Power Rankings Part 1 (19-24)

24) Los Angeles Angels – Billy Jordt (Projected Record 2-18)

I think the 2-18 projection for the Angels is on point and since The Hot Corner is not judging on a 5 year plan, I can’t give them any credit for having the best farm system in the league or at least the biggest farm! I’m hoping the Angels can exceed expectations and make some teams feel really shitty for losing to the Angels, but I doubt that happens. Angels have 2 pitching slots unfilled and also unfilled slots at 3B,OF,OF, and a utility spot. If Billy could of filled out his roster in the draft, he has the talent to win more games, but Billy went for full “Trust the Process”and traded away Trevor Bauer and continues to build.

The bright spots of the team are his young hitting that will look to dominate that include Josh Bell, Trea Turner, Dansby Swanson, and Miguel Sano. All very young and have different types of talent whether it is bombing YABOs, stealing bases, or a great on-base percentage. Look for these 4 guys to be the reason Angels even get close to 2 wins.

Prediction: Misses Playoffs – Last Place Again

23) Oakland Athletics – Steve Quarnstrom (Projected Record 7-13)

I didn’t want to have to do that to a fellow Hot Corner member at 23, but I still think he is a couple years away from being any threat. I think the A’s will be a solid pick for the under for his 7 wins as his pitching staff is already banged up with Jeff Locke and Sonny Gray not ready for opening day. Without the Dodger combo of Kershaw and Kenley Jansen, this team looks not so good. The health of Kershaw will be the deciding factor of what kind of year the A’s will have.

Bright spots is obviously Kershaw and Kanley for the pitching staff, but it is really the play of Andre Either that makes this team tick…..(April Fools). It will be exciting to see this young offense play with the help of veteran Ben Zobrist, but the pitching staff is what makes this team tick and Steve will need a bounce back year from Sonny Gray and Kuechel to get it going for 2017.

Prediction: Misses Playoffs (4th in division)

22) Baltimore Orioles – Jim Thomas (Projected Record 8-12)

This was another team I felt would hit the under if you are a betting man as he has not filled a full starting roster for opening day as he will be missing 3 pitching spots as well as the 1B spot. Even with the slots, there are some players that are starting that might not have the best stats to help the team win games. Jorge Soler is starting on the DL, Jacob May of the Sox is a backup OF, and Luis Perdomo might struggle in San Diego.

Bright spots include the hitting of Jose Bautista and Neil Walker and that is about it. I do like the value of Robbie Ray and Dylan Bundy, but there is still much to prove with those 2 guys. I believe Walker and Bautista give you consistent bats in the lineup and will rarely give you a bad week stat wise.

Prediction: Misses Playoffs (4th in division)

21) Chicago White Sox – Kyle and Ryan Dillon (Projected Record 8-12)

The White Sox fell 1 game short of the playoffs last year and it looks like they took a step back as this year approaches. They traded away many of their star players and got younger, which never hurts, but the pitching staff still lacks consistency. The staff consists of Rick Nolasco, Clay Buchholz, Wily Peralta, Hector Santiago, and I’ll just stop there. For the White Sox to have any success, all of these pitchers need to exceed expectations. Luckily for the Sox, they are in the weak AL Central so there is still a good chance they can reach the 8 win mark and maybe higher. Would not be surprised if they finished the year with 5 wins either.

Bright spots include the offense of the Sox with Jose Abreu, Sal Perez, Adam Duvall, Tim Anderson, and Yasmany Tomas. There is no doubt that the offense will carry the team each and every week if they want to win ball games. The White Sox have a great core of their bats and if they keep building on pitching throughout the year, they can be an AL Central Champion (Not saying much).

Prediction: Misses Playoffs (4th in division)

20) Minnesota Twins – Jake Toppel (Projected Record 10-10)

I am just going to continue with me saying the AL Central is weak, by putting the 10-win projected Twins as the 20th ranking. The pitching is where I get worried as there is no really aces in the staff to really carry the load. The staff includes Ervin Santana, Matt Moore, and Jharel Cotton, which are solid names, but I am not worried about a pitching staff like that beating me.

Bright spot is for sure the heavy hitters on the offensive side with names like Kyle Schwarber, Miguel Cabrera, Dustin Pedroia, and Carlos Beltran. Losing Jung Ho-Kang doesn’t help, but these big bats will help the Twins win many games. Miguel Cabrera is Mr. Consistent and will continue to dominate in the AL Central. I see the Twins staying around the 10 win mark as the AL Central

will be a fun division to watch to see how it turns out.

Prediction: Misses Playoffs (3rd in division)

19) Washington Nationals - Kyle Jakowitsch (Projected Record 8-12)

I didn’t like putting the Nationals this low on the list, since they have so much young talent that have all-star potential for a long time coming. My problem was after Steven Stratsburg, what will the pitching staff provide? Mike Foltynewicz, Luis Severino, Jameson Tallion, and Martin Perez have talent, but I don’t think the consistency for any of those guys is quite there. I do like the upside of Tallion and Severino.

The power of this team comes from the young bats in the lineup that include Aaron Judge, Corey Seager, Byron Buxton, and Alex Bregman. These players can all be all-stars this year and Seager might just mess around and win MVP. The Nationals have a bright future ahead with all this young talent and there is no doubt this offense will win some games for the Nats. Statsburg staying healthy is a major key as well and if everything works out, Nationals can be a 10-win team.

Prediction: Misses Playoffs (4th in division)