Detroit Tigers Rank Highly in MCB’s First Power Rankings of 2017

Detroit Tigers fans will see a similar team return in 2017. While the Tigers didn’t make many moves, plenty of other teams were active in the offseason. Here’s where Detroit sits in our power rankings.

Detroit Tigers players return in 2017 with an excellent shot at returning to the playoffs.

After an offseason filled with rumors, the team remains largely intact.

Miguel Cabrera, Justin Verlander, J.D. Martinez and Ian Kinsler are still wearing a Detroit uniform. The same can be said for Francisco Rodriguez, Justin Wilson, Victor Martinez and Justin Upton.

Really, the only significant contributor from last year’s team that is playing elsewhere is Cameron Maybin.

The fleet-of-foot outfielder was dealt to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for pitching prospect Victor Alcantara.

Maybin’s place in the outfield will likely be taken by one of JaCoby Jones, Mikie Mahtook or Tyler Collins. All three bring a combination of pop and speed to the game.

The only other notable change is on the bench, where the Tigers swapped out Jarrod Saltalamacchia for Alex Avila and let Erick Aybar and Casey McGehee depart in free agency.

Aybar and McGehee seem likely to be replaced by slick-fielding prospect Dixon Machado, while Andrew Romine will once again play a key role on the bench.

With a strong core returning, here’s where the Detroit Tigers stack up in Motor City Bengals’ first power rankings of the season.

#30 San Diego Padres
2016 Run Differential: -84
Best Offseason Move: Claiming Tyrell Jenkins
Worst Offseason Move: Not Acquiring a Shortstop

The San Diego Padres have spent the better part of the last few seasons dismantling the team’s Major League roster and rebuilding in the process.

San Diego let Justin Upton and Ian Kennedy hit the free agent market in late 2015, before trading away the likes of Juaquin Benoit, Crag Kimbrel, Yonder Alonso, Marc Rzepczynski and Jedd Gyorko—and that was all before the calendar flipped to 2016.

A turn of the calendar didn’t stop the National League West franchise from selling off pieces.

Odrisamer Despaigne and Nick Vincent were traded before Opening Day.

Meanwhile, James Shields, Fernando Rodney, Drew Pomeranz, Melvin Upton, Andrew Cashner and Matt Kemp were all dealt around mid-season.

What’s left is a team with some promising pieces, but also some glaring needs.

Travis Jankowski, Hunter Renfroe and Manuel Margot all show significant upside in the outfield, while Wil Myers is a legitimate middle of the order bat.

There’s also quality in the bullpen with Carter Capps, Brad Hand and Ryan Buchter.

However, the Padres are in need of a shortstop, with Luis Sardinas serving as the only notable option.

In the rotation, the team will depend on some combination of Clayton Richard, Jered Weaver, Jhoulys Chacin, Luis Perdomo, Christian Friedrich, Trevor Cahill and Jarred Cosart.

The Detroit Tigers don’t have a perfect rotation. However, as it stands, none of those pitchers would likely make Detroit’s Opening Day roster as a starter.

San Diego did well to bring in some players with upside in Jenkins and Miguel Diaz, but they’re likely in for another rebuilding campaign.

#29 Cincinnati Reds
2016 Run Differential: -138
Best Offseason Move: Trading Dan Straily
Worst Offseason Move: None

Similar to San Diego, the Cincinnati Reds are in the midst of a significant rebuild.

Todd Frazier, Aroldis Chapman, Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips have all been dealt, leaving Joey Votto, Zack Cozart, Billy Hamilton and a team of young, unproven players.

The Reds did extremely well to move Dan Straily and Phillips this past offseason, netting even more young players to build around.

Cincinnati also made some shrewd moves that could pay off down the line.

The club brought in veterans like Scott Feldman and Drew Storen who could conceivably be dealt for more prospects at the deadline.

What’s more, Dick Williams and company took fliers on players with upside who could still bring value to the club on the field, or as a trade chip down the line.

These include the likes of Desmond Jennings, Louis Coleman, Lucas Luetge and former Detroit Tigers prospect Rob Brantly.

It will likely be another long season in Cincinnati, as the Reds are buried in a strong National League Central.

However, the team is heading in the right direction.

If they can somehow deal the likes of Feldman, Storen, Cosart and Homer Bailey (if he’s healthy) for prospects, the Reds will be in a solid position to contend in the future.

#28 Minnesota Twins
2016 Run Differential: -167
Best Offseason Move: Signing Jason Castro
Worst Offseason Move: Trading Pat Light

Another spot in the power rankings, another rebuilding franchise.

That’s the Minnesota Twins for you.

Minnesota showed promise in 2015 with an 83-79 record, but struggled significantly in 2016.

The Detroit Tigers’ division rivals saw their run differential plummet from -4 to -167 last season. Detroit certainly wasn’t complaining, as the Tigers went 15-4 against the Twins, the club’s best mark against any franchise in 2016.

