The spring training power rankings have arrived. Don't look for too much, if anything, to change between now and the start of the regular season.
1. San Francisco Giants - I predicted the Giants would win the World Series last year because they had the perfect combination of great pitching, good defense and the ability to scrape together runs. This is a team built for postseason play.
2. Detroit Tigers - The Tigers made a great postseason run but ran out of steam in the World Series. Too much reliance on Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder and Justin Verlander ultimately doomed their title hopes.
3. Los Angeles Angels - The Angels swooped out of nowhere to pluck the biggest free-agent on the market for the second straight offseason, this time locking up Josh Hamilton.
4. Los Angeles Dodgers - After acquiring a wealth of talent in a deal at last year's trade deadline, the Dodgers added Zach Greinke to the equation this offseason.
5. Washington Nationals - Stephen Strasburg won't have to worry about an innings-limit this year, making the Nationals heavy favorites in the NL East.
6. St. Louis Cardinals - St. Louis hopes Chris Carpenter can be healthy in 2013. If he can, Carpenter and Adam Wainwright should help the Cardinals to another NL Central title.
7. Cincinnati Reds - Dusty Baker returns, but he continues to feel the heat for the way his teams perform in the postseason.
8. Toronto Blue Jays - The Blue Jays pushed all their chips to the middle this offseason with the AL East seemingly up for grabs.
9. Texas Rangers - The Rangers lost Josh Hamilton to their division rival, and they also traded Michael Young to Philadelphia.
10. Tampa Bay Rays - The Rays lost B.J. Upton and James Shields but didn't acquire anything that can help them for at least another year or two.
11. New York Yankees - As much heat as A-Rod feels, the team was much better with him in the lineup than without in 2012. Can they tread water until he returns?
12. Atlanta Braves - The Braves hope Brandon Beachy can return at some point, but his loss will likely cost Atlanta a legitimate shot at the NL East title.
13. Baltimore Orioles - A huge step forward for the Orioles this year, who came up just short of their first ALCS since 1997. The Blue Jays and Red Sox both improved in the offseason, and the O's failed to make a splash.
14. Philadelphia Phillies - The Phillies aren't back to being World Series contenders, but they should push Washington and Atlanta in the NL East.
15. Oakland Athletics - Like the Orioles, you have to wonder if they can harness another magical season, especially with such limited resources.
16. Milwaukee Brewers - The Brewers didn't make any major offseason moves, meaning Ryan Braun will once again have to carry the team.
17. Kansas City Royals - The Royals are a sleeper in 2013, but do they have enough starting pitching to contend the entire season?
18. Arizona Diamondbacks - If Brandon McCarthy could stay healthy, he could have a terrific season pitching in the NL.
19. Seattle Mariners - The Mariners didn't land Josh Hamilton, but they have some young talent returning. The addition of the Astros to the AL West will help, but Los Angeles and Texas still stand in the way.
20. Boston Red Sox - The Red Sox made a lot of moves this offseason, but it looked like more of the same in handing out big deals to old players.
21. Chicago White Sox - The White Sox fell apart down the stretch and lost a couple of starters in the offseason. With the Tigers still loaded and the Royals improving, they could slide down the standings.
22. Pittsburgh Pirates - The Pirates picked up Francisco Liriano, but it looks like any improvement in 2013 is going to have to come from their young core of players.
23. New York Mets - The club locked up David Wright to appease the fans but traded Cy Young award winner R.A. Dickey for a nice haul of prospects.
24. San Diego Padres - It was a very quiet offseason for the Padres, who hope that the team's improvement over the final months of 2012 was a sign of things to come.
25. Miami Marlins - After loading up on all that talent last offseason, the Marlins discarded just about everything outside of Hanley Ramirez and Giancarlo Stanton just a year later.
26. Cleveland Indians - The Indians still aren't a contender, but Terry Francona and Nick Swisher should inject some life and personality into the team.
27. Chicago Cubs - After trading Ryan Dempster at last year's trade deadline, the Cubs spent the offseason trying to solidify the starting rotation. Innings-eater Edwin Jackson was a good start.
28. Minnesota Twins - The Twins finally parted ways with Francisco Liriano, and you have to wonder where they stand in terms of trying to compete now vs. building for the future.
29. Colorado Rockies - The Rockies didn't make any significant offseason moves, which leaves them pretty much where they were last season. Thank goodness for Peyton Manning.
30. Houston Astros - There is very little to get excited about with this franchise, other than the fact that they have the top pick in the 2013 draft. To make matters worse, they transition from the NL Central to the AL West this year.














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