How every team could win the World Series this year

The Yankees reached the ALCS a year ago before falling convincingly to Houston, and again enter the season with one of the top rosters in the American League. Hoping to secure a second ace to pair with Gerrit Cole, New York's biggest move of the winter was adding veteran southpaw Carlos Rodon, a signing they think could put them over the top. Unfortunately, Rodon will begin the season on the injured list alongside other important Yankees pitchers like Luis Severino, Frankie Montas, Lou Trivino, and Tommy Kahnle. The Bombers depth on the mound will be tested early, and they can ill afford to have anybody else go down. On the offensive side, Aaron Judge will have to deliver another MVP-caliber campaign to anchor a veteran line-up that is good on paper but also overly susceptible to the injury bug. A huge boost could come from the young rookie shortstop Anthony Volpe who has the potential to become a serious star. The bottom line here is that if New York can ultimately have Cole, Rodon, and Judge all healthy for most of the season, this club will be a problem, but a serious long-term injury to any of the three could derail the year in a hurry.

The Red Sox are going to have a tough time competing in a difficult American League East, but they do have a few wild cards that could potentially change the narrative. For starters, Boston signed Japanese slugger Masataka Yoshida this winter and fresh off a starring role in Japan's WBC win, he looks primed to be a difference-maker stateside. Then there's lefty Chris Sale, who was a huge part of the Red Sox's championship team in '18 but has been limited by injuries to only 11 starts over the past three seasons. Boston simply cannot compete if Sale is not healthy and pitching like the hurler that made seven straight all-star teams between '12-'18. The 'Sox also have solid role players on offense like Justin Turner, Alex Verdugo, and Enrique Hernandez, but this line-up will run through star third baseman Rafael Devers, and it's hard to envision Boston in the mix down the stretch if he's not in the MVP conversation. 

The Orioles are an exciting team that boasts a plethora of young position player talent bubbling to the surface at the same time. Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, and Kyle Stowers all reached the big leagues last year, joining a strong youthful core that already includes Ryan Mountcastle, Austin Hays and Cedric Mullins. I have little doubt that Rutschman will soon be the best catcher in the sport, and Baltimore as a whole should be able to score enough runs to win. The glaring problem here is on the mound. The O's best prospect, Grayson Rodriguez, has never made a Major League start, but you could already make the argument that he's the best pitcher on this staff. For Baltimore to accomplish anything in 2023 they'll probably need him to establish himself as an ace and win the AL Rookie of the Year award. They'll also need pitchers like Kyle Gibson, Cole Irvin, and Dean Kremer to outperform the back of their baseball cards and deliver surprise contributions. There will also be a lot of pressure on closer Felix Bautista to nail down every save chance he gets because the Orioles will have to secure every win they can to keep up with the Yankees and Blue Jays in this division. 

Toronto was a popular pick in the American League this time last year, and while they still made the playoffs as a wild-card team, a disappointing first-round exit at the hands of the Mariners made it hard to call the year an overall success. Heading into 2023 the 'Jays should again be in the mix, and with a few breaks along the way they could very easily be one of the top teams in the American League. For starters, Toronto will need star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to be a legitimate MVP candidate. The second-generation big leaguer would have been the AL MVP in 2021 were it not for the existence of Shohei Ohtani, and after a small step back last season the Blue Jays need him to be that type of force again. The rest of this line-up is very good, as Bo Bichette, Alejandro Kirk, Matt Chapman, George Springer, Whit Merrifield, and Brandon Belt have all been all-stars. Pitching is where the Blue Jays will sink or swim, and there might not be a more important player on this team than righty Jose Berrios. The veteran was a legitimate ace in Minnesota but has not been that at all in a year and a half north of the border, and Toronto desperately needs him to find it. Alek Manoah, Kevin Gausman, and Chris Bassitt are a strong top three in the rotation, but Berrios is the pitcher who could potentially put this staff over the top. 

