Most important player on each MLB team entering 2016

How is a pitcher who started 2015 in the bullpen and has a career 4.21 ERA Baltimore's most important player? Gausman unquestionably has the highest ceiling of the team's pitching staff, and starting pitching will be key for Baltimore after the staff posted a 4.53 ERA last season, second worst in the league. The offense is arguably even better than last season after adding Dexter Fowler and Mark Trumbo while retaining Chris Davis and Matt Wieters, but the pitching is a major question mark.

The Red Sox signed their ace in Price for $217 million. Boston allowed an AL-worst 753 runs last season, and its biggest void was the lack of an ace after Jon Lester left for Chicago. 

The Yankees finished second in runs scored last season but have had a relatively quiet offseason. Tanaka has stepped into the role as New York's ace when he's healthy, but he's averaged only 22 starts during his two seasons. The talent is there for this team to reclaim the AL East, but Tanaka will be an important factor.

Despite their payroll limitations, the Rays' depth leaves them in an enviable situation. They have some of the best upper minors pitching in the game, along with a strong MLB staff. While Longoria has been extremely durable over the last three seasons, he's seen his numbers decline over the past two years. The team easily finished last in runs in the AL East last season and could really use a rebound from Longoria after hitting only 21 homers.

Toronto scored the most runs in baseball by a wide margin last season, and the offense could be even better this season with a full year of Troy Tulowitzki. It's the pitching that's clearly a concern after losing David Price and Mark Buehrle. Stroman missed most of last season with a torn ACL, but he'll step in as the team's ace. With 15 wins in 30 career MLB appearances and a 3.31 ERA, he seems up to the task.

The White Sox addressed their offensive issues from 2015 by adding Todd Frazier and Brett Lawrie to the infield. Their overall pitching wasn't much better last season, finishing middle of the pack in the AL in runs allowed. Chris Sale still finished fourth in the AL Cy Young voting and is clearly the pillar keeping the pitching staff afloat.

Cleveland has an impressive rotation led by Corey Kluber, but its offense was weak last season. However, the Indians got a major boost in the second half of the season from hotshot young shortstop Francisco Lindor. He hit .313-12-51 in 99 games while playing great defense and will be relied on even more with Michael Brantley expected to miss all of April to a shoulder injury.

Detroit's pitching was abysmal in 2015, allowing an AL-worst 803 runs. Certainly, the loss of Max Scherzer to free agency hurt, but Justin Verlander's early-season injury was also a factor. The team has addressed the pitching staff by signing Jordan Zimmermann, but it's Verlander who remains the biggest question mark. He hasn't pitched like the Cy Young winner he was earlier in his career, though he did show some progress last season with a 3.38 ERA.

The World Series champs have a deep team, if not the most talented in the AL. The biggest drop-off if an injury should strike would be at catcher, with former Cardinals backup catcher Tony Cruz behind Salvador Perez. Cruz can hold his own defensively, but Perez's bat goes well beyond what Cruz can do.

Take a quick glance at the Minnesota roster, and it's clear the Twins lack a true ace. Phil Hughes was that in 2014 but saw his ERA increase by nearly one run last season as he lost velocity on his fastball. He's shown the best control in the game recently, but if Hughes can't get his velocity back, it's bad news for the Twins.

Houston's rotation had the second lowest ERA in the AL last season, led by AL Cy Young winner Keuchel. The rotation is formidable behind him, but Keuchel is the clear ace. The lineup looks like it could be better this year with a full season from Carlos Correa and Carlos Gomez, but the pitching staff will likely see some drop-off if Keuchel can't keep up his pace from last year.

There's no mistaking Trout is the most valuable player on the Angels, if not all of baseball. He's finished top two in AL MVP voting for four consecutive seasons and shows no signs of slowing down. The Angels' pitching staff is questionable at best, with the recent demise of Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson, and the team is certainly not going anywhere if Trout fails to produce.

Oakland is being counted out by many onlookers, but the A's were actually one of the AL leaders in run differential during the first half of 2015. Ace Sonny Gray leads a deep, if unproven, pitching staff that has plenty of upside. If the A's have any chance of competing this season, Gray will have to continue to pitch like a Cy Young candidate.

One of the biggest disappointments of 2015, Hernandez had his highest ERA since 2007 as he struggled late in the year. The usually strong Mariners pitching was only in the middle of the pack, and that's unacceptable while playing at pitcher-friendly Safeco Field. The team has revamped its lineup with Adam Lind, Nori Aoki and others, but the pitching staff needs to get better, led by King Felix.

