This team can put up runs in bunches. Freddy Peralta is another name to track. It will be interesting to see how Lance McCullers Jr. performs after signing his extension. Tyler Mahle and Tejay Antone are a couple of other hurlers to watch. Ultimately, there is a lot of subjectivity in such rankings because viewers tune in for any number of reasons. That said, offensive production could be lacking. Those who like deep bullpens and appreciate the quirks of Kevin Cash's managerial style will likely have a greater affinity for the Rays. Right-hander Ian Anderson is a leading candidate for NL ROY in 2021. Adam Duvall has good pop, and Brian Anderson has been a terrific asset at the hot corner. The Chicago White Sox still get the nod over the Twins in these rankings because of the young talent. The left-hander will once again anchor the staff, though fans might also keep a watchful eye on top prospect Nate Pearson to see how the team handles him given some durability issues both last summer and during camp. The Yankees could be asking a lot of arms like Jordan Montgomery, Deivi Garcia and Domingo German. Luis Robert can destroy baseballs and flies all over the place in center field. The rotation has a good mix of talent with Zack Greinke and newcomer Jake Odorizzi. The Kansas City Royals are another team, like the Mariners, that have the feel of an upstart. To make room on the 40-man roster, right-handed reliever Luke Bard was … Still, the Marlins last year ranked 11th in the NL in runs and 12th in OPS and only added Duvall. Puk and Daulton Jefferies. The San Francisco Giants are like the inverse of the Marlins. Rendon, one of the best all-around players in the majors, had his typical .915 OPS season. Adrian Morejon, MacKenzie Gore and Ryan Weathers could all make starts or come out of the bullpen. Sean Murphy could rapidly ascend as one of the top offensive catchers in baseball. He will have a limited role, but fans should not forget how much he has meant to the game through the years. But there is not a whole lot of offensive firepower. Cincy ranked 13th in the NL in runs scored and 22nd in weighted runs created plus (wRC+) in 2020. 1 spot. Martinez, who could get a boost from the return of in-game video usage. Outfielder Kyle Tucker is blossoming into a star. Reigning AL MVP Jose Abreu is as reliable an RBI guy as there is. Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton hit towering homers and strike fear into the hearts of opposing hurlers. Joc Pederson was excellent in camp and has the chance to be an everyday player, plus Ian Happ is growing into his own as a core piece. Iglesias … Anthony Rendon is right up there as one of the best in baseball. Javier Baez, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Willson Contreras remain the foundation of the position group. The rotation features a mix of intriguing veterans like Marco Gonzales and James Paxton as well as youngsters such as Justus Sheffield. The position group is deep and versatile. With the new campaign now in full swing, we at Bleacher Report thought we'd take our own stab at a "League Pass" (for you NBA watchers) style of rankings in terms of each team's watchability. The defense should also excel with Andrelton Simmons at shortstop and Buxton in center field. Can Atlanta finally get over the hump this time? DJ LeMahieu sprays the ball all over the field. On a separate note: This could be Albert Pujols' final season in the bigs. Christian Yelich is as magnetic as any player in baseball when at the top of his game. Brandon Lowe is a legitimate slugger. The club sought out Raisel Iglesias to solidify what was an area of real ugliness in 2020. Kurt Suzuki is the backup catcher, and either Walsh or Pujols will fill out the four-man bench. Miguel Cabrera, that is. But there will be pressure, especially on guys like Jake Bauers and Josh Naylor. Adam Eaton hit a … Same goes for Aaron Nola on the mound, with Zack Wheeler also boasting excellent stuff. The Milwaukee Brewers quietly have one of the most dynamic one-two punches at the top of the rotation in Brandon Woodruff and Corbin Burnes. Of course, the wild card is Shohei Ohtani, who has top-of-the-rotation raw stuff. If that was not a small sample size fluke, the Angels would get well above average offense at catcher. Trent Grisham flies around the bases and plays spectacular defense in center field. He’ll start the season in the minors. We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. Gone are some of the main culprits for this misery (including one-time closer Hansel Robles), with the reliable Iglesias. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions. The core consists of speedsters such as Whit Merrifield and Adalberto Mondesi, with Jorge Soler and Hunter Dozier boasting slugging upside. Even the toolsy Byron Buxton is finding his home run swing, as evidenced by his mammoth blast on Thursday. One of the big surprises of the spring was when the Angels sent out all the middle infielders, leaving only Jose Rojas as the presumptive winner for the backup middle infield job. Top prospect Jarred Kelenic's arrival could be imminent. The vets are solid as well. Longtime catcher Sal Perez is coming off a career season, while Andrew Benintendi will hope to revitalize his career in Kansas City. The Washington Nationals still have as good of a top three in their rotation as any other club with Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and Patrick Corbin. Injuries were a big factor last season in limiting an offense that led baseball in home runs in 2019. Jose Berrios probably has yet to reach his ceiling. After an excellent 2020 campaign, will Didi Gregorius be able to secure a multi-year deal. The rotation, however, is lacking in quality depth and big stuff. It will also be interesting to see how Joey Votto fares as the twilight of his career draws