MLB Power Rankings: Chances of Each Team Winning the World Series in 2012

Even though the 2011 World Series just ended, it is never too early thinking about 2012. Many players are going to change addresses this offseason, and the landscape might change dramatically before the new season begins.

However, let's take a look at the chances of every MLB team winning the World Series in 2012.

30. Houston Astros: 0 Percent

I hate to do it to you Houston Astros fans, but your team is definitely a work in progress. By trading away Hunter Pence and Michael Bourn, the team is officially in rebuilding mode. I like how they are making all these trades for potentially high-impact prospects, but by doing that, they are more worried about winning the World Series in 2015 than 2012.

I do not see them making any huge trades or free-agent signings this offseason either, so they will remain young and prepare for the future.

29. New York Mets: 0 Percent

Jose Reyes will probably leave town this winter, Carlos Beltran has already been shipped away, and the rumors are flying around as to whether or not David Wright will be traded away as well.

The New York Mets are overhauling their team and trying to move on to new era after this one was less than successful. Trades may happen, but I believe that they will be to make the Mets younger and continue in the rebuilding mode.

28. San Diego Padres: 0 Percent

The problem with the San Diego Padres is that they literally have no offense. They especially have a problem in terms of power as they had the fewest home runs in all of baseball with only 91 on the season. With this lack of offense, it is obvious where the Padres need to improve this offseason.

However, they are a smaller-market team that would not be able to compete for the big bats of Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder that could really add power to the lineup. It seemed as if they will be stuck in this drought for a little while more.

27. Seattle Mariners: 0 Percent

Felix Hernandez and Dustin Ackley still have their best years in front of them. Ichiro Suzuki still could contribute at the top of the lineup with a high batting average and speed. If the Mariners go out and get a solid run producer for the lineup or if Justin Smoak begins being the highly-productive bat that he should be able to become, there is a very slim chance that the Mariners have a great year next year.

26. Baltimore Orioles: 0 Percent

I personally would love to put the Baltimore Orioles higher. I love the young core they have around Matt Wieters and Adam Jones. I think that if they were able to add some pitching help this offseason, they could have a pretty solid team.

However, we need to recognize the reality that they play in a division with three perennial playoff contenders. It would need to be pretty special year for the Baltimore Orioles to be able to overcome this.

25. Minnesota Twins: 1 Percent

I know that they had a terrible record this season, but I also know that most of that was without Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau. These two bats are incredibly important for the Minnesota Twins, and the offense struggled mightily without them.

Their pitching was also disappointing, but with more offense, this team would have looked a lot better than they did this year. This definitely bodes well for next year as well.

24. Oakland Athletics: 1 Percent

I think that the Moneyball era is safely over. It is unfortunate for the Oakland Athletics. The team that was built around on-base percentage had a difficult time in that department this season. In fact, offense in general was a problem even though they got some great pitching from Gio Gonzalez, Brandon McCarthy and Guillermo Moscoso. If they're able to get some offense, it would be a nice complement to these young arms.

23. Colorado Rockies: 1 Percent

Ubaldo Jimenez was their ace, but the Colorado Rockies traded him away over the summer and are definitely left with an offensive-minded team. Troy Tulowitzki is a star at shortstop, and Carlos Gonzalez has the potential to go 40-40 in the future.

This type of offensive production is well-suited for the thin air in Colorado. However, if the Rockies are able to find some type of pitching stability, they have a chance to do well.

22. Pittsburgh Pirates: 1 Percent

The Pittsburgh Pirates had a relatively huge collapse near the end of the season. One of the only bright spots of the offense at that point was Derrek Lee. However, he is now a free agent, so the Pirates might need to try to replace his production on the lineup.

They do have a very capable athlete in Andrew McCutchen, but they do not have much else left on offense. Nevertheless, they found a way to win for a large part of last year, so I think that they could do something like that again.

21. Kansas City Royals: 1 Percent

I will admit that I am partial to the Kansas City Royals. I think that one year it is finally going to come together for them. They are currently led by a very young core of Alex Gordon, Billy Butler, and Melky Cabrera. I think that these players have the potential to become a solid unit and to make some noise in what can be at times an easier division (except for the Detroit Tigers of course). I know that the odds are slim, but I would kind of like to see them make a good run this year.

