5 teams that will be better in 2016
With only about seven weeks until pitchers and catchers report for spring training, let's look ahead and examine five clubs that should improve in 2016:
Detroit Tigers
2015 record (run differential): 74-87 (-114)
A lot of pundits looked prescient when the Tigers' reign atop the American League Central came to an end, but the club's ugly second half - with Miguel Cabrera and Anibal Sanchez mostly injured, and David Price, Yoenis Cespedes, and Joakim Soria no longer around - doesn't necessarily portend a rough 2016.
There's still lots of talent in Detroit - the Tigers were one of just four teams to employ at least 3 players worth 4+ WAR - and the addition of Jordan Zimmermann will improve a rotation that, while inexperienced, features lots of upside. If their seasoned lineup can stay reasonably healthy, and the Kansas City Royals regress as expected, the Tigers could potentially wring another division title out of their aging club.
Seattle Mariners
2015 record (run differential): 76-86 (-70)
Jerry Dipoto, it seems, hasn't slept since taking over as general manager of the Mariners in September, dramatically restructuring the "periphery" of his new team, as he put it, through a series of trades of free-agent signings. Without relinquishing any major assets - namely Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz, Kyle Seager, Felix Hernandez, and Taijuan Walker - Dipoto added Nori Aoki and Adam Lind to a lineup that posted the fifth-worst OBP in the AL in 2015. Dipoto also added two veteran relievers - Joaquin Benoit and Steve Cishek - to baseball's fifth-worst bullpen from a season ago while also cementing his rotation by trading for Wade Miley before re-signing Hisashi Iwakuma.
With more productive complementary players set to join a quietly potent offensive core, and a revamped starting corps with impressive depth, the Mariners may not be a total afterthought in 2016.
Boston Red Sox
2015 record (run differential): 78-84 (-5)
Despite stumbling to another last-place finish in the AL East, the Red Sox were actually among the stronger offensive teams in baseball in 2015, and after their much maligned rotation navigated the second half with relative competence, it became apparent more fruitful summers were looming in Boston. Despite the Red Sox having posted a plus-38 run differential down the stretch, though, Dave Dombrowski was still compelled to overhaul his new team's roster this offseason by adding Craig Kimbrel, Carson Smith, Chris Young, and David Price.
Armed with a dramatically improved pitching staff, and a well-balanced offense that excelled in 2015 despite dreadful performances from Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval, the Red Sox are poised to re-establish themselves as contenders this summer.
Washington Nationals
2015 record (run differential): 83-79 (+68)
Widely considered a World Series favorite last spring, the Nationals crumbled in 2015 amid unrelenting injury problems, squandering a historically superb season from Bryce Harper in the process. None of the club's top three positions players from 2014 appeared in more than 88 games. Ryan Zimmerman spent a third of the campaign on the disabled list, too, while ailments limited Stephen Strasburg to his fewest starts (23) since 2011.
| Player | 2014 GP | 2014 WAR | 2015 GP | 2015 WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Rendon | 153 | 6.5 | 80 | 0.9 |
| Jayson Werth | 147 | 5 | 88 | -0.3 |
| Denard Span | 147 | 4 | 61 | 1.4 |
Even if Mike Rizzo hadn't signed Daniel Murphy and Stephen Drew, the Nationals probably would've had a good chance to unseat the Mets atop the division in 2016 with only restored health. Now, however, the Nationals will have another former All-Star at the top of their lineup and a veteran shortstop who - in a platoon with Danny Espinosa and/or Trea Turner - may actually offer an upgrade over Ian Desmond's diminishing returns.
With talented youngsters like Joe Ross, A.J. Cole, and Michael Taylor poised to replace the club's other departing free agents, as well, the Nationals could be among the league's elite teams in 2016.
Houston Astros
2015 record (run differential): 86-76 (+111)
After years of sacrificing wins for prospect capital, Jeff Luhnow was vindicated in 2015 when the Astros' glut of young talent brought postseason baseball back to Houston for the first time in a decade. Not only did the Astros return to relevance faster than expected, but they were actually even better than their record suggested in 2015, wherein their .420 winning percentage in one-run games undermined a plus-111 run differential, the third-best in the majors.
A disappointing second half prevented them from earning a division title, but with no major offseason losses, newcomer Ken Giles poised to anchor one of the game's top bullpens, and youngsters like Carlos Correa, George Springer, and Lance McCullers set to play full seasons, the Astros could easily win 90 or more games this summer.