(AUDACY) With Opening Day awaiting Thursday, Audacy shared its MLB power rankings ahead of the new season. Take a look below.
Outlook is bleak for Rockies
Rockies shortstop Trevor Story is in a contract year.
Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images
30. Colorado Rockies
29. Pittsburgh Pirates
28. Baltimore Orioles
27. Detroit Tigers
26. Seattle Mariners
At the outset of the 2021 season, you can make the case that the Rockies have the worst roster in baseball -- and there's the potential for it to get even worse as the year goes on. The Rockies traded star third baseman Nolan Arenado this offseason, and star shortstop Trevor Story is entering a contract year. With no evidence that the Rockies are going to mount a serious attempt to retain Story, a team that FanGraphs projects to win just 67 games in 2021 could get even worse if it decides to trade Story this July.
Royals hope to turn the corner in 2021
Royals catcher Salvador Perez is coming off a strong season.
Jamie Squire/Getty Images
25. Texas Rangers
24. Arizona Diamondbacks
23. Cincinnati Reds
22. Kansas City Royals
21. San Francisco Giants
The Royals aren't going to contend in what's becoming a crowded American League Central, but 2021 shouldn't be a lost year either. As many teams cut costs this past winter, the Royals acquired left-hander Mike Minor, first baseman/designated hitter Carlos Santana, outfielder Andrew Benintendi and outfielder Michael A. Taylor while inking franchise icon Salvador Perez to a new long-term extension. With three of MLB Pipeline's top 30 prospects in baseball, the Royals are trending in a positive direction organizationally.
Are the Nationals too top-heavy?
Will Trea Turner and Juan Soto lead the Nationals back to the postseason in 2021?
Hunter Martin/Getty Images
20. Chicago Cubs
19. Miami Marlins
18. Washington Nationals
17. Milwaukee Brewers
16. Boston Red Sox
Even if everything goes right in D.C., the Nationals are probably too top-heavy. When you consider that some of those players at the top -- 36-year-old ace Max Scherzer, injury-prone right-hander Stephen Strasburg -- are far from sure bets, you'll understand why we're projecting the Nationals to finish fourth in a crowded National League East. Outfielder Juan Soto and shortstop Trea Turner are among the best position players in the sport, but the team's roster as a whole isn't deep enough to win potentially the best division in baseball.
Phillies looking to avoid 10-year postseason drought
Bryce Harper (3) and J.T. Realmuto hope to lead the Phillies to the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade.
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15. Los Angeles Angels
14. Cleveland
13. Oakland Athletics
12. Houston Astros
11. Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies already have the longest playoff drought in the NL, and it will be a decade since there's been October baseball at Citizens Bank Park if they miss the postseason in 2021. With a full season of third baseman Alec Bohm and the re-signings of catcher J.T. Realmuto and shortstop Didi Gregorius, manager Joe Girardi possess one of the more talented lineups in baseball. If offseason additions at the back end of the rotation (Matt Moore, Chase Anderson) and in the bullpen (José Alvarado, Archie Bradley) prove successful, the Phillies could easily win one of the two wild-card spots in the NL.
Will Nolan Arenado help the Cardinals become World Series contenders?
Nolan Arenado is entering his first season with the Cardinals.
Michael Reaves/Getty Images
10. Tampa Bay Rays
9. Toronto Blue Jays
8. St. Louis Cardinals
7. Chicago White Sox
6. New York Mets
While the teams at the top of the NL West and in the entire NL East may beat each other up, the Cardinals enter the 2021 season as favorites to win the NL Central. Even with a chaotic schedule brought on by a COVID-19 outbreak, the Cardinals reached the postseason in 2020, a year after appearing in the NL Championship Series. With the offseason pickup of star third baseman Nolan Arenado and a full season of outfielder Dylan Carlson, the Cardinals could become a World Series contender with the addition of another frontline starting pitcher this summer.
Can the Braves get over the hump in 2021?
Marcell Ozuna (left), Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) and the Braves are hopeful to get over the hump in 2021.
Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images
5. Minnesota Twins
4. Atlanta Braves
3. New York Yankees
2. San Diego Padres
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
Despite a rash of injuries in their starting rotation, the Braves won their third consecutive NL East title in 2020 and had the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers down 3-1 in the NLCS. As you know by now, the Braves couldn't ultimately finish off the Dodgers and win their first NL pennant since 1999. However, second baseman Ozzie Albies should be much healthier in 2021, and the Braves re-signed outfielder Marcell Ozuna and added right-hander Charlie Morton and left-hander Drew Smyly to their starting rotation. If the Braves make it out of the NL East this year, there's no reason to think they can't challenge the Dodgers and/or Padres in the postseason.
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