Hey there. Below is a quickish preview and predictions piece for the 2015 MLB season. Instead of doing the breakdown by divisions I decided to split it by league. The rankings of teams are based on overall quality for the 2015 season and how I see each team finishing in the standings if broken out by league.

I also included postseason confidence which is a 1-5 scale with five being a near lock to make the playoffs and one being a team that has virtually no chance of making the playoffs.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

1. Washington Nationals – A starting rotation that was already perhaps the league’s best a year ago adds Max Scherzer; it’s simply ridiculous. The team could struggle some out of the gate with injuries to three starting position players. Barring significant long-term injuries it would be a shock if the Nationals didn’t make the playoffs.

Postseason confidence: 5

2. Los Angeles Dodgers – The defense should be improved at five positions. The Dodgers are in a much better place in terms of flexibility and depth from a year ago. Starting rotation depth will be tested, but it certainly helps having a dynamite 1-2 punch in Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke. Bringing in Andrew Friedman and company to head baseball operations was, for me, the single biggest acquisition across the league in the off-season.

Playoff confidence: 5

3. St. Louis Cardinals – Solid all around and always in the picture come playoff time; 2015 should be no different for the Cardinals. St. Louis has no glaring weakness. If I were nitpicking I could see some issues with starting pitching durability come up, but I wouldn’t expect it and the organization is well equipped to deal with it. I expect Jason Heyward to have the best season of his career this season.

Playoff confidence: 4.5

4. Pittsburgh Pirates – Pittsburgh has turned its major league roster around in recent years and should continue the trend this season. They’re relatively well-balanced and have one of the best players in the game in Andrew McCutchen. Losing Russell Martin will hurt. The back of the rotation could become an adventure so it’s important that Francisco Liriano, A.J. Burnett and Gerrit Cole stay healthy.

Playoff confidence: 3.5

5. Chicago Cubs – I’m typically not one to buy into the hype and jump on a trendy team, but looking at this team I think they’re ready. Going from last place and 16 games below .500 to the playoffs is a big step. Bringing in Jon Lester (likely to be viewed as an overpay, ultimately), Jason Hammel, Dexter Fowler, manager Joe Maddon and the inevitable call up of Kris Bryant to go along with the talent already assembled on the roster feels like enough to compete for a playoff spot. This won’t be a team that is a afraid to make a move if needed either.

Playoff confidence: 3

6. San Diego Padres – The Padres went through an extreme makeover in the off-season on the offensive side bringing in five new starters including an entire new outfield with some big name recognition. San Diego will definitely make more noise on offense, but it’s an oddly structured roster. It’s heavy on right handers and the defense could be horrific. There are also way too many outfielders. The starting rotation was already the strength of the team. Adding James Shields helps that further though health issues could come up.

UPDATE: Just before the season began the Padres traded away two of its outfield surplus in Carlos Quentin and Cameron Maybin and take on Melvin Upton (and his contract) and get excellent closer Craig Kimbrel from the Braves.

Playoff confidence: 3

7. New York Mets – The offense likely won’t make tons of noise though it has some decent veterans. A bounce back from David Wright would help a lot. Starting pitching will be what will carry New York. Matt Harvey coming back is huge. The rotation is quality across the board even with the loss of Zack Wheeler for the season.

Playoff confidence: 3

8. Miami Marlins – The Marlins are another trendy pick this season. I’m buying in somewhat, but I’m not completely sold. Miami’s young core outfield is fantastic and is in the discussion for best overall in the game. The organization has surrounded that core with some useful pieces. Pitching is the concern. With Jose Fernandez down rehabbing from Tommy John surgery the staff is not especially deep in the front end. Adding Mat Latos in the off-season should help.

Playoff confidence: 3

9. San Francisco Giants – Given how the last five seasons have gone it’s really dangerous to dismiss this the Giants. This is a new season though and must be viewed in that light. Outside of Buster Posey and the injury to Hunter Pence the team is not too above average anywhere in the field. The rotation includes one of the very best pitchers in the game in Madison Bumgarner, but is relying on some older and injury risk players. They have few upper echelon players; at the same time we’ve seen what this core is capable of if it makes the postseason.

Playoff confidence: 2.5

10. Milwaukee Brewers – In Carlos Gomez and Jonathan Lucroy the Brewers have two of the best players at two premium positions in the field. If Ryan Braun is able to return to form that gives them one more big piece. Outside of those three position players there’s not tons to get excited about. If the rotation could be middle of the pack that would be pretty welcome. It doesn’t look like the Brewers have enough impact players to make a big splash though there is a chance they could put it together and compete.

Playoff confidence: 2.5

11. Cincinnati Reds – Johnny Cueto at the top of the rotation is a nice place to start. With Homer Bailey out with injury the rotation drops off. Mike Leake is a useful major league starting pitcher, but the rest of the rotation is made up of Anthony DeSclafani, Raisel Iglesias and Jason Marquis (yikes). I’m fully expecting a big bounce back out of Joey Votto. He’s one of the best pure hitters in the game and is still only 31 years old. It seems too many have written him off. There are some decent pieces here, but the depth of the rotation is an issue.

