2013 Annual Rankings (Read 636 times)

[Giants]

Bidding is winding down and pitchers and catchers have reported. It's that time of year. Put your 2013 Pre-Season Rankings here. Remember, it's all in good fun, so don't take anything personally!

[Deleted]

Class of the league

1. Indians- Offense is league's best, SP solid with decent depth, Balfour's health a concern really weakens Relief core but active owner will fix the holes

2. White Sox- OF is below average, regardless keeps second best offense and deepest team offensively in the league, SP's are average but deep, Closers are deep, well put together group an no reason this team can't make it 10 platoff appearances in a row

3. A's- Offense above average, Not sure Santana's bat is solid enough for 1B, Top five starters among league's best, RP very strong- One of the leagues most active owners will plug any hole that develops and make a deep run this year

The Contenders

4. RedSox- Garcia, Pineda must stay/get healthy or SP's have real questions past top 2-3. Offense is solid and again active owner, which is key in H2H leagues can make a move two get the ship right. Continues to improve team and is 1-2 guys away from tops in league

5. Nats- Offense much improved. Dumped prospects for solid vets, added depth to SP, C and 2B solid but not spectacular, team has depth to make a run, move this team up a spot if Chapman is a solid SP or moves back to closer role

6. Giants- Could be their year, nice offense, among top 4 in league. SP's are solid through top 5, RP has good depth and upside. Ripe for another playoff run and likely more

In the Hunt..

7. Mets- Just outside the top 6th, solid group all around. Steady team just what you need in a head to head league. Will be tough to make the playoffs again, but in better position than the remaining 7 teams

8. Cardinals- 3B, OF health are only real questions marks. Health and a move or two, this team could easily vault into the playoffs. Owner has picked up the league well and will no doubt impress long term.

9. Marlins- 2B only Major question mark on Offense, Needs to add some holds but has really turned this team around. SP is deep, solid and primed. Owner has caught on quickly and once Relief core is built for holds..look out

Is it 2014 yet??

10. Rangers- Offense lots of balance, not spectacular. SP just average past Kershaw. RP lacks one sure closer, rebuild in progress and end of a playoff run

11. Rockies- Great infield, Past Stanton lots of OF questions. Relievers are among league's worst collectively, SP's have lots of health concerns. Not impossible to make a run but if health to SP is there, could vault to top 6-8

12. Brewers- Like the offense, Like Lynn and Danks, Motte. Owner needs to make a few moves to add SP depth and seriously contend

Rebuilding
13. Braves- Could easily jump 3-4 spots on cano, Trout and a healthy Hanley alone. has done a good job at building SP depth, needs to stay healthy. Very easily could be 8-10, need to see how roster fills out and if activity keeps him in a long H2H season

14. Dodgers- Still a work in progress, lots of rebuilding to do. Long season and if SP depth, RP depth and 1-2 impact bats added.. this group can move into top 10


Each year, all teams are invited to rank the other teams and give some commentary. Just like RFA, feelings can get hurt, but should be in good fun.

everyone is welcome to chime in

[Deleted]

2014 Can't Come Soon Enough!!

14. Marlins--Needs a lot of work. Steals is about the only thing that I believe the Marlins will excel in given their present configuration. Lots of question marks hoping to return to form or come back from injury in Ike Davis, Eric Hosmer, Jon Niese, Heath Bell and Evan Longoria. If these guys play to their potential they can climb up a few spots, but I dont believe they can compensate for a thin pitching stay and a shallow outfield. Have some interesting prospects but Springer, Lindor and Zunino are probably set for 2014. Strailey and Hultzen should have an impact later this season.

13. Brewers--This team will contend for the HR title this season. This team has a good bullpen and will compete every week in saves and holds. Then we have the other 9 categories that will be an issue. Tons of talent and high upside players. Just will these players make it to the majors and have a positive impact on this team before they hit RFA. All of these players like Profar, Machado, Arenado, Miller, Cashner, Skaggs, Fernandez, and Gausman are 3-4 from hitting there prime thus becoming extremely effective fantasy players. Whenever Brewers shifts to a win-now mode he definitely has the pieces in place to dominate the trade market and fashion a team capable of contending for a title. I expect some severe regression from Encarnacion, but hopefully that will be offset by Bautista hopefully being healthy.

