Fresh off winning the World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers placed first in MLB.com’s initial power rankings for the 2021 season. The rest of the top five is comprised of the San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves and Minnesota Twins.
Even with seven players reaching free agency, the Dodgers will return the majority of their championship core next season. It’s a group that includes Mookie Betts, Cody Bellinger, Corey Seager, Clayton Kershaw and Max Muncy, among others.
In terms of newcomers, the Dodgers have brought in the likes of Corey Knebel, Brandon Morrow and Garrett Cleavinger to bolster the bullpen. L.A. is said to be in search of another high-leverage reliever and have been connected to Liam Hendriks and Brad Hand.
Another top priority for the Dodgers this offseason is adding a right-handed bat, which could be of greater need if one or both of Justin Turner and Kiké Hernandez sign elsewhere.
Thus far, the club has been mentioned as a possible landing spot for Nolan Arenado, in addition to reportedly remaining in contact with DJ LeMahieu.
The Padres, after finishing with the second-best record in the National League a year ago, rose to the No. 2 spot in MLB.com’s 2021 power rankings. Looking to close the gap on the Dodgers, they recently added a pair of aces in Blake Snell and Yu Darvish to their starting rotation.
The Yankees, with the No. 3 spot in MLB.com’s 2021 power rankings, have yet to make a notable move this offseason, but remain the favorites to re-sign LeMahieu. The Braves, meanwhile, were one of the more aggressive teams at the start of the offseason, signing Charlie Morton and Drew Smyly.
As for the Twins, they have also been quiet outside of adding former L.A. Angels closer Hansel Robles to their bullpen. However, they are believed to be one of the primary suitors in signing Hernandez away from the Dodgers.
Dodgers remain ahead of Padres in 2021 World Series odds
The Padres have been deemed the early winner of the offseason, but it’s the Dodgers who remain the favorite in 2021 World Series odds. The Yankees have similar odds to L.A. and San Diego, then there’s a significant drop off to the Braves.
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