MLB Power Rankings: Where Your Team Stands Before Opening Day

We're just days away from Opening Day, and teams are putting the finishing touches on their 25-man rosters and getting ready to kick off the regular season.

Like last week, not much has changed in the rankings, though there were a few tweaks here and there as rosters continued to take shape and a few more key players went down with injuries.

After predicting each team's home run leader last week, I took a look at potential breakthrough candidates this time around and named who I feel will be each team's breakout player in 2013.

*Note: Rosters taken from MLBDepthCharts.com; all stats taken from Baseball-Reference.com.

30. Houston Astros

Projected Breakout Player

LF Chris Carter

Long one of the game's top power prospects, Carter finally made some noise at the big league level last year with 16 home runs in 218 at-bats for the A's.

The Astros acquired him in the deal that sent Jed Lowrie to Oakland, and he'll be asked to be a key run producer for them this year. His power should play well in Minute Maid Park, and he could be a valuable piece of the rebuilding puzzle in Houston.

Projected Opening Day Lineup

2B Jose Altuve
1B Brett Wallace
DH Carlos Pena
LF Chris Carter
RF Fernando Martinez
CF Justin Maxwell
C Jason Castro
SS Ronny Cedeno
3B Matt Dominguez 

Projected Opening Day Rotation

SP Bud Norris
SP Lucas Harrell
SP Phil Humber
SP Brad Peacock
SP Erik Bedard
CP Jose Veras

29. Miami Marlins

Projected Breakout Player

SP Jacob Turner

A top prospect in the Tigers organization, Turner was the key piece that the Marlins acquired in the Anibal Sanchez trade last July.

He had a 3.38 ERA in seven starts after coming to Miami, and with Ricky Nolasco likely to be traded and little in the way of a proven arm behind him, the 21-year-old Turner could wind up as the ace of the Marlins staff by season's end. Turner will start the season in Triple-A, but has a ton of potential.

Projected Opening Day Lineup

LF Juan Pierre
3B Placido Polanco
RF Giancarlo Stanton
C Rob Brantly
CF Justin Ruggiano
2B Donovan Solano
1B Casey Kotchman
SS Adeiny Hechavarria
Pitcher

Projected Opening Day Rotation

SP Ricky Nolasco
SP Nathan Eovaldi
SP Wade LeBlanc
SP Henderson Alvarez
SP Kevin Slowey
CP Steve Cishek

28. San Diego Padres

Projected Breakout Player

2B Jedd Gyorko

The No. 71 overall prospect entering the season, according to Baseball America, Gyorko has posted back-to-back 100-RBI seasons in the minors and has played his way into a starting role.

A third baseman by trade, Gyorko began transitioning to second base last season since he is blocked by Chase Headley. He will switch between second base and third base, depending on who the opposite pitcher is.

His defense will be average at best, but he has the offensive tools to rank among the most productive second basemen in the game as a rookie.

Projected Opening Day Lineup

SS Everth Cabrera
3B Jedd Gyorko
1B Yonder Alonso
LF Carlos Quentin
RF Will Venable
CF Cameron Maybin
C Nick Hundley
2B Alexi Amarista
Pitcher

Projected Opening Day Rotation

SP Edinson Volquez
SP Clayton Richard
SP Eric Stults
SP Jason Marquis
SP Tyson Ross
CP Huston Street

27. Colorado Rockies

Projected Breakout Player

3B Nolan Arenado

Nolan Arenado will begin the season in Triple-A, but he has put himself in a good position for a call up, going 15-for-45 with four home runs and 12 RBI.

After a breakout season in 2011, he took a step back last year, but he remains one of the top third base prospects in the game. He's the future at third base in Colorado, and while he may not have top-flight power, he should post solid offensive numbers across the board right out of the box.

