Most important player on every MLB team

After losing Paul Goldschmidt and Patrick Corbin in the offseason, the Diamondbacks have only leftovers. Greinke is in the fourth season of a lucrative six-year deal and has been solid over the last two years, with a combined 3.20 ERA in 65 starts. For Arizona to remain competitive, Greinke will need another similar year.

The Braves roster is loaded and expected to compete in an exciting NL East division. Ronald Acuna Jr., Ozzie Albies, and Mike Foltynewicz represent the future of the franchise, but Freeman is still the team's best player, according to most recent WAR. He led the NL in hits and doubles last season and has a .905 OPS over the last six seasons.

Baltimore was terrible last season, and things are likely to get worse before they get better with a team that's clearly stripping down as it rebuilds its farm system. The fourth overall pick in the 2011 draft, Bundy looked like a building block after posting a 4.24 ERA in 28 starts during 2017, but he regressed to 8-16 with a 5.45 ERA and 41 home runs allowed last year. For the sake of the Orioles rebuild, Bundy needs a rebound this year.

The defending world champs have plenty of stars but no one more valuable than Betts. The reigning AL MVP is putting together a Hall of Fame resume with three straight Gold Gloves, and two Silver Sluggers in addition to a batting title last year. He can do it all offensively and defensively.

Baez had a breakout year as the Cubs best player last year, and he becomes even more important this season with Addison Russell serving an extended early-season suspension for domestic issues. Baez finished second in the NL MVP vote after hitting .290-34-111 with 21 stolen bases, and his defensive versatility makes him even more valuable.

Chicago whiffed in the Manny Machado sweepstakes, so 2019 looks like another year in the team's ongoing rebuild. The organization's best prospect is Jimenez, and he could be in the majors a few weeks after Opening Day. He hit .337-22-75 in 456 plate appearances between Double- and Triple-A last season at age 21, showing legitimate MVP upside.

Cincinnati has surprisingly been one of the offseason's most active teams, with notable additions like Yasiel Puig, Alex Wood, Sonny Gray, Tanner Roark and Matt Kemp. The talent on the roster looks formidable, but starting pitching remains a concern. Castillo has the most upside of anyone in the rotation despite posting a 4.30 ERA in 30 starts last season. He was terrific during his rookie debut in 2017 (3.12 ERA, 9.9 K/9 in 89.1 innings), and a return to that level is needed for the Reds to compete in the ultra-competitive NL Central.

Apparently strapped for cash this offseason, Cleveland had several subtractions rather than additions. The core of the team remains the same, but their premium bats will be even more important after losing Michael Brantley and Yan Gomes. Francisco Lindor could miss Opening Day with a calf injury, so the pressure is on Ramirez to have another great year. He's finished third in the AL MVP vote in consecutive years and won a pair of Silver Sluggers, becoming a star with an average OPS of .948 and 51 total steals in those two seasons.

Arenado just signed a lucrative extension that should help take some of the pressure off in what was to be his walk year. He has a chance to get the Rox in the playoffs for the third straight year. He's won six straight Gold Gloves and four Silver Sluggers, and he led the NL in home runs in three of the last four seasons with the help of Coors Field.

The Tigers continue their complete rebuild with Castellanos currently the most productive player on their roster. He's coming off a career year, hitting .298-23-89 with an .854 OPS. With a lineup full of journeymen like Josh Harrison, Jordy Mercer and Mikie Mahtook, the Tigers desperately need Castellanos' bat to keep producing.

The Astros fell short of the World Series last year despite another successful season. One of the biggest factors of their success was the consistency of their elite starting rotation, but there have been big changes this offseason after losing Dallas Keuchel and Charlie Morton, on top of Lance McCullers' major elbow surgery. Verlander finished second in the AL Cy Young vote last year after going 16-9 with a 2.52 ERA and a league-high 290 strikeouts, and the Astros need him to continue that dominance in his age 36 season with a rotation that is much thinner.

The Royals hope to make strides this year with a young team in rebuild mode. They have reason to be excited about Mondesi, whose offensive game finally started to match his defense last year. The shortstop hit .276-14-37 with 32 steals in only 75 games and is one of the few clear building blocks currently on the Royals roster.

The best player in baseball, Trout fell just short of winning his third AL MVP last year but did lead the AL in OPS (1.088) for the third time. Incredibly, he also produced a WAR above 10 for the third time. The Angels are hoping to return to the playoffs after hiring manager Brad Ausmus and making several additions to their pitching staff, but they won't go anywhere without Trout.

The Dodgers have appeared in consecutive World Series but have fallen short both times. Once again, their team depth is as good as any team's, but they still have a few players who would be impossible to replace. At the top of the list is Kershaw, who has struggled to stay healthy over the last three years but has a sub-3.00 ERA in 10 consecutive seasons. He's already had shoulder issues early in camp, which is something that should frighten Dodger fans.

The Marlins continue their massive and painful rebuild, trading franchise player J.T. Realmuto before spring training. They don't have many top prospects on the horizon, and there aren't many players in the majors who can be considered part of a core for the future beyond Anderson. He did produce a .757 OPS last season, and the team has stated that Anderson will be moving back to third base full time after spending some time in the outfield last year.

Yelich put the Brewers on his back last season to win NL MVP, leading the league in batting average (.326), slugging percentage (.598) and OPS (1.000). The Brewers hope he can do it again amid a starting rotation that continues to have its share of question marks.

