Major League Baseball Preview
MLB Power Ratings
By Greg Washington

1. Boston Red Sox: J.D. Drew will bat behind Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz. Added Daisuke Matsuzaka and John Papelbon to the rotation.

2. Minnesota Twins: Losing Liriano hurts, but they've still got MVP Morneau, batting champ Mauer and Cy Young winner Santana.

3. New York Yankees: Got younger by trading Randy Johnson and Gary Sheffield, but drama remains with A-Rod, Jeter and Torre.

4. New York Mets: Maintained a potent lineup, but how far can ageless wonders Tom Glavine and Orlando Hernandez carry them?

5. Cleveland Indians: The team to watch in '07 solidified their bullpen and added Josh Barfield to an already strong lineup.

6. Detroit Tigers: With the addition of Gary Sheffield, Jim Leyland has the offense and pitching to repeat last year's World Series run.

7. Los Angeles Dodgers: Juan Pierre brings speed to the top of the lineup, and Jason Schmidt and Randy Wolf strengthen the rotation.

8. Chicago White Sox: One year removed from a World Series victory, the White Sox are loaded offensively and have the arms to contend.

9. San Diego Padres: Added savvy vets Greg Maddux and David Wells to an already strong pitching corps, but lack a clear leadoff man.

10. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: Overpaid for Gary Matthews, Jr., but need a healthy Vladimir Guerrero more than anything.

11. Toronto Blue Jays: Need more pitching consistency although the addition of Frank Thomas could vault the Jays into the postseason.

12. Philadelphia Phillies: With a powerful lineup and improved starting rotation could compete for a Wild Card or, gulp, the division.

13. St. Louis Cardinals: Three-fifths of the starting rotation departed and it remains to be seen if Scott Rolen and Tony LaRussa can coexist.

14. Chicago Cubs: The Cubs could stage a dramatic turnaround with the additions of Alfonso Soriano and manager Lou Piniella.

15. Oakland Athletics: After losing Barry Zito and Frank Thomas, the A's will go as far as injury-prone Rich Harden can take them.

16. Arizona Diamondbacks: A deep rotation and collection of young, skilled position players put the D'Backs in a position to surprise.

17. Milwaukee Brewers: If Ben Sheets can stay healthy, the sky is the limit for Bill Hall, Prince Fielder and company.

18. Texas Rangers: Quietly amassing a nice set of young pitching, but need Mark Teixeira to return to his 2005 form.

19. Atlanta Braves: Fixed a leaky bullpen through trades and Bobby Cox always seems to find a way to contend.

20. Houston Astros: Filled their biggest need by signing Carlos Lee, but not much pitching behind Roy Oswalt and Jason Jennings.

21. Pittsburgh Pirates: Adam LaRoche will provide much needed power from the left side, but is it enough for the Bucs to contend?

22. Seattle Mariners: In a weak A.L. West, the Mariners could compete with their deep rotation - and Ichiro an impending free agent.

23. Florida Marlins: Possess a strong set of young starters, but need to avoid injuries in order to build consistency on the field.

24. Cincinnati Reds: After contending last season, made only minor changes and are thinking of moving Ken Griffey, Jr. to right field.

25. San Francisco Giants: Signed Barry Zito, but can't hide from the lack of homegrown talent as they teeter on the edge of rebuilding.

26. Baltimore Orioles: Expect the O's consecutive losing season streak to reach 10 despite spending nearly 42 million to revamp their bullpen.

27. Colorado Rockies: With a weak rotation and unproven top of the lineup, the Rockies will struggle in a strong N.L. West.

28. Kansas City Royals: Signed Gil Meche to address MLB's league high 5.65 ERA, but keep your eyes on mega-prospect Alex Gordon.

29. Tampa Bay Devil Rays: Not much pitching besides Scott Kazmir and counting on youngsters Delmon Young and B.J. Upton to produce.

30. Washington Nationals: The lack of pitching should make this a long, long season for manager Manny Acta.