After trading Oswaldo Arcia, Eduardo Nunez, Fernando Abad, Ricky Nolasco and Alex Meyer mid-season, Minnesota largely stayed quiet during the offseason.

Jason Castro was the team’s most significant addition, as the former Astro was signed to replace Kurt Suzuki.

Suzuki wasn’t the only Twins player to depart in the offseason.

Minnesota also moved on from Trevor Plouffe, Tommy Milone, Pat Light, Darin Mastroianni and Logan Schafer.

The club will continue to move forward with a nucleus consisting of Max Kepler, Bryan Buxton, Jose Berrios and Miguel Sano.

Heading into 2017, if the Twins struggle, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the club trade away some veteran pieces at the deadline.

If the likes of Brian Dozier, Erving Santana, Hector Santiago, Glen Perkins and Brandon Kintzler are dealt, Minnesota could slide further down this list.

#27 Chicago White Sox
2016 Run Differential: -29
Best Offseason Move: Trading Chris Sale
Worst Offseason Move: Not Trading Any Remaining Veterans

No team embraced the prospect of a rebuild this past offseason more than the Chicago White Sox.

Out went Chris Sale and Adam Eaton, and in came a haul of prospects that included some of the finest in baseball.

With a farm system now featuring Yoan Moncada, Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Michael Kopech, the White Sox are primed to contend down the road.

Chicago had already started the process of rebuilding earlier, dealing Zach Duke and Dioner Navarro to the Cardinals and Blue Jays respectively.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the team trade even more veteran pieces later in the season.

Similar to their fellow American League Central cellar dwellers in Minnesota, the White Sox will slide further down this list if they move some of the team’s top performers.

However, from a speculative standpoint, with a rebuild already in process, it makes sense to trade some of Chicago’s veterans.

These include the likes of Jose Quintana, David Robertson, Todd Frazier, Jose Abreu, Melky Cabrera, Derek Holland, Miguel Gonzalez and Peter Bourjos.

The White Sox rebuild will likely benefit the Detroit Tigers in 2017, as the club will deal with a heavily-weakened Chicago outfit during the regular season.

#26 Milwaukee Brewers
2016 Run Differential: -62
Best Offseason Move: Trading Tyler Thornburg
Worst Offseason Move: Swapping Catchers With Anaheim

The Milwaukee Brewers were very selective this winter in terms of the team’s offseason moves.

In a shrewd move, Milwaukee flipped setup reliever Tyler Thornburg to Boston for third baseman Travis Shaw and two prospects.

Not only does the deal give the Brewers a controllable, versatile bat in Shaw, but it adds depth to the farm system.

As of late, Milwaukee has done a considerable amount of work in terms of improving the team’s future.

The National League Central franchise flipped Jonathan Lucroy and Jeremy Jeffress to Texas at the trade deadline for a haul of minor leaguers that included Lewis Brinson.

Will Smith also changed addresses in early August, heading to the San Francisco Giants in a transaction that netted Milwaukee former 10^th-overall pick Phil Bickford and a potential catching solution in Andrew Susac.

This past offseason, the club moved on from the one year Chris Carter experiment, replacing him with Eric Thames.

In terms of replacing Thornburg, Milwaukee will likely depend on Carlos Torres and Jhan Marinez in setup roles.

Next season, the team could potentially employ a number of relievers familiar to Detroit Tigers fans.

Neftali Feliz should close games for a club that already employ Corey Knebel. Knebel was dealt by Detroit to Texas in the Joakim Soria swap.

Elsewhere, the Brewers signed Joba Chamberlain and Andy Oliver in the offseason—so there’s that.

#25 Oakland Athletics
2016 Run Differential: -108
Best Offseason Move: Signing Rajai Davis
Worst Offseason Move: Trading Danny Valencia

On the surface, the Oakland Athletics have the look of a rebuilding franchise.

The A’s finished at the bottom of the American League West last season, and posted the seventh-worst run differential in the league in the process.

Oakland recently flipped Rich Harden, Josh Reddick, Marc Rzepczynski, Coco Crisp and Billy Burns at last season’s trade deadline and seem set to rebuild around the likes of Sonny Gray, Ryon Healy, Jharel Cotton, Marcus Semien, Frankie Montas, Ryan Dull and Grant Holmes.

However, the Athletics’ moves in the offseason didn’t exactly line up with that of a club looking to rebuild.

Veterans Trevor Plouffe and Santiago Casilla signed with the team, as did a pair of former Detroit Tigers outfielders in Rajai Davis and Matthew Joyce.

If the young pitchers on the A’s staff can perform at a high level and the offense improves, Oakland could make some noise on the outside of the playoff picture.

However, the club is stuck in a loaded division with three legitimate title contenders in the Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros and Texas Rangers.

The division is filled out by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, who are in definite win-now mode.

Because of the other four teams, Oakland could very well improve and still be stuck in the American League West cellar.

#24 Philadelphia Phillies
2016 Run Differential: -186
Best Offseason Move: Signing Michael Saunders
Worst Offseason Move: None

Another squad in the process of rebuilding, Philadelphia didn’t do much last season to help the process.

