Arizona Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks had a tough season to say the least. Although they did finish with a record above .500 at 82-80, they didn’t have the season they could’ve, as in 2017 they had 93 wins. We never realized how much they were dependent on J.D. Martinez until this season, although Taijuan Walker and Robbie Ray missed significant time, the hitting was less successful than thought, Jon Jay, Steven Souza Jr., and Jarrod Dyson all underperformed. I do think they’re poised for improvement next year, healthy Ray will help and an offseason full of contact and power bats will really help them.
Grade: C
Atlanta Braves
The Braves had an incredible season to say the least. We got to see a full season of Ozzie Albies, who underperformed from what we thought, but a great season from phenom Ronald Acuña Jr., on-base machine Nick Markakis, underrated rookie Johan Camargo, and offensive stud Freddie Freeman to name a few. They also saw decent to great seasons from flamethrower Mike Foltynewicz and rookie Sean Newcomb, along with veteran Aníbal Sánchez and deadline pick-up Kevin Gausman. Although they were dominated by the Dodgers, they saw a great season from the young guys, along with a division title.
Grade: A
Baltimore Orioles
After thinking they could compete last offseason (yikes), the Orioles finally decided to do what’s best and ship off all value, and they got a decent haul out of it, headlined by Yusniel Díaz. But some underperformances from Chris Davis, Kevin Gausman (until he was traded), Alex Cobb, Andrew Cashner, and Dylan Bundy. Then again these underperformances could be a blessing in disguise as they were gifted with the number 1 pick, but for 2018, we can say their expectations towered over what happened.
Grade: D
Boston Red Sox
This is a very easy one. They saw key performances from Mookie Betts, who clutched a MVP, ring, gold glove, silver slugger, and had a kid in the course of about 3 weeks (DAMN), J.D. Martinez also put up a near-MVP season, easily being the best DH in baseball. Not to mention Xander Bogaerts, World Series MVP Steve Pearce, Nathan Eovaldi, Chris Sale, David Price, you get the point. They had the perfect season and the best they could’ve.
Grade: A+
Chicago Cubs
Me and fellow Cubs fans were prepared for a very good 2018 season with a possible MVP season from Contreras which was predicted in April (yes, it’s true). They did have a very good season though, the rotation and bullpen held up a top 5 NL staff despite missing Yu Darvish most of the year and the Tyler Chatwood experiment flying off a cliff. Most of the rotation and bullpen had really good seasons. The hitting also did well, Javier Báez was a MVP candidate and guys like Kyle Schwarber improved, although Contreras, Ian Happ, and Albert Almora regressed. Hopefully, we’re due for a better 2019 season. Until then, we will deal with the Brewers fans for the rest of the offseason.
Grade: B+
Chicago White Sox
I did think the White Sox were bound for a progressing season, they had some good prospects like Reynaldo López, Lucas Giolito, and Yoán Moncada. However, Giolito and Moncada finished the season as some of the worst players in the league, but López showed some upside. Not saying these prospects will bust, but their seasons were disappointing, although I do think they’re bound for 2019 progression with power threat Eloy Jiménez coming up and guys looking bound for more progression, plus a possible Bryce Harper addition…?
Grade: D+
Cincinnati Reds
From the beginning, I think the Reds had an underrated season. With a big 3 in the hitting of Joey Votto, Scooter Gennett, and Eugenio Suárez complimented with José Peraza and very underrated rookie Jesse Winker. Those 5 alone is a very good hitting core, then you compliment it with the rotation, having a back 3 of David Hernandez, Jared Hughes, and Raisel Iglesias, which is very underrated, but their rotation really struggled, tank commander Homer Bailey and rookie Luis Castillo really struggled, although I believe with Castillo’s stuff he’s bound for progression, and maybe some for Bailey.
