FanPost

My Favourite MLB Teams, First to Last

I know I'm late, but this is my response to this post. I've been lurking here for the past few months, and this is my first post.

I haven't been watching baseball for very long, so this list is probably more subject to change than a lot of other people's. I'll include an "Outlook" with each team, predicting future movement up or down my list.

  1. Toronto Blue Jays: I grew up watching a lot of hockey, especially the Leafs and the Kitchener Rangers, our local major-junior team. In my mid-teens I kind of lost interest and didn't watch any sports seriously for a few years. Then, in the late summer of 2015, when the Blue Jays started winning, I started watching along with everyone else. I'd never watched much baseball, but watching those games that summer and fall, I realized that I really enjoyed the sport. So not only are they my local team, the Blue Jays introduced me to baseball. I know it might be a few years before I stop looking like I'm just on the bandwagon, but that's OK. I'm still going to watch as many Jays games as I can. Outlook: Not going anywhere.
  2. Pittsburgh Pirates: About five years ago, my family went on vacation to Pittsburgh, and I really liked the city. Downtown, the tall buildings make it feel like a large city, but looking down into the valley from Mount Washington, it looks small. The bridges and the three rivers were pretty cool, too. We went to a Pirates-Phillies game while we were there, but I don't remember it too well. The Bucs are also helped by proximity to southern Ontario and the number of Jays who used to play for them. Outlook: Well they're not moving any higher.
  3. Washington Nationals: At the end of twelfth grade, my history class took a field trip to Washington. Washington, like Pittsburgh, was a city I really enjoyed seeing, and Nationals Park was fairly nice, as I remember it. Unfortunately, the game we saw was rained out after the seventh inning. Outlook: They'll probably slide at some point, but more through other teams moving up than the Nats doing anything wrong.
  4. New York Mets: A large part of this probably comes from sympathy with them, after watching KC beat them in the 2015 World Series. That was the first World Series that I'd really watched, and the Royals were clearly the bad guys, leaving the Mets to be the good guys. Also, I think their logo (the one with the word "Mets") is the best logo in North American pro sports. Outlook: Same as the Nats, they'll probably drop at some point.
  5. Houston Astros: Here's another orange and blue team with a great logo. I like the short left-field in Minute Maid Park (at least as long as we've got right-handed power) but I don't know who thought the hill in centre-field was a good idea. I can't really explain why they're this high. Before I compiled this list, I couldn't have told you they were my second-favourite American League team. They're mostly just here by default, although I guess it might come from them playing KC in the 2015 playoffs, like with the Mets. Outlook: They're looking pretty good this year, and if they go far, they'll probably move down. Especially if we meet in the playoffs.
  6. Detroit Tigers: If not for the Tigers falling out of Wild Card contention on the last day of the season last year, they wouldn't be this high, but as it is, I like the city, and they get a bonus for being close, too. And, Devon Travis. Outlook: They probably won't go too far up or down.
  7. Chicago White Sox: The next ten teams or so aren't separated by a whole lot, but the rules said I had to rank them, so here you go. Chicago's an awesome city, and the White Sox are the underdog Chicago team (now, anyway). Outlook: After moving Sale and Eaton, they should hypothetically be an easier team to play, which should help them up a bit. It would also be nice if they didn't sweep a series against us this year.
  8. Chicago Cubs: The 2016 World Series was awesome, all around. Like the Royals the year before, the Indians were the bad guys after beating the Jays out, so the Cubs became the good guys. Watching Chapman pitch in Game 6 for some reason, the David Ross homerun, Kris Bryant's face on the last play, and the curse being broken, it was great. Outlook: Now that they've won the World Series, the Cubs are just another rich big-market team. They'll be moving down the list, no doubt.
  9. Oakland Athletics: Between Josh Donaldson, Moneyball (the book and, to a lesser extent, the movie), having an elephant logo, and cool uniforms (the green ones, anyway), they would be higher, except for the Coliseum. Sewage in the clubhouse? Really? Outlook: If they move—whether within Oakland, or to Sacramento, San Jose, Portland, or wherever else—they should move up.
  10. San Diego Padres: I haven't been to San Diego, but it seems like a really nice place, and Petco Park in particular seems pretty nice. As for Upton… I'm glad we're not paying his salary. I'll be interested to see what he does this year. It's too bad they made everyone wear those awful jerseys at the Homerun Derby. Outlook: Considering how little Toronto and San Diego play, I don't anticipate a lot of change.
