2014 Annual Rankings (Read 1,126 times)

[Deleted]

Class of Fantasy Focus
1. White Six- Never missed the playoffs, and won't miss this year. Above average everywhere, and in line to win his second title (there is No such thing as a tie). Only injuries can derail this run and Indians/WS Will battle to the end

2. Indians-really wrestled with this, but just a touch below the number one squad. Most improved from last year, and will make a real run at the title

Contenders-

3. A's - Champ takes a step back, but is still heavily in contention. Not as deep in SP, but offense and bullpen are very solid- repeat in jeopardy but still has a real chance

4. Nats- Best top six pitchers in leagues, goes 7-8 deep. Needs 2-3 to be considered a real threat. Offense above average not quite there but getting close, active owner can make a deal.

5. Giants-Solid Offense, no real question marks. SP lacks only depth, but still has 7-8 solid SP's. Team could easily win it needs 1-2 more SP's

Close but cigar yet...

6. Braves-Finally playoff time. Much improved team, nice OF needs 1-2 SP, and youth to find their stride now. Lots to like here.

7. Rangers- Improved but not there yet. Lacks to end pitching, overall depth, Bullpen average. Active owner with a beautiful smile and great personality could improve 1-2 spots.

Pretenders

8. Mets- Offense pretty Average, SP average, bullpen lacks a plan. needs to make a few moves for bats if they plan to return to the playoffs.

9. Dodgers- fall back to earth potentially here, but owner is active enough to make moves solid depth at 2b, SS but has needs for SP depth slight tick above average offense gives team a shot at rising, must make some moves though

10. Red Sox- lacks depth in IF, OF, SP no sure bets in BP- active owner could gain 1-2 spots here or more if health of SP, Tulo, Cargo hold up

11. Cardinals- must add SP depth. Needs to fill final roster spots and remove inactive players from team. Nice offense, needs a healthy Utley and 2012 version of Escobar, everyone healthy in OF. Could be much better or much worse, needs to find some adds now

Bottom of the Barrel

12. Brewers- best talent is either aging, injury prone (Baustista) or 1-2 years away. Would need several top prospects to see significant time, and all be successful.

13. Marlins- lacks SP depth, improving but still a ways away, active owner could move up 3-4 spots

14. Rockies- average IF, below average OF, SP lacks top tier talent, BP not competitive - really made little improvement so far

[Deleted]

Here you go guys, let's see yours and prove me wrong all season long

[Deleted]

Nice work Rangers.

A little something from last year's predecitions... Rangers, A's and White Sox predicted 4 of 6, while Nats predicted 5 of 6 playoff teams... Everyone's pre-season sweetheart, the Indians, predicted in the playoffs by all four us including three times in the top 3 missed the playoffs... World Series runner-up, Dodgers had an average ranking of 11.25...lewjo said he would submit his rankings but fell asleep...

The champ's ranks are coming soon. Would love to see more than four this year...

[Deleted]

I'll get 6/6 this year could not predict the epic fail of the Indians last year

[lewjo]

For the record, I did not fall asleep last year - I thought a couple of clubs were making strides and wanted to see if they could finish their efforts before chiming in

Then it got really foggy.

Then it was September

I am sure my crystal ball was seeing 2014 - not 2013. The Rockies will be a force to contend with in 2014 .... except the SP categories

[Deleted]

And bullpen

[Deleted]

I really had a tough time with these rankings as I think a lot of the lower tier teams got better and are closing the gap. With the right couple moves, any team here could get in the thick of things, just ask Dodgers. Here goes...

14. Marlins – Pitching is the biggest question mark here. Verlander is elite and Moore has a chance to get there but after that there are some real duds. The offense has a chance to win some weeks especially if Tex and Headley bounce back. Solid speed up the middle in Altuve, Segura and Jennings. Springer and Lindor are very nice waiting in the wings…

13. Red Sox – A few elite guys on offense Votto, Tulo, Cargo, Uption and Yadi but then things get dicey. Starters lack overall depth but some good ones up top in Lynn, Lincecum and Lester. A breakout from one of the 3B or CF, along with a couple pitchers could lift this team up higher…

12. Rockies – The offense has a chance to be pretty good top to bottom. The starting pitching after the top two make me want to throw up in my mouth but the pen is OK if healthy. A bounce back from Castro and Upton could help this team a lot. It also could give him the flexibility to move a bat or two for a couple pitchers…

11. Dodgers – Elite pieces in Hanley and Freeman lead the offense while Greinke and Lee lead the staff. A lot of question marks elsewhere though. Kemp already hurt, Hamilton could be just a .250 20 HR guy outside of Texas and the bottom half of the rotation is iffy at best. He surprised last year so maybe the right moves he can again…

10. Cards – Can Abreu live up to the hype has the best hitter alive? Can Pujols bounce back? Can Trumbo hit 40 in Arizona? All questions that need to be answered. I am afraid of the middle infield but the rest of the offense looks good. I think Cingrani could really break out and help this team but the whole bottom half of the rotation isn’t very sweet. Rosenthal a top 4 closer but could use an upgrade on Hawkins…

9. Mets – A very nice balance of power and speed in the outfield and you pair the with solid 2B and 3B options MOST of the offense looks nice. 1B and SS are the biggest question marks in my opinion. Not sold a team can win with Dunn/Howard combo at 1B. The top 5 starters are really good but kind of just drops off from there.

