The 2021 Major League Baseball season will begin on Thursday, April 1. Ahead of this year's season beginning, here are Audacy's MLB Power Rankings...
Things Look Bleak for the Rockies
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 a case that the Rockies have the worst roster in baseball, and there's the potential for things to get even worse as the season goes on. The Rockies traded superstar third baseman Nolan Arenado (more on him in a minute) this offseason, and Trevor Story, one of the game's elite shortstops, 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 already projects to win just 67 games this year could get even worse if they decide to trade their shortstop this July.
Royals Hope To Turn the Corner in 2021
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 Mike Minor, Carlos Santana, Andrew Benintendi and 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 very positive direction organizationally.
Are the Nationals Too Top-Heavy?
Will Trea Turner and Juan Soto be able to 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 Max Scherzer, injury-prone Stephen Strasburg - are far from sure things, you'll understand why we're projecting the Nationals to finish fourth in a crowded National League East. Juan Soto and Trea Turner are among the very 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 and J.T. Realmuto hope to help the Phillies reach the postseason for the first time since 2011.(Hunter Martin/Getty Images)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 National League, 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 Alec Bohm and the re-signings of J.T. Realmuto and Didi Gregorius, 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 very easily win one of the two Wild Card spots in the National League.
Will Nolan Arenado Help 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 National League West and in the entire National League East may beat each other up, the Cardinals enter the 2021 season as pretty heavy favorites to win the National League Central. Even with a chaotic schedule brought on by COVID-19, the Cardinals reached the postseason in 2020, a year after appearing in the NLCS. With the offseason pickup of Nolan Arenado and a full season of Dylan Carlson, the Cardinals could become a World Series contender with the addition of another frontline starting pitcher this summer.
Can Braves Get Over the Hump in 2021?
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 National League 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 National League pennant since 1999. However, they should have a much healthier Ozzie Albies in 2021, were able to re-sign Marcell Ozuna and added Charlie Morton and Drew Smyly to their starting rotation. If the Braves make it out of the National League East this year, there's no reason to think they couldn't challenge the Dodgers and/or San Diego Padres in the postseason.
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