ESPN.com Preseason Baseball Rankings

[Mik 0]

Only caveat is that these are written by Al Keiper's favorite writer - Buster Olney.

 

1. New York Yankees: They won 101 games last year and added Randy Johnson and depth to their bullpen. Jason Giambi's status is still a huge question.

 

2. Boston Red Sox: Alex Rodriguez has become the focal point of Boston's competitive rage; it's like he's the side of beef in the movie "Rocky," and all the Red Sox are taking their shots.

 

3. St. Louis Cardinals: They lost Edgar Renteria, but they gained a potential staff ace in Mark Mulder. The nagging injuries to Albert Pujols are a concern.

 

4. Florida Marlins: They could be very, very good -- but they'll only go as far as Josh Beckett, A.J. Burnett and Guillermo Mota lead them.

 

5. Anaheim Angels: Added two terrific major-league veterans in Steve Finley and Orlando Cabrera, and their only major question is if the relievers will respond in new roles.

 

6. Atlanta Braves: The biggest story of the spring that's not related to steroids is whether the Braves can sign Tim Hudson to a long-term deal.

 

7. Chicago Cubs: They're going to need some leaders on their team this year, and who better than Wood, Maddux, Prior and Zambrano?

 

8. Minnesota Twins: They locked up Johan Santana to a four-year deal; when small-market teams are able to retain their pitching, that's a measure of parity (but not much).

 

9. San Francisco Giants: Filled their biggest hole with the addition of closer Armando Benitez. But they might want to see if they can play an extra outfielder between Bonds and Alou.

 

10. New York Mets: And with the start of spring training, the big search for middle relief begins; the rotation will be undermined without it.

 

11. San Diego Padres: They didn't make any big offseason acquisitions, but they did improve their bench and added Dave Roberts to play center field.

 

12. Cleveland Indians: They're going to rack up a lot of runs, and if they can hold leads, they should be able to win a lot of games this season.

 

13. Texas Rangers: Considering the state of their starting rotation last year, they overachieved. Would not be a big surprise if they took a small step back this year.

 

14. Seattle Mariners: They've added some power in the middle of their batting order in Adrian Beltre and Richie Sexson, and now they desperately need to get some healthy arms on their staff.

 

15. Philadelphia Phillies: There was a notion that the Phillies' struggles were caused by the fiery personality of former manager Larry Bowa. Now that he's gone, we'll find out if that was true.

 

16. Los Angeles Dodgers: They've made a lot of changes, and are banking a lot on J.D. Drew to lead the team. How he'll respond is among the major questions heading into the upcoming season.

 

17. Houston Astros: Lots of offense went out the door with the departure of Carlos Beltran and Jeff Kent. Either a young player must emerge to pick up the offensive slack, or a trade will need to be made.

 

18. Oakland Athletics: The offense is stronger than it has been since the 2001 season, and they've got a lot of good arms on their staff. The big question: How quickly will the pitchers mature?

 

19. Detroit Tigers: Jeremy Bonderman pitched like an ace down the stretch last year, and if the Tigers are to have a real chance in the AL Central, he'll have to continue that again this season.

 

20. Baltimore Orioles: Slammin' Sammy would make more of an impact if he brought along a friend -- say, a No. 1 or No. 2-type starting pitcher? The O's rotation, without a doubt, is really lacking.

 

21. Chicago White Sox: They decided to shuffle the deck, trading Carlos Lee and not re-signing Magglio Ordonez, and added some pitching (Orlando Hernandez, Dustin Hermanson) along with catcher A.J. Pierzynski.

 

22. Arizona Diamondbacks: The new ownership worked hard in the offseason to change the face of the team -- but they've got a long way to go, after winning just 51 games all of last season.

 

23. Milwaukee Brewers: Slowly, they're on the rise to respectability. They should be an interesting team this year, with the expected addition of some high-level, young position prospects.

 

24. Pittsburgh Pirates: They're piecing something together, and appear to be moving in the right direction -- but can they hold it together for an extended period of time? We'll see about that.