Grade: C
Cleveland Indians
The Indians had a decently well-rounded season. Their big 4 in the rotation (Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, Carlos Carrasco, and Mike Clevinger) did incredible, all being top 20 AL pitchers at the minimum. The hitting was led by MVP candidate José Ramírez, who was the perfect all-around MLB player last season, with backup of Francisco Lindor, Michael Brantley, Yonder Alonso, Edwin Encarnacion, Josh Donaldson, and Melky Cabrera. The bullpen really struggled though, as Brad Hand was really the biggest bright spot throughout the season, although they lost star catching prospect Francisco Mejía in the process. If they play the offseason right, I think they’ll have a good season next year.
Grade: B
Colorado Rockies
A lot of people, including me, had low hopes for the Rockies to make the postseason with how good of a season I thought the Diamondbacks were bound for and the emergence of the Brewers and Cardinals as contenders. Strange how karma works in my case huh. They had a great season from MVP candidate Nolan Arenado, backed up by stud hitters Trevor Story and Charlie Blackmon. The rotation really improved, headlined by star phenom Kyle Freeland, and the bullpen with Wade Davis and Seunghwan Oh. Overall their team was well-rounded and proved well enough to perform in the clutch.
Grade: B+
Detroit Tigers
Going into this season, the expectations for the Tigers were very low. They were just hoping for a top 3 pick, which they didn’t achieve, but they had some decent to good seasons from some of the hitters, including shaky third base prospect Jeimer Candelario and a breakout year from right fielder Nicholas Castellanos. The rotation was decent, Mike Fiers, before being traded, was good, Jordan Zimmermann rebounded somewhat, but Fulmer had a rough injury a little over mid season which stunted him. The bullpen also saw saw improvement with guys like Alex Wilson. Other than that, they played below expectations and very below average.
Grade: D
Houston Astros
After winning the World Series for the first time in the history of their franchise, the fans of the Astros were excited to see what would come next. For some parts of the team they got that, as Gerrit Cole rejuvenated his career and Justin Verlander had a near-Cy Young season. But for other aspects of the team they saw some negative slopes, as Carlos Correa had an injury-filled season and José Altuve underperformed after that big moolah extension. For what it was worth, most of the team saw decent seasons, and bright spots in Yordan Alvarez, Kyle Tucker, and Forrest Whitley will help rejuvenate this young roster.
Grade: A-
Kansas City Royals
Yikes, what a rough season for Royals fans. Feels so long ago with seeing that 1-2-3 punch in the bullpen of Wade Davis, Kelvin Herrera, and Greg Holland. This season was a rough one until they got some twinkles in the dark sky with Brett Phillips and Jorge López. To be fair, this was expected to happen, as Eric Hosmer and Lorenzo Cain wanted deals that were very high, and they saw regression in lots of guys. The good news is that the tank is in full command, and they still have an underrated piece in Whit Merrifield. The future could be bright, but it’s awhile away.
Grade: D-
Los Angeles Angels
Overall I feel like expectations for this Angels team significantly downgraded once midseason came. The expectations went from,”Hey, Mike Trout has a roster” to,”Well at least Trout has Ohtani”. To be fair the Angels did their best last offseason, but the regression monster was ruthless against them this season, and Cozart was out with surgery. Ohtani did win Rookie of the Year though and they had a solid rotation, decent bullpen, and showed he has legitimate upside in this league, definitely becoming a great future piece to have alongside Trout. This offseason is shaping up to be a good one for the fans, and I certainly hope it is.
Grade: C
Los Angeles Dodgers
I always felt like the Dodgers were underdogs this season. They saw regression with Cody Bellinger and some of the roster and looked outcompeted amongst the rest of the NL with teams like the Cubs and Brewers. Of course this wasn’t true, as they pulled the playoff experience card from their sleeve and did well enough on their way to the World Series. But having guys like Justin Turner and Corey Seager (especially) miss extensive stretches hurts, although Manny Machado acted as a large bandaid to that big wound. Not to mention the rotation and bullpen were both dominant this season, another thing that’s nearly essential to long-term success.