Is the team's most important player really one who will start the year on the DL? The Rangers claimed the AL West last season with a late push, but no one would mistake them for one of the elite teams in the game. The team could be a major contender this season with a powerful lineup, several superstar prospects nearly ready for the Majors and full season of Cole Hamels in the rotation. Darvish is still the team's ace when he's healthy and could be back in early May. Texas allowed the third most runs in the AL last season but could make huge strides if Darvish is healthy.

The Braves are still in rebuilding mode with their new stadium set to open in 2017. Their farm system is absolutely stacked, while Freeman remains the only proven power bat at the MLB level. It's going to be another long year, but if the team has any hope of not finishing last in runs scored again this year, Freeman will be key.

With a $325 million contract come huge expectations, and Stanton wasn't able to match those expectations last year due to injury. He hit 27 home runs in only 74 games, but the Marlins offense couldn't produce without him. The pitching staff should be improved, but Stanton needs to perform and stay healthy for the team to have any chance in the NL East.

Cespedes performed like an MVP after getting traded to the Mets at last year's trade deadline. They retained him on a three-year deal, and he will serve as the team's center fielder. While the lineup is much more balanced heading into 2016 than it was early last season, there's no mistaking who the centerpiece will be. The dominant New York rotation will take care of itself, but Cespedes needs to show last season's power outburst wasn't a fluke.

The Phillies remain in complete rebuild mode. Until top shortstop prospect J.P. Crawford is promoted to the Majors, Franco is their top position prospect. He hit 14 home runs in only 80 games last season, and the team hopes he can continue to progress this year.

The Nats disappointed in 2015 despite Harper's MVP season. The last thing they can afford is for Harper to take a step back this year. He was prone to injuries in the two seasons leading up to 2015, so that's definitely something to watch this year.

To say Arrieta was reliable every fifth day in 2015 would be an understatement, as he went 22-6 with a 1.77 ERA and took home the NL Cy Young. During the second half, Arrieta allowed a total of nine earned runs in 15 starts. It's unrealistic to expect him to be as good as he was last season, but the Cubs still need their ace to pitch like it to beat out the Cardinals and Pirates in the NL Central.

The Reds traded Todd Frazier and Aroldis Chapman this offseason, and will roll out a very young starting rotation. Their lineup is really the only chance they have of competing, and that's still led by Votto. He rebounded from an injury-plagued 2014 season to produce a 1.000 OPS last season and will need to keep up the pace.

Milwaukee is clearly rebuilding, and Lucroy requested a trade this offseason. The team hasn't traded him yet, likely waiting for Lucroy to rebuild his value after an injury-filled 2015 season. The value the Brewers can get for their former All-Star catcher makes him their most important commodity in itself, with two very reasonable years under contract before he becomes a free agent.

With the retirement of A.J. Burnett, there's no questioning Cole as Pittsburgh's ace. The rotation isn't nearly as strong this season, as the Pirates left room for top prospects to enter the fray later in the season. In the meantime, Cole must perform like he did last season for the Pittsburgh to keep pace with the Cubs and Cardinals.

The Cardinals lost Jason Heyward in the offseason, but they still don't have many holes. However, Yadier Molina has seen his performance decline over the last two seasons as he's struggled with injuries and could start 2016 late following thumb surgery. While the Cardinals addressed the backup catcher spot by signing Brayan Pena in the offseason, Molina remains a huge part of the team's defense with his ability to call games, block balls and stop the opposing team's running game. He's the one injury the team can ill afford.

New acquisition Zack Greinke is pressured with taking the Diamondbacks to greater heights, but they still need Goldschmidt to drive the offense. Arizona does have strong bats in the lineup, but none come even close to Goldschmidt's ability with two second-place MVP seasons in the last three years.

As always, the question heading into the year is whether the Rockies will have any pitching. They didn't address their rotation at all this offseason, hoping the returns of Tyler Chatwood and Jordan Lyles from injury will address some of the issues. Still, De La Rosa is the ace, with a 3.92 ERA over the last three seasons. If he doesn't deliver again, Colorado's season will go a very familiar way.

The Dodgers have built incredible depth at every position, but there's no replacing Kershaw's contribution. He had another ridiculous year in 2015, leading the NL in innings and strikeouts with a 2.13 ERA. He's finished top three in the NL Cy Young voting in five consecutive seasons and needs to continue that pace in a very tough NL West.

San Diego disappointed last season, and its roster is worse this season after trading Craig Kimbrel and letting Justin Upton walk in free agency. The outfield leaves much to be desired beyond Kemp, who had 23 home runs and 100 RBI last season. The team finished in the bottom half of the NL in runs, and it will get much worse if Kemp doesn't perform.

San Francisco is a front-runner for the World Series after signing Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija and Denard Span. Even with the pitching additions, the Giants' greatest competitive advantage remains the production they get from catcher out of Posey. He's consistently been the best offensive catcher in the game during the team's successful stretch since 2010.