 

25. Cincinnati Reds: In what's become the usual, Ken Griffey, Jr. is the biggest question heading into spring training-- can he stay healthy, finally? If so, they'll have some depth in their outfield.

 

26. Toronto Blue Jays: Somebody should raise the idea of rotating the Jays and Devil Rays out of the AL East, because unless the Yankees and Red Sox are run incompetently, it's hard for Toronto to compete.

 

27. Colorado Rockies: Maybe young left-hander Jeff Francis will turn into the pitching savior the Rockies need so very much. If not, the 2005 season could be worse than it's expected to be.

 

28. Tampa Bay Devil Rays: Easiest prediction of the year: The fiery and always colorful Lou Piniella is definitely going to blow a gasket as he watches this team lose time and time and time again.

 

29. Washington Nationals: Baseball's Bingo Long All-Stars have finally found a permanent home. It'll be a while longer before you can realistically expect them to win on a consistent basis.

 

30. Kansas City Royals: The window of opportunity that seemed to be open last spring has closed, and now they've got to work toward another.

[Vern Gagne 0]

9. San Francisco Giants: Filled their biggest hole with the addition of closer Armando Benitez. But they might want to see if they can play an extra outfielder between Bonds and Alou.

 

Bonds and Alou in the same OF. That's gonna be ugly.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I certainly can find fault with the rankings, but there's no individual comment that I can bitch at, surprisingly.

[geniusMoment 0]

I am willing to bet anyone on here 100 dollars that the reds finish above the pirates and brewers.

[Bored 0]

When I first looked at the rankings I just scrolled down to see where the A's were and saw them below the Mariners. My first thought was "Who came up with this, Buster Olney?" Then I scrolled up...

 

I am willing to bet anyone on here 100 dollars that the reds finish above the pirates and brewers.

Does it have to be both? If it's just the Brewers I'm extremly tempted to take that bet.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Well, the bet is that the Reds beat both. If they can't beat the Brewers, it doesn't matter if they can't beat the Pirates. That's the bet. Personally, I take the bet. The Brewers will finish fourth, and maybe third.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Brewers have some nie young talent. Capellan from the Braves organization. Which could turn out to be a real steal for the Brewers. J.J. Hardy injured last year..he's the Brewers SS this season. Richie Weaks and Prince Fielder. The projected right-side of the IF, most likely still in the minors to start the season.

[Guest sek69]

The Pirates continue to be overlooked, and based on their past performance I can't really bitch about that.

 

All I'm going to say is that this is the first time in a while the Pirates have gone from one season to the next pretty much intact, and a lot of the pieces are starting to come together for them. They're finally out from under the finanical and locker room burden that was Jason Kendall, and Big Dave actually has some extra cash to shop around for a decent bat or two.

 

The only problem I see is that McClendon's in the last year of his contract and they seem content to let him swing in the breeze. The last time the Pirates let a manager go to the end of his deal the team completely quit on Gene Lamont as soon as it became clear he was a lame duck. Hopefully they extend his deal as Mac's done a lot more with the talent he's been given than anyone else has a right to.

 

I'm not reserving playoff tickets anytime soon but don't be surprised if the Pirates are more competitve than anyone expects them to be.

 

btw, how can anyone not rank the Devil Rays as the bottom team? You can pick nine random TSM posters and put together a team that can beat them.

[Guest Stress Truck]

9. San Francisco Giants: Filled their biggest hole with the addition of closer Armando Benitez. But they might want to see if they can play an extra outfielder between Bonds and Alou.

 

Bonds and Alou in the same OF. That's gonna be ugly.

Grissom's no prize either.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

I am willing to bet anyone on here 100 dollars that the reds finish above the pirates and brewers.

Your way too optimistic about the team for next year. Eric Milton was not the answer to the Reds pitching problems. Harang should have a good year but he's not going to be enough to really get the team anywhere. Probably another 70 win season.

 

I think ESPN is putting too much on Griffey's health. I think the team depends much more on Austin Kearns, Adam Dunn and Sean Casey staying healthy and having good seasons.