Grade: A
Miami Marlins
Making Derek Jeter, a man who’s had zero managerial experience, in charge of a rebuild is enough you need to know about this team. After shipping off the big 3 of the outfield and Dee Gordon, the Marlins weren’t really expecting much, likely a 100 loss season with hopefully a good season from Realmuto and Ureña. Both did good, and the emergence of a solid rookie in Brian Anderson was a benefit to this team. Lewis Brinson hopefully has some stuff still in the tank, and Realmuto will likely bring in another big piece for this team’s future.
Grade: D
Milwaukee Brewers
As a Cubs fan, it pains me to say this, but the Brewers had the perfect season in almost every way imagineable. They pulled off the biggest steal since Babe Ruth was traded to the Yankees when they got Christian Yelich, Cain and Aguilar progressed to become beasts, the bullpen was easily top 3 in the league, and they managed to come back and win the division after taking advantage of the Cubs’ hitting struggles down the stretch. Their biggest issue was the rotation, which didn’t have one consistent starter, yet they managed to take LA to 7 games in the NLCS with this struggle still occuring by the dominant bullpen. Without a doubt in my mind, they are very deserving of this grade.
Grade: A+
Minnesota Twins
Weird to think this team was a Wild Card team in 2017 and got better during the offseason. The regression monster swept through Minnesota leaving nothing behind, as guys like Jake Odorizzi, Logan Morrison, Ervin Santana, Byron Buxton, Max Kepler, etc. They did see a solid season from the bullpen, most of whom were shipped off for some small-time prospects at the deadline, and good seasons from hitters like Eduardo Escobar and Eddie Rosario. They look to be pursuing a full rebuild soon however, and this offseason could be a big one for them.
Grade: C-
New York Mets
After an offseason that gave them a decent bounty of players, such as Jay Bruce, Todd Frazier, and Anthony Swarzak. After the great start, everything seemed to go downhill, as they saw some big underperformances from most of the signings however, there were definitely some promises involving their season. Brandon Nimmo and Zack Wheeler had breakout seasons and Jacob deGrom had one of the best seasons out of any pitcher ever. It was definitely an up-and-down season for the team, and hopefully the direction heads north soon.
Grade: C
New York Yankees
Remember when everyone said this team would be unstoppable with the addition of Stanton? Good times. The Yankees did have a great season, with 100 wins as some of the pitching underperformed and was injured as well as some hitting holes and injuries to guys like Judge. The bullpen managed to stay very dominant and so did the hitting, as rookies Miguel Andújar and Gleyber Torres lit up the league. With a trade for Paxton already in the books, the Yankees look to have a very fruitful offseason.
Grade: B+
Oakland Athletics
What a season from this team. Like the Brewers, almost everything went perfect for them, although they were expected to be much worse than Milwaukee. They finished the season as a top team in the AL, with easily one of if not the best bullpen in baseball, headlined by star closer Blake Treinen. They also saw a breakout season from deadly third baseman Matt Chapman and a progressing season from guys like Jed Lowrie and Khris Davis and a promising season from excellent starter Sean Manaea.
Grade: A+
Philadelphia Phillies
Although they saw regression in the second half, they definitely had a progressing season from what was thought to be. The free agent signings of Jake Arrieta and Carlos Santana worked out very well for the most part, and Aaron Nola saw a very progressive season. The one con with them is the bullpen lacked a ton of depth and the hitting was inconsistent, something that they’re hoping to fix this year in free agency with a potential addition of Bryce Harper or Manny Machado.
Grade: B
Pittsburgh Pirates
After trading off their best assets in Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole, the Pirates were expected to have a 90 loss season or so. Instead, almost the opposite happened, one could argue that they got better from their 2017 season. Most of their rotation pitched very well, arguably shutting down some heavy rosters, and they had bullpen threats of guys like Felipe Vázquez, Keone Kela, and Kyle Crick, as well as some solid lineup pieces like Starling Marte and Francisco Cervelli. I think that if they improve the power in their lineup, they will have a better roster.