The Rays are a team that should never be counted out ever, but for them to win it all in 2023 they'll need a lot of things to go right. Outfielder Randy Arozarena may be the best player not enough people talk about, and Tampa Bay will need him to be squarely in the mix for the AL MVP award if they're going to succeed. Then there's uber-talented Wander Franco who has not yet made good on all the promise he had as a prospect coming up through this system. Simply put, the Rays need '23 to be his coming-out party. After Arozarena and Franco Tampa Bay will need to get surprise contributions from a handful of other places in the line-up if they're going to generate enough offense. On the mound, Shane McClanahan started the all-star game last year and is as good a number-one starter as there is in the AL. Behind him though, arms like Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen will have to establish themselves as difference-making starting pitchers at this level if the Rays are going to keep pace with some of the teams that are deeper than them in the American League. 

The Guardians were not expected to win the AL Central when last season began, but thanks to some impressive breakout performances they took the division crown running away. The leap second baseman Andres Gimenez took in his second season in Ohio was especially impactful, and for Cleveland to win more than just the Central they'll need him to do it again. Newcomer Josh Bell will help bring some thump to this line-up, but the Guardians offense will obviously yet again run through third baseman Jose Ramirez who drove in 126 runs in '22 and will need to do the same thing in '23. On the mound righty Emmanuel Clase could very well be the best closer in the American League and Cleveland is in good shape whenever they have a late lead. Triston McKenzie took a nice jump last year and he and Shane Bieber were a nice 1-2 punch for this club. But for the Guardians to seriously compete for a title they'll need backend pitchers like Cal Quantrill and Aaron Civale to emerge as the upper-echelon guys. 

For the White Sox to win in 2023, the blueprint in a lot of ways is the same as a year ago. Chicago was a popular World Series pick last season but got underwhelming performances from far too many of their pitchers and lost too many important offensive pieces to injury. Pitchers Lucas Giolito and Lance Lynn stand out as two guys who can flip the script for this team in the upcoming campaign. Giolito's ERA jumped 1.37 runs from '21 to '22, and Lynn's 1.30. A simple reverting to their career norms for both of those guys will make this club noticeably better. Offensively, Chicago's line-up had Luis Robert, Tim Anderson, and Eloy Jimenez all absent for long stretches last season on top of two-time all-star catcher Yasmani Grandal contributing the worst year of his career. Despite all of that adversity, the White Sox went 81-81 a season ago, and it's easy to envision them improving on that mark considerably in 2023, even with Jose Abreu leaving for the Astros in free agency. 

The simplest path for the Twins to succeed in 2023 is having their best player, Byron Buxton, healthy for a full season. When he's on the field, the 29-year-old is as dynamic a talent on both sides of the ball as there is in the game, but in eight years he's managed to play over 92 games once. In an effort to keep their franchise player out of harm's way, Minnesota has mapped out a plan to have him strictly DH early in the season, but that sort of negates some of his value given that he's a Platinum Glove-winning center fielder. In addition to Buxton the Twins put a lot on Carlos Correa to carry the offense, something that will be interesting long-term given his two failed physicals this winter. Minnesota will have to get breakout performances from other places in the line-up, and guys like Jose Miranda, and Max Kepler stand out as the most likely sources. On the mound this rotation has a chance to be pretty good, as all of Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan, and Sonny Gray can be above-average starters. Bullpen depth could be an issue here leading up to Jorge Lopez at the end of games, but there is enough on this roster to foresee them hanging around the race for a while. 