[Precious Roy 0]

Kearns has been a huge bust. Other than than the nice production in his rookie year he hasn't done anything, and keeps getting injured. The Mayor is ok, but always gets hurt, and everyone knows about Griffey. I'd say Willy Mo Pena would be their second best hitter, but because of Griffey and Kearns in the OF his role is up in the air. their pitching is brutal too, Milton sucks.

 

I like both Milwaukee and Pittsburgh better than Cincy. Milwaukee has just as good a lineup as the Reda and a bonafide ace in Sheets, plus Doug Davis is probably better than any Cincy starter, and a potentially better bullpen, though the verdict is still out on Cappelan and Adams. Pittsburgh has better young stars in Bay, Perez and Gonzalez, plus some reliable veterans like Lawton, Wells and Jack Wilson.

 

Was Kendall a problem in the clubhouse? I never heard that...

[Hektik 0]

Was Kendall a problem in the clubhouse? I never heard that...

I guess he was. Apparently it was worse when Kendall and Brian Giles were still together. Although the only story I saw was Kendall and Giles really making fun of teammate with bad teeth.

[Precious Roy 0]

Hmmmm......

 

[Hektik 0]

Yeah, it was Jack Wilson.

 

In his early days in the big leagues, Wilson was the target of much ridicule from his Pirates teammates. Part of it was his physical appearance. He had bad teeth, which he couldn't afford to get fixed until after his rookie season. You know how cruel boys can be. That was especially true of those in the Pirates' millionaire boys club. They also had a good laugh over Wilson's wife, Julie, working as a waitress during his first spring training with the team in 2001.

 

But there was more. Wilson oozed enthusiasm. He always looked as though he was loving life, loving his job, having fun even as the Pirates were on their way to a 100-loss season. Often, his gung-ho style called attention to himself. Some of the veterans -- Brian Giles, Mike Williams, Jason Kendall -- didn't approve. They thought Wilson was unprofessional, uncool, if you will. They believed rookies should go unnoticed, at least until they proved themselves.

Let me just say that Wilson has a very creepy smile in that picture.

[Vern Gagne 0]

The Pirates continue to be overlooked, and based on their past performance I can't really bitch about that.

 

All I'm going to say is that this is the first time in a while the Pirates have gone from one season to the next pretty much intact, and a lot of the pieces are starting to come together for them. They're finally out from under the finanical and locker room burden that was Jason Kendall, and Big Dave actually has some extra cash to shop around for a decent bat or two.

 

The only problem I see is that McClendon's in the last year of his contract and they seem content to let him swing in the breeze. The last time the Pirates let a manager go to the end of his deal the team completely quit on Gene Lamont as soon as it became clear he was a lame duck. Hopefully they extend his deal as Mac's done a lot more with the talent he's been given than anyone else has a right to.

 

I'm not reserving playoff tickets anytime soon but don't be surprised if the Pirates are more competitve than anyone expects them to be.

 

btw, how can anyone not rank the Devil Rays as the bottom team? You can pick nine random TSM posters and put together a team that can beat them.

Pirates could have a nice starting staff. Perez, Redman, Wells, Fogg, and Bullington? (he's listed has a non-roster invitee, but he's one of the teams best prospects)

[Precious Roy 0]

But there was more. Wilson oozed enthusiasm. He always looked as though he was loving life, loving his job, having fun even as the Pirates were on their way to a 100-loss season. Often, his gung-ho style called attention to himself. Some of the veterans -- Brian Giles, Mike Williams, Jason Kendall -- didn't approve. They thought Wilson was unprofessional, uncool, if you will. They believed rookies should go unnoticed, at least until they proved themselves.

 

Maybe if more Pirates had shared his enthusiasm they wouldn't have sucked so bad.

[Vern Gagne 0]

It sounds like the WWE lockerroom.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

All I'm going to say is that this is the first time in a while the Pirates have gone from one season to the next pretty much intact, and a lot of the pieces are starting to come together for them. They're finally out from under the finanical and locker room burden that was Jason Kendall, and Big Dave actually has some extra cash to shop around for a decent bat or two.

