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MLB 15 The Show Power Rankings: Pitchers and Catchers Report Edition

It seems like baseball, more than any other professional sport, only needs an offseason to have its world rattled. Moves like Jimmy Rollins to the Dodgers, Jon Lester to the Cubs, and the Atlanta Braves practically getting rid of their entire offense are things you would almost never see in another sport. Yet, in the MLB, it feels almost common. So for those of you who haven't stayed up with the most up-to-date roster transactions and acquisitions (or for those of you who just want a refresher), here is our official power ranking of all 30 Major League teams and how they should stack up in-game in preparation for MLB 15 The Show.

30. Arizona Diamondbacks: Outside of Goldschmidt and the recent acquisition of the power hitting Cuban Yasmany Tomas, there is very little to have fun with.

29. Cincinnati Reds: Billy Hamilton and Joey Votto are the extent of what's exciting about the Reds.

28. Philadelphia Phillies: One of the oldest and least talented rosters in baseball, the Phillies are still a few trades away from having the necessary talent for a rebuild.

27. Atlanta Braves: It's hard to imagine what the Braves were thinking this offseason, letting most of their best hitters go to other teams, but they still have a sturdy staff that could be fun to play with.

26. Colorado Rockies: Their ballpark is more exciting than the players that it fields, even if Tulo can stay healthy.

25. New York Mets: Good young pitchers, but maybe the worst offense in baseball. How bad is the N.L. East this year?

24. Houston Astros: They still have a fun stadium and that guy named Springer is pretty good. Otherwise, the Astros can't seem to emerge from the rebuilding identity that they've carried for years.

23. Minnesota Twins: Tons of exciting young players, but when will we see them?

22. Chicago White Sox: This could be the year they make a push, especially with Abreu emerging as one of the leagues best power bats.

21. Milwaukee Brewers: The Brew Crew still has some bashers on their team, but with little to no pitching, how good can they actually be?

20. San Diego Padres: Look for them to make a big deal and surge up the power rankings before Spring Training. They are still one more ace away from being able to compete with the Dodgers.

19. Miami Marlins: They made a few strong moves this offseason, but they still don't have the depth of your usual playoff contender.

18. Tampa Bay Rays: Whether you love or hate Tropicana Field, you can't ignore the small, intelligent moves the Rays continue to make to stay relevant.

17. Baltimore Orioles: They had a bit of a fluky year with pitching last year, and Chris Davis' hitting ability seems to have fallen off of a cliff.

16. Kansas City Royals: The Cinderella story of 2014 is going to have to prove themselves again in 2015, because on paper, their roster still isn't that eye-catching.

15. Texas Rangers: Surely they can't be as bad as last year, right?

14. Pittsburgh Pirates: They still have the most beautiful ballpark in baseball, and have one of the most exciting players to match it.

13. Cleveland Indians: After making a huge second half swing in 2014, it's hard to imagine that they won't be players in 2015. Especially after the addition of underrated Brandon Moss.

12. Los Angeles Angels: Mike Trout, Mike Trout, Mike Trout.

11. Toronto Blue Jays: They remain one of the most exciting lineups in baseball, and with one of the best pitching prospects in baseball (Aaron Sanchez) they may finally have enough to get over the hump.

10. New York Yankees: They made all the right moves in 2014 to get them ready for this year, so it will be interesting to see if a more balanced lineup prevails over the Yankee's usually star-studded roster.

9. Detroit Tigers: They're quickly reaching Phillies territory of of the last few years, but their window should stretch for at least another couple of years.

8. Seattle Mariners: A surprisingly tame offseason may not draw a ton of interest, but the Mariner's still have one of the most diverse and youthful rosters in baseball.

7. Oakland Athletics: If you're not a fan of Moneyball, then you're behind the times. One of the most active off-seasons in recent memory makes them highly playable.

6. San Fransisco Giants: All they do is win, but how appealing is their roster to play with? Bumgarner remains one of the most dynamic pitchers in baseball.

5. St. Louis Cardinals: Along with the Giants, you would be hard pressed to find a better run organization in all of sports. Consistently a threat and always loaded with cheap, young talent. How do they do it?

4. Boston Red Sox: They have loaded up this offseason with a ton of outfielders and pitching depth, not to mention that Fenway is only going to be more fun to play with as MLB: The Show gets better looking.

3. Washington Nationals: There's so much power here that it's hard to believe that the Nationals were bottom dwellers in the N.L. East just a couple of years ago.

2. Chicago Cubs: Theo Epstein is considered the best young mind in baseball, and for good reason. The Cubs are absolutely overflowing with talent at every position, and acquired Lester in hopes that he could guide the Cubs to their first World Series in over 100 years.

1. Los Angeles Dodgers: Even without Kemp, Gordon or Hanley, the Dodgers have to be considered the favorite to win it all in 2015. Kershaw, Greinke and Ryu lead what should be the best rotation in baseball.


MLB 15 The Show Videos
Member Comments
# 1 BravesBoy @ 02/19/15 10:46 AM
I've never played a franchise with my Braves because normally were pretty good. So i'm looking forward to starting one this year, should be a little bit of a challenge.
 
