2014 MLB Preview

1. Rays: They're great year in and year out, and one of these years it should result in a World Series win. I think this is the year.
2. Nationals: Hit a bump in the road last year, when many people expected them to win 100 games. This could be the year they get back on track, behind a superlative rotation.
3. Cardinals: This is the one lock for the playoffs this year. The defending NL champs are crazy deep, and should be able to withstand any obstacles they happen to face this year.
4. Dodgers: A team that went on a crazy 42-8 run last year should almost assuredly be in the playoffs this year. The X-factor: Matt Kemp. Is he an MVP candidate, or is he broken down?
5. Red Sox: Need a lot out of their rookies Bogaerts and Bradley this year, because Grady Sizemore has about as much a chance of playing 162 games as I do.
6. Tigers: Swapped offense for defense in the Fielder-Kinsler deal, but inexplicably gave away Doug Fister. Should win the division still.
7. A's: They lost Jarrod Parker and Bartolo Colon, their two biggest contributing SPs last year. But as we've learned with the A's the last few years, they are often greater than the sum of their parts, and they should find their way back to the playoffs.
8. Pirates: Made basically zero changes this offseason, but their young talent continues to ascend to the majors, and Gregory Polanco could be one such difference maker this year.
9. Braves: Their rotation is currently a mess, but a year's worth of games against the Mets, Marlins, and Phillies should do wonders for their record.
10. Angels: Expect a bounceback year from Pujols, but maybe not Hamilton. Improvement in the back of the rotation, which was horrendous last year, should get them back to the playoffs.
11. Indians: Yes, they had a lot of luck last year, but they also have a lot of players who can improve this year. I think they'll stay ahead of the Royals.
12. Giants: They should bounce back at least somewhat, but while their rotation was their greatest strength in the past, now they are relying on too many subpar pitchers (Lincecum, Vogelsong) to be successful.
13. Rangers: They look a lot like the old Rangers of the mid-2000s: all offense, no pitching. If memory serves, those Rangers never did make the playoffs.
14. Padres:  A sleeper team; like the Rays, the Padres are more than the sum of their parts. They'll need big years from Andrew Cashner and Ian Kennedy to make this prediction come true.
15. Orioles: An average team on paper, with enough young talent to potentially be better than that.
16. Yankees: They brought in some pig names, but they also don't have a single position player under 30. Memo to the Yankees: this isn't the steroid era anymore. Youth, not age, is king in MLB.
17. Royals: I don't understand why so many people are so high on the Royals this year. Their strength last year was the rotation, but they lost their best pitcher (Ervin Santana) and replaced him with Jason Vargas, who is the textbook definition of an average pitcher. I just don't see it.
18. Reds: Billy Hamilton may become the most exciting player in baseball, but he's still not an adequate replacement for Shin-Soo Choo. I see a step back from the Reds this year.
19. Diamondbacks: Losing Patrick Corbin for the year hurts, and the Diamondbacks, who have gone 81-81 each year since their 2011 division title, looks thoroughly average once again.
20. Brewers: A full year of Ryan Braun helps, but first base continues to be a black hole since the departure of Prince Fielder.
21. Mets: They have promise, but they'll probably have to wait until Matt Harvey returns in 2015.
22. Mariners: Take a bad offense and add Robinson Cano, and you... still get a bad offense. This isn't LeBron James joining the Heat here.
23. Blue Jays: Lat year they proved that a last-place team plus the core of another last-place team equals yet another last-place team. They'll be better this year, but in a tough division they're still destined for last.
24. Rockies: The rotation should be better almost by default, but I'd have more faith if I trusted Troy Tulowitzki not to get hurt again.
25. White Sox: Jose Abreu is intriguing, but he may not deliver on that promise this year. Still altogether too much Adam Dunn and Alex Rios involved to like this team.
26. Phillies: An old team gets older by adding Marlon Byrd and AJ Burnett. Not really sure what these guys are doing, but it won't end well.
27. Marlins: The young rotation should be exciting and potentially above-average. The offense... not so much.
28. Cubs: The future isn't now, Cubs fans. The most they can hope for from this season is that Starlin Castro gets back on track and Anthony Rizzo develops.
29. Twins: Joe Mauer's at first base now, but the Twins' outlook is still the same as last year: wait for the prospects.
30. Astros: If you don't have anything nice to say...