MLB power rankings: Who are 2021 World Series contenders?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.