5 teams to watch in the National League and American League in 2018

Five teams in each league that bear watching,  whether they have playoff potential or not:  

National League

1. San Francisco Giants

After unexpectedly stumbling to 98 losses last season, the Giants knew they needed to do something to spark a woeful offense and get fans re-energized. So, they went out and traded for two franchise players, Pittsburgh’s Andrew McCutchen and Tampa Bay’s Evan Longoria. Neither is at the peak of his career, however, and it remains to be seen how much of a fix those acquisitions will be. It certainly didn’t help when Madison Bumgarner suffered a broken bone in his pitching hand near the end of spring camp.

2. Washington Nationals

Dusty Baker became the latest victim to vacate the manager’s office because of the Nationals' inability to get to the World Series. Never mind that Washington has some of the best talent in the league. Now, Davey Martinez will try his hand, getting the kind of shot that first-time managers rarely receive. With Bryce Harper eligible for free agency after the season, management knows this window won’t stay open forever.

3. Los Angeles Dodgers

Can you win 104 games and still be a disappointment? Some Dodgers fans felt that way after they advanced all the way to Game 7 of the World Series, only to come up short against the Houston Astros. This team remains loaded, however, and there’s no reason to think there will be any major slippage this season. The main question remains: Will Clayton Kershaw opt out of his contract afterward?

4. Miami Marlins

Now that the “everything must go” sale has been completed by new management, the Marlins will try to pick up the pieces. This is not what local fans expected when they footed the bill for a new ballpark a few years back that figures to be mostly empty in 2018. New leader Derek Jeter already has absorbed more negative publicity in his first few months running the team than he did in 20 years as the Yankees’ shortstop.

5. Pittsburgh Pirates

There are off-seasons that energize a team’s fan base and there are off-seasons that plunge the faithful into deep depression. The Pirates fell into the latter category after trading their best player, McCutchen, to San Francisco, and their best pitcher, Gerrit Cole, to Houston. This is what they mean when they say the window of opportunity can open fast and close even faster for small-market clubs.

American League

1.  New York Yankees

With sluggers Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton in the same lineup, the Yankees figure to run out of batting practice baseballs before the Fourth of July. This is the latest incarnation of the Bronx Bombers, and the pitching will only have to be so good to assure a return to the postseason. If new manager Aaron Boone messes this up, he will hear about it in a New York minute.

2. Houston Astros

No one can accuse the Astros of resting on their laurels after winning their first World Series title. They added Cole to an already formidable rotation led by late-season acquisition Justin Verlander, who proved to be the difference, and Dallas Keuchel. And, oh yeah, Houston’s powerful offense led the majors in scoring last season. Good luck to their opponents.

3. Los Angeles Angels

The Angels will play host to The Great Experiment as Japanese sensation Shohei Ohtani tries to prove you can be a two-way player in the major leagues. Adjustments have to be made, by both player and team, to accommodate his plan to be both a starting pitcher and designated hitter on certain days when he’s not on the mound. Lost in all of this is that the Angels should be a very good team.

4. Tampa Bay Rays

It’s always difficult to tell if the Rays are coming or going while sending off some players (Longoria, Steven Souza, Jake Odorizzi, Corey Dickerson) and keeping others (Chris Archer). They are not afraid to think out of the box, however, and say they will open the season with a four-man rotation, augmented by a bullpen day when a fifth starter is needed. The Rays always tilt against windmills, playing in the rugged AL East.

5. Boston Red Sox

It’s always World Series or bust for the Red Sox, so their die-hard fans were not pleased when they won the division last year, only to be knocked out in the ALDS by Houston. Boston has one of the best young outfields in the majors in Andrew Benintendi, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Mookie Betts. And, after a winter-long courtship, J.D. Martinez was reeled in to provide some needed pop.