Veteran backstop Carlos Ruiz was the only player dealt.

In other words, the Phillies return much of the same core that finished last season with a run differential of -186.

The good news is that the club made some additions that should help in the short term.

Michael Saunders stands out as the most notable of the new players. If he can replicate his first half numbers from 2016, the outfielder could be a steal for the Phillies.

Other new additions to the National League East franchise include the versatile Howie Kendrick and starting pitcher Clay Buchholz.

Philadelphia’s bullpen should immediately benefit from the additions of Pat Neshek and former Detroit Tigers hurler Joaquin Benoit.

Along with Jeanmar Gomez, Hector Neris and Edubray Ramos, the Phillies have a promising bullpen group.

Somewhat similar to the A’s, the Phillies will face an uphill battle in the division.

The Washington Nationals look like potential World Series contenders, while the New York Mets are another team with playoff potential and pedigree.

Elsewhere, Miami and Atlanta could also conceivably challenge for Wild Card places.

#23 Atlanta
2016 Run Differential: -130
Best Offseason Move: Acquiring Luiz Gohara and Alex Jackson
Worst Offseason Move: None

As it stands, Atlanta returns of last season’s team.

While the additions of Brandon Phillips, Jamie Garcia, Bartolo Colon, R.A. Dickey and Kurt Suzuki should help add to the number of games in the win column for the team, the real improvement will come elsewhere.

With full seasons from Dansby Swanson and Ender Inciarte, as well as the potential Major League debut of Ozzie Albies, Atlanta is in a position to start reaping the benefits of a long rebuild.

Swanson in particular should benefit from more at-bats in the Majors.

The former first-overall pick shined in his first stint at the game’s highest level last season.

In just 38 games, the shortstop hit .302 with a .334 wOBA, a .361 on-base percentage and a .442 slugging percentage.

Swanson also added a .140 ISO, a 1.1 BsR and a 107 wRC+, while chipping in with 20 runs scored, 17 RBI, three home runs and three stolen bases.

In total, the top prospect finished tied for the fifth-highest War among Atlanta position players with a 0.8 number despite playing in under 40 contests.

#22 Arizona Diamondbacks
2016 Run Differential: -138
Best Offseason Move: Acquiring Taijuan Walker and Ketel Marte
Worst Offseason Move: Letting Wellington Castillo Leave

It’s probably safe to say that the Arizona Diamondbacks didn’t have the best season in 2016.

Not only did they manage a mere 69 wins, but the club finished with the third-worst run differential in baseball with an ugly -138 number.

Arizona also didn’t get full seasons out of A.J. Pollock and David Peralta, while Shelby Miller and Zack Greinke struggled mightily.

One of Arizona’s few bright spots was Jean Segura, who led all Diamondbacks with a 5.0 WAR while stuffing the stat sheet.

The infielder mashed 20 home runs while scoring 102 runs and driving in 64 more. He stole 33 bases while notching a 126 wRC+. Segura also posted a .319 batting average on the season.

It was a breakout year for the former Brewer, who was coming off consecutive seasons with wRC+ numbers in the 60’s (67 in 2014 and 63 in 2015).

Arizona dealt the shortstop to Seattle along with reliever Zac Curtis outfielder Mitch Haniger for starter Taijuan Walker and shortstop Ketel Marte.

Both are young, controllable players with promising futures.

Walker in particular could develop into the ace Arizona was looking for when the team acquired Miller and signed Greinke.

#21 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
2016 Run Differential: -10
Best Offseason Move: Signing Luis Valbuena
Worst Offseason Move: Any Deal That Involved Trading a Prospect

Armed with arguably the worst farm system in baseball, and a team that features little else besides Mike Trout, Andrelton Simmons’ defense and Albert Pujols’ power numbers, the Angels really should have rebuilt.

However, with Trout in his prime, the team took a stab at building a contender.

Former Detroit Tigers outfielder Cameron Maybin was just one of a number of veterans brought in to help the Halos reach the postseason.

In addition to the former first-round pick, Anaheim signed Ben Revere, Luis Valbuena and Jesse Chavez.

However, the Angels also dipped into the team’s farm system to acquire the likes of Maybin, Danny Espinosa and Brooks Pounders.

Billy Eppler and company probably would have been better off—at least in the long run— in trying to acquire pieces for the future in exchange for the likes of Huston Street, Yunel Escobar, Ricky Nolasco and Cliff Pennington.

As of late however, the organization has filled its farm system with waiver claims like Vincente Campos and Abel De Los Santos and former prospects such as Manny Banuelos, John Lamb, Tony Sanchez and Alex Meyer.

In other words, the Halos could probably use somewhat of a rebuilding effort here in the near future.

#20 Tampa Bay Rays
2016 Run Differential: -41
Best Offseason Move: Signing Wilson Ramos
Worst Offseason Move: Trading Mikie Mahtook

Up until this point, we’ve predominantly featured rebuilding teams, and ones that could sneak into Wild Card contention if they catch a few breaks.