12. Dodgers--The offense is not bad at all, however the pitching staff is horrid. The late start in RFA definitely has been a factor. At this point anyone worth signing is signed. Will have to make some trades in order to piece together a smoke and mirrors pitching staff or hope to hit on some guys who get called up mid-season and make a 2nd half run. Lots of work to do here.

11. Rockies--The offense is OK. If the previous trade had gone through the Rockies would of jumped 3 spots. The pitching staff is the achilles heal. While they will be competitive in holds, ERA, and WHIP they will be hard pressed to capture any other categories most weeks on the pitching side. The most glaring hole offensively is steals, but waiver wire guys or a trade can easilly address that issue. Has some interesting prospects especially Hamilton who can almost single-handedly fix the steals. Problem is Hamilton, Bradley, and Rendon are looking at 2014. Ruf can contribute this year but with the signing of Young that probability has taken a hit. This team has some other issues in that Stanton and Agon are in the last year of their deals and should be 2 of the top RFAS heading into next season.

10. Rangers--Best word to describe them is BLEHHHHH. Definitely will challenge in HR, R, SB every week but the other categories not so much. Pitching is middle of the road but getting a steal with Kershaw at $19 is an awesome building block to start with. Combined with him being an aggressive owner and his knowledge of the upcoming RFA pool this rebuild will be short and sweet. Make sure to take time and KICK HIM WHILE HE IS DOWN!!!!!!!!

9. Braves--Offense is above average, however pitching staff is missing too many bodies. Needs to develop a lot more depth here and there are too few options to accomplish much at this point without acquiring some people via trade. The late start in RFA really handcuffed this team and hopefully will be a lesson learned heading into next year. Has some big holes which I think he will address, but the window for fixing this issues has long since closed.

Contenders or Pretenders?

8. Red Sox--Pitching staff is good, but with very little depth. The depth will be a constant issue against some teams this season. The offense is a little below average the way it sits. The template was awesome heading into RFA and I thought he was poised to make a move. However he went a different direction and signed prospects as opposed to players who could help his team now. I really love Castellanos, Sano, Baez, Yelich....these guys are future studs. Teheran I believe will bounce back to the player everyone thought he was going to be. Garcia, Pineda, and Anderson are they going to stay healthy??? Still has some time to possibly flip some of the prospects for help now. The salary constraints maybe an issue unless its a deal involving Verlander or King Felix. Has an outside shot at the playoffs given the current configuration, but a couple of aggressive moves could put this team in the thick of things.

Anything Can Happen Once I Make The Playoffs Tier Is Here

7. Mets--Solid team after a strong showing last year. The offense is going to hit some bombs. The only weak areas offensively will be batting average and steals. The other categories will be at least close every week. Pitching is OK the way it sits presently. He already knows he needs some depth in his bullpen and I know he will fix this whenever the time is right.

6. White Sox--The streak should continue. Again extremely solid team. Only weak areas are steals and holds, which are both easily addressed. Made some aggressive moves in RFA and signed two good players to way over slot deals. Not that big of an issue if they are an albatross can always waive them and they will get bid for sure. This team will be a challenge week in and week out.

SHOOTING FOR THE TITLE

5. Cardinals--Amazing RFA for a first year owner. Kicked the distribution draft's ass and then came in and dominated in RFA. Issues will be HRs and RBIs on offense which at this point will only be able to fix with trades. The good thing about that is this pitching staff has plenty of tradeable pieces and he can wait for a deal he really likes. I peg this as the 2nd best pitching staff in the league the way it sits presently. Can probably move one of his top pitchers and pick up two power bats.

