1. New York Yankees
Previous Ranking: (n/a)
The Yankees have the most complete offense in the American League and it should get even better with Jason Giambi returning to form. With Joba Chamberlain starting the season in bullpen alongside LaTroy Hawkins, the two make a pretty solid set up tandem for Mariano Rivera. Meanwhile, the other two "Tenacious Three" members, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy, should give the Yankees rotation stability. Right now, the Yankees have the advantage over others as they haven't had to deal with too many injuries.
2. Cleveland Indians
Previous Ranking: (n/a)
With the Detroit Tigers upgrading their offense this season, a lot of pressure is going to be put on the Indians pitching staff to deliver. We all know that C.C. Sabthia will bring it every season, but there are plenty of questions surrounding Fausto Carmona, who was 19-8 with a 3.06 era last season. Regardless, the Indians have the best pitching depth in their division. They should have an easy first two weeks of the season against the White Sox, A's, and Angels.3. New York Mets
Previous Ranking: (n/a)
If the Mets hadn't traded for Johan Santana, they may have not cracked my top 10. However, that one move changed everything. Santana provides the team with a proven winner at the front of the rotation that can log plenty of innings. Not only will he take pressure off of guys like Pedro Martinez and John Maine to win ballgames, but he will also make the bullpen better as they will be more rested. At this point in time, the Mets should be considered the frontrunners in the NL East.4. Boston Red Sox
Previous Ranking: (n/a)
The World Champs suffered a wake up call when Josh Beckett was having back spasm's over the spring. Even though Beckett will likely be ready to go on April 6th against the Blue Jays, it's an injury they will have to monitor carefully as back problems tend to linger quite awhile among players. With Curt Schilling already on the shelf, the Red Sox can't afford to lose another starter, especially with Jon Lester having control problems and Clay Buchholz having a terrible spring5. Detroit Tigers
Previous Ranking: (n/a)
Take an already solid team and add Miguel Cabrera, Dontrelle Willis, and Edgar Renteria and what do you get?....A championship contender. While most people are down on the Tigers because of their bullpen, I don't think it will effect them too bad. Fernando Rodney should be back within the first month of the season and Joel Zumaya will join the team for the stretch run. Regardless, the team has one monster of an offense and has a fairly light schedule in April.6. Los Angeles Dodgers
Previous Ranking: (n/a)
Manager Joe Torre has already proved to me that he's the right man for the job when he decided to start Andre Ethier over Juan Pierre. With Matt Kemp and James Loney getting regular at bats, and Andruw Jones leading the team in the middle of the lineup, it won't matter that Andy LaRoche, Nomar Garciaparra, and Jeff Kent are battling injuries. Once they return, look out....as the Dodgers could easily be one of the best in the National League this season.7. Arizona Diamondbacks
Previous Ranking: (n/a)
I've said it before, and I'll say it again....Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes has done one hell of a job turning this former 111 loss team (2004) into one of the best in the National League. The Dan Haren acquisition was exactly what the team needed this offseason and the team could have one scary rotation if Randy Johnson returns to form. I can give you 300 good reasons why he'll want to, as he's only 16 wins shy of the mark. If everything goes right, the D-Backs could be scary come October.8. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Previous Ranking: (n/a)
I would have ranked them higher had John Lackey, Kelvim Escobar, and Scot Shields not gotten hurt to start the season. The Angels will be relying on their deep farm system--most notably, Joe Saunders, Ervin Santana, and Dustin Moseley--to shoulder the load while they're out. The trade for Jon Garland is looking pretty solid right about now and the Torii Hunter signing will help them succeed in the short run.9. Philadelphia Phillies
Previous Ranking: (n/a)
Trading Michael Bourn for Brad Lidge was one of the best moves that was made this past offseason. Even though Lidge is hurt to start the season, he'll be able to return on April 5th. The best part about the move is that it allowed Brett Myers to go back to the starting rotation, which is better than any free agent signing the team could have made. The Phillies offense will once again be one of the best in the American League, so it's going to be up to the pitching staff to decide the team's fate.10. Chicago Cubs