Since the playoffs expanded to add an extra Wild Card team, it has opened things up for more teams to contend.

Tampa Bay begins a stretch of teams who could legitimately contend for a wild card place.

Much of the Rays’ playoff chances depend on a rotation that features Chris Archer, Jake Odorizzi, Alex Cobb and Blake Snell.

The rotation could also include Jose De Leon, who came over in a trade for second baseman Logan Forsythe.

In addition to boasting a strong pitching staff, Tampa Bay also fields an offense that could quietly score a high number of runs.

Evan Longoria returns, as does Brad Miller. Both infielders mashed 30 home runs last season, and will likely be joined by a prime bounce-back candidate in Corey Dickerson.

After producing some stellar numbers in Colorado, Dickerson was limited to a .245 batting average and a .469 slugging percentage in his first season in the American League.

Much of that had to do with a BABIP that finished at .285.

If Dickerson can find the form he showcased in Colorado, the Rays will be poised to have a solid season.

This is especially true if the team can get quality contributions out of free agent acquisitions Wilson Ramos and Colby Rasmus.

Ramos will miss part of the season due to injury, but Rasmus will right away step into an outfield that will also include defensive wizard Kevin Kiermaier, speed merchant Mallex Smith and power threat Steven Souza Jr.

#19 Kansas City Royals
2016 Run Differential: -37
Best Offseason Move: Signing Jason Hammel
Worst Offseason Move: Trading Jarrod Dyson

The Kansas City Royals seem to have one foot in contending and the other in rebuilding.

Kansas City let Kendrys Morales and Edinson Volquez reach free agency, before the club traded away a number of other veteran pieces for controllable players.

Closer Wade Davis was flipped to the Chicago Cubs for outfielder Jorge Soler, while Jarrod Dyson was flipped to the Seattle Mariners for starting pitcher Nate Karns.

While swapping out Davis and Dyson for Soler and Karns would suggest somewhat of a rebuilding effort, the Royals would then go on to sign the likes of Jason Hammel, Brandon Moss and Travis Wood in free agency.

It remains to be seen just how the Kansas City Royals will fair in 2017 in terms of contending or rebuilding.

However, one thing remains certain, the Royals certainly liked taking fliers on former Detroit Tigers players over the winter.

Kansas City signed reliever Bobby Parnell in mid-December, before signing Al Alburquerque in January. Brayan Pena joined the organization February.

Detroit’s division rivals already feature a pair of former Tigers in the bullpen in Joakim Soria and ex-prospect Brian Flynn.

#18 Miami Marlins
2016 Run Differential: -27
Best Offseason Move: Signing Brad Ziegler
Worst Offseason Move: Acquiring Dan Straily

If the Miami Marlins trades and free agent signings dating back to August’s trade deadline have taught us anything, it is that the club will pay significant sums to acquire all sorts of pitching depth.

Whether it be in players given up via trade, or in contracts handed out, Miami has certainly invested a lot into the team’s overall pitching.

The Marlins gave up relatively significant hauls to bring in Andrew Cashner and Hunter Cervenka around last season’s trade deadline.

The club dealt 2015 first-round pick Josh Naylor, reliever Carter Capps and starter Jarred Cosart to San Diego for Cashner, who only appeared in 12 games with the Marlins before signing with Texas in the winter.

Elsewhere, the Fish gave up two prospects for a 27-year-old rookie reliever in Cervenka who threw just 9.1 innings for the team down the stretch.

During the offseason, Miami splashed the cash in free agency, handing Edinson Volquez a two-year, $22 million deal (according to Spotrac). Brad Ziegler inked a two-year, $16 million contract (per Spotrac), while Junichi Tazawa signed for two years and $12 million (also per Spotrac).

What’s more, the National League East tenants also sent top pitching prospect Luis Castillo, recent third-round pick Isaiah White and 24-year-old pitcher Austin Brice to Cincinnati for Dan Straily.

#17 Colorado Rockies
2016 Run Differential: -15
Best Offseason Move: Signing Greg Holland
Worst Offseason Move: Not Trading an Outfielder

After 22-year-old outfielder burst onto the scene with Colorado last season, it wouldn’t have been a shock to see the team trade one of its starting outfielders to make room for Dahl.

After all, the rookie hit .315 with a .359 on-base percentage, a .500 slugging percentage and an 111 wRC+ in 63 games for the Rockies.

He also added 70 hits, 42 runs scored, 24 RBI, 12 doubles, seven home runs, five stolen bases and four triples.

Colorado already employed Gerardo Parra, Charlie Blackmon and Carlos Gonzalez. However the team kept all three.

They also signed former Rangers outfielder Ian Desmond—to play first base.

The Rockies may very well continue to have pitching problems given the ballpark they play in. However, the team’s offense looks like it could be one of baseball’s best.

Dahl, Gonzalez and Blackmon will join Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story, D.J. LeMahieu and (when healthy) Desmond in forming one of the deeper lineups in the league.

