Reloaded Yankees set to topple Red Sox
After winning 108 games and their fourth World Series title in 15 years, you might assume the Red Sox would be the clear favorite again heading into the 2019 season.
Alas, that’s not how life goes in the American League East.
Victimized in an AL Division Series by their biggest rivals after a 100-win season of their own, the Yankees went out and dramatically improved this winter. In their quest for a 28th championship, the Yankees traded for starter James Paxton, added three-time Gold Glove winner and 2016 batting champion DJ LeMahieu to the infield mix and bolstered the already-dominant bullpen with the signing of Adam Ottavino.
Meanwhile, Boston largely stood pat. The club retained the services of World Series heroes Nathan Eovaldi and Steve Pearce, but the Red Sox haven’t (yet) brought back closer Craig Kimbrel and it’s unlikely the team’s opening-day roster will have a new player.
The next six months will tell if the Yankees can claim their first division title since 2012, but New York starts the 2019 season atop the USA TODAY power rankings, as voted on by a panel of eight writers and editors.
1. Yankees: Managed to make the bullpen even stronger with the Ottavino signing.
2. Astros: Added even more depth in the offseason, and their top prospects are on the way.
3. Red Sox: Will they regret not being more active this winter?
4. Dodgers: Six consecutive National League West titles and still nothing to show for it.
5. Phillies: “Trust the Process” seems to also have been applied to the city’s baseball team.
6 (tie). Nationals: Expect to get tired of hearing “Are they better without Bryce Harper?”
6 (tie). Indians: Corey Kluber is still here, and their title window is still open.
8. Cardinals: Just how good will Paul Goldschmidt be in his contract year?
9. Braves: It’s going to be pretty tough to repeat as NL East champs.
10. Brewers: What will Christian Yelich do for an encore?
11. Cubs: Joe Maddon’s contract year should be an interesting one.
12. Rays: Tommy Pham hit .343 with a 1.071 OPS after a trade from St. Louis.
13. Rockies: With Nolan Arenado extended, there’s no cloud hanging over the team.
14. Athletics: Top prospect Jesus Luzardo could be the rotation’s savior.
15. Mets: Per usual, hopes hinge on the health of the pitchers.
16. Twins: Quietly got a lot better this winter.
17. Pirates: Starling Marte set a career high with 20 home runs last season.
18. Angels: Worth keeping an eye on how they handle rehabbing Shohei Ohtani.
19. Padres: Manny Machado is here, and Fernando Tatis Jr. shouldn’t be far behind.
20. Reds: This team is vastly improved and could be a lot of fun.
21. Diamondbacks: Robbie Ray found his groove after a rough first half (5.03 ERA).
22. Mariners: A lot of high-priced veterans for a team in full rebuild mode.
23. Blue Jays: Counting down the days until Vladimir Guerrero Jr. makes his debut.
24. Giants: Madison Bumgarner is hoping to avoid another freak injury.
25. White Sox: This is a crucial year for Yoan Moncada after an ugly 2018 (217 strikeouts).
26. Rangers: Joey Gallo vs. the Mendoza Line is one of MLB’s most fascinating subplots.
27. Tigers: Miguel Cabrera has 465 homers; will he get to 500 this year?
28. Royals: If you really like stolen bases, keep an eye on this team.
29. Marlins: 2018 wasn’t as bad as expected, but this year could be quite terrible.
30. Orioles: Their only goal this season is to not lose 120 games.
Corrections & Clarifications
The upcoming schedule of games for the English Premier League were misidentified in the soccer league standings in Monday’s edition. The games will be played March 30-31.