MLB Pre Season/Post COVID-19 Power Rankings: Which Club Will Start The Season On Top?

Spring Training was canceled months ago, the season has been postponed, and we miss baseball. That being said, it is time for the first ever On The Screws MLB Power Rankings.

The free agent pool is now just crumbs and every team’s roster is pretty much set for a season that hopes to start in early July.

We must weigh every detail when deciding on pre-season power rankings. All teams were evaluated on last year’s performance, as well as their key additions and key losses from this past offseason.

OTS MLB Pre Season Power Rankings:

1. LA Dodgers

2. Houston Astros

3. New York Yankees

4. Washington Nationals

5. Tampa Bay Rays

6. Atlanta Braves

7. Minnesota Twins

8. Oakland A’s

9. Milwaukee Brewers

10. St. Louis Cardinals

11. Cleveland Indians

12. Chicago White Sox

13. New York Mets

14. Philadelphia Phillies

15. LA Angels

16. Arizona Diamondbacks

17. Chicago Cubs

18. Cincinnati Reds

19. Texas Rangers

20. Boston Red Sox

21. San Diego Padres

22. Toronto Blue Jays

23. Pittsburgh Pirates

24. San Francisco Giants

25. Seattle Mariners

26. Colorado Rockies

27. Miami Marlins

28. Detroit Tigers

29. Kansas City Royals

30. Baltimore Orioles

World Series Favorites

Image Credit: Mike Stobe/Getty Images

The Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros, New York Yankees, and Washington Nationals are the top four favorites to push for a World Series title in 2020. There’s an argument to be made in favor of each team, however, it’s all about who has the least amount of weak links.

With the huge additions of Mookie Betts and David Price, the already potent Dodgers’ staff and lineup have the best shot at pushing for their first ring since 1988. The top three spots in the rotation are set with Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, and David Price, with plenty of talent fighting behind them for the 4th and 5th spots. Julio Urias, Dustin May, Ross Stripling, FA signing Alex Wood and Jimmy Nelson are all viable options.

The next best favorite, Houston Astros, will surely be haunted by the “Trashcan Scheme” and the loss of an electric arm in Gerrit Cole. Don’t count these guys out just yet. The rotation, having Justin Verlander, Zack Greinke, and a healthy Lance McCullers Jr., is one that can still compete with the best of the best. Their lineup is still the most dangerous in the MLB after posting a league leading team slash-line in 2019, .274/.352/.495. Who knows, maybe we’ll see a young Josh James or Jose Urquidy breakout into stardom and help push this team to another chance at the World Series

The Yankees being the 3rd favorite on this list might cause some controversy after winning 103 games in 2019 and adding the best pitcher in Major League Baseball, Gerrit Cole. Just like the Astros, we know their lineup is extremely dangerous. The biggest question for the Yanks: Will they stay healthy? Luis Severino is already a big name that has gone down for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery before Spring Training. If healthy, their rotation with Gerrit Cole, James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka, JA Happ, and Jordan Montgomery can still be one of the best rotations in the league. It doesn’t just end there. With Aaron Judge having rib problems and Aaron Hicks still working his way back from Tommy John surgery, there are still several concerns regarding this powerhouse franchise.

It’s unusual putting the defending World Series Champion, Nationals, behind these three teams, but they have a giant hole in their lineup to try and fill. How do you replace the 126 RBI machine in Anthony Rendon? After getting Stephen Strasburg back on a long-term deal, there’s no question that the Nats rotation will dominate all year. They just have some searching to do on offense.

Contenders

Image Credit: Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

The Atlanta Braves look to take the NL East for the second year in a row and have a great chance to do so with their electrifying young core of Ronald Acuna, Ozzie Albies, Dansby Swanson and Mike Soroka and returning solid veterans like Freddie Freeman, Ender Inciarte, and Nick Markakis. They made a small but strong splash during free agency with Marcell Ozuna, Cole Hamels, Will Smith, and Felix Hernandez. They have the pieces to make a legit run at an NL title.

The Braves and Nationals should have some competition they aren’t normally used to. The New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies have their eyes on the top spot in the NL East after the Mets went out and solidified their bullpen problems with Dellin Batances and Brad Brach, while the Phillies inked a large, $118 million deal with former Mets’ started Zach Wheeler and grabbed Didi Gregorius for a year in hopes to add some offensive production. New manager Joe Girardi has the pieces to possibly sneak into a playoff spot at the end of the year.

The NL Central should end in another close race with the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals battling it out for the top spot.

The Brewers made the most noise this offseason, between the two teams, by going out and getting Brett Anderson and Eric Lauer to help the starting rotation, as well as plugging in Avisail Garcia and a couple other veteran hitters to the lineup. The Cardinals are returning nearly the same roster that won them 91 games in 2019. Although they were swept by the Nationals in the NLCS, this team should be back for revenge.

There are three dangerous contenders in the AL that the Astros and Yankees need to watch out for.

The Minnesota Twins, with a 101-win 2019 campaign, come into this season having added Josh Donaldson to an already extremely powerful lineup that led all Major League Baseball in long balls. The only question is directed towards the strength of their pitching staff. Jose Berrios and Jake Odorizzi can’t be the only ones to produce.

The Oakland A’s and Tampa Bay Rays may have young cheap talent, but they proved they are both here to stay after winning 97 and 96 games, respectively, in 2019.

The Rays made solid offensive additions in Manuel Margot, Jose Martinez, Hunter Renfroe, and Japanese stand-out Yoshitomo Tsutsugo, which should all compliment their very powerful pitching staff nicely.