 

That's a nice way of looking at it. Another way of looking at it is that they handed Billy Beane a bottle of lube and bent over.

[Precious Roy 0]

Lube? What did they get for Kendall?

 

And speaking of the A's, what's the word of Eric Byrnes? Is he still on the block?

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Arthur Rhodes and Mark Redman.

 

As for Byrnes, I'm not sure he was ever on the trading block. Sportswriters speculated that they were interested in Mike Cameron, but that doesn't make sense since Mark Kotsay is a better center fielder anyway.

[Precious Roy 0]

I've seen Byrnes to Pittsburgh rumours, which again doesn't make sense, since they already did a deal with Oaktown and if they were that hot on byrnes should have got him in the Kendall deal......

 

Rhodes and Redman for Kendall? I wouldn't say Pitt got screwed. Rhodes is a decent set-up guy, I'll ignore last season for his sake, and Redman isn't awful or anything. Kendall is ok, but overrated IMO, and I don't think Pitt will miss him that much.

[geniusMoment 0]

Al, I am willing to make that bet with you. If the Reds do not finish above both the Brewers and Pirates I will paypal you 100 dollars. I realize you have no way of knowing whether you can trust me, but I can say I have made a couple of tape trading deals on this site, and I have never screwed anyone over. Plus, if I do not pay I would understand I would be banned for life.

[Guest Smell the ratings!!!]

you guys are a year early on the Brewers. Unless they let Sheets leave in which case you're like 15 years early.

 

Why does everyone pick the Giants as most improved? Did they sign a halfway decent player while I wasn't looking or what?

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Kearns has been a huge bust. Other than than the nice production in his rookie year he hasn't done anything, and keeps getting injured.

 

I think you're jumping the gun on Kearns. He's only been around for 3 seasons. I'll give him this season before I call him a bust.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Al, I am willing to make that bet with you. If the Reds do not finish above both the Brewers and Pirates I will paypal you 100 dollars. I realize you have no way of knowing whether you can trust me, but I can say I have made a couple of tape trading deals on this site, and I have never screwed anyone over. Plus, if I do not pay I would understand I would be banned for life.

 

Let's make it a friendly, ten dollar bet. With college expenses and such, I can't afford to toss out $100 if the Reds do beat the Pirates and Brewers.

 

you guys are a year early on the Brewers. Unless they let Sheets leave in which case you're like 15 years early.

 

We're not predicting they beat the Cubs or Cardinals, just that they finish best in the second division. They replaced Chad Moeller (208/265/303) with Damian Miller, Scott Podsednik (244/313/364), and Craig Counsell (241/330/315) with well, anything else. ZipS predicts a 252/347/397 line for SS J.J. Hardy. Not only are they bringing in productive players, but they are clearing several unproductive players from their lineup. That is important. In fairness, the Reds' pitching staff is also underrated because people forget Eric Milton and Ramon Ortiz are replacing starters such as Jose Acevedo and Todd Van Poppel.

 

Why does everyone pick the Giants as most improved? Did they sign a halfway decent player while I wasn't looking or what?

 

Vizquel was overpriced, but he is replacing Deivi Cruz at shortstop, and the Giants somehow gave over 300 at bats to Neifi Perez as well. Plus, Armando Benitez replaces Matt Herges as closer, and the Giants have several good young pitchers on the staff. The Giants finished second in runs scored, and 12th in runs allowed. An improvement in the pitching staff goes a long way.

[Guest sek69]

All I'm going to say is that this is the first time in a while the Pirates have gone from one season to the next pretty much intact, and a lot of the pieces are starting to come together for them. They're finally out from under the finanical and locker room burden that was Jason Kendall, and Big Dave actually has some extra cash to shop around for a decent bat or two.

 

That's a nice way of looking at it. Another way of looking at it is that they handed Billy Beane a bottle of lube and bent over.