Previous Ranking: (n/a)
While many teams in the National League Central have remained complacent, the Cubs have been one of the few teams that continue to improve. Kerry Wood seems like a natural in the closers position and the signing of Kosuke Fukodome should be a significant upgrade over Jacque Jones. The team has the best pitching in the division, and coupled with a good offense, they should run away with the National League Central.11. San Diego Padres
Previous Ranking: (n/a)
Even with Jim Edmonds out to start the season, you can't ignore the fact that the Padres have one of the best pitching staffs in the National League. Once again, the offense will be led by Adrian Gonzalez, who is one of the most underrated first basemen in the game. Not many people take notice that Gonzalez had a 30 HR, 100 RBI, 101 season last season for the Friars. Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see if Mark Prior is able to return by midseason to help this team make a playoff push.12. Atlanta Braves
Previous Ranking: (n/a)
Okay...So losing to the Nationals on opening night isn't exactly the greatest way to start the season off, but it's only one game. The Braves pitching staff will be much improved this season with the return of Tom Glavine and the trade for Jair Jurjjens. The Braves offense should be good once again this season, but I have a feeling the team will find a replacement for Mark Kotsay before midseason. 13. Toronto Blue Jays
Previous Ranking: (n/a)
The Blue Jays have the talent to push the Yankees and Red Sox in the AL East, but it remains to be seen whether or not it will actually happen. Even though the team is setting an all-time high for payroll, the most likely scenario has the team once again finishing in 3rd place in the toughest division in baseball. Both Scott Rolen and B.J. Ryan are starting the season on the disabled list and in order for the Blue Jays to be effective, they will need their players to be healthy all year long.14. Milwaukee Brewers
Previous Ranking: (n/a)
The Brewers finished last season only 2 games back of the Cubs in the National Central last season. While the season was viewed positively by most fans, lets not forget the fact that their record was only 4 games above .500 and that the team was the worst team in the National League on the road. In order for the Brewers to be considered serious contenders, they will need to start winning road games. Their bullpen is a huge question this season for the team, especially without Francisco Cordero.15. Seattle Mariners
Previous Ranking: (n/a)
Most people seem to like the Erik Bedard deal a lot more than I do. Bedard doesn't guarantee the Mariners anything as he's only been a true ace for one season, has never pitched over 200 innings, and the deal made the teams offense, defense, and bullpen worse. Even though the Mariners have a gold glover in center field, their outfield defense may very well be one of the worst in the league. 16. Colorado Rockies
Previous Ranking: (n/a)
The Rockies were smart to lock up Troy Tulowitzki early on, but they've made quite a few offseason mistakes. While the offense will be solid as usual, the pitching staff will continue to be suspect. I don't truly believe that a team with mediocre pitching can continue to thrive in that ballpark. While last years run made for a great story, I think the success of the ballclub will be short-lived. I can't envision another postseason appearance this year for the purple and black.17. Cincinatti Reds
Previous Ranking: (n/a)
Even though the Reds sent Jay Bruce back to the minors, the team has a tremendous amount of upside. I like the Josh Hamilton trade by the team as it gives them much needed pitching depth. Johnny Cueto, Edinson Volquez, and Homer Bailey could all potentially have decent seasons for the Reds (though Bailey will begin the season in the minors). The Reds remain a sleeper pick to win the division this year.18. Chicago White Sox
Previous Ranking: (n/a)
The moves the White Sox made this season aren't enough to win them the division, but they probably guarantee the team a 3rd place finish. I can't understand many of the moves GM Kenny Williams made this offseason. Jon Garland was arguably the team's most effective pitcher over the past couple of seasons and Williams sends him packing for Orlando Cabrera? Meanwhile, why on earth he'd give up Gio Gonzalez for Nick Swisher is beyond me. The White Sox will give up as many runs as they score.19. Oakland Athletics
Previous Ranking: (n/a)
