Where Do the Houston Astros Fit in Our MLB Power Rankings?

Previous: --th. Pittsburgh Pirates. 5. team. 4. The Pirates added Jung Ho Kang this offseason, and the early returns have been underwhelming. Kang has struck out in 17 of his 44 at-bats while batting .205 this spring. That’s the bad news. The good news is that Andrew McCutchen is still one of the best players in baseball, and the Pirates ranked 8th in ERA last season. Moving Pedro Alvarez from third to first base will help to limit his throwing errors from a season ago, but will also keep his bat in the lineup. The Pirates will win the NL Central this season.. (0-0)

(0-0). Previous: --th. Boston Red Sox. 4. team. 14. The Red Sox added big name free agents in Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval this winter. Couple them with their young talent in Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts and Rusney Castillo, and the Sox have one of the best lineups in the league. The potential problem will be their starting rotation. Clay Buckholtz and Rick Porcello go one, two atop the rotation, which is a large step back from Jon Lester and fill in the blank. The Sox will be depending on their bats this summer, which hasn’t been a problem before.

Previous: --th. Seattle Mariners. 3. team. 62. The Mariners missed the wild card by one game last season. What they’ve needed was a right-handed power bat. Now they have that in Nelson Cruz. The M’s rotation and bullpen is one of the best in baseball, and their offense is coming around, even in the pitcher’s park that is SafeCo Field. One thing to keep an eye on with Seattle is how they deal with the pressure of being the presumptive favorites in the AL West. This is uncharted territory for them.. (0-0)

2. team. 71. I’ll just say it now. Moneyball with money. There, now I never have to say it again, and neither should you. The Dodgers play in a weak division, and are easily the best team in it. Clayton Kershaw is a dominant force, and Joc Pederson will be a joy to watch in center. Some teams wait for their ace every fifth day, but each of the guys in their rotation could take that title on another team. Top to bottom this team is legit. This is one of two teams that could win 100+ games this season, which is a feat not many teams accomplish nowadays.. (0-0). Previous: --th. Los Angeles Dodgers

90. Of course it’s the Nationals. Take what I just said about the Dodgers’ rotation and add one Tanner Roark to the mix. Health will be the key for this team throughout the season. If they can stay healthy, we should see a stellar season from Bryce Harper (still only 22), while Anthony Rendon will look to become a household name in his own right. The battle for the top spot in the National League should be interesting between these Nationals and the Los Angeles Dodgers. What an NLCS that would be!. (0-0). Previous: --th. Washington Nationals. 1. team