If the A’s can get a full season from Sean Manaea, Jesus Luzardo, and Frankie Montas, along with another productive year by their offense, you are looking at a possible threat to dethrone the Astros in the AL West.

Fringe/Dark Horses

Image Credit: USA Today Sports

The biggest omission from the contender list is the Cleveland Indians, who won 93 games in 2019, but failed to clinch a playoff berth. Shane Bieber and Mike Clevenger are going to have to turn into a two headed monster and carry this rotation after trading Corey Kluber this offseason. The biggest concern is the offensive production from Jose Ramirez and Francisco Lindor. They both had respectable seasons but didn’t perform on a level that could take this team on a deep run in the playoffs.

The Texas Rangers, out of the AL West, made a big move to help their starting rotation by landing Corey Kluber in a trade with the Indians. Their two biggest weaknesses are bullpen depth and the number of strikeouts by their lineup. As of now, they are a fringe team at best. Shoring up those two weaknesses could help them slide into a contender spot.

In the NL Central, the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds are two fringe teams that could possibly make some noise if they can stumble upon a key piece or two at the trade deadline.

The Cubs desperately need to fill a huge hole in the starting rotation after losing Cole Hamels in free agency to the Braves. Their lineup still has plenty of star power behind Javier Baez, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, and Wilson Contreras, but in the end, it’s the lack of pitching depth that pushes them to a fringe team.

The Reds might surprise some people being a fringe team, however, they were able to grab Pedro Strop and Wade Miley to help out this already top 10 pitching staff from the year before. Their lineup was near the bottom of the league in offensive production, but the free agent signings of Nick Castellanos and Mike Moustakas could shoot this squad towards possible contention.

There are four dark horse teams that find themselves flirting with possible contention and more.

In the AL, the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Angels go into the 2020 campaign with the pieces to do some damage.

With an already talented young team of Tim Anderson, Yoan Moncada, Nick Madrigal, Eloy Jimenez, Luis Roberts, Nomar Mazara (received from Rangers), Lucas Giolito, and Reynaldo Lopez, and veteran presences of Jose Abreu and free agent signings, Edwin Encarnacion, Yasmani Grandal, Dallas Keuchel, Gio Gonzalez, and Steve Cishek, the White Sox might be knocking on the door of an AL Central title. And let’s not forget the flame throwing prospect Michael Kopech, who, if healthy, could set the MLB on fire with his stuff.

The Angels have a powerful offense with Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, and free agent signing Anthony Rendon, all leading the way. Their only concern, like many other teams, is pitching depth. The starting rotation looks extremely weak once you get past the incredible two-way athlete Ohtani, and if he can’t stay healthy, this team has almost no chance to contend.

In the NL, two teams in the same division, the Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Diego Padres, plug in crucial pieces to their MLB roster using the very talented farm system’s they have built up in the previous years.

The Diamondbacks went under the radar and quietly won 85 games in 2019. Although they lost a few small pieces to free agency and trade (Zack Greinke), they were able to grab Madison Bumgarner, Kole Calhoun, and Junior Guerra off the market and dish off a couple lower level prospects for a solid outfield piece in Starling Marte. Let’s not forget, they also have the 6th best farm system, so we could see a new era of Diamondbacks baseball very soon.

The Padres are in a very similar situation as the Dbacks, getting a couple arms from free agency and trading for a couple hitters to supplement Manny Machado, Eric Hosmer, and Fernando Tatis Jr. With the 2nd best farm system in the MLB, the Padres could have a future like we saw with the Astros, back in 2015.

Non-Contenders:

Image Credit: Mark Blinch/Getty Images

At the bottom of this list we have several noncontenders. Some are in rebuild mode, some are nearly a fringe team, and while others are in a category of their own.

The rebuilders: The Miami Marlins (4th ranked farm system), Detroit Tigers (5th ranked farm system), Seattle Mariners (9th ranked farm system), San Francisco Giants (10th ranked farm system), and Baltimore Orioles (13th ranked farm system). These teams will be out of contention for a couple more years, but their futures look very bright, as long as they play their cards right with their top guys.

The Toronto Blue Jays are towards they back end of rebuild mode after graduating some of their top prospects like Bo Bichette, Vlad Guerrero Jr., Lourdes Gurriel Jr., and Cavan Biggio. If they can add some veterans at the trade deadline or next offseason, you’re looking at a definite contender.

Wtf Are We Doing?

Image Credit: Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald

That leaves us with 4 teams that are in a new category called: Wtf are we doing?

The Boston Red Sox have a terrible farm system, and after losing Chris Sale to injury and Mookie Betts and David Price to trade, all they have to look forward to is a couple rough years of mediocre baseball.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have been lost since 2016. After a surprisingly productive offensive year in 2019, the Pirates look to put together some pieces from their 15th ranked farm system since they failed to make any big splashes in free agency.

The Kansas City Royals seem to be stuck in the mud. With their farm system sitting at 16th best, and after only going after Maikel Franco and resigning Alex Gordon, they are staring another 100-loss season directly in the eyes.

Last on this list is the Colorado Rockies. We know there’s a lot of drama between the Rockies and their star players, especially Nolan Arenado. They made a whopping zero moves in the offseason, which means the pitching staff from 2019 that was scrapping the bottom of the league will most likely be there again. However, the powerful offense from last year should be back and should produce. Of course, that is until they start trading away their trio of studs, Arenado, Story, and Blackmon.

Let’s hope we can all see how this article plays out being that the season is still in jeopardy. Once the MLB can figure out when to get the ball rolling, there will be plenty more power rankings to come.