Colorado’s ability to make noise in the playoff race will likely be determined by the team’s starting pitching.

If Jon Gray, Chad Bettis, Tyler Anderson and Tyler Chatwood can continue to take steps forward, this team has a chance.

#16 New York Yankees
2016 Run Differential: -22
Best Offseason Move: Trading Brian McCann
Worst Offseason Move: None

What a difference a year makes.

Last season, the New York Yankees were moving forward with a veteran core, trying to win a World Series with a roster that included the likes of Carlos Beltran, Andrew Miller and Mark Teixeira.

Things are much different in 2017.

New York traded away a number of experienced players at the trade deadline, and received an outstanding return in terms of prospects.

Trading Aroldis Chapman to the Chicago Cubs netted the Yankees pitcher Adam Warren, as well as prospects Billy McKinney, Rashad Crawford and Gleyber Torres.

Beltran and Miller were dealt too.

The slugging outfielder headed to Texas in a trade that saw New York land three pitchers, including 2015 fourth-overall pick Dillon Tate.

In turn, Miller brought back four pieces in the form of Clint Frazier, Justus Sheffield, Ben Heller and J.P. Feyereisen.

The Yankees were also able to flip Ivan Nova to Pittsburgh for two more prospects in outfielder Tito Polo and pitcher Stephen Tarpley.

With a revamped farm system, the Yankees’ young talent could keep them in contention for the next decade.

However, the team’s current squad looks to be firmly at the edge of the Wild Card mix.

Young building blocks Gary Sanchez, Aaron Judge and Greg Bird could hit a wall at some point in their respective second seasons.

What’s more, veterans like Jacoby Ellsbury (91 wRC+), Chase Headley (92 wRC+) and Brett Gardner (97 wRC+) don’t look like players capable of carrying the offense.

#15 Baltimore Orioles
2016 Run Differential: +29
Best Offseason Move: Signing Wellington Castillo
Worst Offseason Move: Trading Yovani Gallardo

The 2017 version of the Baltimore Orioles will likely be able to score runs with the best of them.

Mark Trumbo is back in Baltimore, and will once again hit in a lineup that also happens to feature Manny Machado, Adam Jones, Chris Davis and Jonathan Schoop.

Baltimore also made a shrewd move in free agency, adding Wellington Castillo to replace Matt Wieters behind the dish.

Wieters hit just .243 with a .302 on-base percentage, a .165 ISO and an 88 wRC+ for the American League East club last season.

Meanwhile, Castillo batted .264 with a .322 on-base percentage, a .159 ISO and a 92 wRC+ for the Diamondbacks.

Since 2012, Castillo hasn’t posted a wRC+ lower than 92. Wieters turned in a wRC+ number lower than 90 on three different occasions in the last seven seasons.

The offense is obviously a strength for the O’s. So is the bullpen, where Zach Britton, Brad Brach, Michal Givens and Darren O’Day rack up the strikeouts.

The question becomes whether Baltimore can keep runners off the board early in games.

Heading into 2017, the team’s rotation will consist of—in no particular order—Ubaldo Jimenez, Kevin Gausman, Chris Tillman, Dylan Bundy and Wade Miley.

Jimenez finished with the fifth-highest walks per nine innings rate (4.36) among all starters with at least 100 innings. He also posted a 5.44 ERA and a 4.64 xFIP.

Gausman led the team’s pitchers with a 3.0 WAR, but also notched a 4.10 FIP.

Tillman paced the team with 16 victories, but his xFIP of 4.54 certainly leaves much to be desired.

Rounding out the group are Bundy (4.70 FIP) and Miley (4.45 FIP).

#14 New York Mets
2016 Run Differential: +54
Best Offseason Move: Re-Signing Yoenis Cespedes
Worst Offseason Move: None

The New York Mets were perhaps baseball’s most quiet team this past offseason in terms of activity.

Sure, they re-signed Yoenis Cespedes and Neil Walker, but that was about it.

On paper, the team returns a quality core.

Former Detroit Tigers standouts Cepedes and Curtis Granderson anchor the outfield, where Jay Bruce and Michal Conforto also serve as options.

In the infield, David Wright, Asdrubal Cabrera, Walker and Lucas Duda give the team quality performers at each position.

However, New York’s real strength is in the rotation.

If Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey and Steven Matz are all healthy and effective in 2017, the Mets will likely be heading back to the playoffs.

Depth, however, could be a problem for the Mets.

There isn’t a clear-cut fifth starter behind the aforementioned quartet, and the team could be in need of infield help.

What’s more, no New York catcher turned in a WAR north of 0.5 or a wRC+ above 75.

If Travis d’Arnaud doesn’t bounce back, adding another backstop would certainly make sense. The former Toronto prospect’s current backups include Rene Rivera and Kevin Plawecki.

#13 Toronto Blue Jays
2016 Run Differential: +93
Best Offseason Move: Signing Steve Pearce
Worst Offseason Move: Letting Edwin Encarnacion Depart

Speaking of Toronto, the Blue Jays will try to adjust to life without Edwin Encarnacion this season.