Kansas City employs one of the most exciting young players in baseball in shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who already appears well on his way to being an elite two-way talent. Unfortunately, as things sit right now it's difficult to envision the Royals having enough around him to compete seriously in 2023. But let's try to make the case. Obviously, Witt is the best player here, and if he can take an enormous leap in year two and become an MVP-caliber middle infielder that would be a start. MJ Melendez had a productive rookie year in '22 as well and could make a jump as a sophomore. Veterans Salvador Perez and Hunter Dozier have been solid right-handed run producers in Kansas City for a while and perhaps both can put up career years. First baseman Vinnie Pasquantino showed promise in roughly half a big-league season a year ago, maybe he can morph into a dominant left-handed power bat. At the bottom of the order maybe somebody like Franmil Reyes, who once hit 30 homers for Cleveland can rediscover that stroke and change the way we're currently looking at this offense. Even at almost 40 years old Zack Greinke remains a productive starter. For the Royals to win right now they'll need young Brady Singer to blossom into an ace in addition to righties Jordan Lyles and Brad Keller drastically outperforming their previous career track records. In summation, a lot would have to go right here, but that's why they play the games, right?

This time last year there were a lot of people that had been impressed by the Tigers offseason and felt Detroit could be ready to take the next step in what at the time looked like one of the weaker divisions in baseball. To put it lightly, the Tigers may have ended up being the most disappointing team in the American League. Nothing they tried worked, and their season was essentially over before Memorial Day. So, what can change this time around? Well first baseman Spencer Torkelson, whom they selected 1st overall in 2020 and boasts enormous power, will have to hit better than the .203/.285/.319 slash line he turned in as a rookie. Detroit believes he can be a future superstar, and if they're going to flip the script on last year that will need to start happening right now. Veteran middle infield combination Javier Baez and Jonathan Schoop both had terrible seasons compared to their previous track record, and that will have to turn around. Maybe Riley Greene can take the next step and emerge as an all-star caliber center fielder and left-handed swinging Austin Meadows can rediscover his Rays stroke. This rotation leaves much to be desired on paper, but what if arms like Matt Boyd, Spencer Turnbull, and Matt Manning all have career years? Southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez was one of the Tigers' prized additions an offseason ago but was limited to only 17 starts in his first year with the team. If he can stay healthy and throw like a true number one, who knows, maybe things can be different in Detroit in 2023. 

A team with Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani should be annual participants in the postseason, and it's startling that the Angels haven't sniffed the playoffs in the three years since Ohtani came over from Japan. The duo are easily the top two players in baseball and Los Angeles can only hope this is the season it all comes together. For that to happen the Halos pitching will have to step up, as troubles on the mound have consistently been their downfall. Ohtani himself is a legitimate ace, but a lot of this date's fate will hinge on the left arms of Tyler Anderson, Patrick Sandoval and Ross Detmers. In the bullpen Carlos Estevez has only 25 Major League saves on his resume but will assume that role here, with veterans Aaron Loup, Ryan Tepera, Jimmy Herget and Matt Moore setting him up. The Angels have a strong enough offense on paper with Jared Walsh, Hunter Renfroe, Anthony Rendon and Taylor Ward supplementing their two superstars, but in the end, it will be more of the same for LA if the pitching can't hold up its end of the bargain. 

The Astros enter 2023 as the defending World Series champions and are again one of the favorites to win the whole thing. Houston boasts a dynamic battle-tested offensive core with Jose Altuve, Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman, Yordan Alvarez, and Jeremy Pena, though Altuve will frustratingly miss the first few months after being injured in the World Baseball Classic. In a case of the rich getting richer, the Astros added one of the premier run producers in the American League, Jose Abreu, this winter, and this line-up will be extremely challenging for opposing pitching staffs. On the mound Houston lost Justin Verlander in free agency, which was a big blow, but it won't sink this ship. As long as Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, Jose Uquidy, and Luis Garcia stay healthy this rotation will be fine. Talented young Hunter Brown is one of the Astros top prospects and will essentially take Verlander's spot, though an innings limit later in the year could be something to watch. The backend of this bullpen is again strong as Ryan Pressly, Rafael Montero, Hector Neris, and Bryan Abreu all return, and as long as Houston isn't hit with catastrophic injuries they'll be as good as anyone in the AL. 