# 2 KHarmo88 @ 02/19/15 10:56 AM
Wow. The Pirates at 14? Interesting take.
 
# 3 decga @ 02/19/15 11:03 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by BravesBoy
I've never played a franchise with my Braves because normally were pretty good. So i'm looking forward to starting one this year, should be a little bit of a challenge. Good read
Nice Avatar dude!
 
# 4 eric7064 @ 02/19/15 11:04 AM
JESUS! I'm a Cubs fan and 2 is way to high. Maybe top 10. Maybe. My oh my.
 
# 5 nemesis04 @ 02/19/15 11:09 AM
Interesting shuffle. The Padres definitely need to be further up the chain imo.
 
# 6 breakfastcat @ 02/19/15 11:27 AM
The best record in baseball last year is ranked 12th? This clearly just a list of the loudest offseasons. Cubs 2nd? Red Sox 4th? Give me a break. Can't do anything but laugh at this.
 
# 7 redsox4evur @ 02/19/15 11:29 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by breakfastcat
The best record in baseball last year is ranked 12th? This clearly just a list of the loudest offseasons. Cubs 2nd? Red Sox 4th? Give me a break. Can't do anything but laugh at this.
Really if it was a list of loudest offseasons then why are the Padres ranked 20th. They had the loudest offseason in the league.
 
# 8 breakfastcat @ 02/19/15 11:33 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by redsox4evur
Really if it was a list of loudest offseasons then why are the Padres ranked 20th. They had the loudest offseason in the league.
Fair enough, still a pretty terrible list, in my opinion. The Cubs shouldn't be top 10 let alone #2.
 
# 9 TotesMaGotes @ 02/19/15 11:37 AM
This list seems really... really far off... I'm an Astros guy, I'm not even going to argue the spot on the list but just the fact that Springer is the only guy mentioned and no sniff of Altuve (League leader in hits and number two in SB) really shows this Ben Vollmer cat isn't really in the loop.
 
# 10 pittsburgher86 @ 02/19/15 11:42 AM
Sorry but this is the dumbest ranking of teams I have ever seen in my life. Cubs shouldn't be in the top half, let alone two. A's and Red Sox are overrated. Pirates, Orioles, Royals are all underrated. Seems like you through the teams at dartboard or something and was like "yeah this seems good."

By the way its "Pittsburgh" not "Pittsburg." We added the H in 1911.
 
# 11 dalger21 @ 02/19/15 11:53 AM
I honestly think the Braves should be ranked lower...like 38th....and I'm a Braves fan...
 
# 12 seanjeezy @ 02/19/15 11:58 AM
Mariners finally have a good MLB team this year, but as a result the minors are pretty thin after so many graduations. It should be fun building up the system again and trying to maintain success.
 
# 13 ruskoz @ 02/19/15 11:58 AM
Wow, I mean no disrespect here but this list must of been inspired by a night of hallucinogens or maybe you just bumped your head.
 
# 14 BravesBoy @ 02/19/15 11:59 AM
Just to have a list to compare, this is SI's power rankings.

1. Nats
2. Dodgers
3. Cards
4. Mariners
5. Angeles
6. Tigers
7. Blue Jays
8. Red Sox
9. Padres
10. Pirates
11. Giants
12. Indians
13. Orioles
14. Athletics
15. White Sox
16. Marlins
17. Cubs
18. Yankees
19. Royals
20. Mets
21. Rays
22. Rangers
23. Brewers
24. Astros
25. Reds
26. Braves
27. Twins
28. Phillies
29. Rockies
30. Diamondbacks
 
# 15 breakfastcat @ 02/19/15 12:02 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by BravesBoy
Just to have a list to compare, this is SI's power rankings.

1. Nats
2. Dodgers
3. Cards
4. Mariners
5. Angeles
6. Tigers
7. Blue Jays
8. Red Sox
9. Padres
10. Pirates
11. Giants
12. Indians
13. Orioles
14. Athletics
15. White Sox
16. Marlins
17. Cubs
18. Yankees
19. Royals
20. Mets
21. Rays
22. Rangers
23. Brewers
24. Astros
25. Reds
26. Braves
27. Twins
28. Phillies
29. Rockies
30. Diamondbacks
This is MUCH better.
 
# 16 HozAndMoose @ 02/19/15 12:12 PM
Guess a lot of people will be surprised when we win the Central.
 
# 17 xCULLO @ 02/19/15 12:20 PM
I'm a little confused, is this a power rankings of the teams they most want to play with, or an actual real life power ranking?
 
# 18 HozAndMoose @ 02/19/15 12:24 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by xCULLO
I'm a little confused, is this a power rankings of the teams they most want to play with, or an actual real life power ranking?
Real life rankings. In the opinion of the people that post them of curse.
 
# 19 xCULLO @ 02/19/15 12:28 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by HozAndMoose
Real life rankings. In the opinion of the people that post them of curse.
Okay then yeah I do not agree with these, lol.
 
# 20 HypoLuxa13 @ 02/19/15 12:31 PM
The Cubs are "overflowing with talent at every position"? Yes, but that is spread across all levels of the minor leagues primarily. Not sure how that makes someone think they are #2 Power Ranking for 2015? Maybe by 2017, but more like in the 9-12 range is appropriate for this year. 82-85 wins is realistic this year given how much of their talent is 25 or younger. Their 40 man roster is NOT overflowing... yet.
 

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