Considering how insane his contract was and how much of a dick he was, it was the best assfucking the Pirates could hope for.

 

Kendall's worth as a player pretty much circled the bowl after his gruesome ankle injury (which I saw live on TV when it happened, yikes). There has been much debate if he's mentally afraid to get injured again or if he physically lost a step but the difference after the injury is quite noticable. He's not as agressive on the bases as he used to be.

 

His insistance on staying behind the plate when he had an injured thumb all but sealed the deal in the eyes of most Pirate fans. There was no reason he couldn't have at least played the outfield like the team wanted if he wasn't going to get his thumb repaired.

 

All I can say is karma's a bitch. Jack Wilson's one of the more popular guys on the team now and Kendall's a bitter has-been (or never was?) who's probably going to finish just as out of contention with the A's as he would here.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

All I'm going to say is that this is the first time in a while the Pirates have gone from one season to the next pretty much intact, and a lot of the pieces are starting to come together for them. They're finally out from under the finanical and locker room burden that was Jason Kendall, and Big Dave actually has some extra cash to shop around for a decent bat or two.

 

That's a nice way of looking at it. Another way of looking at it is that they handed Billy Beane a bottle of lube and bent over.

Considering how insane his contract was and how much of a dick he was, it was the best assfucking the Pirates could hope for.

 

Kendall's worth as a player pretty much circled the bowl after his gruesome ankle injury (which I saw live on TV when it happened, yikes). There has been much debate if he's mentally afraid to get injured again or if he physically lost a step but the difference after the injury is quite noticable. He's not as agressive on the bases as he used to be.

 

His insistance on staying behind the plate when he had an injured thumb all but sealed the deal in the eyes of most Pirate fans. There was no reason he couldn't have at least played the outfield like the team wanted if he wasn't going to get his thumb repaired.

 

All I can say is karma's a bitch. Jack Wilson's one of the more popular guys on the team now and Kendall's a bitter has-been (or never was?) who's probably going to finish just as out of contention with the A's as he would here.

Let me present two stat lines...

 

A: .327/.411/.473, 12 HR, 75 RBI, 26 Steals

B: .320/.412/.470, 14 HR, 58 RBI, 22 Steals

 

They look similar, right? Those stat lines are Kendall 1998, and Kendall 2000. The year before the injury, and the year after.

 

I wish I could type more but I'm in a rush. In the meantime, here are a list of catchers who posted OBPs higher than Kendall's last season...

 

Jorge Posada

[Guest sek69]

C: .319/.399/.390 3 HR, 51 RBI, 11 SB

 

 

Kendall's line last year certainly wasn't one reflective of someone worth the money he was going to be collecting.

[Bored 0]

Kendall was certainly overpaid but he wasn't crippling the Pirates as McClatchy won't spend the money to make them competitive anyways. The Pirates organization is in awful shape with a terrible front office and terrible minor league system. This will be their 13th straight losing season (three short of the all-time record) and the future doesn't look bright.

 

All I can say is karma's a bitch. Jack Wilson's one of the more popular guys on the team now and Kendall's a bitter has-been (or never was?) who's probably going to finish just as out of contention with the A's as he would here.

Yikes now who's really bitter?

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

C: .319/.399/.390 3 HR, 51 RBI, 11 SB

 

 

Kendall's line last year certainly wasn't one reflective of someone worth the money he was going to be collecting.

Kendall's overpaid, but will he contribute less than Mark Redman and Matt Lawton? And that's not even considering their catching situation. Let me throw out a few ZipS projections...

 

Kendall: .306/.385/.381

 

Benito Santiago: .238/.279/.357

Humberto Cota: .239/.302/.374

J.R. House: .267/.320/.458

 

House's projection looks nice, but its been three years since he played 100 games in a season. Kendall's played 145+ games every year for the last five years.

 

And that stat line IS very good. Kendall can not hit for power anymore. But his OBP is truly excellent, particularly for a catcher. As long as he doesn't make outs, he'll be a valuable piece of the Oakland offense.