The 2023 Oakland Athletics might be the longest shot to win a World Series in recent memory. This club has spent the better part of two winters selling off all of their veteran assets to kick off a lengthy rebuild, but for the sake of this argument, let's dream up a scenario where they can compete in the American League. For starters, their top prospect, Tyler Soderstrom, would need to debut early, dominate, and win AL Rookie of the Year. Shea Langeliers--one of the biggest pieces in their Matt Olson trade with Atlanta--would need to blossom into an all-star behind the plate. And then all around the rest of the day line-up, guys like Tony Kemp, Seth Brown, Aledmys Diaz, and Ramon Laureano would have to contribute career years. The same can be said for the pitching staff. Maybe Japanese import Shintaro Fujinami can excel stateside and be included in the Cy Young discussion, and lefties Kyle Muller, JP Sears, and Ken Waldichuk all contribute career years. The back of the bullpen has some veterans with solid big-league resumes in Trevor May and Jeurys Familia, and the pair will have to lock down every late lead the A's have. The idea of Oakland avoiding last place in the AL West is exceedingly unlikely, but hey, what a story this would end up being. 

The Mariners have assembled one of the more exciting rosters in the American League, and after ending a long postseason drought a year ago they enter 2023 looking to make a deep postseason run. Seattle's season ended in the 2nd round of the playoffs last October when they were eliminated by Houston, and their goal this past winter was closing the gap between them and their division rivals. To help with that, they traded for another power bat, getting outfielder Teoscar Hernandez from Toronto. He'll join a dynamic offense headlined by young superstar Julio Rodriguez that should score a lot of runs. Getting over the hump in October though will boil down to how well Luis Castillo and Logan Gilbert in particular can come up big in the biggest moments. The M's have the talent to play with anyone in the American League and will need their top two starters to pitch like legitimate aces. 

The Rangers have spent a lot of money the last two winters and are a dark horse candidate to emerge as a contender in the American League. For that to come to fruition, they absolutely need new ace Jacob deGrom to stay healthy--which he hasn't been able to do in recent years--and pitch like the two-time Cy Young award winner he is. Behind him they'll also need Nathan Eovaldi, Jon Gray, and Martin Perez to be really good and turn this rotation into a strength. Offensively, highly touted Josh Jung is a guy scouts love, and for Texas to win they'll need him to avoid too many big-league growing pains and become an instant star. Veterans Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Adolis Garcia and Nathaniel Lowe will all have to stay healthy and productive in the middle of the lineup, and there will also need to be surprising contributions from other places. 

The Mets enter 2023 with massive expectations and even with the devastating loss of Edwin Diaz during the World Baseball Classic, optimism in Queens is high. Much of the Amazins' chances, however, will hinge on the right arms of Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, who are a combined 78 years old. New York has some depth in the rotation with newcomer Kodai Senga, Carlos Carrasco, and David Peterson, but look for the team to spot Tylor Megill in as well to give their big two extra rest. This team is good, but they can't win in October without a healthy Scherzer and Verlander. Offensively Brandon Nimmo, Starling Marte, Francisco Lindor, and Pete Alonso make up an excellent core, with Alonso's power of particular importance. That won't be quite enough, however, and the Mets will need to get added offense from other places, with youngsters Brett Baty, Mark Vientos, and Francisco Alvarez representing potentially exciting sources. 

Atlanta is consistently among the best teams in the National League and the 2023 campaign should be no different. Winning the World Series this year, however, will be a challenge, and losing longtime shortstop and leader Dansby Swanson a winter after watching Freddie Freeman walk doesn't help. For the Braves to succeed young Vaughn Grissom will have to capably hold down position number six, though the club surprisingly decided to begin him in the minors this season. Ronald Acuna Jr. looked well on his way to emerging into the best player in the National League just a few short seasons ago before a devastating knee injury set him back. Atlanta needs him to get back to that level of play in the worst way. Elsewhere offensively, Matt Olson, Austin Riley and Michael Harris II are all cornerstone players, but need to stay healthy for the Braves to make a run. On the pitching end Max Fried and Spencer Strider are under a lot of pressure to lead this staff, though Atlanta could get a big boost if Jared Shuster puts himself in the Rookie of the Year discussion. 

