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MLB Power Rankings: Cubs are favorites again

By Joshua Sadlock

Mar 4, 2017; Mesa, AZ, USA; Chicago Cubs infielder Kris Bryan (17) prepares for his at bat during a spring training game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 4, 2017; Mesa, AZ, USA; Chicago Cubs infielder Kris Bryan (17) prepares for his at bat during a spring training game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports /
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With Opening Day less than a week away, where do all 30 MLB teams stand in the season’s first set of power rankings?

Major League Baseball’s 30 teams have been hard at work in Florida and Arizona for the last two months. As the calendar turns to April, the games are about to start counting for something. The initial round of the weekly power rankings will take everything that happened since last season ended and the Chicago Cubs won their first World Series since the Taft Presidency.

The preseason power rankings will account for offseason moves, injuries, and how teams have looked in Spring Training. The beautiful thing about the baseball season is that every team begins the season 0-0 and with an equal chance to make it to the playoffs, regardless of how improbable it seems.

Let’s get to it!

30. San Diego Padres

When A.J. Preller came roaring into town, he was ready to usher in a new era of Padres baseball. The Friars traded for Matt Kemp, Wil Myers, Melvin Upton, Justin Upton, and Craig Kimbrel and signed James Shields. Of that group, only Myers is left, and the Padres are starting at another long rebuilding process. Preller’s moves fell completely flat.

The big move of the offseason for San Diego this year was signing veteran pitcher Jered Weaver. Injuries have sapped him of his velocity, and Weaver now tops out in the low-80s. Not that a pitcher has never been effective throwing that slow in the big leagues, but Weaver is 19-24 with a 4.86 ERA over the past two seasons. The rest of the rotation won’t be pretty. Clayton Richard, Jhoulys Chacin, Trevor Cahill, Luis Perdomo, and a host of other underwhelming options will start 162 games.

They say every team has a chance at making the playoffs on Opening Day, but Padres fans would be better off not kidding themselves. Just pour yourself one of San Diego’s famous IPAs and enjoy Petco Park, one of the best the league has to offer. Who needs winning baseball when it’s 80 degrees and perfectly sunny every day of the year?

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