Okay. So while most of the big moves have seemed to be made already, I kind of want to do some evaluating of teams. So I'm going to rank the top contending teams in order of who I think has the best postseason roster.
I am only going to do the American League right now. Reason why is that I don't really find the National League that exciting and a lot of the teams like the Nationals, Cardinals, Pirates, Dodgers, and Giants are all kind of flawed in the same exact ways. Good but not great offense with strong front end pitching and complete bullpens. Only teams of interest are the Mets and the Cubs, but I don't think that the Mets can tread water with their hitting. Cubs are such a wild card I don't know what to think, and can't evaluate Joe Maddon properly. So I'm just giving that to the birds and I'll see if someone else wants to bite.
Like I said, this is a best post season team rank and not the best rest of season team. I'm not really worried about where these teams end the season as I am how they will look at the end of it. Obviously there are some larger pieces still to fall, and crazy shit happens in the trading deadline. But for right now, I am evaluating present teams for the things that matter most in the post season: obviously lineup and defense, top 3 starters, back end of bullpen, and bench options in the term of pinch hitting and baserunning.
1. Kansas City We Will Never Be Royals: Since I called their run last year before all you people jumped on MY bandwagon, I feel like it's cool for me to drop in the team with the best record in the American League as the favorite. Their rotation is not the best, but it is pretty good with Cueto, Ventura, and Volquez/Duffy. To me Cueto is a far better pitcher than Shields was for them last year. And what they may lag behind in SP they make up for with the best relief core in the show. Their offense is not great, but it is consistent. The way they play means they are not going to get into many ruts where they won't score. Speed in the bench might be some of the best with Dyson and Terrance Gore as bench options, and Ben Zoberist's versatility to allow earlier uses of the pinch runners. Flawed, but as a total package I don't see them being bested.
2. Houston lAstros: These guys were already good on offense, but if Gomez is healthy and can lead off for them, they just got some of the dynamics they needed. I still think their offense is too streaky to win three series, and their starting pitching isn't good enough to weather the storm. Don't get me wrong, their rotation is great in a 5 man, but I don't see how they translate to a postseason rotation. I also don't really believe in the back end of their bullpen, but with their super adaptation to sabermetrics, they might be just fine mixing and matching. They also have some speed on the bench, but not like Kansas City speed. I like them a lot, but I think they are are not there just let in the terms of their complimentary pieces.
3. Toronto Blue Jays: The joke is they're from Canada. Ha! The top of their rotation is scary good, but you got to wonder how much playing on the turf is going to get Tulo. Also... Bautista and EE have had just pretty okay seasons at this point. I'm not really afraid of them more than Tulo and Donaldson. And everyone is going to have to play on all calendars to get to a playoff berth. David Price is a stud and the only reason they are this high on the list, but their next best starters are Mark Beuehereurheule and
Lil Dickey. And their bullpen isn't cutting it. Best offense in the AL and Price makes the pitching staff tolerable, but they probably needed one more move in the bullpen department. LaTroy fucking Hawkins isn't cutting shit man. I'm sorry.
4. Old York Yankees: This team won't fucking die man. You got to figure that they would just move to the NL to play in the fucking Senior Circuit. I'm not really impressed with their offense and think it's vastly over preforming, and I don't see them staying healthy through the 162 streatch to make a post season run. Their starters are just okay. I don't see Tanaka as an ace, Pineda is going through his annual small injury that turns into missing half the year, and is CC Sabathia really scheduled to take the ball in the post season? Is this fucking 2005 or something? The only think I like about the Yankees is that they have got a killer bullpen. However they are beating the fuck out of Miller and Betances, and have been all year. And you got to think that its going to catch up to them at some point. This isn't even coming from a Red Sox fan, but I just don't see the Yankees as being that great of a ball club.
5. California LA Angels of Anaheim: This is the Mike Trout show, and no one is going to fucking stop him man. Pooholes is pretty good too, but really that is it. David Murphey isn't fixing this ship. Shane Victoreno is not going to
make every little thing be alright (god is he a special player though). Their pitching is the worst on this list besides the Twins, and their bullpen is good but nothing to write home about. I don't see the Sciosciapath making it out of the Wild Card game, let alone making a deep push.
6. Minnesota Twins: Only on this list because they are in a playoff spot. Anyone taking them seriously that isn't presently playing or related to a member of the Twins? No? I thought so. They look pretty good for next year if they can get some offseason pieces.