Projected Opening Day Lineup

CF Dexter Fowler
2B Josh Rutledge
LF Carlos Gonzalez
SS Troy Tulowitzki
RF Michael Cuddyer
1B Todd Helton
C Wilin Rosario
3B Chris Nelson
Pitcher

Projected Opening Day Rotation

SP Jhoulys Chacin
SP Jorge De La Rosa
SP Juan Nicasio
SP Jeff Francis
SP Jon Garland
CP Rafael Betancourt

26. New York Mets

Projected Breakout Player

1B Ike Davis

Generally, when a player has 32 home runs and 90 RBI as a 25-year-old, it's considered a breakout season. But Davis battled through an up-and-down 2012 season to put up those numbers.

He hit just .201/.271/.388 with 12 home runs in the first half, and he was on the verge of being demoted at one point.

After finishing the season with a .227/.308/.462 line, Davis is capable of significantly more, and he could rank among the top power threats in the NL this coming season.

Projected Opening Day Lineup

CF Jordany Valdespin
2B Daniel Murphy
3B David Wright
1B Ike Davis
RF Marlon Byrd
LF Lucas Duda
C John Buck
SS Ruben Tejada
Pitcher 

Projected Opening Day Rotation

SP Jon Niese
SP Matt Harvey
SP Dillon Gee
SP Jeremy Hefner
CP Bobby Parnell

25. Minnesota Twins

Projected Breakout Player

CF Aaron Hicks

One of the Twins' most promising position prospects, Hicks played his way into a starting role this spring by going 21-for-60 with four home runs and 16 RBI.

With Ben Revere and Denard Span traded this offseason, Hicks will be counted on to serve as a table-setter for what should be a solid lineup led by Josh Willingham and Joe Mauer. He's hit .271/.379/.421 over five minor league seasons, and he could put up similar numbers as a rookie, along with 20-plus steals.

Projected Opening Day Lineup

CF Aaron Hicks
2B Brian Dozier
C Joe Mauer
LF Josh Willingham
1B Justin Morneau
RF Chris Parmelee
DH Ryan Doumit
3B Trevor Plouffe
SS Pedro Florimon Jr.

Projected Opening Day Rotation

SP Vance Worley
SP Kevin Correia
SP Mike Pelfrey
SP Liam Hendriks
SP Cole De Vries
CP Glen Perkins

24. Chicago Cubs

Projected Breakout Player

1B Anthony Rizzo

The Cubs acquired Rizzo from the Padres for hard-throwing right-hander Andrew Cashner. And after he destroyed Triple-A pitching to the tune of a 1.101 OPS and 23 home runs in 70 games, he was called up on June 26.

He had an .805 OPS and 15 home runs in 87 games in Chicago, and after starring for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic this offseason, he's poised to emerge as a top-flight run producer.

Projected Opening Day Lineup

CF David DeJesus
SS Starlin Castro
1B Anthony Rizzo
LF Alfonso Soriano
RF Nate Schierholtz
3B Luis Valbuena
C Welington Castillo
2B Darwin Barney
Pitcher

Projected Opening Day Rotation

SP Jeff Samardzija
SP Edwin Jackson
SP Scott Feldman 
SP Travis Wood
SP Carlos Villanueva
CP Carlos Marmol

23. Seattle Mariners

Projected Breakout Candidate

1B Justin Smoak

Acquired from the Texas Rangers at the deadline in 2010 as the key return for Cliff Lee, Smoak has failed to live up to his tremendous potential so far in two seasons in Seattle.

He shortened his swing late last season and hit .341/.426/.580 with five home runs over the season's final month, and he has followed that up with a strong spring. It's a make-or-break year for Smoak, and he may have finally turned a corner in his development.

Projected Opening Day Lineup

RF Michael Saunders
3B Kyle Seager
DH Kendrys Morales
LF Michael Morse
1B Justin Smoak
C Jesus Montero
2B Dustin Ackley
CF Franklin Gutierrez
SS Brendan Ryan

Projected Opening Day Rotation

SP Felix Hernandez
SP Hisashi Iwakuma
SP Joe Saunders
SP Brandon Maurer
SP Blake Beavan
CP Tom Wilhelmsen

22. Pittsburgh Pirates

Projected Breakout Player

LF Starling Marte

The toolsy Marte shot up prospect rankings after posting an .870 OPS with 12 home runs and 24 steals in his first taste of Double-A action in 2011.

