in 2015, the Pittsburgh Pirates were among the biggest disappointments of the 2016 season as they fell to 78-83 to snap a run of three consecutive postseason appearances.
Even with a career-worst season from Andrew McCutchen, the Pirates averaged 4.5 runs per game last season, and with impact rookie Josh Bell taking over as the starting first baseman and McCutchen likely to bounce back in some capacity, scoring runs shouldn't be an issue.
It's the young starting rotation that will be the deciding factor in whether the Bucs contend in 2017.
Gerrit Cole needs to pitch like an ace and Ivan Nova needs to prove his two months in Pittsburgh last season were the real deal ahead of a trio of young arms in Jameson Taillon, Chad Kuhl and Tyler Glasnow that has quite a range between floor and ceiling.
The middle ground between their terrific 2015 and disappointing 2016 seems like a reasonable expectation and that may be enough to contend for a wild-card berth.
Opening Day Roster
| 2B Josh Harrison | RHP Gerrit Cole |
| 1B Josh Bell (R) | RHP Jameson Taillon |
| RF Andrew McCutchen | RHP Chad Kuhl |
| CF Starling Marte | RHP Ivan Nova |
| LF Gregory Polanco | RHP Tyler Glasnow (R) |
| 3B David Freese | |
| C Francisco Cervelli | LHP Wade LeBlanc |
| SS Jordy Mercer | RHP Trevor Williams (R) |
| LHP Antonio Bastardo | |
| C Chris Stewart | RHP Juan Nicasio |
| 1B John Jaso | LHP Felipe Rivero |
| IF Alen Hanson (R) | RHP Daniel Hudson |
| IF/OF Adam Frazier | LHP Tony Watson |
| IF/OF Phil Gosselin |
14. Detroit Tigers
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Season Outlook
Props to the Detroit Tigers for putting the good of the team ahead of payroll obligations.
When push came to shove in the starting rotation, Anibal Sanchez and his $16.8 million salary were slotted in the bullpen, while Mike Pelfrey and his $8 million salary were released in favor of the young lefty duo of Daniel Norris and Matt Boyd.
Now the question is whether that starting rotation will be good enough for them to contend.
Actually, the bullpen might be a bigger concern as it finished 24th in the majors with a 4.22 reliever's ERA last season and didn't make any notable additions. Top prospect Joe Jimenez should provide a boost at some point, but it might take more than one reinforcement.
The front office tabled the idea of rebuilding fairly early in the offseason, but it's something that could be revisited if they struggle early. This team looks good enough to stick around in the wild-card race, though.
Opening Day Roster
| 2B Ian Kinsler | RHP Justin Verlander |
| 3B Nick Castellanos | RHP Jordan Zimmermann |
| 1B Miguel Cabrera | LHP Daniel Norris |
| DH Victor Martinez | RHP Michael Fulmer |
| LF Justin Upton | LHP Matt Boyd |
| RF Mikie Mahtook | |
| C James McCann | RHP Shane Greene |
| CF JaCoby Jones (R) | RHP Anibal Sanchez |
| SS Jose Iglesias | LHP Kyle Ryan |
| RHP Bruce Rondon | |
| C Alex Avila | LHP Justin Wilson |
| IF Dixon Machado (R) | RHP Alex Wilson |
| IF/OF Andrew Romine | RHP Francisco Rodriguez |
| OF Tyler Collins |
13. New York Yankees
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Season Outlook
The New York Yankees are building toward something big with arguably the top farm system in the game and a level of payroll flexibility they have not seen in years.
This is not a franchise that will ever go into rebuilding mode, though, so the expectation is still to contend while they wait on the young talent and that vaunted 2018/19 free-agent class to arrive.
The starting rotation will be the deciding factor in whether that happens.
Masahiro Tanaka was shaky on Opening Day, but he's a legitimate ace. The rest of the staff is a huge question mark, though, as a diminished CC Sabathia, the wildly inconsistent Michael Pineda and talented but raw Luis Severino will be leaned on heavily.
Anything from a fourth-place finish and also-ran status by midseason to legitimate contention for a wild-card spot seems possible for this group.
