MLB Power Rankings 2012: Underrated Teams Who Need Strong Starts

One of the great things about the start of the Major League Baseball season is every team believes it has a chance to make the playoffs right now. For some, that dream will fade away fast. For others, it will hang around longer than you might think. 

Every year there is at least one team that comes out of nowhere to at least challenge for a playoff spot. Last year, Arizona ran away with the National League West thanks to an MVP-caliber season from Justin Upton and surprising performances from their rotation. 

So which teams can potentially be this year's Arizona?

Toronto Blue Jays

There is a lot of buzz surrounding the Blue Jays this year, and for good reason. Their lineup figures to get better, with players like Colby Rasmus and Brett Lawrie around all year.

The rotation can go three deep, as long as Kyle Drabek and Brandon Morrow pitch at, or close to, their potential, and Ricky Romero is poised to have another big year, though he may not post another 2.92 ERA because his BABIP (.242) was so low in 2011.

If the Blue Jays played in any other division, they would be an 87-89 win team. In the American League East, they are probably going to win 81-83. Look out for them next year, when Travis D'Arnaud takes over behind the plate and their deep arsenal of pitching starts to climb the minor league ladder. 

Kansas City Royals

If the Royals had any pitching at all, they would give Detroit fits in the American League Central. Their lineup is going to be very good, with a full season from Eric Hosmer to go along with Billy Butler, Alex Gordon and Mike Moustakas. 

Their defense, particularly in the infield, figures to be very good. Because the rest of the division aside from Detroit is not very good, the Royals can hang around a long time. Don't be surprised to see them play around .500 when all is said and done. 

Los Angeles Dodgers

I am not entirely sure what to make of the Dodgers right now. On the one hand, they have arguably the best pitcher (Clayton Kershaw) and position player (Matt Kemp) in the National League. 

On the other hand, they don't have depth in the lineup. Andre Ethier can be very good when healthy, but that hasn't happened in the last two years. They need him to be in there behind Kemp to score runs consistently. 

The rotation, like the lineup, is nothing to get excited about. Billingsley has been so up and down throughout his career that you never know what you will get. 

All that said, they did find a way to finish last season strong. That could just be an aberration, or something they can build on. Because they have two superstars, we shouldn't completely dismiss them as contenders in a competitive National League West. 

Adam Wells' 2012 MLB Power Rankings Week 1
1. New York Yankees
2. Texas Rangers
3. Los Angeles Angels
4. Texas Rangers
5. Tampa Bay Rays
6. Detroit Tigers
7. Philadelphia Phillies
8. Boston Red Sox
9. Atlanta Braves
10. Arizona Diamondbacks
11. St. Louis Cardinals
12. Miami Marlins
13. Cincinnati Reds
14. San Francisco Giants
15. Toronto Blue Jays
16. Milwaukee Brewers
17. Washington Nationals
18. Kansas City Royals
19. Los Angeles Dodgers
20. Cleveland Indians
21. Colorado Rockies
22. Seattle Mariners
23. Pittsburgh Pirates
24. Chicago White Sox
25. Chicago Cubs
26. San Diego Padres
27. Minnesota Twins
28. Baltimore Orioles
29. Oakland A's
30. Houston Astros

If you need more information about who I think will shock the world—I may go all Steve Berthiaume and take the Astros to win more than 55 games—follow me on the Twitter. 

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