2017 Season Preview: Colorado Rockies

Major Additions: Ian Desmond, Mike Dunn, Greg Holland, Alexi Amarista

Major Losses: Nick Hundley, Daniel Descalso, Boone Logan, Jorge De La Rosa

Strengths: Offense

Weaknesses: Rotation Depth

Potential Breakout Stars: David Dahl, Raimel Tapia, Tony Wolters, German Marquez, Kyle Freeland, Antonio Senzatela

*Keep in mind that stats from Rockies' players will be inflated due to Coors Field, making hitters seem better and pitchers seem worse. wRC+ adjusts for park effects, so that won't be inflated. I'll include ERA- for pitchers, which adjusts for park and in which lower is better.

The Rockies could go in any number of directions, but I believe one of those directions could be towards the playoffs. This is one of the better teams they've fielded in a while, thanks in no small part to their ability to actually build a pitching staff. Jon Gray, the third overall pick of the 2013 draft, put up a 4.61 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP over 29 starts last season, which is actually really good when you consider he was pitching in Coors Field. His ERA- of 94 means that he was 6% better (100-94) than the average starter. While Gray took the big step forward the Rockies were hoping for, Tyler Chatwood took the step forward nobody expected. His 3.87 ERA (79 ERA-) and 1.37 WHIP were some of the best we've seen from Rockies starters. Tyler Anderson (3.54 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 72 ERA-) was a similar surprise. After those three, though, it gets a bit murky, especially considering the uncertain status of Chad Bettis (4.79 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 98 ERA-), who is battling cancer and is out indefinitely. Five young arms will continually compete for those last two spots, including Jeff Hoffman, Antonio Senzatela, German Marquez, Harrison Musgrave, and Kyle Freeland. Freeland and Hoffman were taken with back to back picks in the first round of the 2014 MLB Draft, with Freeland going to Colorado at #8 overall and Hoffman ending up with the Blue Jays at #9 overall. Hoffman briefly reached the majors for eight games (six starts) in 2016 (4.88 ERA, 1.72 WHIP, 100 ERA-), while Freeland split the season between AA and AAA. Marquez and Senzatela are highly regarded prospects in their own rights, with Marquez reaching the majors at 21 years old last season (5.23 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, 107 ERA-) and Senzatela impressing the team this spring. Lastly, Harrison Musgrave is more likely to wind up in the bullpen, but he did reach AAA as a starter in 2016. The bullpen could have one of the best relievers in the game in Greg Holland if he's healthy, and Adam Ottavino and Jake McGee aren't bad options either. Mike Dunn essentially replaces Boone Logan, and Carlos Estevez and Jason Motte are solid pieces as well. Of course, in Coors Field, everything comes down to hitting, and the Rockies have plenty of it per usual. Nolan Arenado (.294/.362/.570, 124 wRC+), Charlie Blackmon (.324/.381/.552, 130 wRC+), and Carlos Gonzalez (.298/.350/.505, 108 wRC+) form a solid offensive core, while Trevor Story (.272/.341/.567, 120 wRC+) and DJ LeMahieu (.348/.416/.495, 128 wRC+) are also nice pieces. Neither Story nor LeMahieu are likely to keep up the pace they set in 2016, but this offense is not something to mess with, especially in Coors Field. Once Ian Desmond (.285/.335/.446, 106 wRC+ not in Coors) comes back from his hand injury, the team will only get better. Some young guys to watch include Cristhian Adames, Raimel Tapia, and of course, David Dahl, who was successful in his 63 game stint last season (.315/.359/.500, 111 wRC+). Tony Wolters, another young guy at just 24 years old, will do the catching after a moderately successful 71 game rookie stint (.259/.327/.395, 75 wRC+). Dustin Garneau and Tom Murphy, once he comes back from his arm injury, will push Wolters for playing time behind the plate.