Nobody expected the Philadelphia Phillies to come out of the National League when the playoffs began last October. Bryce Harper and company had barely squeaked into the playoffs as the final Wild Card winner, but they quickly captivated the City of Brotherly Love and very nearly won the whole damn thing. Making it back to the Fall Classic is going to be a challenge, though. Harper is going to miss the first part of the season recovering from elbow surgery, and first baseman Rhys Hoskins tore his ACL during the final week of spring training. For the Phillies to succeed Kyle Schwarber is going to have to have a massively productive season, Nick Castellanos will need to be significantly better in year two in Philly, and shortstop Trea Turner may have to win the NL MVP award. J.T. Realmuto is the best catcher in the game, but given the unfortunate situation at first base, it may make sense to give him some time there to ensure his bat is always in the line-up. Pitching wise Philly has as solid a 1-2 combination as there is in the league with Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler, but as has been the issue forever now, there are questions behind them. Ranger Suarez is opening the year on the IL, and if this team is going to have any chance of repeating in the NL, guys like Taijuan Walker and Bailey Falter will have to have big years. 

Last season the Marlins team was not cohesive at all, as while they had one of the better pitching staffs in the league, offensively, they consistently struggled to score runs. This winter they tried to trade from their strength to address their weakness, sending starter Pablo Lopez to Minnesota for left-handed swinging Luis Arraez who won the batting title in 2022. Miami will hope he can do it again in '23 but will need several other things to go right if they're going to be a surprise contender. Jorge Soler and Garrett Cooper will have to combine to form a lethal right-handed power duo, while the dynamic Jazz Chisholm must adjust seamlessly to center field and also avoid the injured list. Outfielder Bryan De La Cruz has all the tools but has yet to put it together and this level and will simply have to do so. On the bump, Sandy Alcantara just won the NL Cy Young award and if the Marlins are going to be really good in the upcoming campaign, he'll have to make it two in a row. Behind him Edward Cabrera, Trevor Rogers, and Jesus Luzardo all have major upside and could combine to make this rotation a real strength. Getting A.J. Puk in a trade with Oakland was an underrated addition but one that could loom large, as the southpaw has come into his own as a reliever and will now take over as the closer in Miami. 

On paper, Washington is a distant 5th in their division, but let's have some fun and try to talk ourselves into them being contenders. Right-handed swinging Joey Meneses didn't reach the big leagues until he was past his 30th birthday last summer, and promptly went on a power surge. Maybe the Nationals have unearthed a hidden gem who can shock the world and morph into an NL MVP candidate in 2023. Then there's discarded Met Dom Smith who not long ago was one of the best left-handed hitters in baseball before falling off a cliff the last two seasons. What if he turns back the clock now that he's not stuck in the outfield and can finally play his natural first base? C.J. Abrams was a key piece of the Juan Soto trade with San Diego and maybe he'll make good on all his prospect promise. Speaking of last summer's blockbuster. The Nats also got southpaw Mackenzie Gore in the deal, a guy whose been compared to Clayton Kershaw his entire professional career. Can he (cherry) blossom into an ace in D.C.? Josiah Gray should be better with a year of experience under his belt and what if Patrick Corbin rediscovers his form from Washington's championship year in 2019? This is admittedly going to be one hell of a tall task, but fans in the nation's capital can dream, right?

