MLB Power Rankings: Where Do All 30 MLB Teams Fall on Opening Day?

Where Do All 30 MLB Teams Fall on Opening Day?

1. Texas Rangers: While they have to deal with losing ace C.J. Wilson in the offseason and the improvement of division rival Los Angeles, the Rangers still have arguably the deepest lineup in baseball and a solid pitching rotation. The AL pennant is the Rangers' to lose as they look to make a third straight World Series trip.

2. New York Yankees: The Yankees shored up their starting rotation by signing Hiroki Kuroda and dealing for Michael Pineda. Age is quickly catching up to some of their long-tenured superstars, but they still have enough talent top-to-bottom to be AL East front-runners.

3. Los Angeles Angels: Few teams made a bigger impact this winter than the Angels, as they signed Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson, giving them a bona-fide superstar slugger and a rotation that rivals any in baseball. There are holes in the lineup, but their top-end talent should be enough to make a run at the Rangers for the AL West crown.

4. St. Louis Cardinals: Losing Albert Pujols was a blow, and having Chris Carpenter on the shelf only adds to the Cardinals' concerns, but the defending champs are getting back one of the game's best arms in Adam Wainwright, and if they can stay healthy, their lineup is still potent even without Pujols. They're not the same team, but heading into the 2012 season, the Cardinals are the team to beat in the NL.

5. Detroit Tigers: The Tigers added slugger Prince Fielder to a roster that made a serious run at the World Series last year. They have to be viewed as the runaway favorites in the AL Central, and with the game's top arm in Justin Verlander, a solid bullpen and a deep lineup they are legitimate title contenders.

6. Philadelphia Phillies: While the trio of Halladay, Lee and Hamels is still among the best around, the Phillies are another year older and will open the season without Ryan Howard and Chase Utley. The NL East as a whole has gotten better, and while the Phillies are still favorites, the gap has certainly been closed.

7. Arizona Diamondbacks: Baseball's surprise postseason team of 2011 won't surprise anyone in 2012, as they return nearly the same roster as last season with some notable additions. Adding Trevor Cahill to shore up the rotation and Jason Kubel to add a veteran presence to the lineup should make the D'Backs NL West favorites as their young core continues to gel.

8. Tampa Bay Rays: The Rays made the postseason last year on the back of their fantastic pitching staff, as their offense ranked eighth in the AL in runs and 12th in batting average. Adding Carlos Pena and Luke Scott, along with a full season of Desmond Jennings, should bring some added support to a rotation that should be even better with the addition of uber-prospect Matt Moore.

9. Cincinnati Reds: After capturing the NL Central crown in 2010, the Reds took a step backwards last season due in large part to a scuffling starting rotation that had just two starters post ERAs under 4.00. The team mortgaged a big piece of their future to land Mat Latos from the Padres, and if their other pitchers can round back into form, they have the lineup to make some serious noise.

10. Boston Red Sox: Following their epic collapse last season, the Red Sox have a new look both in the front office and at the helm, where Bobby Valentine was hired in hopes of changing the clubhouse attitude. Their pitching staff is full of questions and their lineup is top-heavy, but they have too much talent to not be considered a postseason contender.

11. Atlanta Braves: With a solid rotation, arguably the best bullpen in baseball and a lineup with plenty of room for improvement, the Braves could push the Phillies if everything goes right. That means Dan Uggla avoiding an disastrous early-season slump, Jason Heyward bouncing back and the left side of the infield at least holding their own.

12. Milwaukee Brewers: The loss of Prince Fielder can't be overlooked, but things could be much worse for the defending NL Central champs. Aramis Ramirez was brought in to replace some of the big guy's production, and they still have a terrific five-man staff, putting them in a position to once again compete for the division title.

13. Miami Marlins: New stadium, new manager, new veteran stars...it has been an offseason of change in Miami. If their solid young core can take the next step and they can avoid injury, they could be legitimate contenders for a playoff spot, and they should only improve in the years ahead.

14. Washington Nationals: The Nationals were busy once again this offseason, a year after signing Jayson Werth to a mega-deal, adding Edwin Jackson and Gio Gonzalez to what should be a terrific starting rotation. They may still be a year away from legitimate contention, but this is a franchise heading in the right direction.