Opening Day Roster
| LF Brett Gardner | RHP Masahiro Tanaka |
| C Gary Sanchez | LHP CC Sabathia |
| 1B Greg Bird | RHP Michael Pineda |
| DH Matt Holliday | RHP Luis Severino |
| CF Jacoby Ellsbury | |
| 2B Starlin Castro | RHP Bryan Mitchell |
| 3B Chase Headley | LHP Chasen Shreve |
| RF Aaron Judge (R) | RHP Jonathan Holder (R) |
| SS Ronald Torreyes | RHP Adam Warren |
| LHP Tommy Layne | |
| C Austin Romine | RHP Tyler Clippard |
| 1B Chris Carter | RHP Dellin Betances |
| IF Pete Kozma | LHP Aroldis Chapman |
| OF Aaron Hicks |
12. Texas Rangers
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Season Outlook
Did the Texas Rangers do enough this offseason to keep pace with the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners in the AL West?
The one-two punch of Yu Darvish and Cole Hamels is as good as any duo in baseball, but it's fair to question whether signing Andrew Cashner and Tyson Ross was enough to address the rotation as a whole.
The bullpen also went without an impact addition, as the team will instead rely on a handful of young, relatively unproven arms to round out the relief corps alongside the late-inning trio of Jeremy Jeffress, Matt Bush and Sam Dyson.
The lineup looks strong and would be even better if Joey Gallo and Jurickson Profar take a step forward, but they can't afford to be without Adrian Beltre for too long. He'll start the season on the disabled list with a calf strain.
Repeating last year's 95 wins and defending their AL West title won't be easy, but they still look like contenders.
Opening Day Roster
| LF Delino DeShields Jr. | RHP Yu Darvish |
| CF Carlos Gomez | LHP Cole Hamels |
| DH Shin-Soo Choo | LHP Martin Perez |
| 1B Mike Napoli | RHP A.J. Griffin |
| 2B Rougned Odor | |
| C Jonathan Lucroy | RHP Mike Hauschild (R) |
| RF Nomar Mazara | LHP Dario Alvarez |
| SS Elvis Andrus | RHP Jose Leclerc (R) |
| 3B Joey Gallo | LHP Alex Claudio |
| RHP Tony Barnette | |
| C Robinson Chirinos | RHP Jeremy Jeffress |
| IF/OF Jurickson Profar | RHP Matt Bush |
| IF/OF Drew Robinson (R) | RHP Sam Dyson |
| IF/OF Ryan Rua |
11. New York Mets
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Season Outlook
The New York Mets have the pitching to make another run at the World Series.
It's simply a matter of avoiding the injury bug that plagued them last season and getting enough consistent production from the offense to support their stacked rotation.
The late-season emergence of Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo, along with the return of Zack Wheeler, leaves the pitching staff better prepared to deal with injuries, and they're already doing just that as Steven Matz and Lugo will both start the year on the disabled list.
The same can't be said for the lineup, though. They are thin everywhere but the outfield, and any time missed by offensive anchor Yoenis Cespedes would be a dagger. The Mets were 13-17 without Cespedes last season.
The upside here is obvious, but things could also unravel quickly.
Opening Day Roster
| 3B Jose Reyes | RHP Noah Syndergaard |
| SS Asdrubal Cabrera | RHP Jacob deGrom |
| LF Yoenis Cespedes | RHP Matt Harvey |
| CF Curtis Granderson | RHP Zack Wheeler |
| 2B Neil Walker | RHP Robert Gsellman (R) |
| RF Jay Bruce | |
| 1B Lucas Duda | RHP Rafael Montero |
| C Travis d'Arnaud | LHP Josh Edgin |
| LHP Josh Smoker (R) | |
| C Rene Rivera | LHP Jerry Blevins |
| IF Wilmer Flores | RHP Hansel Robles |
| IF/OF Ty Kelly | RHP Fernando Salas |
| IF/OF T.J. Rivera (R) | RHP Addison Reed |
| OF Michael Conforto |
10. Seattle Mariners
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Season Outlook
The Seattle Mariners came one win away from reaching the playoffs in 2014 and three wins away a year ago, leaving them with the longest active postseason drought in baseball at 15 years.