4. Athletics--Always an active owner, always looking for a way to improve his team. Dont see any real holes here. The only underperforming categories would be ERA and WHIP. Has some top line prospects that will see the major this year in Bundy, Bauer, and Cole. Also I envision Moore and Darvish taking another step this year towards that ace potential.

3. Indians--The offense is scary. The pitching staff is good, but not great. Only glaring holes currently will be in Wins and Holds. Holds easy to fix and honestly wins are difficult even to predict. Indians is super active so addressing the holds will be easy. This team's core is solid and should contend for the title for the next 4 seasons.

2. Giants--This team is complete. The two areas of concern are the easiest to fix in holds and steals. Not a lot more to say solid team all the way around. Can this team retain Buster Posey next year? Will be one of the most sought after RFAS for sure.

1. Nationals--Sorry for the homer pick here. I have a new emulator which allows me to weight every move and every signing. This team is set to win this year. Next year will be tough has a lot of key players who are going to be hitting RFA. On the bright side is that Taveras, d'Arnaud, Myers, and Gyorko should be contributing this year and at the latest 2014. A full season of Harper and Strasburg will hopefully carry the Nats to a league title in 2013, with a nice core to lead into 2014 and beyond.

GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE....PROVE ME WRONG IF YOU TAKE ISSUE TO MY POST!!!!!

[Deleted]

bump...c'mon other 12 owners

[lewjo]

There's still some deals brewing and some significant developments - Tex, NYY panic, injuries due to WBC

I'll chime in next week sometime

[Deleted]

Ditto to my my man lewjo. I have an outline, just haven't had time to put it down.

[Deleted]

Alright kids, let me start by saying that I think every team in the league can be competitive by making the right moves. I also don't see a team that will have dominate week to week or have their asses handed to them week to week. With that being sad, my grammar will suck but here are my 2013 rankings...

14. Braves - Some nice pieces to build on in Trout, Cano, Hanley Freese and Bumgarner. I am not a believer in Dickey and the rest of the pitching staff. Catcher, First Base and Outfielders not named after fish leave much to be desired.

13. Marlins - Corner infield looks sweet and most think Hosmer can be a bounce back candidate. Outfield looks very week and without a 2B it could be hard to win games. Pitching could be pretty good, love Niese and CC at the top with some solid arms to follow. Relievers outside of Hanrahan very suspect.

12. Brewers - Some great bats in Braun, Encarnacion and Joey Bats. Machado at third and Hicks in center offer some nice upside plays. Up the middle is where things get interesting, some upside plays to say the least. Will Beckham ever live up to the potential? Kershaw anchoring, but a lot of questions marks to follow. Team could surprise with a couple hits on the upside guys.

11. Mets - Craig/Wright can be a nice 1B/3B combo but a declining BP to go with Peralta doesn't thrill me up the middle though. Outfield will struggled to keep overall OPS over .700 which could hurt some. Cueto/Gio look good up top, Harvey/Cobb/Griffin offer potential to follow. Worked hard to build relief core and is a strong point if Reed/Rodney can produce.

10. Cards - That outfield, nice. A sweet balance of power and speed. Prince is Prince and Sal Perez is an up and coming catcher but other than that the infield is scary. When has Utley been healthy? Olt a huge prospect but when will he be an impact player. Cozart/Devaris, meh. Top four in the rotation looks sweet with some decent mid-level guys to follow. Bullpen could use work too but I think the team is doing well for an expansion.

9. Rockies - Some sweet bats to start. Pujols, AGon, Giancarlo, Gordon, Wieters look nice. Weeks good if healthy, don't we say that every year? Left side of the infield made me throw up in my mouth, sorry? Halladay/Haren loss of velo is scary but pair them with Medlen who could be team's ace is nice. I like the bullpen if they pitch to their potential.

8. Dodgers - I didn't see it after the draft but this team has came along nicely. Some RFA luck and the right moves at the right time helped. Hamilton, Freeman, Bruce, Pedroia and Lawrie are a nice core of bats while V-Mart should bounce back to a top-5 catcher. Zimmerman is an ace while guys like Hughes/Homer/Anderson/Morrow offer nice upside to follow. I like Soriano at closer, League doesn't keep his job. See my Cards comment though, doing well for an expanion and both teams could make the playoffs with some nice moves.

