Ranking the MLB divisions from toughest to easiest

It’s a general fact of life in Major League Baseball that some teams simply have more difficult roads to the postseason than others do. In 2016, the American League East produced three playoff teams and a fourth with a record over .500, while the Chicago Cubs won the National League Central by 17.5 games and had competition from only one other team over the .500 mark. Being in a weak division can give you something of an easier pass to the postseason, while a tough, competitive group can really toughen you up and give you a harder road to October.

With that in mind, we’ve ranked MLB’s six divisions from toughest to easiest entering the 2017 season.

1) American League East

There may have been an exception or two, but in general, the AL East would top this list going back a decade. Once upon a time, this was just the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. The Yankees have fallen from grace slightly, but everyone else has risen. This is the only division in baseball in which every team in it has made at least one postseason appearance since the start of 2012.

In 2017, at least three, and probably four teams can dream of October. The Red Sox have made the moves to cement their stranglehold on the division by adding Chris Sale to the equation, and it’s not far-fetched to think David Price will be a bit more comfortable in his second year in Boston. Sure, they’ll miss David Ortiz, but they’ll still have enough offense to make the playoffs.

The Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, and New York Yankees are in the picture, too. The Jays have lost players, but still have a powerful offense and improving pitching staff. The Orioles return many of the same players that won them 89 games in 2016. The Yankees can make noise if they get enough improvement from their younger players, too. Even the Rays are no pushovers; they’re likely the worst team in the division, but in other divisions, they could easily wind up a .500 team. Every game here will be a battle, and the winner will have earned it.

2) American League West

There’s a bit of depth to the AL West that makes it tougher than it looks on the surface. A big part of that is the fact that I’m expecting a better showing from the Houston Astros in 2017, who will push the Texas Rangers; the Seattle Mariners may be a bit overrated, but they remain a factor that could bother the top teams.

Remember, only two divisions had three teams with records above .500 — this one and the AL East.

The bottom of the division leaves a bit to desire, but even the Los Angeles Angels can offer Mike Trout. The Angels aren’t a good team, but as long as they have the best player in baseball on the roster, they can pose problems for anyone they play.

3) National League West

Home to the classic Dodgers-Giants rivalry, expect to see those two teams battling it out again for the division crown. Both are, at least in theory, good enough to contend for the World Series, which already makes this a division to watch. While these are probably the only two legitimate playoff contenders housed here, there are some interesting teams near the bottom, too.

The Colorado Rockies have made moves to improve, and even if we’re not talking playoffs yet, it’s easy to see them posing more of a challenge to their division rivals. The Arizona Diamondbacks will be healthier with A.J. Pollock back, and if a few players improve there — Zack Greinke and Shelby Miller come to mind — they can build on their 69 wins as well.

The San Diego Padres don’t exactly figure into the equation here, as they’re expecting to be among the worst teams in the league, if not the worst.

4) National League Central

The Chicago Cubs are here, and that’s enough to make anyone take notice. The rest of the division has fallen off significantly from where it was even two seasons ago.

The St. Louis Cardinals are trending in the wrong direction, as are the Pittsburgh Pirates. Neither is well-equipped to challenge Chicago for division supremacy, with the Pirates in particular having a player in their ranks who are at least a little bit disgruntled and disillusioned.

The other thing working against the NL Central is the fact that the bottom of the division is transparently in rebuilding mode. The Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds are works in progress, and they make no secret of it.

The NL Central is a very top-heavy division that stands a good chance of producing only one playoff team, just as it did in 2016. Of course, the division’s strength gets a slight boost when the top team is a World Series winner, as the Cubs were a season ago.

5) American League Central

The AL Central has long been one of baseball’s shallower divisions, and it remains hard to figure out in 2017.

The Cleveland Indians are the obvious standout here, and they’ve brought in Edwin Encarnacion to make themselves even stronger. Two teams beneath them are at least intriguing. The Detroit Tigers were in contention to the final day of the season in 2016, but their pitching staff needs to hold up and they’re ultimately a very top-heavy team whose best days may be behind them. The Kansas City Royals came back to earth, too, and they simply haven’t been able to make a lot of additions. To make matters worse, the tragic death of Yordano Ventura has unquestionably shaken the organization to the core. And while it’s a minor concern in comparison to the loss of a teammate, the reality is Ventura was a good pitcher, and replacing him won’t be easy.

The Minnesota Twins are the wildcard here. They were the worst team in baseball in 2016, and even now, it’s hard to figure out what to make of them. There’s a lot of young talent there that could theoretically improve. The Chicago White Sox, meanwhile, are in a full-scale rebuild; while their moves set them up fantastically for the future, 2017 won’t be a good year for them.

It’s hard to see anyone seriously challenging Cleveland anyway.

6) National League East

It seems hard to believe that a division which boasted two playoff teams in 2016 would be ranked the worst in baseball, but that’s what we have here.

The Washington Nationals and New York Mets are very good, and both could make it to October again. In fact, both could make some serious noise when the playoffs come around if they are able to get there.

So what’s the difference between this and the AL Central and other divisions? Get past those two and there is absolutely nothing.

The Miami Marlins are still reeling from Jose Fernandez’s tragic death and simply don’t have the talent to contend in 2017. The Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies are both rebuilding.

Washington and New York will, more or less, be able to beat up on everyone else and do real battle when they face each other. There’s simply no depth in the NL East. The Mets and Nationals will be worth watching, but they won’t be challenged by anyone but each other.