2017 Season Preview: San Francisco Giants

Major Additions: Mark Melancon, Nick Hundley, Jimmy Rollins, Justin Ruggiano

Major Losses: Sergio Romo, Santiago Casilla, Jake Peavy, Javier Lopez, Chris Heston

Strengths: Rotation, Catching Corps

Weaknesses: Offensive Depth, Bullpen Depth

Potential Breakout Stars: Mac Williamson, Jarrett Parker, Ty Blach, Steven Okert, Tyler Beede, Austin Slater

The San Francisco battery will be among the best in baseball, with their excellent rotation (more on that later) and top notch catchers. Buster Posey, the 2012 NL MVP, is arguably baseball's best catcher, while Nick Hundley is one of baseball's best back-ups. Even Trevor Brown, the third stringer, hit five home runs in 75 games for the Giants last year, and he just turned 25 this offseason. Aside from Posey, no names stand out on offense, but Brandon Belt is one of baseball's most underrated hitters. Though he has never reached 20 home runs in a season, his high numbers of doubles and triples enable him to put up big offensive numbers even in cavernous AT&T Park. He put up a 138 wRC+ last season, and his career mark of 129 is comparable to some big names, like David Wright (133), Anthony Rizzo (131), Mark Teixeira (127), and Evan Longoria (126). You may not realize this because he hit "just" .275, but his .394 on-base percentage was good for fifth in the National League, behind only Joey Votto (.434), DJ LeMahieu (.416), Paul Goldschmidt (.411), and Freddie Freeman (.400). Main point: Brandon Belt is one of the best first baseman in baseball, even if nobody cares to take notice. Brandon Crawford will be another offensive and defensive leader, coming off a season where he set career highs in triples (11), stolen bases (7), batting average (.275), and on-base percentage (.342). Hunter Pence may be about to turn 34, but he still managed to slash .289/.357/.451 (121 wRC+) last year, and if injuries don't catch him, he doesn't look like he's slowing down. Joe Panik was great in 2015 (.312/.378/.455, 136 wRC+), but not so great in 2016 (.239/.315/.379, 89 wRC+), so he's a wild card for 2017. There's also Eduardo Nunez and Denard Span, with the only positional question mark being left field. Jarrett Parker (.236/.358/.394, 110 wRC+), Mac Williamson (.223/.315/.411, 100 wRC+), and Gorkys Hernandez (.259/.298/.463, 105 wRC+) could all share time there, and maybe even infielder Kelby Tomlinson (.292/.370/.330, 98 wRC+) could slide out there from time to time. There's also prospect Austin Slater, who reached AAA in 2016 and slashed .298/.381/.506, albeit in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. On the mound, it all begins with Madison Bumgarner. Though he's not quite his Los Angeles counterpart, Bumgarner has put up ERA's below 3.00 in each of the past four seasons while never letting his WHIP creep above 1.09. Johnny Cueto is nearly as good, having put up ERA's below 2.90 in five of the last six seasons. There's a slight drop off after the big two, but Matt Moore was solid in his first full season back from Tommy John surgery (4.08 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) and Jeff Samardzija had a nice rebound season (3.81 ERA, 1.20 WHIP). For the fifth spot, Matt Cain has been a fixture in the San Fran rotation for a decade now, but his glory days of 2009-2012 are behind him. Ty Blach inexplicably came up and dominated in his short stint with the team, putting up a 1.06 ERA and a 0.76 WHIP over four games (two starts), allowing just eight hits in 17 innings. There's also swingman Albert Suarez, who quietly put up a 4.29 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP over 22 games (12 starts) as a rookie last year. If none of those options work out, top prospect Tyler Beede reached AA last season and is nearly ready, as are other prospects like Joan Gregorio and Andrew Suarez. The bullpen took a heavy hit with the losses of Sergio Romo, Santiago Casilla, and Javier Lopez to free agency (with Lopez retiring), though they did go out and add one of the best relievers in baseball, Mark Melancon (1.64 ERA, 0.90 WHIP). Derek Law (2.13 ERA, 0.96 WHIP) was great as a rookie last season, and Hunter Strickland (3.10 ERA, 1.13 WHIP) and George Kontos (2.53 ERA, 1.16 WHIP) are available as well. A fourth big hit just occurred a few days ago, as Will Smith (3.35 ERA, 1.21 WHIP) announced he would undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the season. The slew of departures/injuries leaves the team with little depth, so rookie Steven Okert will need to step up, along with fringe guys like Cory Gearrin (4.28 ERA, 1.16 WHIP) and Josh Osich (4.71 ERA, 1.38 WHIP). Like the Dodgers, the Giants will be relying on star power, with theirs provided by Posey, Bumgarner, Cueto, Melancon, and Belt and supported by Crawford, Pence, Moore, Panik, and Law.