He made his big league debut last July, holding his own over 167 at-bats with a .737 OPS and five home runs to go along with 12 steals. He's had a strong spring, and a 15-home run/30-stolen base season with an average approaching .300 seems well within reach.

Projected Opening Day Lineup

LF Starling Marte
2B Neil Walker
CF Andrew McCutchen
3B Pedro Alvarez
1B Garrett Jones
C Russell Martin
RF Travis Snider
SS Clint Barmes
Pitcher 

Projected Opening Day Rotation

SP A.J. Burnett
SP Wandy Rodriguez
SP James McDonald
SP Jeff Locke
SP Jonathan Sanchez
CP Jason Grilli

21. New York Yankees

Projected Breakout Player

CF Brett Gardner

Already established as a defensive stud and dynamic speed threat, this could be the year that Gardner puts together a more complete all-around offensive game to go along with his wheels.

He has solid on-base skills (.355 career OBP) and is capable of hitting over .300, though he'll likely never show much power. With Derek Jeter expected to open the season on the DL, Gardner will find himself leading off, and he could stick atop the lineup with a strong first month.

Projected Opening Day Lineup

CF Brett Gardner
RF Ichiro Suzuki
2B Robinson Cano
3B Kevin Youkilis
DH Travis Hafner
LF Brennan Boesch
SS Eduardo Nunez
1B Lyle Overbay
C Chris Stewart

Projected Opening Day Rotation

SP CC Sabathia
SP Hiroki Kuroda 
SP Andy Pettitte
SP Ivan Nova
SP David Phelps
CP Mariano Rivera

20. Chicago White Sox

Projected Breakout Player

RP Addison Reed

After a dominant showing in his first full pro season in 2011 (1.26 ERA, 111 K, 78.1 IP), the White Sox handed Reed the closer's job out of camp last spring. He went on to convert 29 of 33 save chances. However, he was far from dominant, with a 4.75 ERA and 1.364 WHIP, and he struck out just under a batter an inning.

The 24-year-old has the stuff to be one of the game's elite closers. With a full season of experience, he should be ready to put up substantially improved numbers.

Projected Opening Day Lineup

CF Alejandro De Aza
3B Jeff Keppinger
RF Alex Rios
1B Paul Konerko
DH Adam Dunn
LF Dayan Viciedo
SS Alexei Ramirez
C Tyler Flowers
2B Gordon Beckham

Projected Opening Day Rotation

SP Chris Sale
SP Jake Peavy
SP Gavin Floyd
SP Jose Quintana
SP Dylan Axelrod
CP Addison Reed

19. Boston Red Sox

Projected Breakout Player

3B Will Middlebrooks

While Jackie Bradley Jr. has been the talk of spring training for the Red Sox and has a great shot at breaking camp with the team, I think he winds up back in the minors when David Ortiz returns.

Instead, my pick here is Middlebrooks, who hit an impressive .288/.325/.509 with 15 home runs and 54 RBI over 267 at-bats as a rookie before a broken wrist ended his season in the middle of August. He has the potential to be one of the top third basemen in the league and a 100-RBI guy this year.

Projected Opening Day Lineup

CF Jacoby Ellsbury
RF Shane Victorino
2B Dustin Pedroia
1B Mike Napoli
3B Will Middlebrooks
DH Jonny Gomes
C Jarrod Saltalamacchia
LF Jackie Bradley Jr.
SS Jose Iglesias 

2013 Projected Rotation

SP Jon Lester
SP Clay Buchholz
SP Ryan Dempster
SP Felix Doubront
SP John Lackey
CP Joel Hanrahan

18. Cleveland Indians

Projected Breakout Player

SP Zach McAllister

After awarding McAllister with the No. 4 spot in the Indians rotation early on this spring, Cleveland is hoping the 25-year-old McAllister can build off of a solid first full season in the majors last year.

In 22 starts, he went 6-8 with a 4.24 ERA, and he may be the only current Indians starter who factors into the team's long-term plans. He doesn't have the ceiling of an ace, but he could emerge as a solid middle-of-the-rotation guy.