Playoff confidence: 2.5

12. Colorado Rockies – The starting rotation is pretty abysmal in total as it doesn’t possess anyone who you would consider an above average major league pitcher. That’s especially the case if you take out Jorge De La Rosa who will start the season on the disabled list. There is some reason for hope if first rounders Eddie Butler and Jon Gray can both step into the rotation by mid-year and pitch to their capabilities. As usual health is a concern with Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez. The lineup is potent when everyone is in it.

Playoff confidence: 1

13. Atlanta Braves – Trading away Justin Upton, Jason Heyward and Evan Gattis for young team controlled players was a clear signal that the Braves are turning to the future and sacrificing the present. There are makings of a nice young rotation here to go with a couple of very good regulars in Freddie Freeman and Andrelton Simmons. The rest of the roster just isn’t there. If the haul is right it would make sense to deal Craig Kimbrel. Atlanta is gearing up to make a run when they move into their new stadium in 2017.

UPDATE: Kimbrel was traded just after this writing to the Padres.

Playoff confidence: 1

14. Arizona Diamondbacks – Paul Goldschmidt is one of the best offensive players in the game and A.J. Pollack has a real chance to breakout this season. There’s not much to get excited about after that on the position player side. There is some decent upside in the rotation though it’s not likely to come to fruition this season. The bullpen likely won’t add much. The construction of this team is rather puzzling. It would be a surprise if this team wasn’t in the bottom two in the division.

Playoff confidence: 1

15. Philadelphia Phillies – Some of the biggest questions surrounding the Phillies right now are…What will they be able to get for Cole Hamels? Will any team be willing to take on Jonathan Papelbon and his contract? Those questions pretty much tell you what you need to know about the 2015 Philadelphia Phillies. It’s bleak. The organization should embrace a full rebuild at this point.

Playoff confidence: 1

 

MVP: 1. Andrew McCutchen 2. Yasiel Puig 3. Giancarlo Stanton

• Sleeper: Jason Heyward

Cy Young: 1. Clayton Kershaw 2. Stephen Strasburg 3. Jordan Zimmerman

Sleeper team: New York Mets

 

AMERICAN LEAGUE

1. Cleveland Indians – The starting rotation has a lot of upside. Cy Young winner Corey Kluber at the top will anchor it. Following him are several youngish arms that could all have improvements from a year ago. The lineup has a nice core and the pickup of Brandon Moss in the off-season was one of the more underrated moves. There’s a lot to like about Cleveland.

Playoff confidence: 4

2. Boston Red Sox – Top to bottom the Red Sox have the deepest lineup in the game. Bringing in Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval and inserting them into the middle of the lineup should pay dividends right away. A full season out of Mookie Betts, the potential call up of Rusney Castillo and an improved season out of Xander Bogaerts should further positively impact the offense. The rotation isn’t strong at the top though it does include decent major league arms. Boston is a team that has the resources to add to the roster during the season. I expect them to do just that.

Playoff confidence: 4

3. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – Like Boston, the Angels are strong on offense. It helps when you have Mike Trout, the best player in the game. Having Kole Calhoun and Albert Pujols around Trout gives the Angels a really nice top of the lineup. The rest of the lineup is mostly capable too though the loss of the underrated Howie Kendrick will be felt. The rotation isn’t overwhelming and needs Garrett Richards to come back healthy and perform.

Playoff confidence: 3.5

4. Seattle Mariners – One of the most trendy picks for 2015. Bringing in Nelson Cruz to the middle of the lineup will lengthen it and add punch. Robinson Cano is still one of the best all around players in the game and Kyle Seager is one of my personal favorites. On the pitching side it all begins with Felix Hernandez, the second best pitcher in baseball. Hisashi Iwakuma is one of the more underrated starters in the game. James Paxton and Taijuan Walker have a chance to make the rotation a real plus.

Playoff confidence: 3.5

5. Toronto Blue Jays – The top/middle of this lineup is lethal. Jose Reyes and Russell Martin will set the table just fine. The heart of the order, Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Josh Donaldson, is rather ridiculous. The back of the lineup has some questions. On the pitching side losing Marcus Stroman was a really big and unfortunate blow to the team. He looked primed to take over as the ace of the staff. The Jays now turn the rotation over to a mix of old and young. The inclusion of top prospects Daniel Norris and Aaron Sanchez gives the rotation a lot of upside, but they’re not proven at the major league level.

Playoff confidence: 3

6. Detroit Tigers – In recent years the Detroit Tigers starting rotation was one of the strongest and deepest in MLB. The loss of Max Scherzer and the decline of Justin Verlander have given it a much different look. In hindsight the trade for David Price looks more necessary than it did at the time it was made. The back of the rotation and the bullpen are areas of concern this season. Offensively the team is still plenty capable though getting older; Victor Martinez and Miguel Cabrera have already battled injuries in Spring Training. It would be no surprise if the Tigers won the division again.