20. Miami Marlins: 1 Percent

When they are equipped with new uniforms and a new name, maybe the Miami Marlins will be able to make some type of a run next season. Perhaps, they will be able to make some large free-agent signing to excite the fans in the new ballpark as well.

Also, they will have Hanley Ramirez all season at full strength. He was not incredibly productive this year, but if you add him to another free-agent bat and the arm of Josh Johnson, the Marlins might do all right. (Incidentally, I would have used a player picture, but I thought this one was symbolic of all of the changes that will be going down).

19. Toronto Blue Jays: 1 Percent

The Toronto Blue Jays had a decent year this year, but they are trapped in a division behind three major contenders. That is why they are so low on this list. However, they have a great bat in José Bautista and a great arm in Ricky Romero.

They ranked around the middle of the pack and even had an even 81-81 record last season, but I had to rate them a little bit below average because we are talking about the World Series chances of teams, and it will be difficult for the Blue Jays to escape their division.

18. Cincinnati Reds: 1 Percent

Joey Votto trade rumors have been shot down by Cincinnati Reds general manager Walt Jocketty recently, so that very well could mean that the Reds will keep the heart of their lineup intact. Jay Bruce adds quite a bit of power to a team that only really needs some starting pitching before they could do some damage. They are kind of trapped behind in their division, but they do have a dangerous lineup that could do well in 2012.

17. Chicago White Sox: 2 Percent

With the departure of manager Ozzie Guillen, the Chicago White Sox are going to look different next year. What will not change, however, is the ever-present bat of Paul Konerko. If the White Sox are able to add another bat to support him in the lineup and if Adam Dunn is able to regain the power that he had prior to this past season, there could be a formidable combination.

Also, their pitching rotation could use one more arm to solidify it, but if these two areas are addressed, the White Sox might not look bad in 2012.

16. Washington Nationals: 2 Percent

The Washington Nationals are one of those teams who are going to be great in a few years. However, they might even be great sooner than that. Ryan Zimmerman, Wilson Ramos and Jayson Werth form the nice beginnings of the lineup, and the returning Stephen Strasburg will lead a rotation already led by Jordan Zimmerman.

Basically, they are trapped in a tough division, but they have quite a bit of potential, which might assist them in being able to surprise some people.

15. Cleveland Indians: 2 Percent

The Cleveland Indians seem to get production from different places all the time. This season, they got quite a bit of offensive production from Carlos Santana and Asdrubal Cabrera largely because Travis Hafner and Grady Sizemore were absent for quite a bit of time.

However, they were still able to score runs in support of their rotation which is now headlined by Ubaldo Jimenez. He had a tough start for the Indians this season, but he has the potential to be an ace, and that could make the Indians a legitimate threat.

14. Chicago Cubs: 3 Percent

I definitely wanted to put them higher. I love Theo Epstein, and I think that he is brilliant. However, the Chicago Cubs had a very difficult time last season. Therefore, I wanted to balance the brilliant moves that perhaps Epstein will make with what might happen if those moves don't work out.

There is also the ever present rumor of Albert Pujols moving to Chicago. If that happens, move them up the list, but I am not confident enough in this to move them higher. They are probably the greatest mystery in baseball right now.

13. Los Angeles Dodgers: 3 Percent

Matt Kemp can carry the Los Angeles Dodgers by himself at times. Clayton Kershaw can be dominating at times as well. The Dodgers have one of the best position players and one of the best pitchers in all of baseball.

With these two pieces already in place, the Dodgers will need to build a stronger support staff. If they're able to do this, they could very well be a contender in a division that has not always been the strongest.

12. San Francisco Giants: 4 Percent

I know that the San Francisco Giants have one of the best starting rotations in baseball led by Tim "The Freak" Lincecum and Matt Cain. However, there offense is definitely lacking. There are rumors that the Giants would like to acquire Jose Reyes to help them shore up these deficits.

This will help the problem, but it definitely will not solve the problem of driving in the runs. The San Francisco Giants will be able to ride their rotation, but they do need some more run production to be a major threat.

11. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: 4 Percent

This justification is going to sound eerily familiar. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are led by the trio of Jered Weaver, Ervin Santana and Dan Haren. They could however use some more offense in their lineup.

If they can gather some type of bat on a somewhat limited budget this winter, they could have a very good chance of competing in the West. Their rotation is among the best in baseball, and it definitely was their main weapon this season and will be in 2012.