2017 Season Preview: Los Angeles Dodgers

Major Additions: Logan Forsythe, Sergio Romo, Franklin Gutierrez, Brandon Morrow

Major Losses: Josh Reddick, Carlos Ruiz, Howie Kendrick, Jose De Leon, Joe Blanton, Bud Norris, J.P. Howell, Casey Fien

Strengths: Rotation, Offensive Core

Weaknesses: Bullpen Depth

Potential Breakout Stars: Andrew Toles, Trevor Oaks

The Dodgers, baseball's premier spenders, could have had a disastrous offseason. In addition to the plethora of major losses listed above, Kenley Jansen, Justin Turner, Rich Hill, and Chase Utley were all free agents who re-signed with the team. Now, the team is back and strong enough to win another NL West crown. The offense is centered around reigning NL Rookie of the Year Corey Seager (.308/.365/.512, 137 wRC+) and power hitters Justin Turner (.275/.339/.493, 124 wRC+) and Adrian Gonzalez (.285/.349/.435, 112 wRC+). Two other power hitters, Yasmani Grandal and Joc Pederson, struggle with contact but can provide firepower as well, and newcomer Logan Forsythe will be a dynamic threat with his all around hitting abilities. The outfield corners will be interesting to watch, as Yasiel Puig attempts to recapture the magic of his first two years in the majors and supermarket attendant turned outfielder Andrew Toles looks to build on his big rookie season (.314/.365/.505, 132 wRC+). Competing for playing time in the outfield will be Enrique Hernandez, Franklin Gutierrez, and NBA star Klay Thompson's brother, Trayce Thompson. As always, the Dodgers feature an incredibly deep rotation. Clayton Kershaw is the best pitcher in baseball, having posted four straight seasons with ERA's below 2.15 and eight straight seasons with an ERA below 3.00. Kenta Maeda was successful in his first season in American baseball (3.48 ERA, 1.14 WHIP), and Rich Hill will look to continue his out-of-nowhere emergence as one of baseball's better starters. There's not a lot of certainty after those three, but that's not to say there aren't a lot of options. Julio Urias, now 20 years old, put up a 3.39 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP as a rookie last year, but he won't start 2017 in the majors as the Dodgers work to limit his innings. Hyun-Jin Ryu, who has made just one start in the past two seasons due to injuries, will be in the rotation, as he looks to be back in his 2013-2014 form (3.17 ERA, 1.20 WHIP). Alex Wood and Brandon McCarthy are still fighting for a spot, and the Opening Day starting rotation likely won't remain intact throughout the season anyways. Wood was great in 2014 (2.78 ERA, 1.14 WHIP) but hasn't been as great in 2015 and 2016 (3.82 ERA, 1.33 WHIP). McCarthy is incredibly inconsistent, but he's good sometimes so that keeps him in the running. There's also the injured Scott Kazmir and prospect Trevor Oaks who could see time later in the season. Kenley Jansen returns as one of baseball's top relievers, while Sergio Romo joins the team after a successful run in San Francisco. Grant Dayton (2.05 ERA, 0.76 WHIP) surprised everybody last year as a 28 year old rookie, and he should be able to sustain that success this year. Ross Stripling will be a full time reliever this year, and Chris Hatcher and Adam Liberatore will try to find consistency. Unfortunately, Pedro Baez, Josh Ravin, Brock Stewart, and Yimi Garcia are all injured, putting a major dent in their bullpen depth. Getting the ball to Romo and Jansen may be a struggle this year. Overall, the Dodgers will lean on the star power of Kershaw, Seager, Jansen, Turner, Gonzalez, and Maeda, while the supporting cast of Grandal, Pederson, Forsythe, Hill, Romo, and Dayton will help push this team back to the playoffs.

