MLB

The following was inspired by the 2012 Miami Marlins:

The team was stacked, and I mean STACKED, with talent, and yet ended up worse than expected by a large margin. Baseball writers and analysts across the nation hemmed and hawed at how good the Marlins were going to be last season – even before they took the field for their first spring training game. 
 
It’s a sin that all humans are guilty of: judging a book by its cover. But when it comes to sports, fans couldn’t be more disappointed with the self-proclaimed “Super Teams” in respective leagues basically not living up to expectations (see 2012-13 Los Angeles Lakers, 2011 Philadelphia Eagles or Michigan’s Fab Five). The new and improved Marlins team from last season was just that. One look at their lineup and you thought they at least had their division locked up.

So without further ado, I present this season’s best teams from the MLB – based purely on the names (and those names’ respective past histories) on their lineups. If that’s unclear, take a quick look at the 2012 Marlins roster and know it was team that finished 69-93. 

1. Toronto Blue Jays

Starting Lineup: Jose Reyes, SS; Melky Cabrera, LF; Jose Bautista, RF; Edwin Encarnacion, DH; Colby Rasmus, CF; Brett Lawrie, 3B; Adam Lind, 1B; J.P. Arencibia, C; Emilio Bonifacio, 2B
Rotation: R.A. Dickey, SP; Brandon Morrow, SP; Mark Buehrle, SP; Josh Johnson, SP; Ricky Romero, SP
Bullpen: Casey Janssen, RP; Sergio Santos, RP; Kyle Drabek, SP; J.A. Happ, SP; Darren Oliver, RP

I won’t lie to you, the Jays are top on this list because they have four stars from that Marlins team in their starting lineup (Reyes, Bonifacio, Johnson, Buehrle). Oh, and they also acquired Cy Young-winner Dickey and one of the best players for the first half of last season in Cabrera. Add to that one of the top home-run hitters in Bautista and you get a squad that baseball experts are picking to win the always-tough AL East division this year. Personally, I don’t see it happening.

2. Los Angeles Dodgers

Lineup: Hanley Ramirez, SS; Carl Crawford, LF; Matt Kemp, CF; Adrian Gonzalez, 1B; Andre; Ethier, RF; Mark Ellis, 2B; Luis Cruz, 3B; A.J. Ellis, C
Rotation: Clayton Kershaw, SP; Zack Greinke, SP; Josh Beckett, SP; Aaron Harang, SP; Chad Billingsley, SP
Bullpen: Kenley Jansen, RP; Brandon League, RP; Ted Lilly, SP; J.P. Howell, RP

With basically the same team as last season, the Dodgers are poised to contend for a title again. They barely missed the playoffs last season; however, they added former Cy Young-winner Greinke to the top of their rotation this offseason. Kemp, Gonzalez and Ramirez are all in the top five of their respective positions. Also, don’t forget about Kershaw, who is one of the best young pitchers in the game. 

3. New York Yankees

Lineup: Ichiro Suzuki, RF; Derek Jeter, SS; Robinson Cano, 2B; Mark Teixeira, 1B; Curtis Granderson, CF; Kevin Youkilis, 3B; Travis Hafner, DH; Juan Rivera, RF; Chris Stewart, C
Rotation: CC Sabathia, SP; Hiroki Kuroda, SP; Andy Pettitte, SP; Michael Pineda, SP; Phil Hughes, SP
Bullpen: Mariano Rivera, RP; Ivan Nova, SP; Joba Chamberlain, RP; David Robertson, RP

Let’s face it, the Yankees would make this list every year. They repeatedly attract big free agents every offseason and trade prospects during the regular season. Last season, they acquired Ichiro and Youkilis halfway through, adding to All-Stars Teixeira, Granderson, Cano and Jeter. With the best reliever in the MLB (and possibly ever) in Rivera and a great rotation headed by Sabathia, the Bronx Bombers will look to prove to the world that their strategy of getting the best players in the league will pay off.

4. Boston Red Sox

Lineup: Jacoby Ellsbury, CF; Dustin Pedroia, 2B; David Ortiz, DH; Mike Napoli, 1B; Shane Victorino, LF; Will Middlebrooks, 3B; Stephen Drew, SS; Jonny Gomes, RF; Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
Rotation: Jon Lester, SP; Clay Buchholz, SP; Ryan Dempster, SP; Felix Doubront, SP John Lackey, SP
Bullpen: Joel Hanrahan, RP; Koji Uehara, RP; Andrew Bailey, RP; Daniel Bard, RP; Alfredo Aceves, RP

The biggest additions to the Red Sox roster for this season come in the form of relief pitchers. Hanrahan, Uehara and Bailey will anchor a bullpen that has been lacking in talent of late. Still, though, the Red Sox showed last season that star power does not amount to wins.

5. Los Angeles Angels

Lineup: Mike Trout, CF; Erick Aybar, SS; Albert Pujols, 1B; Josh Hamilton, RF; Mark Trumbo, DH; Howie Kendrick, 2B; Alberto Callaspo, 3B; Chris Iannetta, C; Peter Bourjos, LF
Rotation: Jered Weaver, SP; C.J. Wilson, SP; Joe Blanton, SP; Jason Vargas, SP; Tommy Hanson, SP
Bullpen: Ryan Madson, RP; Ernesto Frieri, RP; Scott Downs, RP; Sean Burnett, RP

The Angels had one of the most stacked lineups last season after they signed Pujols – and that was before they added MVP Josh Hamilton to the mix. Trout, the best player in the league last season not named Miguel Cabrera, hitting in front of Pujols and Hamilton, might be the scariest experience for pitchers ever in the MLB since the days of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in 1927.

No one knows how any of these teams will finish their regular season in 2013. But I can assure you one thing: They are all stacked this year. Each team has a dream team lineup that every franchise strives for. However, the World Series-winning Giants in 2012 only had one “great” player in its lineup and still came out on top.

Since I’m not in the business, I don’t know the true recipe for success and wins in the MLB. But the lineups listed above sure as heck should be a main ingredient.