5 MLB teams that will be better in 2020

Any Major League Baseball club can improve, whether the team is a rebuilding one, a World Series contender, or something in between. Trades, free-agent signings, good health, and internal development from young players can all result in more wins.

With that in mind, here are five teams set to be better in 2020:

Toronto Blue Jays

There's a lot of optimism swirling around the Blue Jays as the team looks to quickly leave a 95-loss campaign in its rearview mirror. Toronto's much-maligned front office remade the starting rotation, punctuating the makeover with the loud signing of left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu. The move signified to fans, players, and clubs around the league that the Jays are ready to spend to insulate their young stars with established talent.

Toronto's starting pitching was a dog's breakfast in 2019. No starter won more than six games and the rotation collectively posted a 5.25 ERA. But much has changed since the end of last season. Sophomore right-hander Trent Thornton, who led the team with 29 starts in his rookie campaign, will now battle for one of the last spots during spring training. In addition to Ryu, baseball's reigning ERA champ, the club also added veteran hurlers Tanner Roark and Chase Anderson. A healthy Matt Shoemaker and Ryan Borucki will help, and Japanese pitcher Shun Yamaguchi could be in the fold, too. Fiery right-hander Ken Giles will anchor the bullpen.

The biggest source of improvement next season could be the play of Toronto's stellar young core of position players. Cavan Biggio, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Bo Bichette all enjoyed productive rookie campaigns (Bichette posted a .930 OPS in 46 contests) while sophomore Lourdes Gurriel Jr. accrued a .541 slugging percentage. Backstop Danny Jansen finished as a finalist for a Gold Glove, but he'll need to find the offensive prowess that made him a top catching prospect to take the next step in the majors. Under-the-radar signing Travis Shaw is a prime candidate to bounce back.

New York Yankees

So how does a team that won 103 games last season get a lot better? For starters, the addition of ace Gerrit Cole - arguably the best pitcher in baseball - makes the Yankees the undisputed favorites to take home the 28th World Series in franchise history at the end of the 2020 campaign. New York was also decimated by injuries in 2019. The club basically won the AL East without former MVP Giancarlo Stanton and stud righty Luis Severino, who both missed almost the entire season due to injuries. Essentially, New York is adding Cole, Stanton, and Severino to a 103-win club. Scary.

The Yankees' starting rotation is deep and talented. Cole, who led all of baseball in pitcher WAR (7.4) and strikeouts (326) in 2019, is the type of hurler the team's been missing since landing CC Sabathia in his prime in 2009. After Cole, New York will role out Severino, James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka, and J.A. Happ. The bullpen also looks tough as nails with lights-out relievers Aroldis Chapman, Zack Britton, and Adam Ottavino in the back end.

Stanton played in 18 games in 2019, Aaron Judge suited up for 102, and Gary Sanchez got into 106; if healthy, the Bronx Bombers' three most feared sluggers could put up monster numbers next season. Gleyber Torres is already a two-time All-Star at just 23 years old, and DJ LeMahieu finished fourth in AL MVP voting in 2019.

Chicago White Sox

The South Siders could make the playoffs in 2020 after general manager Rick Hahn put in work this offseason to improve a 72-win club. The White Sox signed All-Star catcher Yasmani Grandal, veteran slugger Edwin Encarnacion, and left-handed starters Dallas Keuchel and Gio Gonzalez. They also re-signed first baseman Jose Abreu and added outfielder Nomar Mazara to an already impressive young core.

Lucas Giolito emerged as one of the American League's best pitchers during a breakout All-Star campaign last season, and adding a former Cy Young winner in Keuchel gives the White Sox a reliable innings-eater to follow Giolito. Chicago will need right-handers Reynaldo Lopez and Dylan Cease to harness their potential to give this team a chance to really flourish, while flamethrower Michael Kopech could be a major X-factor after he didn't pitch in 2019 due to Tommy John surgery.

Chicago's lineup, meanwhile, is going to give a lot of pitchers nightmares. The team employs five regulars who could hit 30-plus homers, including sophomore Eloy Jimenez, who might end up going deep more than 40 times. Brash shortstop Tim Anderson comes into the campaign as the reigning AL batting champion, and outfielder Luis Robert, MLB Pipeline's No. 3 prospect in all of baseball, is primed to make the team with a good spring after signing a big extension.

Los Angeles Angels

Any time a team can land an MVP finalist, that team will be better. That's exactly what the Angels are hoping for after luring third baseman Anthony Rendon to California with a monster multi-year contract in free agency. The 29-year-old All-Star is a game-changer at the plate and in the field. Pair him with Mike Trout, the best player in baseball, and the Angels might posses the most dangerous offensive one-two punch in the game.

The club failed to land Cole after he ditched the West Coast for the Big Apple, but the Angels will gain a front-end starter with Shohei Ohtani returning as a two-way player following his recovery from Tommy John surgery. The team also added the steady Julio Teheran and former top pitching prospect Dylan Bundy. Left-hander Andrew Heaney is finally healthy again and 23-year-old Griffin Canning is bursting with potential. An improved starting rotation will go a long way in helping Los Angeles surpass its 72 wins from last season.

New manager Joe Maddon will deploy some serious thump in the middle of the Halos' lineup. In addition to Trout and Rendon, a full season from Ohtani and a healthy Justin Upton make navigating the team's 2-3-4-5 hitters feel like walking through a minefield. Future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols is in the twilight of a brilliant career, but he can still put up respectable numbers when it comes to homers and RBIs.

Cincinnati Reds

Stop me if you've heard this one before: The Reds are going to be better next year. All jokes aside, Cincinnati will be an improved squad in 2020. Despite some high-profile moves last offseason, the club won an underwhelming 75 games in 2019. But the front office has put together a dynamic starting rotation with some solid depth throughout the lineup.

The likes of Luis Castillo, Sonny Gray, Trevor Bauer, Wade Miley, and Anthony DeSclafani comprise one of baseball's best rotations. Acquired at the 2019 trade deadline, Bauer can play a major role in Cincinnati's success if he rediscovers the form that made him an All-Star and Cy Young candidate in 2018. The 28-year-old right-hander posted a 2.21 ERA in 27 starts for the Cleveland Indians that year, but he accrued a 4.48 ERA between the Indians and Reds last season - including an ugly 6.39 mark in 10 starts following the trade. The bullpen should also be strong, with high-volume strikeout relievers like Raisel Iglesias, Amir Garrett, Michael Lorenzen, and Robert Stephenson in the fold.

The addition of infielder Mike Moustakas gives Cincinnati a three-time All-Star with a big bat to take some pressure off Eugenio Suarez, and the signing of Japanese star Shogo Akiyama provides outfield flexibility. A return to form by on-base god Joey Votto would be huge for the offense, as would Aristides Aquino proving his 2019 tear was no fluke.