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MLB: Ranking the Teams That Will Improve the Most in 2017
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
The MLB landscape is always fluctuating. One year a team can fail to hit .500, then the next year be a playoff team. This season, we will certainly see some teams rise from the ashes.
The tricky part about analyzing the game of baseball is that the second you think you know everything, something throws you off. There are instances where MLB teams are massive disappointments, and others where teams are far better than anticipated. Heck, there is a chance the Chicago Cubs may only win 70 games next season. Common sense tells us it won’t happen, but if baseball has taught me anything, it is to always expect the unexpected. No, I’m not saying the Cubs will only win 70 games next season – don’t worry, Chicago.
However, in recent years we have seen these turnarounds on both ends of the spectrum. The Boston Red Sox went from having back-to-back seasons with under 80 wins, only to hit 93 the very next season. Then we saw the Royals go from World Series champions to an 81-81 team last season. The game of baseball is weird like that. While there are several teams that will regress next season, that is for another article. Today, we are focusing on the teams that will leave their 2016 seasons in the dust, and produce a far better 2017.
Not all of these teams will make the playoffs, but they will all take steps toward achieving that goal. In order to rank these teams, we will be using the difference in wins between last season and my prediction for next season. Therefore, a team that makes the playoffs may rank below a non-playoff team, as weird as that sounds.
Let’s jump right into it then, and take a look at the three teams that will improve the most next season. Whether it is because of new acquisitions or recent health, each of these teams will improve on their last season.
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
3. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
While I believe there were three choices to make this list in the American League West, the Angels will have the best turnaround. The sad part is, I’m not even sure if they can secure a playoff spot and may still be third in their division. The Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners are both candidates for the best improvement as well, but because of their already good records it won’t be as large. I suspect the Mariners to be a 92-win team, creating a difference of six, and the Astros to be an 89-win team, a five-game difference.
However, this turnaround for the Halos will be a spark of more success down the line. First and foremost, the Angels have the best player in baseball, Mike Trout, to lead the way. Trout has been able to solely carry the offense to avoid embarrassment, and with health and new acquisitions the Angels look fit for a turnaround. They finally have outfield depth, adding the likes of Cameron Maybin and Ben Revere to create a left field platoon. They locked Kole Calhoun down for three more years, and their pitching staff may finally be healthy.
Garrett Richards has proven to be one of baseball’s best when he is 100 percent, so he can produce as a true ace. Tyler Skaggs is a promising lefty who can be a breakout candidate in 2017. Matt Shoemaker and Ricky Nolasco are decent, and serve as fillers until Nick Tropeano and Andrew Heaney can become healthy. Yunel Escobar is a .300 hitter, and Albert Pujols is still a good power option when he returns from injury. The Angels filled a need with Danny Espinosa, and while they might not be a playoff caliber team quite yet, they are definitely on the right track.
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2. Colorado Rockies
It seems like every year the Rockies start out hot and eventually fizzle into the background. This in large part is likely due to their pitching. Name the last Rockies pitcher that was considered great – the only one I can think of is Ubaldo Jimenez during his short dominant stretch. This is due in part to the lack of pitching, but likely has more to do with the ball park they play in. However, it goes both ways as the Rockies’ offense seems to be one of the best in the league and may be enough to carry them into Wild Card contention.
Just like with the pitching, we can attribute some of the offense’s success to the altitude in which they play. However, the fact is the Rockies are still one of the best offensive teams in baseball. Charlie Blackmon, Carlos Gonzalez, David Dahl, Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story, DJ LeMahieu and Ian Desmond are all formidable hitters. Heck, in left field the Rockies have both Dahl and Gerardo Parra to from a great platoon. With so much hitting talent, the Rockies could even make trades for pitching that won’t significantly hurt them. The Rockies could easily deal Carlos Gonzalez and a utility player or two for a decent arm such as Jake Odorizzi.
Not to mention that the Rockies have one of the best prospects in baseball, Brendan Rodgers, being blocked by both Story and LeMahieu. The Rockies could deal Rodgers for a significant arm, or deal Story or LeMahieu. Heck, they can even hold on to all the pieces and try to find a way to fit them all into one lineup. They also have pitching prospects Jeff Hoffman and Riley Pint who both rank in MLB’s top 50 prospects. Hoffman is potentially big league ready, and Pint needs perhaps two more seasons. The bottom line is, the Rockies have pieces to make deals or to be an explosive offensive unit, and either way it looks promising.
Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
1. Atlanta Braves
Despite having the worst record of the three teams on this list, the Atlanta Braves will prove to have the best turnaround. I am a firm believer in the Braves, even going as far to make them a dark horse Wild Card contender. However, being realistic, the Braves likely can achieve a .500 record. 81-81 is the floor for the Braves next season, and I think they can only do better than that. While they might fail to find a Wild Card spot because of the Mets, Giants, Cardinals and Rockies, they can certainly kick-start a future full of success.
As I’ve argued so many times, I think Freddie Freeman is extremely underrated. Personally, I believe that Freeman is the best first baseman in baseball. According to Fangraphs he led all of first basemen in WAR last year with a 6.1 mark. He bested Anthony Rizzo (5.1), Miguel Cabrera (4.9) and Paul Goldschmidt (4.8) – all guys considered as the best. Freeman is young and outstanding, something that fits into the Braves’ narrative. Ender Inciarte and Dansby Swanson join him as remarkable young talents that could very well be All-Stars next season. Matt Kemp has found his niche in Atlanta, too. He might not be 2011 Kemp but he’s actually putting up good power numbers.
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They have a young ace in Julio Teheran, and veterans R.A. Dickey and Bartolo Colon. While Colon is likely the only one of the two to produce good numbers, they have that veteran leadership. With a young staff behind him, and the potential call-up of Sean Newcomb, the Braves have a massive ceiling. It would take a lot of things to go right for the Braves, but if so they can sneak into October. If it doesn’t all click in 2017, well, I promise they will achieve a .500 record.