Projected Opening Day Lineup

CF Michael Bourn
SS Asdrubal Cabrera
2B Jason Kipnis
1B Nick Swisher
C Carlos Santana
DH Mark Reynolds
LF Michael Brantley
3B Lonnie Chisenhall
RF Drew Stubbs

Projected Opening Day Rotation

SP Justin Masterson 
SP Ubaldo Jimenez 
SP Brett Myers
SP Zach McAllister
SP Scott Kazmir
CP Chris Perez

17. Milwaukee Brewers

Projected Breakout Player

SP Marco Estrada

After pitching mostly out of the bullpen in 2011, Estrada once again opened the season as a reliever last year. But he was in the rotation by the end of April.

All told, he finished the year with 29 total appearances (23 starts) and went 5-7 with a 3.64 ERA and 143 strikeouts in 138.1 innings of work. He'll be the No. 3 guy in a relatively inexperienced Brewers rotation, and at 29 years old, he still has time to take that next step.

Projected Opening Day Lineup

RF Norichika Aoki
2B Rickie Weeks
LF Ryan Braun
3B Aramis Ramirez
C Jonathan Lucroy
CF Carlos Gomez
1B Alex Gonzalez
SS Jean Segura
Pitcher

Projected Opening Day Rotation

SP Yovani Gallardo
SP Marco Estrada
SP Kyle Lohse
SP Michael Fiers
SP Wily Peralta
CP John Axford

16. Kansas City Royals

Projected Breakout Player

3B Mike Moustakas

A monster 2010 season, in which he hit .322/.369/.630 with 36 home runs and 124 RBI between Double-A and Triple-A, made Moustakas one of the top prospects in baseball and a potential future star.

Though he had 20 home runs and 73 RBI in his first full big league season last year, he hit just .242/.296/.412, so he's capable of plenty more. If his spring performance is any indication (.431/.468/.759), Moustakas could be in line for a strong season.

Projected Opening Day Lineup

LF Alex Gordon
SS Alcides Escobar
DH Billy Butler
3B Mike Moustakas
C Salvador Perez
1B Eric Hosmer
RF Jeff Francoeur
CF Lorenzo Cain
2B Chris Getz

Projected Opening Day Rotation

SP James Shields
SP Jeremy Guthrie
SP Ervin Santana 
SP Wade Davis
SP Luis Mendoza
CP Greg Holland

15. Texas Rangers

Projected Breakout Player

CF Leonys Martin

A Cuban defector who signed a five-year, $15.5 million deal back in May of 2011, Martin put up stellar numbers in the minors last season with a .359/.422/.610 line and 12 home runs.

He has a clear path to everyday at-bats following the departure of Josh Hamilton, and he seems to have won the starting job over Craig Gentry with a strong spring. He's a dark-horse candidate for AL Rookie of the Year and could turn some heads in his first extended action.

Projected Opening Day Lineup

2B Ian Kinsler
SS Elvis Andrus
DH Lance Berkman
3B Adrian Beltre
RF Nelson Cruz
LF David Murphy
C A.J. Pierzynski
1B Mitch Moreland
CF Leonys Martin

Projected Opening Day Rotation

SP Matt Harrison
SP Yu Darvish
SP Derek Holland
SP Alexi Ogando
SP Nicholas Tepesch
CP Joe Nathan

14. Philadelphia Phillies

Projected Breakout Player

RF Domonic Brown

Brown entered the 2011 season as the No. 4 prospect in baseball, according to Baseball America, and the odds-on favorite to take home NL Rookie of the Year honors.

Instead, a broken hamate bone in his wrist sidelined him to open the season, and he's spent the past two seasons trying to get back on track. He's been fantastic this spring (.368/.429/.671, 7 HR, 16 RBI), and the breakout season we expected two years ago may finally be here.

Projected Opening Day Lineup

SS Jimmy Rollins
2B Chase Utley
3B Michael Young
1B Ryan Howard
LF Laynce Nix
RF Domonic Brown
CF Ben Revere
C Erik Kratz
Pitcher

Projected Opening Day Rotation

SP Cole Hamels
SP Roy Halladay
SP Cliff Lee
SP Kyle Kendrick
SP John Lannan
CP Jonathan Papelbon

13. Baltimore Orioles

Projected Breakout Player

SP Chris Tillman

A highly touted prospect who was in the Orioles rotation as a 21-year-old back in 2009, Tillman opened last season in the minors. But once he got his shot in the rotation, he made the most of it.

