- Publish date:
THE POWER GAP
SEPARATING THE STRIVERS FROM THE TANKERS
If you'd gone to sleep after the last out of Game 7 of the World Series and just woken up now, you'd find there had been no change among the MLB teams at the top. If anything, that grouping has gotten more entrenched after a winter in which nearly a dozen clubs punted on even trying to compete for a title in 2018. And so baseball enters its new season with its deepest divide between the rich and the rebuilding, the title favorites and the tankers, and teams that aren't in one camp or the other—such as the Angels—have become rare.
ALL IN ON '18
(TEAMS WITH PROJ. PAYROLL)
TRYING
FRINGE CONTENDERS
SUPER TEAMS
NON-CONTENDER IN '18
GIANTS
$193M
The Giants, who have one of the worst farm systems, lost 98 in '17, and are still gunning for a title in '18.
BLUE JAYS
$155M
MARINERS
$160M
ORIOLES
$128M
The O's have an aging roster, and Manny Machado is a free agent after this season.
RANGERS
$145M
ROCKIES
$145M
A'S
$58M
TWINS
$126M
PIRATES
$77M
REDS
$96M
CARDINALS
$143M
RAYS
$72M
PHILLIES
$76M
ROYALS
$125M
TIGERS
$130M
PADRES
$83M
MARLINS
$83M
WHITE SOX
$71M
Stocked with top prospects, Chicago is loaded for the future.
BRAVES
$115M
WORLD SERIES CONTENDER IN '18
ANGELS
$171M
RED SOX
$236M
D-BACKS
$128M
METS
$149M
NATIONALS
$175M
With Bryce Harper heading toward free agency, this could be the Nats' last chance to win a championship.
INDIANS
$134M
BREWERS
$84M
CUBS
$183M
ASTROS
$157M
DODGERS
$184M
YANKEES
$172M
New York is arguably baseball's best positioned team, with a championship-caliber roster, payroll flexibility and a top farm system.
BUILDING TO '21
TANKERS
FRINGE CONTENDERS
SUPER TEAMS