Grade: A-
San Diego Padres
The Padres had an uneventful season. As their fans tap their feet on the ground waiting for the tanks to be decommissioned, they witness the “lame duck” years. Although they did see forward movement in guys like Kirby Yates and Craig Stammen, they developed into trade pieces more than future pieces. Eric Hosmer fell off a cliff, giving concern into his megadeal, but I think this team will be ready in 2 years, until then they will have to witness some big offseasons.
Grade: C
San Francisco Giants
The offseason hype for this team was huge. After trading for McCutchen from Pittsburgh and Evan Longoria from the Rays, the expectations were almost playoff level with this team. That’s not how it went however, as Longoria and Cutch both underperformed on that roster, and injuries to Bumgarner, Samardzija, and Cueto throughout the long-term hurt them as well. They did see progression with their bullpen acquistions and had one of the most underrated bullpens in baseball, and some rookies like Dereck Rodríguez saw good forward progression, but until then they have some issue with the roster.
Grade: C-
Seattle Mariners
This year for the Mariners was a forward moving year however, yet again, they barely missed the playoffs. I wouldn’t say this is their fault, as the Athletics were heavily building a roster at the deadline while they were left in the dust. Despite rebuilding now, the infield was good with Cano, Segura, and Kyle Seager while they also had a some depth pieces in the outfield with Denard Span and Mitch Haniger. James Paxton, Marco Gonzales, and Wade LeBlanc pitched very well while bullpen depth pieces Edwin Diaz and Alex Colomé helped them out a lot. Hopefully they can return to form for 2 years, until then they will be in a big rebuild phase.
Grade: B
St. Louis Cardinals
After having a fruitful offseason highlighted trading for Marcell Ozuna and signing Greg Holland, I knew the Cardinals would pose a big threat to the Cubs, and although I was wrong for the first half of the season, they got a lot better in the second half after firing Matheny, seeing Matt Carpenter and rookie Jack Flaherty highlight a depth filled roster that shows this team will always be in the weeds and if you’re not careful they will pounce.
Grade: B-
Tampa Bay Rays
After dealing their big hitting piece in Longoria to the Giants, the Rays were expected to be mediocre at best this season however, that’s the exact opposite of how it went. They saw big progression in some hitters like Mallex Smith and C.J. Cron and big pitching porgression in 2019 Cy Young winner Blake Snell, this team appears to be close to contention with a loaded farm and decently young roster. We’ll have to see what they do in the offseason, but it looks to be fruitful.
Grade: A
Texas Rangers
The Rangers had the season they were expected to, mediocre and still in the middle stages of their rebuild with a decent farm. They saw little progression with the roster itself, they were able to get some production out of their signing in Jesse Chavez and their 2012 pick Keone Kela, both of whom were traded at the deadline to the NL Central, but they got to see Joey Gallo mash with a low average and a rebounding season from Shin-Soo Choo. Until they are good, the fans will have to wait out a long rebuild.
Grade: D+
Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays did make some slept on moves in the offseason including trading for Padres third baseman Yangervis Solarte and signing past good reliver Seunghwan Oh. However, these moves didn’t lead to anything special, as the Blue Jays saw a big injury with Josh Donaldson so their hitting was still inconsistent and the pitching and bullpen underperformed except for Oh, who was great and was able to be traded to the Rockies at the deadline. Until they are good again, they will have to face a rebuild.
Grade: C-
Washington Nationals
It was a sad season for the Nats in Washington. After appearing to get better in the offseason, that’s the exact opposite of what happened. Daniel Murphy had an injury prone stretch and, despite being an all-star, Bryce Harper had a very down first half, hitting in the low 200s average wise. Although things appear to be down in Washington, Juan Soto and Victor Robles appear to be big future pieces for them and their offseason is appearing to be big.
Grade: C-
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