2017 Season Preview: Milwaukee Brewers

Major Additions: Travis Shaw, Eric Thames, Neftali Feliz, Tommy Milone, Joba Chamberlain

Major Losses: Tyler Thornburg, Chris Carter, Martin Maldonado

Strengths: Bullpen

Weaknesses: Getting On Base

Potential Breakout Stars: Domingo Santana, Keon Broxton, Orlando Arcia, Lewis Brinson, Josh Hader

The Brewers are not a good team by any measures, but they could outperform some expectations. Ryan Braun will be the lone hitter in this lineup with considerable major league experience, and the outfielder is coming off his best season since before the scandals (.305/.365/.538, 30 HR, 133 wRC+). After that, it's all youth. Jonathan Villar represents the next most seasoned player, and he's coming off a breakout season where he slashed .285/.369/.457 (118 wRC+) and led the major leagues with 62 stolen bases, though his 18 times caught stealing also led the league. Travis Shaw is coming off a pair of good seasons in Boston, while catcher Jett Bandy hit eight home runs in 70 games for the Angels last season. Eric Thames who hit 21 home runs in a 181 game, two year stint in the majors from 2011-2012, has been a monster in South Korea and will look to bring that success back to the States. Lastly, we have four young hitters to look out for. Keon Broxton had a bit of a breakout last year, slashing .242/.354/.430 (109 wRC+) with 23 stolen bases in 75 games, but Statcast shows that he could be even better this year. Among players with at least 90 batted ball events last season, Broxton had the third highest average exit velocity at 95 MPH, behind only Nelson Cruz (95.9) and Giancarlo Stanton (95.1). If he can drop his 36.1% strikeout rate even a little bit, he could do big things for Milwaukee. Domingo Santana has been a heralded prospect for a long time now, and he continued his ascent last season with a .256/.345/.447 line (110 wRC+) last year. The 24 year old could be the big power bat needed to protect Braun in the lineup. Orlando Arcia wasn't terrific in his debut last season (.219/.273/.358, 64 wRC+), but he's still just 22 years old and has steadily performed at every minor league level so far. Lewis Brinson, widely considered Milwaukee's top prospect, reached AAA last season and was excellent in his 23 games there, slashing .382/.387/.618 (163 wRC+), though his overall 4.8% walk rate on the season was a bit troubling. The 22 year old will start back at AAA this season, but if he improves his plate discipline, he could break into the major leagues and do some damage. The pitching staff as a whole is actually better than you might think. Led by three starting pitchers a casual fan may have never heard of, it could almost be graded out as an average rotation. Junior Guerra finally reached the majors in 2015 at 30 years old, and in his first full season in 2016, he put up a 2.81 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP over 20 starts, earning himself the Opening Day start in 2017. Zach Davies has been excellent since his debut in 2015, putting up a 3.92 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP over 34 starts in his two years in the majors. Jimmy Nelson hasn't been as good as Guerra or Davies, but he has the experience, having put up back to back 30 start seasons with a combined 4.37 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP. Wily Peralta was great in 2014 (3.53 ERA, 1.30 WHIP), but he hasn't been as great since, putting up a 4.84 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP. There's also 33 year old Matt Garza, entering his twelfth major league season, though his Milwaukee career has generated very mixed results. On the outside looking in on the rotation will be Chase Anderson, Tommy Milone, and Taylor Jungmann at the major league level, as well as top prospect Josh Hader in the minors. Hader should be up at some point this season. Neftali Feliz leads an underrated bullpen, followed by Carlos Torres (2.73 ERA, 1.15 WHIP), Jacob Barnes (2.70 ERA, 1.13 WHIP in limited action), Jhan Marinez (3.18 ERA, 1.33 WHIP), and Tyler Cravy (2.86 ERA, 1.16 WHIP in limited action). Younger guys like Corey Knebel (4.68 ERA, 1.47 WHIP) and Brent Suter (3.32 ERA, 1.38 WHIP in limited action) will look to take the step forward as well, and Joba Chamberlain (2.25 ERA, 1.15 WHIP in limited action) is always a good name to have back there. The Brewers won't contend with the Cubs, Pirates, and Cardinals this year, but with guys like Broxton, Brinson, Santana, Arcia, Hader, Luis Ortiz, Brandon Woodruff, and Mauricio Dubon all in the majors or high minors, plus Corey Ray rapidly moving up the ladder, they could contend soon.

