MLB Power Rankings: Washington Nationals top our preseason rankings

Everyone thought this was going to be the year that Alex Anthopoulos and the Blue Jays were going to make a run for it, especially after high profile pick-ups of Russell Martin and Josh Donaldson early in the winter. However, the coffers in Toronto apparently drained quickly and Anthopoulos was left to wonder where all his resources went. In a wide open AL East, it became a shame to see Toronto start off so quickly and fizzle out before addressing their real needs. <p>That became evidently present when the Blue Jays lost Marcus Stroman for the season to an ACL tear. Any pitching depth the team had was quickly doused and the bullpen went unattended to. Now, the team will rely heavily on 6 rookies to field a contender, and that may not be the greatest recipe for success. Also, it couldn’t hurt for the team to possibly consider a better way to cover their sprinkler heads in Dunedin over the summer.</p>. . Previous: . Toronto Blue Jays. 16. team. 39

Miami Marlins. 17. team. 82. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the entire winter was not Jeffery Loria splurging on a 13-year, $325 million contract extension, but rather the fact that he included a no-trade clause AND an opt-out clause into the deal. He then went on to extend Christian Yelich as well, cementing the corner outfielders for the next several seasons. Of, and did I mention the Marlins added Dee Gordon, Mat Latos, Dan Haren, Martin Prado, and Michael Morse as well? This is a team bent on contending. <p>However, and there’s always a but, the Dodgers were awfully willing to give up Gordon, who looks an awful lot like a flash in the pan, and Morse doesn’t exactly carry the biggest reputation for consistency and health either. Additionally, this is a team that somehow has to swim above water until they can get ace Jose Fernandez back at mid-season (Tommy John surgery), but outside of the Nats, the NL East could be fairly weak in 2015. It’s a good time to strike for Miami.</p>. . Previous:

New York Yankees. 18. team. 43. After two consecutive seasons of missing the playoffs, it seems like everyone is sleeping on the New York Yankees, especially after they were relatively quiet in the Bronx this winter. However, the relatively minor additions they made in Andrew Miller and Didi Gregorius could pay big dividends for the Bombers. <p>Yes, this is an old team, and there are major questions about whether Masahiro Tanaka and C.C. Sabathia can stay healthy throughout the season. Of, and let’s not forget that the A-Rod circus has brought the big top back to the Big Apple. But if things shake out well, and they often find a way in New York, the Yankees could surprise a lot of people.</p>. . Previous:

19. team. 61. I want to like the Cincinnati Reds a lot more than I do, but for some reason, I just can’t bring myself to do it. Perhaps it has to do with jettisoning 2/5 of their rotation. Perhaps it is the fact that for a team that looked like it was rebuilding, they threw too much money at Marlon Byrd as their big offseason grab. <p>Still, this is a team that is expected to get Joey Votto back. It also had Johnny Cueto back at the front of the rotation. And everyone loves Aroldis Chapman at the end of the bullpen. But is that enough to win in a division that got better all around them? This is a team stuck in between two movements, and I have a feeling there will be more moving parts before the season is said and done. </p>. . Previous: . Cincinnati Reds

team. 96. Billy Beane caught a lot of heat for tearing things down this winter instead of adding pieces, but lost in all the hub-bub of players leaving town, something important was lost. Billy Beane did pretty good job of restocking the cupboards.No, he didn’t bring back an MVP candidate for Josh Donaldson, but by netting Brett Lawrie and Kendall Graveman, he plugs in two young pieces for the loss of one, and that doesn’t even take into consideration the fact that he also got Sean Nolin and shortstop prospect extraordinaire Franklin Barreto in the process as well. Additionally, he nabbed Marcus Semien from the White Sox for Samardzija and somehow stole Ben Zobrist from the Rays. <p>Yes, Oakland fans will likely have to deal with a bridge year, but for a rebuild on the fly, the Athletics are primed to be back on their feet shortly, and arguably managed to refill the system with prospects. Oh, and he turned a Yoenis Cespedes into a draft pick as well. Classic Billy Beane, and Oakland fans will be praising these moves in a few years. </p>. . Previous: . Oakland Athletics. 20