MLB Power Rankings by La Velle E. Neal

AMERICAN LEAGUE

1. New York Yankees

They got the man they needed in righthander Gerrit Cole. Injuries ravaged them in 2019.

2. Oakland Athletics

Quality lineup. Good rotation. Strong bullpen. Sleeper pick for a strong season.

3. Tampa Bay Rays

Adding Nick Anderson to that bullpen was a major development. Always overachievers.

4. Minnesota Twins

Get to pound on the Royals, Tigers and Pirates in Central play with an even more powerful lineup.

5. Houston Astros

Hard to boo a team when the stands are empty. Can starting staff hold up?

6. Cleveland Indians

Cleveland knows how to develop starting pitchers, and that's a very valuable commodity.

7. Texas Rangers

Kyle Gibson, Lance Lynn, Danny Santana. Twins South. Is that a good or bad thing?

8. Chicago White Sox

They will be ranked much higher in 2021 but still appear to be a year or two away.

9. Boston Red Sox

Mookie Betts is gone, and Martin Perez might be the No. 2 starter. Tough times at Fenway.

10. Los Angeles Angels

A healthy Shohei Ohtani is good for baseball. Anthony Rendon added to the mix.

11. Toronto Blue Jays

Will be fun to watch Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and other young players develop.

12. Detroit Tigers

Countdown to Casey Mize promotion is on. No. 1 overall pick in 2018 might be needed quickly.

13. Seattle Mariners

Strange not to see Felix Hernandez on the roster. Rebuilding team won't be a factor.

14. Kansas City Royals

Will Whit Merrifield, the best player on the team, end up on a contender at the trade deadline?

15. Baltimore Orioles

At least they can't lose 100 games for the third straight season.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

Even with David Price opting out, this team is still loaded to the brim for another great season.

2. Atlanta Braves

Can Marcell Ozuna's arrival make up for Josh Donaldson's departure? A team with great promise.

3. Washington Nationals

With Anthony Rendon gone, let the Juan Soto show begin. Defending champs are pitching-rich.

4. Chicago Cubs

Look for new manager David Ross to start to turn things around for a team that won it all in 2016.

5. St. Louis Cardinals

Jack Flaherty leads the pitching staff, but how many runs will they score?

6. New York Mets

New pitching coach Jeremy Hefner has some reclamation projects, and won't have Noah Syndergaard at all.

7. Philadelphia Phillies

They'll hit but might be a little short on pitching after a year in which things unraveled late.

8. Cincinnati Reds

Decent rotation, solid bullpen and they will hit. Don't sleep on Cincy.

9. Arizona Diamondbacks

Ketel Marte is a star, and they also have Eddie "The Stick" Escobar.

10. Milwaukee Brewers

The starting rotation is a little thin; at least Ryan Braun can DH as the AL rule becomes universal.

11. San Diego Padres

Will a young starter please step forward? Don't waste Manny Machado's prime.

12. Colorado Rockies

How well will an unhappy Nolan Arenado play? He's one of the few bright spots.

13. San Francisco Giants

Madison Bumgarner is a D-Back, and Buster Posey opted out. Hope has vanished in the Bay.

14. Miami Marlins

James Rowson as new offensive coordinator has his work cut out for him.

15. Pittsburgh Pirates

Chris Archer is out for the season, and there's not much optimism at PNC Park.