2017 Season Preview: Cincinnati Reds

Major Additions: Scott Feldman, Drew Storen, Louis Coleman, Desmond Jennings

Major Losses: Brandon Phillips, Dan Straily

Strengths: Offensive Diversity

Weaknesses: Pitching

Potential Breakout Stars: Jose Peraza, Amir Garrett, Robert Stephenson, Arismendy Alcantara

The Reds' pitching is dreadful, but their offense is decent enough that they won't be a laughing stock. Obviously, everything centers around Joey Votto insane .425 career on-base percentage, while Adam Duvall brings the power after breaking out for 33 home runs last season. Billy Hamilton has the speed, having stolen 56, 57, and 58 stolen bases in the last three seasons, respectively. If I'm any good at analyzing trends, he should steal exactly 59 bases this season. Jose Peraza could be another contact/speed bat, as he slashed .324/.352/.411 (103 wRC+) with 21 stolen bases in his first extended MLB action last season. Eugenio Suarez has shown some surprising power in the majors, knocking 34 home runs in 256 games over the past two seasons, including 21 last year. If Devin Mesoraco can get healthy, it will be a huge boon for the team, because he showed what he was capable of in his big 2014 season (.273/.359/.534, 147 wRC+). Unfortunately, he's been limited to just 39 games over the past two seasons. The pitching staff, unfortunately, is dreadful. Scott Feldman will be the opening day starter, despite being 34 years old and coming off a season in which 35 of his 40 appearances were in relief. Brandon Finnegan was successful in his transition to the rotation last season, putting up a 3.98 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP over 31 starts. After that, though, things fall apart. Tim Adleman put up a 4.00 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP over 13 starts as a rookie last year, but he was also making his debut at 28 and has likely hit his ceiling. After those three, there are three top prospects looking to make an impact in 2017. Cody Reed made ten starts for the Reds, but his 7.36 ERA and 1.80 WHIP weren't particularly pretty. Robert Stephenson has a higher ceiling, though he didn't fare much better than Reed, putting up a 6.08 ERA and a 1.62 WHIP over his eight starts. Then, there's Amir Garrett, the former St. John's basketball star who put up a 2.55 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP over 25 games (23 starts) at AA Pensacola and AAA Louisville in 2016. The 6'5" lefty could make as big of or a bigger impact than Reed or Stephenson in 2017 and beyond. Two more starters, Homer Bailey and Anthony DeSclafani, will open the season on the disabled list, though both could return soon. The bullpen is filled with starters-turned-relievers, led by Raisel Iglesias, Tony Cingrani, and Michael Lorenzen. As of 2014, all three of them were starters, but they all found success after transitioning to shorter stints. Drew Storen is a new addition, and though he's been one of the most inconsistent players in baseball during his career, when he's on, he's on. In 2014, he put up a 1.12 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP, and he'll have stretches where he's nearly un-hittable. In 2016, he put up a 6.21 ERA and a 1.59 WHIP over 38 appearances with the Blue Jays, but those numbers dropped to 3.44 and 0.87 during his 19 appearances with the Mariners. Despite making just nine appearances from 2012-2015, Blake Wood was a pleasant surprise in 2016 (3.99 ERA, 1.43 WHIP), so he'll look to continue that success. Louis Coleman (4.69 ERA, 1.44 WHIP) also came over on a minor league deal. We could (and most likely will) see prospects Wandy Peralta and Austin Brice in that bullpen, and starting pitching prospects in the high minors include Keury Mella, Rookie Davis, and Sal Romano; any of them could be converted to relief and pushed up to the majors. For sure, not a very impressive team, but at the very least, Billy Hamilton, Joey Votto, and Jose Peraza will be fun to watch on offense, and the two big arms of Amir Garrett and Robert Stephenson are worth tracking as well.