8. Giants – A lot of question marks in the rotation is the reason I have this team this low. Outside of Minor, Samardzija and Garza there are a ton of wild cards. Nothing too bad to say about the offense. Jones is elite and Ortiz is a top five 1B. The bullpen is nice and handcuffed…

7. Rangers – This team is finally start to work its way back into contention. I think the offense is very solid top to bottom. Holliday is a rock and things could get really interesting if Mike Stanton fulfills his power potential. If guys like Cashner and Wood can throw close to 200 innings this teams pitching has a chance to be really good. Three closers to boot and with the way the front office operates a playoff push could be on the horizon…

6. Brewers – OK, ya so here is my sleeper. I may be a year off just like I am on most players but this team is littered with talent. How do you not salivate at Fernandez and Gray. Or marvel at Wacha, Cole and Myers WOW that Kershaw trade worked out bad for him. I think the offense is good top to bottom and the rotation could go ten deep. The bullpen doesn’t look very good but can be addressed on the wire. With Buxton, Correa, Sano and Bryant waiting in the wings this team could be a force for years to come…

5. Braves – That outfield! Three potential 5-tool studs, with Puig’s 5th tool being his ability to pound beers. A lot will hinge on if guys like Tanaka, Adams, Profar and Boegarts live up to the hype this year. A lot of prospects waiting in the wings so if the players are in the minors a deal could net him some good players for the stretch run. Only one closer but a lot of high upside relievers in the pen…

4. White Sox – Playoffs every year, no reason it should stop now. Coming back this year after getting great deals on Fielder/Braun to go with Goldy and a well rounded offense. Some risky guys in the rotation but it is deep along with the bullpen littered with closers and ex-closers. Just a boring well balanced team, never fails…

3. Nationals – The best 1-4 SP in the league, maybe best 1-5 if Salazar can live up to the hype. Miggy is the best but I am not in awe by the offense. Gomez is good and the Craig deal was really good. Team could change from now until year’s end but it should be a playoff team and a chance at a title.

2. Indians – Thought about putting Indians 9th to break the jinx. Sale/Kershaw really close to being the best 1-2 punch in the league and very deep after that. Encarnacion/Bruce are legit power hitters. A lot will hinge on if Reyes, Harper and Sandoval are on the field as well as play the way they are capable of. Bullpen is deep and will K a lot of guys. Will this be this team’s breakout year?

1. A’s – Because to be the man, you have to beat the man…Woo! But seriously, Darvish/Scherzer best 1-2 for my money and I think overall rotation is best in the league. Lost the NL MVP, but improved the infield to Kipnis/Desmond. Some question marks, can Jason Heyward and Eric Hosmer take big steps forward and fulfill their promise? Team will be in the playoffs but won’t settle for anything less than back to back…


Good luck!

[Deleted]

Did my team get that much worse? I feel like it got better. Last season I made the playoffs and you guys have me ranked 10 and 11?

[Yankees]

I know this is about rankings. Very cool by the way. If you don't spend the 2.99 and get the pro boards app ur missing out. It is so easy and you can whip around to wherever . On ur phone by the way. So if u have access to getting the app . Do it. Worth more than 3 bucks...only thing is I do my roster on computer.

My 2 cents

[Yankees]

I know this is about rankings. Very cool by the way. If you don't spend the 2.99 and get the pro boards app ur missing out. It is so easy and you can whip around to wherever . On ur phone by the way. So if u have access to getting the app . Do it. Worth more than 3 bucks...only thing is I do my roster on computer.

My 2 cents

[Deleted]

I have you at 10 but honestly it wouldn't be that surprising to see you at 5 if the cards fall right. That is the reason I said I had such a hard time ranking this because a lot of teams are getting a lot better.

[Deleted]

I have my rankings broken into 4 tiers so will start with the bottom feeders....

THE IS IT 2015 YET TIER???