On paper, the Cardinals are the strongest team in the NL Central and after a disappointing first-round exit last October, they're hoping to make a much deeper run in 2023. St. Louis relies heavily on its tremendous corner infield combination of Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado and will need the duo to torture opposing pitchers yet again. But they have help in this line-up. Veteran Willson Contreras was added in free agency and will add thump from behind the plate, Tommy Edman, Tyler O'Neill, and Brendan Donovan are all nice role players. A difference maker in the Cardinals title hopes though could be rookie Jordan Walker, one of the top prospects in all of baseball. He made the team out of camp and if he lives up to the hype and goes on to win NL Rookie of the Year, this team will be even better than expected. On the hill there's a lot of pressure on 41-year-old Adam Wainwright to anchor a staff that has some question marks behind him. Trading for an established upper-echelon starting pitcher in July is definitely an option here, and something that could really boost this team down the stretch.  

The Brewers represent the Cardinals greatest threat in the Central and if things break right could absolutely be a factor in the National League playoffs. Milwaukee is headlined by their right-handed ace Corbin Burnes who is one of the best pitchers in all of baseball. Burnes was frustrated with his arbitration hearing against the team this winter, and it's completely realistic that he pitches with a chip on his shoulder and goes out and wins the NL Cy Young award. Behind him in the rotation, Brandon Woodruff and Freddy Peralta are solid, and Wade Miley is a nice veteran innings eater. Offensively Milwaukee has fewer sure things, but plenty of potential. Christian Yelich and Willy Adames are both excellent offensive players, Rowdy Tellez has immense left-handed power, and new catcher William Contreras was an all-star in Atlanta a year ago. Jesse Winker and Brian Anderson have both been good hitters in the past and a change of scenery could help, and young outfielders Garrett Mitchell and Sal Frelick were both recent first-round picks. Devin Williams also brings provides this team with a potentially dominant stopper at the back of the bullpen. Very rarely does everything go right for a Major League baseball team, but the Brewers have enough here that they could go on a deep run if it does. 

The Cubs will very likely be significantly better than they were a year ago but envisioning them as a realistic team to come out of the National League is tough. For that to happen the first thing that comes to mind is center fielder Cody Bellinger reestablishing himself as an MVP-caliber player. Veteran newcomers Trey Mancini and Dansby Swanson will help quite a bit, but Bellinger is the key to this whole team surprising people. Chicago will also need career years from the likes of Ian Happ, Christopher Morel, and Nico Hoerner. On the mound this team has a chance to be solid, but in order to compete with the best teams on the senior circuit Marcus Stroman will have to emerge as a Cy Young candidate while both Jameson Taillon and Justin Steele stay healthy and outperform their preseason projections. 

Cincinnati has some exciting pieces as they look to reassemble a contending team but will need quite a bit to go right in 2023. Any conversation about this team must begin with Elly De La Cruz, their talented shortstop who some might argue is the best player on the Reds right now. He's going to begin '23 in Triple-A, but if he gets called up early and goes on to win NL Rookie of the Year it would go a long way here. Elsewhere in the line-up, Tyler Stephenson cannot miss time on the injured list again, Jonathan India has to rebound, and Wil Myers has to make an impact in his first season in Ohio. That's in addition to receiving significant currently unforeseen contributions from other places. On the mound young lefty Nick Lodolo has all the looks of a future ace and could blossom into that very quickly, but for the Reds to really shock some people Hunter Greene will need to become an ace-caliber pitcher as well. In the bullpen Alexis Diaz is a dominant late-inning arm but getting him the ball could be dicey. Names like Reiver Sanmartin and Ian Gibaut will need to step up. 

Pittsburgh is a great baseball town that deserves a winner, however, envisioning that happening in 2023 is exceedingly difficult. The Pirates best player, Bryan Reynolds, publicly requested to be traded a few months ago, and the team will have to resolve that situation in a way that makes him happy either with a trade or an extension. Shortstop Oneil Cruz is incredibly talented but also incredibly raw and will need to put it all together more quickly than expected and blossom into the NL MVP. Ke'Bryan Hayes is an elite defender at third, but his offense hasn't been there to date. That will have to change. Maybe some veterans like Ji-Man Choi and Carlos Santana can turn back the clock, and who knows perhaps Andrew McCutchen coming back home can reinvigorate him. On the bump Pittsburgh is not deep on paper and will need Mitch Keller and Vince Velasquez to drastically outperform the backs of their baseball cards, while also having youngsters Roansy Contreras and Johan Oviedo really taking a step forward. 