2017 Season Preview: Pittsburgh Pirates

Major Additions: Daniel Hudson

Major Losses: Neftali Feliz, Sean Rodriguez, Matt Joyce, Jeff Locke

Strengths: Offense, Pitching Depth

Weaknesses: Top of Rotation, Bullpen

Potential Breakout Stars: Tyler Glasnow, Josh Bell, Adam Frazier, Alen Hansen, Austin Meadows, Dovydas Neverauskas, Edgar Santana

This is a team that will never run out of quality players. Up and down the lineup, they can hit, and the bench is as deep as any in baseball. The outfield has three big stars in Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte, and Gregory Polanco, and the back ups are just as exciting. Adam Frazier was called up to the majors last season, and he surprised everyone by slashing .301/.356/.411 (110 wRC+) over his 66 game debut. Top prospect Austin Meadows is knocking on the door, as the 21 year old reached AAA last season and blasted six home runs in 37 games. In the infield, veterans David Freese, Jordy Mercer, and Josh Harrison make up a solid set, even with Jung-Ho Kang possibly out for the season with visa issues most likely stemming from his third DUI. Josh Bell will start at first base, coming off a successful rookie season (.273/.368/.406, 113 wRC+ over 45 games). The 24 year old has shown excellent plate discipline throughout his career, showcased by having more walks (21) than strikeouts (19) in his debut season. If he can't hold down first base, there is still John Jaso, a consistent performer throughout his career if never a star. Backing those guys up will be the underrated Phil Gosselin and top prospect Alen Hansen. The speedy 24 year old has stolen 205 bases in his minor league career with consistent gap power. The rotation begins with Gerrit Cole, who was great from 2013-2015 but who took a step back in 2016 (3.88 ERA, 1.44 WHIP). Still just 26, Cole will look to return to ace form in 2017. Ivan Nova and Drew Hutchison are the other two veterans, but the young guys make this rotation interesting. Jameson Taillon, the second overall pick of the 2010 draft, finally cracked the big leagues in 2016 and didn't disappoint, putting up a 3.38 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP over 18 starts. Chad Kuhl, though a less heralded prospect, held his own in his 14 start rookie season, putting up a 4.20 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP. The less established Tyler Glasnow may have the highest ceiling of all of three, evidenced by his outright dominance of the minor leagues (36-19, 2.03 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 645 strikeouts in 500 innings over his career). He reached the bigs in 2016, putting up a respectable 4.24 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP over seven games (four starts). He'll battle with fellow prospects Steven Brault (4.86 ERA, 1.86 WHIP) and Trevor Williams (7.82 ERA, 1.89 WHIP). The bullpen may not be the strong point for this team in the absence of Mark Melancon, but Tony Watson should be able to hold down the relief ace role. Daniel Hudson will look to bounce back from a tough 2016 (5.22 ERA, 1.44 WHIP), and Juan Nicasio, Antonio Bastardo, and Jared Hughes are three established arms. Felipe Rivero and A.J. Schugel will look to further establish themselves in the majors, but there are some young arms to keep an eye on. Rule 5 pick Tyler Webb, Lithuanian national Dovydas Neverauskas, and flamethrower Edgar Santana could all make impacts in 2017. If anybody will challenge the Cubs in the Central, I think it will be this dynamic Pirates team.

2017 Season Preview: St. Louis Cardinals

Major Additions: Dexter Fowler, Brett Cecil, John Gant

Major Losses: Jaime Garcia, Matt Holliday, Brandon Moss

Strengths: Rotation, Infield Depth

Weaknesses: Outfield depth

Potential Breakout Stars: Luke Weaver, Austin Gomber, Harrison Bader, Carson Kelly