The slugger mashed 239 home runs and 202 doubles while driving in 679 runs in 999 games for Toronto over the past eight seasons.

He’s now plying his trade in Cleveland, and will leave big shoes to fill north of the border.

The Blue Jays brought in Kendrys Morales in free agency, and will depend on the veteran to help replace Encarnacion.

Morales, who crushed 30 home runs for the Royals last season, will hit in a lineup that will also include Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista, Troy Tulowitzki, Devon Travis and Russell Martin.

Toronto certainly has the fire power, but it may need to address the left field situation at some point.

Former Detroit Tigers center fielder Ezequiel Carrera is one of the leading options at the position, and he hit .248 with a 85 wRC+ and a 0.7 WAR last season.

On the pitching side of things, the Jays return Aaron Sanchez, Marcus Stroman, J.A. Happ and Marco Estrada.

Combine those four with closer Roberto Osuna and a potent offense, and the Toronto Blue Jays look set to return to the playoffs once again.

#12 Texas Rangers
2016 Run Differential: +8
Best Offseason Move: Signing Tyson Ross
Worst Offseason Move: Letting Colby Lewis Become a Free Agent

Perhaps the flukiest of last season’s playoff teams based on run differential, the Rangers lost a number of key pieces from 2016.

The team is still a solid unit on paper, with Adrian Beltre, Cole Hamels, Jonathan Lucroy and Rougned Odor leading the way.

However, Ian Desmond, Carlos Beltran, Mitch Moreland, Derek Holland and Colby Lewis all departed.

Former Ranger Mike Napoli will step in for Moreland at first base.

The veteran will certainly help make up for some of the offense lost with Desmond and Beltran. Additionally, a full season of Lucroy behind the dish will bring more offensive production.

Despite full seasons from Napoli and Lucroy, there are still needs elsewhere on Texas’ roster.

Jurickson Profar isn’t a sure thing in left field, while there are serious concerns in the rotation. After Cole Hamels, Yu Darvish and Martin Perez there are serious question marks.

The final two rotation slots will likely be filled by some combination of A.J. Griffin, Mike Hauschild, Chi Chi Gonzalez, Tyson Ross and Andrew Cashner.

If Texas can’t slug its way to victory—the Rangers finished seventh in runs scored last season—they could be in trouble if the team can’t find solutions in the rotation.

#11 Pittsburgh Pirates
2016 Run Differential: -29
Best Offseason Move: Bringing in Daniel Hudson
Worst Offseason Move: Letting Sean Rodriguez Sign Elsewhere

The Pittsburgh Pirates finished a staggering 25 games back of the Chicago Cubs in the race for the National League Central last season, but don’t let that fool you, this is a quality team.

If Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole can have bounce-back seasons, Pittsburgh will easily return to contender status.

McCutchen is part of what could be one of the best outfield units in the league.

He’ll combine with Sterling Marte (4.0 WAR, 121 wRC+) and Gregory Polanco (2.5 WAR, .205 ISO) in patrolling the outfield grass at PNC Park.

Pittsburgh’s offense should get a boost not just from a potentially resurgent McCutchen, but also first baseman Josh Bell.

The franchise’s future at the position, Bell was solid in his first taste of Major League action last season.

In 45 games, the first baseman hit .273 with a .368 on-base percentage and a .406 slugging percentage despite logging a .294 BABIP.

Bell also posted a 113 wRC+ while collecting 19 RBI, 18 runs scored, eight doubles and three home runs.

He also showed flashes of Detroit Tigers designated hitter Victor Martinez in the sense that he walked more times (21) than he struck out.

#10 Seattle Mariners
2016 Run Differential: +61
Best Offseason Move: Acquiring Danny Valencia
Worst Offseason Move: Trading Taijuan Walker

In case you hadn’t noticed, Seattle Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto likes to make trades.

The M’s brought in nearly an entire roster’s worth of players in the offseason.

Dipoto flipped pitching prospect Paul Blackburn to the Oakland Athletics for the versatile Danny Valencia in mid-November to kick off the winter.

Seattle would go on to make deals for James Pazos, Taylr Motter, Richie Shaffer, Jean Segura, Mitch Haniger, Zac Curtis, Max Povse and Robert Whalen before the month was out.

December, unsurprisingly, brought more trades.

The M’s essentially swapped Nate Karns and Seth Smith for Jarrod Dyson and Yovani Gallardo in a pair trades with Kansas City and Baltimore respectively.

Dipoto was also able to turn two prospects into Shae Simmons and Mallex Smith in mid-January.

Smith wouldn’t stay with the M’s long, heading to Tampa Bay on the same day in a trade that sent former Detroit Tigers pitcher Drew Smyly to the Pacific Northwest.

Overall, the only deals that could come back to haunt the Mariners involve a pair of young pitchers.