In 15 starts, the right-hander went 9-3 with a 2.93 ERA and 1.047 WHIP, emerging as the ace of the staff down the stretch. Now, he'll be looking to prove he can do that over a full season, and he could very easily be the team's No. 1 starter by season's end.

Projected Opening Day Lineup

RF Nick Markakis
LF Nate McLouth
CF Adam Jones
C Matt Wieters
1B Chris Davis
SS J.J. Hardy
DH Nolan Reimold
3B Manny Machado
2B Brian Roberts

Projected Opening Day Rotation

SP Jason Hammel
SP Wei-Yin Chen
SP Miguel Gonzalez
SP Jake Arrieta
SP Chris Tillman
CP Jim Johnson

12. Arizona Diamondbacks

Projected Breakout Player

CF Adam Eaton

Though an elbow strain will sideline him for the first six to eight weeks of the season (h/t ESPN), Eaton remains a potential impact player once he finally gets on the field for the Diamondbacks.

He impressed in a late-season audition last year after hitting .375/.456/.523 with 44 steals in the minors. The injury was no doubt a blow to what was expected to be a big rookie season, but there's no reason he can't still make a significant impact atop the lineup once he returns.

Projected Opening Day Lineup

3B Martin Prado
CF Gerardo Parra
2B Aaron Hill
C Miguel Montero
1B Paul Goldschmidt
LF Jason Kubel
RF A.J. Pollock
SS Cliff Pennington
Pitcher

Projected Opening Day Rotation

SP Ian Kennedy
SP Brandon McCarthy
SP Trevor Cahill
SP Wade Miley
SP Pat Corbin
CP J.J. Putz

11. Oakland Athletics

Projected Breakout Player

2B Scott Sizemore

Sizemore missed all of the 2012 season with a torn ACL after entering camp as the front-runner to be the starting third baseman. He now finds himself competing for the starting second base gig this spring.

Sizemore came over from the Tigers in May of 2011 and had 11 home runs and 52 RBI in 93 games with the team. A 20-home run season is possible, and that number looks far better at second base than it would at third.

Projected Opening Day Lineup

CF Coco Crisp
SS Jed Lowrie
RF Josh Reddick
LF Yoenis Cespedes
1B Brandon Moss
DH Seth Smith
3B Josh Donaldson
C John Jaso
2B Eric Sogard

Projected Opening Day Rotation 

SP Brett Anderson
SP Jarrod Parker
SP Tom Milone
SP A.J. Griffin
SP Daniel Straily
CP Ryan Cook

10. Los Angeles Dodgers

Projected Breakout Player

OF Yasiel Puig

Puig, who has yet to play above High-A and has just 23 minor league games under his belt, has been a man among boys this spring. He is 29-for-55 (.527 BA) with 10 extra-base hits and 11 RBI.

The 22-year-old is a future superstar. And while it's unclear how he fits into the team's immediate plans with Carl Crawford, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier manning the outfield, the Dodgers will find him at-bats if he keeps raking. 

Projected Opening Day Lineup

LF Skip Schumaker
2B Mark Ellis
CF Matt Kemp
1B Adrian Gonzalez
RF Andre Ethier
SS Luis Cruz
C A.J. Ellis 
3B Nick Punto
Pitcher

Projected Opening Day Rotation

SP Clayton Kershaw
SP Chad Billingsley
SP Hyun-Jin Ryu
SP Josh Beckett
SP Chris Capuano
CP Brandon League

9. St. Louis Cardinals

Projected Breakout Player

SP/RP Trevor Rosenthal

Whether it is as a starter or a late-inning reliever, big things are in store for Rosenthal in his first full season in the majors.

The flame-throwing right-hander made 19 relief appearances down the stretch last season and had a 2.78 ERA with 25 strikeouts in 22.2 innings. He was in the running for the vacant No. 5 starter spot, but it appears he's headed back to the bullpen, where he'll be a key setup man.