General manager Jerry Dipoto was hard at work once again this offseason retooling the club, as there are 11 newcomers on the Opening Day roster and 18 total on the 40-man roster.
After finishing sixth in the majors at 4.74 runs per game, adding Jean Segura atop the lineup should make the offense even more potent in 2017.
It's the starting rotation that looks like the X-factor. If Felix Hernandez returns to ace form, James Paxton turns in a breakout season and newcomers Yovani Gallardo and Drew Smyly can be serviceable arms at the back of the staff, you could be looking at a division winner.
Opening Day Roster
| SS Jean Segura | RHP Felix Hernandez |
| RF Mitch Haniger (R) | RHP Hisashi Iwakuma |
| 2B Robinson Cano | LHP James Paxton |
| DH Nelson Cruz | LHP Ariel Miranda |
| 3B Kyle Seager | RHP Yovani Gallardo |
| 1B Danny Valencia | |
| CF Leonys Martin | LHP Dillon Overton (R) |
| C Mike Zunino | RHP Evan Scribner |
| LF Jarrod Dyson | LHP James Pazos (R) |
| RHP Casey Fien | |
| C Carlos Ruiz | LHP Marc Rzepczynski |
| IF/OF Taylor Motter (R) | RHP Nick Vincent |
| OF Guillermo Heredia (R) | RHP Dan Altavilla (R) |
| RHP Edwin Diaz |
9. St. Louis Cardinals
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Season Outlook
The St. Louis Cardinals missed the playoffs for the first time in six years last season and they haven't watched from home in October in back-to-back years since 2007 and 2008.
The addition of Dexter Fowler should improve a shaky outfield defense and give the offense a different look, allowing Matt Carpenter to move into the No. 3 spot in the lineup and more of a run-production role.
Losing electric young right-hander Alex Reyes for the season to Tommy John surgery was a blow, as he had a chance to make a real impact, whether it was as the No. 5 starter or a dangerous multi-inning weapon out of the bullpen.
Still, the return of Lance Lynn, a healthy season from Michael Wacha and the addition of Brett Cecil could make this an improved pitching staff as well.
The No. 9 spot in these rankings makes the Cardinals the No. 2 wild-card team in the National League and that seems like a reasonable expectation here on Opening Day.
Opening Day Roster
| CF Dexter Fowler | RHP Carlos Martinez |
| SS Aledmys Diaz | RHP Adam Wainwright |
| 1B Matt Carpenter | RHP Mike Leake |
| 3B Jhonny Peralta | RHP Lance Lynn |
| C Yadier Molina | RHP Michael Wacha |
| RF Stephen Piscotty | |
| LF Randal Grichuk | RHP Miguel Socolovich |
| 2B Kolten Wong | RHP Sam Tuivailala |
| RHP Matt Bowman | |
| C Eric Fryer | LHP Brett Cecil |
| 1B Matt Adams | RHP Jonathan Broxton |
| IF Greg Garcia | LHP Kevin Siegrist |
| IF Jedd Gyorko | RHP Seung Hwan Oh |
| OF Jose Martinez (R) |
8. San Francisco Giants
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Season Outlook
After watching the bullpen meltdown last October, the last thing San Francisco Giants fans wanted to see was a blown save from new closer Mark Melancon on Opening Day.
While it was a less than ideal first appearance for the $62 million man, he's going to be fine. The 32-year-old has converted 90.7 percent of save chances (147 of 162) over the past four years with a 1.80 ERA and 0.91 WHIP.
The offense returns largely unchanged, but healthy seasons from Joe Panik (127 games) and Hunter Pence (106) could go a long way toward improving on last year's 4.41 runs per game, which was 19th in the majors.
A full season of Matt Moore should give the rotation a boost, and guys like Ty Blach and Tyler Beede are waiting in the wings if Matt Cain falters in the No. 5 starter role.
They're still chasing the Los Angeles Dodgers at this point, but they look like a playoff team.