The Dodgers are always going to be a factor in the National League and 2023 will be no different. LA is loaded with big-name stars like Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Clayton Kershaw and Julio Urias, but this team did get a little weaker over the winter. Losing Trea Turner in free agency really hurts, and it will put more pressure on their all-stars to carry the load. That said, the Dodgers will have no problem competing in both their division and the NL as a whole, provided they don't sustain more catastrophic injuries--they already lost Gavin Lux in spring training. For them to win this season's World Series, though, health won't be enough. Players like David Peralta, Max Muncy and Trayce Thompson will have to take on more responsibility offensively, and young Miguel Vargas will need to prove he can capably hold down second base. They'll also need righties Dustin May and Noah Syndergaard to give them productive seasons, backing up Kershaw and Urias in the rotation. 

San Diego boasts as complete a roster as there is in the league and if they don't win the World Series roughly seven months from now the season will not be considered a success. In Manny Machado and Juan Soto, the Padres have two of the most dynamic offensive players in the game, but the duo is far from alone. Jake Cronenworth is an underrated left-handed bat, the club went out and signed Xander Bogaerts this winter, and oh yeah, Fernando Tatis Jr., remember him? He'll return from his PED suspension early in 2023. The pitching staff finds more of the same as Yu Darvish, Blake Snell and Joe Musgrove comprise a terrific top of the rotation and Josh Hader is as electric a closer as there is in the game. Add this all up and as long as everyone does their part and the team avoids devastating injuries the Padres should be right there at the end. 

Realistically the Giants are a distant third in the NL West and don't have the firepower to hang with the Padres and Dodgers, but what would it take for that to change? Well first, Michael Conforto returning from a completely lost 2022 to reestablish himself as a 30+ home run force would help. When San Francisco won more games than anybody else a couple of years ago it was an exercise in everything possible going right. Could that happen again? What if Brandon Crawford, J.D. Davis, LaMonte Wade, Joc Pederson, and Mike Yastrzemski all have career years? What if Joey Bart finally lives up to his first-round promise? On the bump Logan Webb is a legitimate number-one starter, and behind him guys like Alex Cobb, Ross Stripling and Sean Manaea would have to step up. But stranger things have happened, and this team often finds a way to surprise us. Don't count them out. 

The Diamondbacks have some exciting pieces, but probably not enough quite yet to compete in the NL West let alone the National League as a whole. For that to happen, slugging first baseman Christian Walker would probably have to lead the league in homers, Ketel Marte would need to shake off his down year and rebound, and young Corbin Carroll would have to really live up to the hype. Utility bats like Josh Rojas and Jake McCarthy need to take the next step as does young outfielder Alek Thomas. On the mound things could be even more challenging. Zac Gallen is a really good and underrated righty, but behind him this staff lacks the horses to compete with the top times. Unless Madison Bumgarner can turn back the clock and Merrill Kelly can contribute a career year that is unlikely to change.

The Rockies have some serious offensive potential, but it will take some lucky breaks for it all to come together. The most obvious way the team can dramatically improve is if former NL MVP Kris Bryant can return to being that type of run producer. First baseman C.J. Cron mashed 29 homers and drove in 102 runs a year ago and he'll need to do the same this season. Veteran Charlie Blackmon remains a productive piece, but the club will need contributions from other places as well. Young shortstop Ezequiel Tovar is an exciting prospect and maybe he can win the NL Rookie of the Year award. Ryan McMahon has notched three twenty homer seasons in his career, and he'll need a 4th. For the Rockies to have any real opportunity to compete they'll also need to get serious surprise performances from their pitchers, with German Marquez, Kyle Freeland, and Austin Gomber all needing to contribute career years.