The Cardinals had a relatively quiet offseason, losing two aging power bats to free agency and signing a pair of new players to long deals. They also swung one trade, which for the purposes of this season, effectively replaces one starter with a younger, slightly worse one. Starting with the offense, Matt Holliday and Brandon Moss are gone, but in their place stands Dexter Fowler, the new leadoff man who set a career high with a .393 on-base percentage last season. Stephen Piscotty and Randal Grichuk will be the other two outfielders. Both had solid debut seasons in 2015, but while Piscotty played well in his sophomore 2016 (.273/.343/.457, 22 HR, 115 wRC+), Grichuk struggled a bit (.240/.289/.480, 24 HR, 102 wRC+). Piscotty is 26 and Grichuk is just 25, so this youthful outfield is one that will be fun to watch. Outside of the starting three, though, there isn't much. Jose Martinez got into a few games last year, and he'll try to get into a few more this year. After that, unless they play guys out of position, they'll have to reach into the minor leagues, where Harrison Bader could be an option. The 22 year old has done nothing but rake since he was drafted in the third round in 2015, reaching AAA in 2016 and likely to be ready this season. The infield, however, is the exact opposite story. Matt Carpenter, Kolten Wong, Aledmys Diaz, and Jhonny Peralta make up the starting four for now, but there is plenty behind them. Matt Adams holds a career .455 slugging percentage, and he could force his way into playing time at first base, which would move Carpenter to third and Peralta to the bench. However, Peralta could also take over at shortstop if Diaz can't repeat his excellent rookie season (.300/.369/.510, 17 HR, 132 wRC+), but Peralta is also about to turn 35 and he is not a guarantee for production. No worries, because aside from Adams, there is also Jedd Gyorko, who set a career high by bashing 30 home runs in just 128 games last season. Greg Garcia is among the most patient players in the league, as he walked in an excellent 14.8% of his plate appearances last season to help put up an interesting .276/.393/.369 slash line (111 wRC+). If that's not enough, infield prospect Paul DeJong just hit 22 home runs for AA Springfield last season and could be knocking on the door soon. Of course, behind the plate, we have the great Yadier Molina, one of the top catchers of our era. On the mound, injuries have already bitten the St. Louis pitching staff, but this team is far from down and out. Top prospect Alex Reyes (1.57 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) will miss the entire season with Tommy John surgery, while reliever Zach Duke (2.36 ERA, 1.26 WHIP) is out until at least September for the same reason. Another reliever, Tyler Lyons (3.38 ERA, 1.02 WHIP) will start the season on the disabled list after knee surgery. Still, the Cardinals have a plethora of arms. Carlos Martinez (3.04 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) has blossomed into a true ace, while Adam Wainwright (4.62 ERA, 1.40 WHIP) and Michael Wacha (5.09 ERA, 1.48 WHIP) will try to bounce back from down seasons. Both are absolutely talented enough to do so, given that Wainwright has ranked in the top five in the NL in ERA three times (2009, 2010, 2014) and that Wacha is just 25 years old with a pair of really good seasons under his belt (2014 and 2015). After missing all of 2016 to Tommy John surgery, Lance Lynn will be back, complete with a career 3.37 ERA. Veteran Mike Leake rounds out the rotation, but in the case of injuries/ineffectiveness, we could see one of the Cardinals' young arms, such as Luke Weaver, Austin Gomber, Marco Gonzales (also returning from TJ surgery), the newly acquired pair of John Gant and Chris Ellis, or even Jack Flaherty, who is farther off but is as talented as any prospect listed above, save for maybe Weaver. Manager Mike Matheny has also toyed with the idea of having former closer Trevor Rosenthal start a few games. Seung-Hwan Oh will be the relief ace, coming off a very successful transition to the MLB from Japan (1.92 ERA, 0.92 WHIP). The lefty duo of Kevin Siegrist (2.77 ERA, 1.10 WHIP) and Brett Cecil (3.93 ERA, 1.28 WHIP) will certainly come in handy. Matt Bowman transitioned from the rotation to the bullpen last season, and the results were spectacular given what was expected. After struggling as a starter in AAA in 2015 (5.53 ERA, 1.68 WHIP), he went straight to the majors as a reliever in 2016 and more than held his own (3.46 ERA, 1.17 WHIP). Overall, this team isn't the Cubs, but they can absolutely compete in the NL Central.