American League Power Rankings : Preseason Edition

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With pitchers, and catchers reporting to spring training by tomorrow morning, the new 2016 season is unofficially under way. Baseball is back, another season of bat cracking, glove snapping, dingers, whiffs, and bat flips is finally here! With that being said lets take a look at our first American League Power Rankings of the 2016 season.

The defending World Series Champion Kansas City Royals take our top spot heading into 2016, because you’re the champions until you aren’t right? 2016 Outlook: The Royals lost starting pitcher Johnny Cueto to the San Francisco Giants via free-agency this winter, and also saw super utility man Ben Zobrist leave, and rejoin former manager Joe Maddon with the Chicago Cubs. To offset the loss of Cueto the Royals acquired starting pitcher Ian Kennedy via free-agency, and kept the core roster intact. The Royals come into 2016 with a nearly identical roster as the one that they ended 2015 with, in which they won the World Series. Expect the Royals to contend again in 2016.. (0-0). Previous: N/Ath. Kansas City royals. 1. team. 7

135. The Astros finished in second place in the American League West last season behind the in-state rival Texas Rangers, but secured a Wild Card spot giving them their first postseason appearance since they went to the World Series in 2005. They were defeated in the ALDS by the eventual World Series Champion Kansas City Royals. 2016 Outlook: The Astros are coming off of their first playoff appearance in a decade, and packed with young talent. They have an excellent offense, that has the capability to hit the ball out of the park on any given day, to go along with an impressive pitching staff featuring the defending American League Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel. I see a fun race to the finish between the Astros and the Rangers in the American League West again in 2016, with the Astros edging out the Rangers this time around.. (0-0). Previous: N/Ath. Houston Astros. 2. team

Boston Red Sox. 3. team. 14. The Boston Red Sox finished in last place in the American League East in 2015, with a record of 78-84 on the campaign. The Red Sox were likely the most surprisingly poor performing team in all of baseball in 2015. 2016 Outlook: While the Red Sox finished last in 2015, they are likely going to finish first in 2016, at least that is how it looks on paper. They kept their team together with the exception of LHP Scott Breslow, and added one of the best starting pitchers in baseball (David Price) as well as one of the best closing pitchers in baseball (Craig Kimbrel). Expect the Red Sox to make a run for the American League East title in 2016.. (0-0). Previous: N/Ath

4. team. 43. The Yankees fielded a respectable 87-75 record in 2015, earning them a trip back to the postseason. The Yankees were defeated in the Wild Card game at home by the Houston Astros. 2016 Outlook: The Yankees head into the 2016 season with virtually the same roster that they ended the 2015 season with, plus the additions of closer Aroldis Chapman, and second-basemen Starlin Castro. The Yankees have a good ball club on paper heading into 2016, with probably the best bullpen in all of baseball with Cashner, Betances, and Chapman headlining the back-end. I see the Yankees finishing sandwiched between the Red Sox, and the Blue Jays in 2016.. (0-0). Previous: N/Ath. New York Yankees

5. team. 126. The Texas Rangers come into 2016 as the defending American League West Champions, looking to build on last years success after being eliminated in a thrilling game five loss to the Toronto Blue Jays in 2015. 2016 Outlook: The Rangers, like the Blue Jays but not to the same severity also had a poor offseason, they lost starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo, and really didn’t do anything to better their team this winter. The Rangers have an impressive roster as is, but I feel like they hurt themselves this winter by not making any positive moves during free-agency. They will likely still compete with the Astros for the American League West title despite the unimpressive offseason.. (0-0). Previous: N/Ath. Texas Rangers

(0-0). Previous: N/Ath. Toronto Blue Jays. 6. team. 39. The Toronto Blue Jays had a splashy trade deadline last year, fueling a furious run into September that produced an American League East division title, and a run all the way to the ALCS before they were ousted by the eventual World Series Champion Kansas City Royals. 2016 Outlook: The Blue Jays made a lot of noise last July at the Major League Baseball trade deadline, and it fueled a deep playoff run for them. This winter however they had an offseason that could be considered anything but productive. Losing their top starting pitcher (David Price), a solid veteran starter (Mark Buehrle), and they’re back-up catcher Dioner Navarro hurts them tremendously. The acquisition of Drew Storen is a nice piece in the back end of the bullpen, but that is the only key acquisition that they made this winter. The Blue Jays should definitely regress in 2016, that is unless they make another flurry of moves near the deadline again this season.