15. San Francisco Giants: The Giants have the pitching to keep them in most games and an offense to keep them from winning a lot of those games. Getting Buster Posey back is huge, and if the team can reach the postseason, the Lincecum, Cain and Bumgarner trio would be dangerous. I just don't think they have enough firepower offensively.

16. Toronto Blue Jays: Coming off of an 81-81 season, the Blue Jays will be looking to take the next steps towards legitimate contention in the AL East. With perhaps the game's premier slugger in Jose Bautista and an emerging superstar in Ricky Romero, they have talent, but they are still a few pieces away from making a run at the postseason.

17. Los Angeles Dodgers: Finally wrapping up their ongoing ownership saga is a huge step forward for the Dodgers, as they will likely once again be among the biggest spenders in baseball moving forward. In the meantime, the duo of Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw alone should win more than a few games for the Dodgers, although they likely aren't contenders in 2012.

18. Cleveland Indians: While their surprising playoff push ended in an 80-82 record, there is plenty of reason for optimism in Cleveland. Adding veterans Derek Lowe and Casey Kotchman should help a young roster, and while they won't push the Tigers, they could certainly finish second in the AL Central.

19. Colorado Rockies: After struggling through a 73-win season last year, the Rockies added a number of veterans to shore up their glaring lineup needs. However, with Ubaldo Jimenez gone, the team lacks a staff ace, and while their additions should result in more wins than 2011, it won't be enough to make them a playoff team.

20. Kansas City Royals: The Royals continue to build around an impressive core of homegrown talent, and while their young lineup should only be better in 2012, they still lack the starting pitching to take the next step, evidenced by the fact that Bruce Chen will be their Opening Day starter.

21. Minnesota Twins: Decimated by injuries last season, the Twins will immediately benefit from getting back Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau, along with the additions of Josh Willingham and Ryan Doumit. However, much like the Royals, their pitching staff is average at best and is made up of a group of No. 3 starters. 

22. Pittsburgh Pirates: Tied for the NL Central lead on July 25 last season, the Pirates eventually fell apart, as a 1-12 slide eliminated them from contention. The slide was due in large part to their starting rotation, and they addressed that by adding veterans A.J. Burnett and Erik Bedard. That won't be enough for them to take the next step, but they have the farm system to be a serious threat in a couple of years.

23. Seattle Mariners: After whiffing on their attempts to acquire Prince Fielder, the Mariners settled for acquiring Yankees uber-prospect Jesus Montero to bolster their AL-worst offense. As young guys like Justin Smoak and Dustin Ackley continue to develop around a plus rotation, the Mariners should improve on their 95-loss season last year, although likely not by a whole lot.

24. Chicago White Sox: A team stuck between rebuilding and continuing to shell out for overpriced veterans, it could be a long year on the South Side, as the team is in a state of transition. It will be virtually impossible for the likes of Adam Dunn, Alex Rios and Gordon Beckham to not improve on their 2011 numbers, though, so that is one plus.

25. New York Mets: Moving in the fences may mean sexier stats for guys like David Wright and Jason Bay, but it won't offset a sub-par starting rotation. Youngsters Ike Davis and Lucas Duda should take the next step, and the team has some solid pitching in the minors, but they'll be hard-pressed to not finish last in the NL East this coming season. 

26. Chicago Cubs: There is cause for optimism on the North Side, as the front office duo of Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer have begun to shape the team in their image. However, that shaping will likely mean a few seasons of dealing veterans for prospects and fielding below-average teams. Still, it will be one step back to take two steps forward for the Cubs in 2012.

27. Baltimore Orioles: The Orioles lineup features some good, young hitters, and they have a rotation chock-full of potential, but playing in the AL East it simply isn't good enough for anything but a last-place finish.

28. San Diego Padres: While they are a shell of the team that made a postseason push in 2010, the Padres are gearing up for a rise back to contention with one of the deepest and most talented farm systems in all of baseball. For now, however, the team on the field in the majors will be one of the worst in baseball.

29. Oakland Athletics: Caught in a perpetual cycle of rebuilding, the A's dealt away talented young starters Gio Gonzalez and Trevor Cahill this offseason for a solid group of prospects who, once they establish themselves as big league contributors, will in turn be traded for more prospects, and so on and so on.

30. Houston Astros: It will be a long season in Houston, as the front office has more or less gutted the team over the past few seasons and will begin a full-scale rebuild. This team will be hard-pressed to not lose 100 games and will likely spend the entire season in the No. 30 spot on these rankings.