Opening Day Roster
| CF Denard Span | LHP Madison Bumgarner |
| 1B Brandon Belt | RHP Johnny Cueto |
| RF Hunter Pence | RHP Jeff Samardzija |
| C Buster Posey | LHP Matt Moore |
| SS Brandon Crawford | RHP Matt Cain |
| 3B Eduardo Nunez | |
| LF Jarrett Parker | RHP Cory Gearrin |
| 2B Joe Panik | LHP Ty Blach (R) |
| RHP Neil Ramirez | |
| C Nick Hundley | RHP George Kontos |
| 1B/3B Conor Gillaspie | RHP Derek Law |
| 1B/OF Chris Marrero | RHP Hunter Strickland |
| IF Aaron Hill | RHP Mark Melancon |
| OF Gorkys Hernandez |
7. Toronto Blue Jays
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Season Outlook
A funny thing happened last season: The Toronto Blue Jays quietly transitioned from an offensive juggernaut to a team led by one of the league's best starting rotations.
So while the loss of Edwin Encarnacion and potential continued decline of Jose Bautista is certainly worth talking about, it's not as big an issue as some might think.
The starting staff tied for the MLB lead with 100 quality starts last season while leading the AL with a 3.61 ERA. Swapping out R.A. Dickey for Franciso Liriano should be a wash, if not a net gain, and Marcus Stroman is capable of an awful lot more than the 4.37 ERA he posted over 204 innings last year.
Once Roberto Osuna returns to action, the bullpen should be fine and even if it's no longer a juggernaut the offense is not a weakness by any stretch of the imagination.
The Boston Red Sox are the team to beat in the AL East, but the Blue Jays are legitimate contenders in their own right.
Opening Day Roster
| 2B Devon Travis | RHP Marco Estrada |
| 3B Josh Donaldson | LHP J.A. Happ |
| RF Jose Bautista | RHP Marcus Stroman |
| DH Kendrys Morales | LHP Francisco Liriano |
| SS Troy Tulowitzki | RHP Aaron Sanchez |
| C Russell Martin | |
| LF Steve Pearce | RHP Dominic Leone |
| 1B Justin Smoak | RHP Ryan Tepera |
| CF Kevin Pillar | LHP Aaron Loup |
| RHP Joe Smith | |
| C Jarrod Saltalamacchia | LHP J.P. Howell |
| IF Darwin Barney | RHP Joe Biagini |
| IF/OF Ryan Goins | RHP Jason Grilli |
| OF Ezequiel Carrera |
6. Washington Nationals
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Season Outlook
After whiffing on Chris Sale during the winter meetings, the Washington Nationals turned their attention to outfielder Adam Eaton, who cost them a load of prospect talent to acquire from the Chicago White Sox.
It's a deal they might regret in the long run, but there's little question it makes them a better team in 2017 and their window to win is open right now.
A healthy season from Stephen Strasburg and limited regression from Tanner Roark would give the Nats one of the league's best rotations, and for all that's been made of the lack of a proven closer, the relief corps as a whole looks strong.
A monster spring from Bryce Harper (1.216 OPS, 8 HR) has the 2015 NL MVP looking poised for a bounce-back season, and some of his struggles last year were simply the result of some bad luck (.264 BABIP) so positive regression will help.
The Mets might have that loaded starting rotation, but the Nationals still look like the most talented team in the NL East top-to-bottom.
Opening Day Roster
| SS Trea Turner | RHP Stephen Strasburg |
| 2B Daniel Murphy | RHP Tanner Roark |
| RF Bryce Harper | LHP Gio Gonzalez |
| 3B Anthony Rendon | RHP Max Scherzer |
| LF Jayson Werth | |
| CF Adam Eaton | LHP Enny Romero |
| 1B Ryan Zimmerman | LHP Oliver Perez |
| C Matt Wieters | RHP Koda Glover (R) |
| LHP Sammy Solis | |
| C Jose Lobaton | RHP Joe Blanton |
| 1B Adam Lind | RHP Shawn Kelley |
| IF Wilmer Difo (R) | RHP Blake Treinen |
| IF Stephen Drew | |
| OF Chris Heisey | |
| OF Michael Taylor |
5. Houston Astros
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Season Outlook
The Houston Astros have as much upside as any team in baseball; it's simply a matter of whether their starting rotation cooperates.
Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers Jr. are both capable of pitching like front-line arms, but they're both far from a sure thing to provide that level of production. The idea of trading for Jose Quintana will be talked about all season and it's certainly an option they could explore if the rotation becomes a glaring need.
The bullpen is also a bit of an enigma as it's as deep with quality arms as any group in baseball but lacks a proven closer. Ken Giles has the stuff to be a dominant ninth-inning option, but he hasn't reached that level yet.
What looks to be a sure thing is that this team will score a ton of runs after adding Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann and Josh Reddick to a dynamic homegrown core. Don't underestimate the impact Alex Bregman is capable of making in his first full season either.
If anyone is going to throw a wrench into the Red Sox and Indians' battle for AL supremacy that most are predicting, it might be the Astros.
Opening Day Roster
| CF George Springer | LHP Dallas Keuchel |
| 3B Alex Bregman | RHP Lance McCullers Jr. |
| 2B Jose Altuve | RHP Charlie Morton |
| SS Carlos Correa | RHP Joe Musgrove |
| DH Carlos Beltran | RHP Mike Fiers |
| C Brian McCann | |
| 1B Yulieski Gurriel (R) | RHP Brad Peacock |
| RF Josh Reddick | RHP Jandel Gustave (R) |
| LF Nori Aoki | RHP Michael Feliz |
| LHP Tony Sipp | |
| C Evan Gattis | RHP Chris Devenski |
| IF/OF Marwin Gonzalez | RHP Will Harris |
| OF Jake Marisnick | RHP Luke Gregerson |
| RHP Ken Giles |
4. Los Angeles Dodgers
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Season Outlook
The Los Angeles Dodgers gave the Chicago Cubs everything they could handle in the NL Championship Series and they look like the team with the best chance of unseating them atop the National League.
A healthy Clayton Kershaw will make a world of difference as far as their pursuit of another NL West crown is concerned, and if Rich Hill, Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-Jin Ryu can somehow combine for 450 innings, the starting rotation is going to be a real strength.
Keep in mind, Julio Urias is being held back at extended spring training to limit his innings, so there's another significant weapon waiting in the wings.
Adding Logan Forsythe and Franklin Gutierrez should also help address the team's struggles against left-handed pitching. They hit just .214/.291/.333 against southpaws a year ago.
After winning 91 games despite myriad injuries last year, it's easy to get excited about what even a semi-healthy season might look like for this team.
Opening Day Roster
| LF Andrew Toles | LHP Clayton Kershaw |
| SS Corey Seager | RHP Kenta Maeda |
| 3B Justin Turner | LHP Rich Hill |
| 1B Adrian Gonzalez | RHP Brandon McCarthy |
| 2B Logan Forsythe | LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu |
| C Yasmani Grandal | |
| CF Joc Pederson | RHP Ross Stripling |
| RF Yasiel Puig | LHP Alex Wood |
| RHP Chris Hatcher | |
| C/IF Austin Barnes (R) | LHP Luis Avilan |
| 1B/OF Scott Van Slyke | RHP Sergio Romo |
| IF Chase Utley | LHP Grant Dayton |
| IF/OF Kike Hernandez | RHP Kenley Jansen |
| OF Franklin Gutierrez |
3. Boston Red Sox
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Season Outlook
The Boston Red Sox have some injury issues to overcome right out of the gates.
David Price and Drew Pomeranz are missing from the starting rotation, and setup man Tyler Thornburg will also begin his Red Sox tenure on the disabled list.
That leaves the pitching staff a bit short-handed and reliant on some inexperienced arms to open the season, but once those guys return and Carson Smith also makes his way back from Tommy John surgery, it could become a major strength.
As for the offense, even without David Ortiz, they have a real chance of repeating as the highest-scoring team in the league.
The addition of Mitch Moreland and a full season of Andrew Benintendi will go a long way toward offsetting the loss of Big Papi—at least from a numbers standpoint—and a bounce-back season from Pablo Sandoval isn't completely out of the question.