ever nearer. This spring, he apparently convinced Maddon that he can handle second base well enough to be the backup, with Fletcher backing up at shortstop. Houston avoided the full brunt of the backlash from said scandal in 2020 when fans were absent from the seats. First baseman Paul Goldschmidt rakes and plays plus defense at the other corner. It's just that the Arizona Diamondbacks will likely put a mediocre product out there in 2021. If you want power rankings, refer to this piece by Bleacher Report's own Joel Reuter. Gleyber Torres is one of the better young shortstops in the sport, and third baseman Gio Urshela is as underrated as they come on a roster full of big names. He has hit throughout his career, but defense has been the issue. Behold, the 2021 MLB season is officially underway! But let's start that countdown with the Bronx Bombers. Happ will be fascinating to see operate in the spacious confines of Target Field. He is also 133 knocks from 3,000 hits. 2021 Topps Series 1 Rainbow Foil Parallels 1-200 You Pick Complete Set Reloaded! San Francisco also added Tommy La Stella in the offseason. Marcus Stroman is back with a nasty split-changeup after opting out of the 2020 season. They also acquired right-hander James Hoyt and re-signed Noe Ramirez, who had been released by the Reds after they acquired him for Iglesias. David Fletcher and Jose Iglesias play terrific defense up the middle. Obviously any outfield with Mike Trout in the middle is going to be pretty good. The Philadelphia Phillies have ample star power. The Marlins could certainly be higher based on the talent in the rotation. 86 Raisel Iglesias - Cincinnati Reds 87 Juan Soto - Washington Nationals 88 Derek Jeter - New York Yankees 89 Nolan Arenado - Colorado Rockies 90 Nolan Ryan - Texas Rangers 91 Jordan Yamamoto - Miami Marlins RC 92 Matt Carpenter - St. Louis Cardinals 93 Mallex Smith - Seattle Mariners 94 Charlie Morton - Tampa Bay Rays 95 A.J. Los Angeles ranked first in runs and tied for first in OPS+ with San Diego in 2020 after ranking in the top five in both categories in 2019. Rookie third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes might be the singular reason to watch the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2021. The Angels’ offseason started and ended with dramatic changes to the bullpen. Darvish was runner-up for the NL Cy Young in 2020, and Snell could thrive with the opportunity to extend himself deeper into ballgames. The progression of Toronto's youngsters will help shape the Blue Jays' success in 2021, but the addition of George Springer will also play a major role. Indeed, the lineup is stacked. Love him or hate him, reigning NL Cy Young Trevor Bauer brings a lot of personality and arrogance. Eduardo Rodriguez is dealing with elbow soreness and could take time to get acclimated in his return from myocarditis. Jean Segura is a former NL hits leader. Jose Ramirez was last year's runner-up for AL MVP and is a perennial contender for the award. Luis Castillo is a bona fide ace, and Sonny Gray had a career-best fielding independent pitching (FIP) mark last season. Los Angeles is not just good. But there is still an absurdity of slugging potential with the likes of Nelson Cruz, Miguel Sano and Josh Donaldson hitting in the middle of the order, though Donaldson's calf could be an issue. The return of Trey Mancini, who had a great spring after missing all of 2020 with cancer. Right-hander Dylan Bundy, left-hander Andrew Heaney and right-hander Griffin Canning combined for a 3.91 ERA in 34 starts. If you don't have cable, here's how you can watch every Reds game live online without cable in 2021. Arenado is one of the best defenders in the game and a prolific slugger. The Chicago Cubs have the star power. Another reason to watch the O's? It remains to be seen when Luis Severino will be back from Tommy John surgery. The staff will be a question mark, but there at least is more depth. The Brewers ranked just 24th in wRC+ in 2020. Although the Detroit Tigers are years from contention, the young arms have arrived. All-Star J.T. It all starts with Juan Soto, who is one of the most enthralling young superstars in baseball with his tremendous hit tool and prodigious power to all fields. Ramon Laureano and Mark Canha can also slug. Already armed with one of the top offenses in baseball, this Mets team is primed to contend in the NL East. The most intriguing question will be how much playing time 41-year-old Pujols gets in the final season of his 10-year, $240 million contract. Michael Brantley's hit tool is mesmerizing with his ability to spray the ball all over the field. Top prospect Jo Adell is expected to be the Angels’ long-term right fielder, once he cleans up some issues offensively and defensively. Frankly, the relief corps could be the most dominant and watchable group on this team. The high-end options were better in 2020, however, and we've seen Josh Hader, Liam Hendriks, Aroldis Chapman, Edwin Diaz and Raisel Iglesias move … Astros fans will be hoping to get back to the top of the AL West. They brought in free agent lefty Jose Quintana and traded for right-hander Alex Cobb. Rookie first baseman Bobby Dalbec crushed everything in sight this spring and should be a contender for AL ROY. Maddon is back for his second year leading the Angels, but in a sense it is his first. Their bullpen is elite, with reigning NL Rookie of the Year Devin Williams delivering a bevy of nasty changeups and Josh Hader still retaining his status as one of the best relievers in baseball. Maybe the Padres are the more "darling" types to viewers as a smaller media market hoping to dethrone the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. Although we do not pre-screen comments, we reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. The Atlanta Braves lineup is exceptionally deep. That notion