Projected Opening Day Lineup

CF Jon Jay
RF Carlos Beltran
LF Matt Holliday
1B Allen Craig
C Yadier Molina
3B Matt Carpenter
2B Daniel Descalso
SS Pete Kozma
Pitcher

Projected Opening Day Rotation

SP Adam Wainwright
SP Jaime Garcia
SP Lance Lynn
SP Jake Westbrook
SP Shelby Miller
CP Mitchell Boggs

8. Tampa Bay Rays

Projected Breakout Player

SP Alex Cobb

Cobb started last season in the minors, but he was in the Rays rotation by late May and stuck there for the rest of the season, going 11-9 with a 4.03 ERA.

The 25-year-old has looked sharp this spring, posting a 2.81 ERA and striking out 28 over 25.2 innings of work. He's capable of stepping forward as a workhorse starter in the middle of the season, and him taking the next step would certainly help ease the loss of James Shields.

Projected Opening Day Lineup

CF Desmond Jennings
DH Matt Joyce
3B Evan Longoria
RF Ben Zobrist
SS Yunel Escobar
1B James Loney 
C Jose Molina
2B Kelly Johnson
LF Sam Fuld

Projected Opening Day Rotation

SP David Price
SP Jeremy Hellickson
SP Roberto Hernandez
SP Matt Moore
SP Alex Cobb
CP Fernando Rodney

7. Los Angeles Angels

Projected Breakout Player

CF Peter Bourjos

An everyday player in 2011, Bourjos hit .271 with an AL-high 11 triples and a 4.5 WAR (h/t FanGraphs) while playing Gold Glove-caliber defense.

He was pushed to the bench last season with the emergence of Mike Trout, but with Torii Hunter gone in free agency, Bourjos will once again see everyday at-bats. The 25-year-old has upside and could be a second leadoff hitter out of the No. 9 hole.

Projected Opening Day Lineup

LF Mike Trout
SS Erick Aybar
1B Albert Pujols
RF Josh Hamilton
DH Mark Trumbo
2B Howie Kendrick
3B Alberto Callaspo
C Chris Iannetta
CF Peter Bourjos 

Projected Opening Day Rotation

SP Jered Weaver
SP C.J. Wilson
SP Joe Blanton
SP Jason Vargas
SP Tommy Hanson 
CP Ernesto Frieri

6. Toronto Blue Jays

Projected Breakout Player

3B Brett Lawrie

A prime candidate to break out last season, Lawrie instead battled injuries and finished the season hitting .273 with 11 home runs and 13 steals over 494 at-bats. 

Those were solid numbers for a 22-year-old, but Lawrie is capable of much, much more. He should emerge as a perennial 30/30 threat while playing Gold Glove-caliber defense at third base. And despite a rib injury placing him on the DL to start the season, this could be the year that Lawrie officially announces himself as one of the game's top young stars.

Projected Opening Day Lineup

SS Jose Reyes
LF Melky Cabrera
RF Jose Bautista
1B Edwin Encarnacion
CF Colby Rasmus
DH Adam Lind
C J.P. Arencibia
2B Emilio Bonifacio
3B Maicer Izturis

Projected Opening Day Rotation

SP R.A. Dickey 
SP Brandon Morrow
SP Mark Buehrle
SP Josh Johnson 
SP J.A. Happ
CP Casey Janssen

5. Atlanta Braves

Projected Breakout Player

SP Julio Teheran

There are plenty of players to choose from for the Braves, as Mike Minor, Andrelton Simmons and even Evan Gattis would be reasonable selections to break out. It's Teheran who gets the nod, though, thanks to his dominant spring performance.

After a strong season in 2011, Teheran took a step back in his second go-around in Triple-A last year. Looking to win a rotation spot this spring, he's allowed just three earned runs on seven hits over 26 innings of work while striking out 35. He has the ceiling to be a true staff ace and may be the NL Rookie of the Year front-runner entering the season.