14. Marlins--Davis and Verlander make up almost a third of the salary for this team and will unfortunately probably account for about the same amount of the team's total production. Segura, as much as I like him, is a huge regression candidate....just look at his 2nd half numbers. Texiera, Headley, Ike Davis, and Pineda are they healthy? Holland misses half the season. Not a whole lot to like here. Next to no pitching or elite bats. Also most of the team is one one year deals....meaning there will be a big target on this team's back unless they are planning on jumping into the Trout/Harper sweepstakes next season.

13. Rockies--This team is a mess. When you are counting on the likes of Locke, Roark, and Peacock to provide you with significant numbers you are doomed to fail. Gibson, Morrow, Lewis, and Beckett are all coming off of major injuries and who knows if they will return to form. Chacin just getting shut down does not help either. The relief corps is bereft of closers. I love Cano, but Seattle is not known for doing wonders for a player's counting stats. Why claim Hart coming off a major injury, moving to the aforementioned Seattle just minutes away from being able to possibly get him much cheaper and not locked into an awful contract for 4 more years? Obtaining Butler also does not look good with him losing 1B eligibility and his power numbers being non-existent last season. Team needs to formulate a plan and stick to it.

[Deleted]

I will list my next tier---PRETENDERS, NOT CONTENDERS TIER either later tonight or tomorrow.

[lewjo]

Thanks Nats for holding back.

Rockies plan for 2013 was an all time epic failure due in part to injuries and horrible bad luck.

eg After dominating the playoffs just a couple years ago, Roy Halladay is now retired.

Did anyone else think Weeks or BJ Upton or A Rod and even A Gon would have sub par years in 2013?

Rockies plan: Hope and pray the position players bounce back in 2014, so Rockies can use considerable depth at positions to trade for decent SP (not on DL). Maybe not the smartest plan, but I figured my only real shot at playoffs (for 2014).

As for Corey Hart, how often have we waited for waived players to clear and then drive up their price to at - or above what they had been? (Ricky Nolasco a few years ago for one)

Lastly, the league has 2 utility spots. Only a handful of teams can put out 10 batters per night every day of the week

The Rockies are one.

If Weeks Upton etc bounce back and Hamilton plays the entire season, the Rockies have a chance to dominate the offensive categories which gives it a chance (even with its SP question marks) to contend for a playoff spot.

[Deleted]

Nationals Rankings Part Deux

THE PRETENDERS, NOT CONTENDERS TIER

12. Red Sox--This offense is pretty decent, except for 3B and CF. Depth could be a huge issue with some of the injury prone superstars on the roster. The Votto contract continues to be a hindrance. Could they sign 3 $15 players to out produce the numbers coming from Votto? The SP staff is littered with 5th/6th type guys with little to no upside. Bullpen looks ok, just needs a little more depth which is easy to address.

11. Mets--Offense is okay, no glaring weak spot. Will need Howard to have a monster year especially with Dunn more than likely moving to a platoon DH role with Konerko. Kind of surprised 1B was not addressed this RFA period with Davis, Abreu, Craig, Fielder were all available. Needs to add a few more starting pitchers which he is currently addressing with the Cobb trade with the White Sox. Syndegard is also pretty close to getting the call and should be pretty dominate from the time he arrives.

10. Rangers--This team is better, but still has a way to go to get back into contention. Lots of one year deals on some pretty key players, but again will allow this team to compete in the Trout/Harper sweepstakes of next season. We may see the next $100 player. RFA 2015 will be a critical time to improve the fortunes of this team. Starting pitching like many teams is the issue. This team like others has too many 5th/6th type guys with little to no upside. Needs to address his bullpen depth. With a couple of trades this team could drastically change there fortune and rise up the rankings.

9. Braves--The offense is sickly...not in a good way. How many AB's does Adams get? Does Taveras look too good to be in the minors? How long can Carter hold onto the DH job? Houston has tons of guys that fit the same profile...mashers who hit the ball far and can only play first. Singleton is ready. Will come down to which masher is hot at the time the decision is being made. Profar is already hurt so doubtful he takes the next step needed this season. Collection of starting pitching could be much improved next season as the youngsters should push their way onto the MLB rosters. Only problem is RFA in 2015 is going to hurt for this team. TROUT, YELICH, TANAKA, BEACHY, BOEGARTS, AND CAIN all will be "interesting" to attempt to sign. The bullpen seems to be lacking any closers, but this owner is active and its an issue I am sure will be fixed.

8. Brewers--I really like this starting pitching staff assembled here. This staff should be competitive for years, hopefully this team will be able to retain their services as the initial contracts will surely go up when the hit RFA. Bullpen is a bit below average, but easily addressed during the season. Lots of young talent on this roster may not be ready to be competitive this season, but surely by 2015. Could be interesting if this team attempted to add some impact veterans to this solid core of young players. If this were to occur could easily sneak into the playoffs this year.