also holds true in the bullpen, and the addition of Raisel Iglesias gives the Halos a legitimate closing threat. Max Fried was an NL Cy Young candidate in 2020. The San Diego Padres were already one of the most exciting teams in baseball in 2020. He will also be a trade candidate to watch. Moreover—like it or not—plenty of eyes will be on this team because of how polarizing Houston has become in baseball culture. But the Mets are going to be a lot of fun to watch. Do not be deceived by the small-market Oakland Athletics and their apparent low profile. So, which teams deserve your attention in 2021? The real heavy lifting took place in a frantic 30-hour stretch in the final days before Opening Day. Kevin Gausman will try to bolster his market ahead of free agency, with the potential for Johnny Cueto to be a trade piece if he pitches decently. Realmuto is a pleasure to watch at the plate and behind the dish. The health and production from all three could very well define Washington's contender status. J.A. But this is a team that came within 12 outs of the World Series last season. The first significant move for new General Manager Perry Minasian was trading for right-hander Raisel Iglesias from the Cincinnati Reds. If you see comments that you find offensive, please use the “Flag as Inappropriate” feature by hovering over the right side of the post, and pulling down on the arrow that appears. Hayes raked again this spring, hitting .431 with a 1.208 OPS before homering in Thursday's opener against the Chicago Cubs. Even Philly's more established veterans are household names. Oh, and Bobby Witt Jr. could make his MLB debut sooner than anticipated. In spring training he showed he was healthy, although perhaps lacking command. Although they lost Andrelton Simmons, arguably the best defensive shortstop in the majors, Iglesias is also very good, and now they’ll have Fletcher at second every day instead of splitting time with Tommy La Stella or moving around. Dane Dunning should be an interesting follow after coming over in the Lance Lynn swap. Right-hander Noah Syndergaard will be a key piece whenever he returns from Tommy John, likely by early summer or late spring. They should still fight for a playoff spot even without Blake Snell and Charlie Morton thanks in part to some of the young arms who could make their way through the system. Alex Bregman, Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa remain as talented as any other players at their respective positions. But they are sure to hear it from fans on the road this time around. Gerrit Cole aside, it is anyone's guess as to how this group will perform. The Boston Red Sox can hit. Relievers (8): Raisel Iglesias, Ty Buttrey, Mike Mayers, Felix Peña, Alex Claudio, Junior Guerra, Jake Faria, Patrick Sandoval Iglesias, Buttrey, Mayers and Peña are essentially locks, while Claudio is also one if he gets healthy enough after battling a right hip infection early in camp. Mike Mayers (1-0) pitched the eighth, and Raisel Iglesias needed just eight pitches in the ninth to earn the save in his Angels debut. The Braves face a reloaded NL East. The Angels are going to use a six-man rotation this year, in order to manage the workload for pitchers transitioning from a 60- to a 162-game season. Perhaps the Seattle Mariners will be climbers. Not only was last year a shortened 60-game season, but Maddon said that he didn’t have his full impact because he was new and still trying to learn the players and systems. He’s now healthy and his spring training was encouraging. President of baseball operations David Dombrowski could make a move at the deadline. I don't think so. Lance Lynn gives the South Siders a vital front-line presence in the rotation. Ronald Acuna Jr. could be a 40-40 member by the end of the season. Both Teoscar Hernandez and Rowdy Tellez provide serious boomstick potential, as does Alejandro Kirk should he eventually take over for Danny Jansen. But they do have a five-tool shortstop in Trevor Story and a terrific right-handed arm in German Marquez. Do not be surprised if the Nats push the envelope in a challenging NL East. But the offense is limited. The Angels bullpen ranked bottom-5 in the league in Save %, Blown Saves, and Inherited Runs Scored %. The Baltimore Orioles could climb up this list once the young guys start to come through the system. Yu Darvish and Blake Snell are both aces at the top of their games. But the addition of the arms makes the Friars all the more dangerous. Yasmani Grandal is still regarded as one of the top backstops in baseball. Atlanta should be all the more awesome to watch because of the rotation mix. That deal that also netted them right-hander Carlos Carrasco, who should be an impact starter once he returns from a hamstring injury. Ramirez, Franmil Reyes and Eddie Rosario should all be legitimate run-producers. The Angels added two veteran relievers three days before Opening Day, signing right-hander Steve Cishek and left-hander Tony Watson to one-year deals each worth $1 million on Monday. Springer will set the tone with his power and on-base ability at the top of the lineup while playing plus defense in center field. Shohei Ohtani has generated tons of buzz this spring and could have fans salivating as long as he can remain healthy as a potential two-way star. This ranking might not necessarily reflect the Tampa Bay Rays' competitiveness in 2021. The Dodgers simply do everything well. The rotation will be a big question mark. Iglesias is an established closer who has saved 100 games in the past four seasons, so the Angels have a chance to start and finish the season with the same closer for the first time since Huston Street had the job in 2015. The A's also have some of the more fascinating young arms in the game, including Jesus Luzardo, A.J. 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