Rich Harden once again showed the world why he is one of the best pitchers in baseball....if only he could stay healthy. As long as Harden and Joe Blanton are fronting that rotation, the A's will have a chance to win some games. Many people have claimed the A's would be one of the worst teams in baseball in 2008 because the team traded Dan Haren and Nick Swisher, but I think they could surprise a lot of people. Billy Beane has done a remarkable job rebuilding this team.20. Minnesota Twins
Previous Ranking: (n/a)
The Twins bullpen is still solid, and their offense should be able to survive without Torii Hunter, but I just don't see how this team will survive without Johan Santana. The Twins feature a rotation of Livan Hernandez, Boof Bonser, Nick Blackburn, Kevin Slowey, and Scott Baker to start the season and none of these pitchers are worthy of anything more than a number 4 spot in a rotation. The Twins better hope Francisco Liriano returns at full strength or it's going to be a long summer.21. Houston Astros
Previous Ranking: (n/a)
I'm not a big fan of Ed Wade's first offseason as the general manager of the Astros, but we'll see if it pays off. The team will likely have a strong offense surrounding Miguel Tejada, Lance Berkman, Carlos Lee, and Hunter Pence. However, the rotation after Roy Oswalt is suspect, as is the entire bullpen. 22. St. Louis Cardinals
Previous Ranking: (n/a)
The pitching staff is nowhere to be seen (including the bullpen); Albert Pujols has a bum elbow; and both Cesar Izturis and Skip Schumaker are in the starting lineup....It's hard to believe that the Cardinals actually won the world series just two seasons ago. Since doctors tolds Pujols he had to get surgery on his elbow, he might as well do it this season as the team is going nowhere. The best case scenario for the Cardinals has Chris Carpenter, Matt Clement, and Mark Mulder healthy heading into next year.23. Tampa Bay Rays
Previous Ranking: (n/a)
I actually had the Rays ranked as high as 17.....That is, until I learned that the team is keeping Evan Longoria in AAA and that Rocco Baldelli and Scott Kazmir will begin the season on the DL. The Rays have a ton of potential, but will have a hard time winning ballgames in the tough AL East. Also not helping matters is that the team has a fairly difficult month of April ahead of them.24. Kansas City Royals
Previous Ranking: (n/a)
The Royals are still waiting for Alex Gordon and Billy Butler to emerge into the players the team thought they could be, but the team also brought in Jose Guillen to lighten the load a little bit. The front of the rotation should be okay. It will be interesting to see if Gil Meche and Brian Bannister can continue the success they had last season.25. Washington Nationals
Previous Ranking: (n/a)
The Nationals kicked off their season in dramatic fashion with a walkoff home run against the Braves. While the teams pitching staff is suspect, Jim Bowden has done a tremendous job setting the team up for the future by acquiring Lastings Milledge and Elijah Dukes. 26. Texas Rangers
Previous Ranking: (n/a)
The offense is okay, but once again, the pitching is nowhere to be seen. With Edinson Volquez getting traded to Cincinnati and Brandon McCarthy out until at least June, the team is going to be hurting for wins. At least Ranger fans can be optimistic about Hank Blalock's return to the lineup.27. Pittsburgh Pirates
Previous Ranking: (n/a)
The Pirates made absolutely no changes to their team this offseason, so why should I expect a different result? Even if Jason Bay rebounds from his bad season a year ago, chances are he'll be shipped out of town at the deadline.28. San Francisco Giants
Previous Ranking: (n/a)
The Giants have the worst offense in all of baseball. They were a bad team last season with Barry Bonds and will be a worse team without him. To put things into perspective, the Giants couldn't even beat their AAA team with Barry Zito on the mound . Maybe the two teams should trade places?29. Baltimore Orioles
Previous Ranking: (n/a)
At least the Orioles have finally chosen a direction. Trading Miguel Tejada and Erik Bedard was the right move by the team. This team has been a bad team for way too long and rebuilding was the only chance the Orioles had of someday turning that around. Adam Jones should develop into a future all-star alongside Nick Markakis.30. Florida Marlins
Previous Ranking: (n/a)
Hanley Ramirez is the only bright spot on this team. Without Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis, the Marlins will find themselves at the basement of the NL East once again. It's a shame.