Projected Opening Day Lineup

SS Andrelton Simmons
RF Jason Heyward
LF Justin Upton
1B Freddie Freeman
CF B.J. Upton
2B Dan Uggla
3B Juan Francisco
C Gerald Laird 
Pitcher 

Projected Opening Day Rotation

SP Tim Hudson
SP Kris Medlen
SP Mike Minor
SP Paul Maholm
SP Julio Teheran
CP Craig Kimbrel

4. Cincinnati Reds

Projected Breakout Player

3B Todd Frazier

Frazier was a pleasant surprise for the Reds last season. He stepped in for an injured Scott Rolen and went on to hit 19 home runs with an .829 OPS over 422 at-bats to finish third in NL Rookie of the Year voting.

He's already 27 years old, so he may not have the upside of most second-year players, but he still has room to improve. With an everyday position and guaranteed at-bats, he should give the Reds another run-producing power threat in an already deep lineup.

Projected Opening Day Lineup

CF Shin-Soo Choo
2B Brandon Phillips
1B Joey Votto
LF Ryan Ludwick
RF Jay Bruce
3B Todd Frazier
SS Zack Cozart
C Ryan Hanigan
Pitcher

Projected Opening Day Rotation

SP Johnny Cueto
SP Mat Latos
SP Bronson Arroyo
SP Homer Bailey
SP Mike Leake
CP Aroldis Chapman

3. Washington Nationals

Projected Breakout Player

LF Bryce Harper

With all of the hype that surrounded his debut season, which ended in NL Rookie of the Year honors, saying that Harper has yet to break out may sound crazy. There's no question he's capable of much more, though.

The 20-year-old is hitting .431 this spring, and he's already been moved to the No. 3 spot in the lineup. He has as high a ceiling as perhaps any prospect ever, and a 30-home run, 100-RBI performance in his sophomore campaign is not out of the question.

Projected Opening Day Lineup

CF Denard Span
RF Jayson Werth
LF Bryce Harper
3B Ryan Zimmerman
1B Adam LaRoche
SS Ian Desmond
2B Danny Espinosa
C Kurt Suzuki
Pitcher

Projected Opening Day Rotation

SP Stephen Strasburg
SP Gio Gonzalez
SP Jordan Zimmermann
SP Dan Haren
SP Ross Detwiler
CP Rafael Soriano

2. Detroit Tigers

Projected Breakout Player

RP Al Alburquerque

Injuries limited Alburquerque to just eight appearances last season, and he only has 49 big league appearances under his belt, but he's been impressive in that short sample size.

In 56.2 innings of work, Alburquerque has a 1.59 ERA and 85 strikeouts, as he has legitimate swing-and-miss stuff. Prospect Bruce Rondon has been sent down to Triple-A, so Detroit will employ a closer-by-committee until someone steps up.

Projected Opening Day Lineup

CF Austin Jackson
RF Torii Hunter
3B Miguel Cabrera
1B Prince Fielder
DH Victor Martinez
LF Andy Dirks
SS Jhonny Peralta
C Alex Avila
2B Omar Infante

Projected Opening Day Rotation

SP Justin Verlander
SP Anibal Sanchez
SP Rick Porcello
SP Doug Fister
SP Max Scherzer
CP Joaquin Benoit

1. San Francisco Giants

Projected Breakout Player

1B Brandon Belt

In his first full season in the majors, Belt had just seven home runs and 56 RBI last season in 411 at-bats. However, he hit a solid .275/.360/.421, displaying the ability to draw a walk while flashing some pop with 27 doubles and six triples.

He's been stellar this spring, hitting .433 with seven home runs and 17 RBI. A serious spike in his offensive production seems very possible. He'll never have prototypical power for a first baseman, but a 20-home run, 80-RBI season with an average around .300 is doable.

Projected Opening Day Lineup

CF Angel Pagan
2B Marco Scutaro
3B Pablo Sandoval
C Buster Posey
RF Hunter Pence
1B Brandon Belt
LF Gregor Blanco
SS Brandon Crawford
Pitcher

Projected Opening Day Rotation

SP Matt Cain
SP Madison Bumgarner
SP Tim Lincecum
SP Barry Zito
SP Ryan Vogelsong
CP Sergio Romo