Playoff confidence: 3

7. Baltimore Orioles – Sometimes I look at this roster and can’t put my finger on the success the team has had the past couple seasons. The rotation is unexciting. It does have enough to get by even without elite options. There are some exciting position players including Adam Jones and Manny Machado, but I wouldn’t call the lineup especially deep. There are some losses on offense from a year ago though I do expect a bounce back out of Chris Davis. Like the Tigers I could see them competing in the division quite easily. What they have here is working even if it doesn’t always seem to add up.

Playoff confidence: 3

8. Oakland Athletics – Losing players of the caliber of Jon Lester, Josh Donaldson and Jeff Samardzija among others is reason to expect a drop off in 2015. Several players who could be useful were brought in. There’s just no way they have the impact of what was taken off the roster. I expect Billy Beane to work enough magic to make the team competitive. They’ll work on the margins and use platoons to take advantage of splits. There may just not be enough to make the postseason.

Playoff confidence: 3

9. Kansas City Royals – I’m not too big on the additions of Kendrys Morales or Alex Rios though there is much worse out there. The lineup has enough to be in the middle of the pack in the majors. There’s not a lot of upside. The rotation is not too inspiring especially on the backend. The team will try to do what it did last year on its way to the pennant. Play defense and hand it to their lights out bullpen to finish off games.

Playoff confidence: 2.5

10. Chicago White Sox – The top three starting pitchers should be able to compete with any team in the American League. Chris Sale, Jeff Samardzija and Jose Quintana is a fantastic start. The four and five spots are huge holes though; it’s difficult to expect a whole lot out of John Danks and Hector Noesi. The lineup should be improved from a year ago with the additions of Melky Cabrera and Adam LaRoche.

Playoff confidence: 2.5

11. New York Yankees – The Yankees have big name recognition in the lineup. The issue is a fair amount of those names are past their prime at this point. Didi Gregorius is the lone projected position player under age 30. Injuries could very well be an issue there and in the rotation. It really wouldn’t be a surprise if any of the members of the rotation missed time. If this roster can stay healthy New York could make some noise.

Playoff confidence: 2.5

12. Tampa Bay Rays – I’m a big fan of the starting pitchers the Rays have. I just wish three of them weren’t going to start the season on the disabled list. Alex Cobb, Drew Smyly and Matt Moore are all out to begin the season. In their place is a lot of inexperience. I like this team to do well if/when those players can come back into the fold (though I don’t expect much out of Moore this season given he’s coming off TJ surgery). The lineup is fair, but there’s not a lot of thunder. I don’t view managers as being overly critical to team success, but losing Joe Maddon (probably the best in the business) can’t help.

Playoff confidence: 2

13. Houston Astros – I think a reasonable improvement in the W-L column is in store for the Astros in 2015. They have two good cornerstones in Jose Altuve and George Springer. This season they brought in some help surrounding them. There is potential for three 30 home run players in Springer, Chris Carter and Evan Gattis. The pitching side is what will get them into trouble. I like the direction, but this team is highly unlikely to be in any race for the postseason this year.

Playoff confidence: 1.5

14. Texas Rangers – The Rangers don’t have the arms. That much is pretty apparent. It wouldn’t be a surprise if they didn’t have one major league average pitcher this season though I wouldn’t expect that to be outcome. There’s some potential on offense if Prince Fielder and Shin-Soo Choo can return from disastrous first seasons in Texas. Injuries have crushed the Rangers since their run to the pennant. Ultimately this looks like another tough season.

Playoff confidence: 1.5

15. Minnesota Twins – Overall there’s just a lack of talent on the roster. I like Brian Dozier quite a bit and Joe Mauer can still hit. There’s a chance a couple other position players can contribute a decent amount, but there’s not enough firepower to be considered a big threat offensively. Phil Hughes put it all together last season and I expect him to deliver the goods again in 2015. Losing Ervin Santana to suspension and the mix of other starters won’t get them far.

Playoff confidence: 1

 

MVP: 1. Mike Trout 2. Hanley Ramirez 3. Robinson Cano

• Sleeper: Josh Donaldson

Cy Young: 1. Felix Hernandez  2. David Price  3. Chris Sale

Sleeper team: Chicago White Sox

 

Playoffs

Wild Card

Chicago Cubs over Pittsburgh Pirates

Seattle Mariners over Toronto Blue Jays

Division Series

Washington Nationals over Chicago Cubs

St. Louis Cardinals over Los Angeles Dodgers

Cleveland Indians over Seattle Mariners

Boston Red Sox over Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Championship Series

St. Louis Cardinals over Washington Nationals

Cleveland Indians over Boston Red Sox

World Series

St. Louis Cardinals over Cleveland Indians