10. Boston Red Sox: 4 Percent

I think that the Boston Red Sox will be fine despite all of the clubhouse drama that has been going on. They have a lot of talent in their lineup with Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia in particular. However, their rotation is also impressive as it is led by Josh Beckett and Jon Lester.

I want to put them higher because they have a very well-rounded team with a lot of potential, but with all of the changes that are taking place and the epic collapse of this season, I have to keep them slightly lower.

9. Arizona Diamondbacks: 5 Percent

The Arizona Diamondbacks are headlined by Justin Upton, Chris Young, and Ryan Roberts. They're only going to get better as they mature more and develop more plate discipline. The rotation is led by Ian Kennedy who is also young and is also going to improve.

This young team has a lot of upside, and I do not know how active they will be on the free-agent or trade market. I do not think they need a lot of this however. They are going to mature and get even better than they already are in 2012.

8. Atlanta Braves: 5 Percent

The Atlanta Braves lost out on the playoffs on the final day of the season to the eventual champion St. Louis Cardinals. However, this does not detract from the fact that they have one of the strongest bullpens in baseball led by Johnny Venters, Eric O'Flaherty and Craig Kimbrel.

This is not to say that that was their only weapon. They did have minor problems scoring runs, but they obviously scored enough to win and had a highly-successful year up until that final day.

2012 can only get better.

7. Milwaukee Brewers: 5 Percent

The Milwaukee Brewers had a fabulous year even though the end result wasn't everything they would've hoped it would be. However, the reason that I placed them so low is that they will most likely not have Prince Fielder in the middle of that lineup anymore.

That will definitely hurt the next year, but I do not want to be all negative. They still have a very talented team left over, and they still definitely have a chance, but I had to knock them little bit.

6. St. Louis Cardinals: 7 Percent

With Albert Pujols being a free agent, I guess he could end up somewhere else. However, I believe that he will re-sign with the St. Louis Cardinals, so they will still have a very good chance at making a run next season as well.

The reason there are little bit lower is because Chris Carpenter and Lance Berkman who were huge contributors this year are another year older. I have to wonder if their production will drop at all. However, it probably won't, and the Cardinals will still be very good.

5. Tampa Bay Rays: 7 Percent

I definitely think that the Tampa Bay Rays are pretty much what they always have been. They have a lot of young talent in guys like Matt Joyce, Ben Zobrist and Desmond Jennings. On the mound, James Shields is becoming a star, and the entire pitching staff was among the best in the American League last season in terms of ERA.

They have a young offense that is still improving, and they have a very solid pitching staff that will make very good year in Tampa Bay.

4. New York Yankees: 9 Percent

The New York Yankees are always near the top of baseball. They seem to have an endless stream of talent that they either develop or sign in free agency. In 2012, they will definitely rely on Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson like they did this year.

Assuming that they will re-sign CC Sabathia, they will still have a great rotation when he is combined with homegrown Ivan Nova. The Yankees always have a chance to win, and this season is definitely no different.

3. Detroit Tigers: 9 Percent

The Detroit Tigers have come a long way since they were the cellar dwellers of the American League Central. Now, they are definitely among the best teams in baseball. Justin Verlander is already arguably the best pitcher in baseball, and Doug Fister is only going to get better now that he has more run support.

They have a powerful lineup led by the eerily consistent Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez. They have a very good chance of going all the way next year.

2. Philadelphia Phillies: 10 Percent

The Philadelphia Phillies are definitely getting older. However, they still have the heart of a team that surpassed 100 wins this year. Even though Ryan Howard will be out for a while because of his injury he sustained during his final at-bat this season, the Phillies should have plenty of pitching from their still fabulous rotation.

Howard will definitely be back in time for the playoffs, and their lineup should be able to do enough to get them into the playoffs.

1. Texas Rangers: 11 Percent

The Texas Rangers have the best chance of winning a World Series next season. Their lineup is ridiculously powerful, and they had a very solid pitching staff throughout this 2011. CJ Wilson could leave Texas as he is a free agent, but I believe that the Rangers rotation is definitely still very solid.

All in all, I have a hard time voting against this lineup even though they underachieved this year. They've been to the World Series the past two seasons, so I believe that the third time will indeed be a charm for the Rangers.