7. Rangers - Jeez, I just threw a dart and see where it landed with this mess of a team but with the loss of Tex I had to put him here. Balance of power/speed up the middle in Rollins/Kinsler/Upton. Montero is a legit catcher, LaRoche just produces, Mous could breakout big. Other outfielders are just steady guys. Pitching scares me a bit. Lynn could be the ace? Holland every going to be what he is capable of being? Team will be way different by the break, I think he will have some fun.

6. Red Sox - A nice roster turnaround for this team, it doesn't take long new guys. Votto anchoring with Cespedes who could become a star. Headley will come back to live but still offer a good season with Castro on the left side. I like Frazier for a good year, maybe better than Nelson Cruz? Lee/Lincecum/Felix up there with one of the best top three in the rotation. Could use a bit of help after Ogando/Jaime and in the bullpen too.

5. Giants - Guys like Posey, Desmond and Jones really stand out to me as guys who have become stars. Can Melky hit without HGH and can Upton live up to the potential? First base could be the biggest issue. I like the rotation, Cain to start JJ/Minor/Lester and that Notre Dame wide receiver guy (easier to spell) looks sweet. Two solid closer, two with injuries but I like it. Maybe the best team I've seen Giants have pre-season?

4. White Sox - Steady Bobby, another team I have trouble ranking every year because it isn't inspiring but he is always there. Anyways, I love Goldschmidt but after than that it is just a nice well-rounded offense. Latos, Kennedy, Peavy and Estrada just a solid top four and follow that with a deep bullpen. Team will be in the playoffs, doesn't know any better.

3. Indians - I am digging the bats if they can stay healthy. A good balance of power, speed and fat corner infielders. Two aces, followed by guys that can contribute. Bullpen good if healthy. Chicks dig the long ball but not the second half collapse.

2. Nationals - What is not to like about Miggy/Harper/Heyward. Tulo could be a deal breaker if he can stay on the field. Rizzo/Konerko nice at 1B. DeAza/Doumit/Kendrick decent options to round on the the starters. Strasburg/Verlander/Sale is a sick top three, the sickest in fact. Decent guys to follow and an OK bullpen. Active team should be there in the end.

1. A's - Because how could I not rank myself first? Sweet power/speed combo in the outfield, a couple of steady guys in Zobrist/Prado up the middle I like. Team is going to hinge on Santana/Trumbo/Alvarez who are all capable of 30HR, but will they hit them? Scherzer/Darvish are aces in my eyes, some really good ones to follow. High K relievers but only one with a closer job.

Good luck everyone, prove me wrong.

[Bobby]

First Place: White Sox

White Sox never have a top bat or a top arm but 9 playoff appearances and 5 WS appearances in 9 years says this franchise contends without them. Few changes from last year's WS team. Replaced bats Uggla and Mark Reynolds with Hill, ARAM and Morse. Replaced excellent, but low K arms Cueto and T Hudson with M*A*S*H arms Pineda Baker D Hudson and Liriano. Bullpen returns intact, stronger in saves but weaker in holds as Grilli joins Nathan Romo and Putz.

2nd Place: Giants

Giants always looks strong in spring but often starts rebuilding around Memorial Day. First trip to the WS for our founder or just another flounder?

3rd Place: A’s

Solid all around. I have this team right on the heels of my top two.

4th / 5th Place Mets/Nats

6th Place: Indians

7th / 8th Place: Cards/Braves

9th Place Rockettes

10th Place: Red Sox

11th Place Dodgers

12th / 13th Place: Rangers / Brewers

Rangers, a perennial contender, will not be contending with this roster. But tune in next week when he has 30 different players on the roster.

How can the Brewers have Braun, Bautista and Kershaw and be rated a bottom 3 team by everyone? Always well stocked with prospects. 2015?

14th Place: Marlins