128. A splashy offseason in 2015 ended up yielding the White Sox nothing more than a heaping pile of failed expectations by September as the White Sox finished near the bottom of the American League in most offensive categories. 2016 Outlook: Coming off of a season of failed expectations, White Sox fans are having a tough time getting behind the thought of having a successful season, even with the additions that General Manager Rick Hahn made this winter, seemingly filling most of the major holes in the White Sox roster. On paper, the White Sox have a team that looks ready to challenge the Royals for the American League Central title in 2016.. (0-0). Previous: N/Ath. Chicago White Sox. 7. team

21. The Tampa Bay Rays finished the 2015 season with a record of 80-82, good for a fourth place finish in a tough American League East and just a game behind the Baltimore Orioles for third place. 2016 Outlook: The Rays are young, and fairly talented but in what will again be a tough American League East I expect to see the Rays finish about right where they did last year, in the middle of the pack with a near .500 record. Sorry Rays fans, just good enough not to get a high draft pick again, not quite good enough to eclipse the log jam in front of them that is the Jays, Yankees, and Red Sox.. (0-0). Previous: N/Ath. Tampa Bay Rays. 8. team

10. team. 63. The Detroit Tigers finished last in the American League Central in 2015 with a record of 74-87. They were just plain bad, in most areas on the team, as a result they unloaded David Price, and Yoenis Cespedes at the trade deadline in July. 2016 Outlook: The Tigers made some splashes in free agency this past winter with the signings of outfielder Justin Upton, and starting pitcher Jordan Zimmerman. Why the Tigers front office thinks that adding Upton and Zimmerman will solve the problem, is beyond me. Last season they dealt a better outfielder (Cespedes), and a better starting pitcher (Price) in July because they weren’t in contention. This winter they go plug those same holes with two lesser players. In a very tough AL Central, the Tigers are quickly aging, often injured, and the widow for the one time great core that they built is likely closed.. (0-0). Previous: N/Ath. Detroit Tigers

team. 11. After winning the 2014 American League East division title the Orioles slipped to third place in 2015, as they finished with an even 81-81 record. 2016 Outlook: The Orioles were able to re-sign slugger Chris Davis this offseason, but the American League East is going to be tough, and the Orioles have to play the Yanks’, the Red Sox, and the Blue Jays a bunch of times. I see the Orioles finishing towards the bottom of the division in 2016.. (0-0). Previous: N/Ath. Baltimore Orioles. 11

Previous: N/Ath. Los Angeles Angels. 12. team. 102. The Angels were another surprisingly disappointing team in 2015. They finished the season with a respectable winning record of 85-77, but that was only good enough for third place in the American League West division, as the Angels missed the playoffs in 2015. 2016 Outlook: The Astros, and the Rangers are both pretty well rounded, and are both in the top five in our power rankings. Combine that with the Angels having gaping holes pretty much all over the diamond, and the Angels chances for success in 2016 are looking pretty slim right now. . (0-0)

The Mariners went 76-86 in 2015, finishing fourth in the American League West division, following an impressive 2014 in which they won 85 games, and made an impressive charge towards the end of the season before falling just short on the final day. 2016 Outlook: The Mariners like the Angels have a roster full of uncertainties, and just have to many holes around the diamond to seriously compete this season.. (0-0). Previous: N/Ath. Seattle Mariners. 13. team. 62

2. The Twins surprised most people in 2015 by posting an impressive 83-79 record, and finishing in second place in the AL Central behind only the eventual champion Kansas City Royals. 2016 Outlook: If I had to pick one team to surprise people, or exceed expectations in 2016 it would be the Twins. A team that in the middle of a re-build finished in second place in 2015, has a solid young core of players including Byron Buxton, and Miguel Sano. While it is not likely that they will threaten to make a post season run this season, in an AL Central that will be a slugfest this season, the Twins could sneak into the playoffs via the Wild Card if a few teams fall below expectations. . (0-0). Previous: N/Ath. Minnesota Twins. 14. team

(0-0). Previous: N/Ath. Oakland Athletics. 15. team. 96. The Athletics finished the 2015 season with a dismal 68-94 record, good for dead last in the American League just one season removed from a playoff appearance. 2016 Outlook: Expect the same in 2016, the Athletics have gotten rid of most of their valuable pieces the last two offseasons, and I’m don’t beleive that the Athletics will have much of a chance to compete at all in what will be a tough American League in 2016.

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