That Blue Jays pitching staff is going to keep them in the hunt, but it would be a major upset if the Red Sox don't repeat as AL East champs.
Opening Day Roster
| 2B Dustin Pedroia | RHP Rick Porcello |
| LF Andrew Benintendi (R) | LHP Chris Sale |
| RF Mookie Betts | RHP Steven Wright |
| DH Hanley Ramirez | LHP Eduardo Rodriguez |
| 1B Mitch Moreland | |
| SS Xander Bogaerts | RHP Ben Taylor (R) |
| CF Jackie Bradley Jr. | LHP Robby Scott (R) |
| 3B Pablo Sandoval | RHP Heath Hembree |
| C Sandy Leon | LHP Fernando Abad |
| LHP Robbie Ross Jr. | |
| C Christian Vazquez | RHP Matt Barnes |
| 1B/OF Steve Selsky | RHP Joe Kelly |
| IF/OF Brock Holt | RHP Craig Kimbrel |
| OF Chris Young |
2. Cleveland Indians
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Season Outlook
The free-agent signing of Edwin Encarnacion represented a clear all-in move by the Cleveland Indians as they look to make a return trip to the World Series.
While that big bat will be a welcome addition to the middle of the lineup, healthy seasons from Michael Brantley and Yan Gomes could prove to be equally impactful and the same can be said about a full season of deadline addition Andrew Miller.
The starting rotation will once again be a major strength, and it is better positioned from a depth standpoint after guys like Mike Clevinger and Ryan Merritt gained valuable experience amid injuries down the stretch.
Getting Jason Kipnis healthy will be important and keeping Brantley healthy will be a priority as well, but they're well covered from a depth standpoint across the diamond.
All due respect to a solid Detroit Tigers team and a Kansas City Royals club just a year removed from winning the World Series, but the Indians are going to run away with the AL Central.
Opening Day Roster
| 1B Carlos Santana | RHP Corey Kluber |
| SS Francisco Lindor | RHP Carlos Carrasco |
| LF Michael Brantley | RHP Danny Salazar |
| DH Edwin Encarnacion | RHP Josh Tomlin |
| 2B Jose Ramirez | RHP Trevor Bauer |
| CF Tyler Naquin | |
| 3B Yandy Diaz (R) | RHP Zach McAllister |
| RF Abraham Almonte | RHP Shawn Armstrong (R) |
| C Yan Gomes | RHP Dan Otero |
| LHP Boone Logan | |
| C Roberto Perez | RHP Bryan Shaw |
| IF Michael Martinez | LHP Andrew Miller |
| OF Brandon Guyer | RHP Cody Allen |
| OF Austin Jackson |
1. Chicago Cubs
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Season Outlook
When finding a way to get Javier Baez regular playing time is among the most pressing issues facing a team, you know said team is in pretty good shape.
The lack of a prototypical leadoff hitter follwing the departure of catalyst Dexter Fowler, a predomianntly right-handed bullpen and the precarious health of Brett Anderson in the No. 5 starter role could all be pointed to as potential concerns.
Really, that's some high-level nitpicking, though.
The Cubs are the most talented team in baseball, hands-down, and it's impossible to justify putting anyone else in the No. 1 spot to begin the year.
It's not easy to repeat as World Series champions and a lot can happen in the season to come, but they're clearly the team to beat.
Opening Day Roster
| LF Kyle Schwarber | LHP Jon Lester |
| 3B Kris Bryant | RHP Jake Arrieta |
| 1B Anthony Rizzo | RHP John Lackey |
| 2B Ben Zobrist | LHP Brett Anderson |
| SS Addison Russell | RHP Kyle Hendricks |
| RF Jason Heyward | |
| C Willson Contreras | LHP Mike Montgomery |
| CF Jon Jay | RHP Justin Grimm |
| RHP Pedro Strop | |
| C Miguel Montero | RHP Carl Edwards Jr. |
| IF Javier Baez | RHP Koji Uehara |
| IF Tommy La Stella | RHP Hector Rondon |
| OF Albert Almora Jr. | RHP Wade Davis |
| OF Matt Szczur |
All regular season stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs, while spring stats come via MLB.com.