Walker has the potential to be an ace, and seemed like a steep price to pay for Segura. Elsewhere, Luiz Gohara—who was part of the deal with Atlanta to get Mallex Smith—has done nothing but miss bats in the minors.

He pitched to a 1.81 ERA and 10.5 punch outs per nine frames in the low minors in 2016.

Otherwise, Dipoto has done well to restock the team ahead of a playoff push this season.

#9 Houston Astros
2016 Run Differential: +23
Best Offseason Move: Acquiring Josh Reddick
Worst Offseason Move: Letting Luis Valbuena Sign Elsewhere

Heading into the 2017 regular season, the Houston Astros may have the deepest lineup in the league.

Brian McCann and Evan Gattis will both see time behind the plate, while Carlos Beltran will start at designated hitter.

In the outfield, George Springer mans center field. He’ll be flanked by a pair of new additions in Nori Aoki in left field and Josh Reddick in right field.

Moving to the infield, Alex Bregman will be the team’s starting third baseman. Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa return as arguably baseball’s best double-play duo. Elsewhere, Yulieski Gurriel starts at first base.

Not only are the Astros deep, but they are also flexible from a defensive standpoint. Beltran can see time in left field, while Gurriel can shift to third base if need be.

Additionally, utility ace Marwin Gonzalez is capable of logging innings at each infield position.

Houston will be hoping that the team’s offense can support a pitching staff that has some question marks.

Many of those question marks come in the starting rotation, where there isn’t a clear-cut fifth starter. What’s more, Dallas Keuchel and Collin McHugh are coming off down seasons.

#8 Detroit Tigers
2016 Run Differential: +29
Best Offseason Move: Acquiring Mikie Mahtook
Worst Offseason Move: None

We now arrive at the moment you’ve all been waiting for.

Yes, the Detroit Tigers rank eighth in our first power rankings of the year.

If everything goes to plan, the Tigers could very well end 2017 with a championship celebration.

For that to happen, a few things will need to happen for Detroit.

First, and perhaps most importantly, the rotation will have to perform.

Justin Verlander and Michael Fulmer were excellent last season, while Daniel Norris and Matt Boyd showed they have the potential to be extremely effective Major League starters.

If all four can continue to thrive in 2017, it will go a long way towards the Tigers returning to the postseason.

However, the most important player on the roster may just be Jordan Zimmermann.

If the former Washington Nationals starter can showcase the form he showed in the National League East, Detroit will have a rotation able to stack up with the league’s best.

On offense, the Tigers remain essentially the same.

Cameron Maybin is gone, but JaCoby Jones has impressed so far in Spring Training and could very well replace his former teammate as Detroit’s sparkplug.

Otherwise, the likes of Miguel Cabrera, J.D. Martinez, Justin Upton, Nick Castellanos, Ian Kinsler and Victor Martinez will continue to destroy baseballs and score runs in bunches.

The playoffs and beyond look like a real possibility this year.

#7 Cleveland
2016 Run Differential: +101
Best Offseason Move: Signing Edwin Encarnacion
Worst Offseason Move: Letting Rajai Davis Sign Elsewhere

Cleveland brings back much of the same team that (somewhat inexplicably) went 14-4 against the Detroit Tigers.

However, there is one major exception in that the team signed Edwin Encarnacion.

The now former Toronto standout led the league in RBI with 127 last season while also notching a .357 on-base percentage.

While Encarnacion brings some obvious thump to Cleveland’s lineup, one area where the club could struggle is in center field.

Tyler Naquin was plenty productive last season with a .296 batting average, an .886 OPS, 52 runs scored, 43 RBI, 18 doubles, 14 home runs and five stolen bases.

However, he only logged 40 at-bats against left-handed pitchers. With Rajai Davis now plying his trade in the American League West with the Oakland Athletics, it remains to be seen how Terry Francona and friends will protect Naquin versus southpaws.

Cleveland will have to do some work in terms of finding replacements in the bullpen. Jeff Manship departed in the offseason, while Cody Anderson will miss the campaign due to Tommy John surgery.

This team is still good, but don’t expect the Tigers to lose 14 of 18 to them again.

#6 St. Louis Cardinals
2016 Run Differential: +67
Best Offseason Move: Signing Dexter Fowler
Worst Offseason Move: None

After seeing the Chicago Cubs sign Jason Heyward and John Lackey away from the team in free agency, the St. Louis Cardinals finally were able to sign a high-profile Cub free agent.

Dexter Fowler joined the franchise after a strong season with Chicago last year.

The outfielder hit .276 with a 129 wRC+ in 125 games for the World Champions.

He also turned in a .393 on-base percentage while contributing 84 runs scored, 48 RBI, 25 doubles, 13 home runs, 13 triples and seven stolen bases.

If he can post similar numbers in his debut season in St. Louis, the Cardinals will give the Cubs a run for their money in the race for the National League Central crown.

Fowler was obviously the team’s best move, but don’t overlook the Brett Cecil signing.

The ex-Blue Jays hurler has posted a SIERA under 2.73 in each of the past four seasons. He’s also notched swinging strike percentages north of 11.5 in each of those campaigns as well.