The Twins have been one of the busiest teams in baseball this winter with impact additions like Nelson Cruz, Jonathan Schoop and Marwin Gonzalez. Kyle Gibson was the team's ace last year, but the Twins are hoping Berrios can succeed him as their best starter. He's been solid over the last two seasons with a sub-4.00 ERA, but Berrios' minor league numbers suggest he can be even better. The AL Central is there for the taking if Berrios is able to improve.

New Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen has made bold moves this offseason, adding the likes of Edwin Diaz, Jeurys Familia, Robinson Cano and Jed Lowrie. Despite all the moves, the team's starting rotation from last year remains intact. Defending NL Cy Young winner deGrom is at the head of an impressive rotation class after posting a 1.70 ERA in 217 innings last season, and the team needs another great year from its ace to reach its potential.

The 2019 Yankees roster is loaded, and anything short of a World Series will be a disappointment. The starting rotation has more upside after acquiring James Paxton, and the bullpen looks to be the best in the game, on paper. The offense will need to keep performing, especially with Didi Gregorius set to miss the start of the year after undergoing Tommy John surgery in the fall. With all due respect to Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez, no bat has more upside than Stanton's. He had a somewhat disappointing 2018 season after winning the NL MVP in 2017, but the team is hopeful he can rebound with power potential that is unmatched by any other hitter in baseball.

Oakland was a surprise AL wild-card team in 2018 with out-of-nowhere contributions from its pitching staff and breakout years from players like Chapman. He won the Gold Glove at third base and finished seventh in the AL MVP vote after posting an .864 OPS. With major losses in the rotation, there will be even more pressure on Chapman this year.

The additions of Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, Andrew McCutchen and Jean Segura make the Phillies lineup far more potent, but they haven't done much with their pitching staff. Nola is the clear ace after going 17-6 with a 2.37 ERA in 212.1 innings last season. Philadelphia's rotation isn't deep and needs another great year from Nola.

The strength of Pittsburgh's team is its starting rotation with Jameson Taillon, Chris Archer, Trevor Williams and Joe Musgrove, but the lineup looks shaky with Gregory Polanco (shoulder) set to miss the start of the year and multiple unproven starters on the infield. Marte has the best track record of any hitter in the lineup and needs another big year for the team to compete.

The Padres continue to be in a rebuild with young talent on their current roster and the upper minors. They added to it by signing Machado to one of the biggest free agent contracts in sports history (10 years, $300 million), and he immediately becomes the centerpiece of the lineup. The pressure will be on Machado to continue his streak of four straight seasons with at least 33 home runs.

The Giants had another disappointing season in 2018, finishing at 73-89. They haven't made many offseason moves but would like nothing more than to finish strong in manager Bruce Bochy's final year. Part of their recent issues have been Bumgarner's inability to stay healthy over the last two seasons, but the ace still has a combined 3.29 ERA over the last two seasons. Buster Posey remains the key part of the lineup, but the Giants have shown they have no chance without Bumgarner's contribution every fifth day.

Seattle general manager Jerry Dipoto started a strip down in the offseason, as the team traded James Paxton, Edwin Diaz, Robinson Cano, Jean Segura and Mike Zunino, among others. The best player remaining on the Seattle roster is Haniger, who has become a star due to consistent offensive and defensive contributions over the last two seasons. He produced an impressive 6.1 WAR last year and hit .285-26-93 in 157 games.

The Cardinals have missed the playoffs in three straight seasons and have lacked star power in the lineup. That changed this offseason after they acquired Goldschmidt from Arizona. He's made six straight All-Star teams and is regularly among the NL's top MVP vote-getters with a career .930 OPS and 33-plus home runs four times. The Cardinals have a deep pitching staff and are counting Goldschmidt to put them over the hump and back into the playoffs.

2018 was a true breakout season for Snell, who went 21-5 with a 1.89 ERA en route to the AL Cy Young Award. The lefty has realized his potential early in his career, and while the Rays pitching staff is even deeper this year, it has few proven pitchers beyond Snell and free agent signing Charlie Morton. If Tampa Bay is to build on its 90 wins from last year, Snell will need to deliver again.

Texas is in a bit of a rebuild but could easily improve over its 67-win 2018 season if it gets a few rebound seasons. Andrus could be the Rangers' most important piece, as he struggled last season after suffering a freak elbow injury. He produced an OPS of at least .800 in consecutive years before struggling at the plate last year.

The Blue Jays probably aren't in a position to compete in the tough AL East this year, but their future is bright with young stars like Guerrero Jr. While he's unlikely to break camp with the team as a result of service time concerns, Vlad Jr. could be up in late April and is one of the most exciting hitting prospects to arrive in years. He hit an incredible .381-20-78 with only 38 strikeouts in 408 plate appearances between four levels last season at age 19. His father is a Hall of Famer, and Guerrero Jr. has the potential to be even better.

With Bryce Harper gone, Scherzer is clearly the face of the Nationals franchise. The three-time Cy Young winner finished second in the NL voting last year with another incredible season, going 18-7 with a 2.53 ERA while leading the NL in innings (220.2) and strikeouts (300). Washington has more pitching depth this year after signing Patrick Corbin, but its ability to return to the playoffs rests on Scherzer's arm.