Even if the Cubs take home the division again in 2017, expect the St. Louis Cardinals to be right in the thick of things come October.

#5 Washington Nationals
2016 Run Differential: +151
Best Offseason Move: Acquiring Adam Eaton
Worst Offseason Move: Acquiring Adam Eaton

Remember all those times Adam Eaton did damage at the plate against the Detroit Tigers?

Yes, Adam Eaton, the outfielder with a .325 batting average and a .401 on-base percentage in his career versus Detroit is now out of the division.

Chicago deal the outfielder as part of the team’s rebuilding phase, and Eaton landed in Washington with the Nationals.

Eaton is no doubt an excellent player on offense and defense. What’s more, he’s young and controllable.

However, the Nationals had to give up two of the best pitching prospects in baseball in Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez.

This is all without mentioning the other player who went to Chicago in the deal, Dane Dunning. The Nats took the starting pitcher with the 29^th-overall pick in the 2016 draft.

Washington would also be higher on this list if the team had a solution at the back end of the bullpen.

The club did well to bring in Mark Melancon at the trade deadline, as the former Pirate notched a 1.82 ERA and 17 saves in 29.2 frames of work down the stretch.

However, Melancon signed with San Francisco in the offseason and the club and the Nationals have yet to find a replacement.

If Washington can find a lock-down closer, the team could move higher up this list.

#4 San Francisco Giants
2016 Run Differential: +84
Best Offseason Move: Signing Mark Melancon
Worst Offseason Move: Not Finding a Solution in Left Field

Speaking of Melancon, the San Francisco Giants inked the closer as the team remade the back end of their bullpen.

The former Nationals pitcher joins in place of the likes of Sergio Romo, Javier Lopez and Santiago Casilla, who all left in the offseason.

While the Giants found a solution in the bullpen, the National League East heavyweights failed to find a new left fielder.

With Angel Pagan hitting the free agent market, San Francisco will utilize some combination of Jarrett Parker, Mac Williamson and former Detroit Tigers prospect Gorkys Hernandez out in left field.

In a somewhat similar vein to the Nats, the Giants could very well move up this list with a new left fielder.

If the team were to acquire a new outfielder, a player capable of hitting in the middle of the lineup likely wouldn’t hurt.

San Francisco could use extra protection for Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford, Brandon Belt and company.

Looking ahead to the playoffs, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the San Francisco Giants once again in contention for a World Series title.

The club boasts arguably baseball’s best starting rotation, with a unit featuring Madison Bumgarner, Johnny Cueto, Matt Moore, Jeff Samardzija and Matt Cain.

#2 Los Angeles Dodgers
2016 Run Differential: +87
Best Offseason Move: Keeping the Team Intact
Worst Offseason Move: Trading Jose De Leon

It could have been a very different offseason for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

With Kenley Jansen, Justin Turner and Rich Hill all on the free agent market, the National League West club could have lost the team’s closer, star third baseman and second-best starting pitcher.

However, all three returned to Los Angeles, and now the Dodgers look poised to make another run at the ever-elusive World Series title.

With Logan Forsythe joining the likes of Corey Seager, Joc Pederson, Adrian Gonzalez and Turner in Southern California, Los Angeles could very well make a deep October run.

What is perhaps most frightening about the Dodgers is that they could potentially call up impact prospects Cody Bellinger, Alex Verdugo and Willie Calhoun at some point this season.

None of the trio will likely have the same impact as Seager, but there is significant upside in Los Angeles’ farm system.

Speaking of players with significant upside, the Dodgers could benefit from more starts from Julio Urias. The talented left-hander posted a 3.39 ERA and a 3.17 FIP in 77 innings for the club.

He could very well make a similar impact in 2017 with more innings.

#1 Chicago Cubs
2016 Run Differential: +252
Best Offseason Move: Trading for Wade Davis
Worst Offseason Move: Letting Dexter Fowler Depart

The Chicago Cubs just won the World Series and may have gotten better as a team.

They will obviously have to make up for Dexter Fowler, but Chicago has plenty of talented players coming back elsewhere on the roster.

Notably, Kyle Schwarber returns, and will see time in the outfield.

What’s more, the Cubs can still shift the likes of Ben Zobrist, Javier Baez and Kris Bryant around the field if need be.

Elsewhere, Chicago should improve greatly behind the plate. David Ross has retired, but that means more playing time for Wilson Contreras.

The rookie thrived with the Cubs last season, turning in a 2.2 WAR, a 126 wRC+, a .282 batting average, a .357 on-base percentage, a .488 slugging percentage and a .206 ISO.

Contreras did all that in just 283 at-bats spanning 76 games. Imagine what he can do with a full season’s worth of at-bats.

Next: Predicting Tigers Opening Day Bench

Despite losing Aroldis Chapman in free agency, Chicago shored up the team’s bullpen with Wade Davis and Koji Uehara. Not only are both quality, late-inning arms, but both have considerable postseason experience.