  11. San Francisco Giants: The Giants are here primarily because of AT&T Park, another place I haven't been but really want to go. Bumgarner and Posey are also pretty great. Outlook: I have no reason to expect them to drop. I'm a university student and I'm hoping to do a co-op term in the Bay Area at some point. If I go to a game, that will likely move the Giants higher up this list (as with the Pirates and Nationals).
  12. New York Yankees: I realize I have the Yankees much higher than most Jays fans will. They haven't done too much to get on my nerves yet, but then, we've finished ahead of them the last two years, too. Outlook: There's no way this is sustainable. If Gary Sanchez isn't just a fluke, he may single-handedly push the Yanks down my list.
  13. Minnesota Twins: I don't really have anything to say about the Twins. We had a stop-over in Minnesota during a flight to Phoenix when I was four… That's all I've got. Outlook: We'll have to see what happens once I've actually formed an opinion about them.
  14. Cincinnati Reds: My family spent a night in Cincinnati on a road trip six years ago. I think Pete Rose should be un-banned. In my mind, steroid use is a lot worse than gambling. Then again, he doesn't come across as apologetic, or even nice. Outlook: I have yet to form any proper opinion.
  15. Saint Louis Cardinals: I've never been to Saint Louis. Outlook: Again, I have no opinion of them yet.
  16. Los Angeles Dodgers: I don't love the attitude of buying the best team you can. Still, I don't have a strong opinion one way or the other on them. Outlook: If spending wins them a World Series, I'll like them less.
  17. Seattle Mariners: It is cool that so many Blue Jays fans show up to games in Seattle, but I don't think of that as a reflection on the Mariners. Outlook: Meh. They might be pushed up or down by other teams moving, but I don't expect much change.
  18. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: What a mouthful. Anyway, you can't argue with Mike Trout, but evidently one guy can't make a team good. They'd better get it together while he's still around. Outlook: Same as Seattle, I'm not forecasting much change.
  19. Atlanta Braves: Personally, I don't think the name is offensive, certainly not as bad as the Indians or the Redskins, but I'm only one-sixteenth Native. Anyway, the Braves don't do anything for me, but they also don't bother me that much. Outlook: Once again, not expecting much change.
  20. Philadelphia Phillies: The Phillies were the away team when I was in Pittsburgh and when I was in Washington. Given that I've watched so few Phillies games, that's probably keeping them a bit low. Outlook: I like Michael Saunders. They might move up.
  21. Colorado Rockies: Points for Troy Tulowitzki, and for Nolan Arenado's bats. The fountain and trees in the outfield are neat, and it was impressive how quick they cleaned up Coors Field after the hail when Toronto was there this summer. Outlook: I don't have anything negative to say about them. They'll probably make their way up a bit.
  22. Cleveland Indians: Bad name. Worse logo. Plus they beat us out of the playoffs and signed Encarnación. Still, they don't have any individual players that bother me (besides when they're playing the Jays) and I do hope Encarnación does alright. Outlook: Cleveland will probably move down while they and the Jays are both competing, but long-term I anticipate they'll move back up some.
  23. Miami Marlins: I don't know too much about the owner, Jeffrey Loria, but he doesn't seem like a great guy. Also, the cartoonish jerseys are awful. One redeeming point: it was pretty cool watching Giancarlo Stanton at the homerun derby this year. Outlook: I'll probably find other teams to dislike more.
  24. Arizona Diamondbacks: A similar case to Miami. I don't know a whole lot about their scheme to get a new stadium, but it rubs me the wrong way. They also have terrible jerseys, and I don't know why they need so many logos. Outlook: Same as Miami. They'll probably be displaced.
  25. Milwaukee Brewers: Marco Estrada: he's good. They have one of the best logos in baseball, but use it as an alternate. Also, I don't drink. Outlook: Chances are they'll be pushed up slowly, too.
  26. Tampa Bay Rays: The Rays aren't supposed to be good, and yet they always give the Jays trouble. Also, the Trop just looks terrible. That weird roof, and the dark blotches on the grass. Outlook: If they move up, it won't be very far.
  27. Kansas City Royals: The whole 2015 ALCS. I don't think I need to go into details about that. Outlook: They seem to be about to rebuild; if they completely turn the roster over, and are bad for a couple years, I might like them better.
  28. Baltimore Orioles: They're division rivals, and Davis, Trumbo, and Machado are particularly annoying. Particularly when they say things like this. Then there's Buck Showalter, who really gets on my nerves as well. Outlook: I think they'll be in the bottom three for quite a while.
  29. Boston Red Sox: The best thing the Red Sox have going for them is that Pedroia hasn't punched Bautista (yet). I haven't been there, but Fenway Park looks terrible on TV, and the roster looks even scarier this year than it did last year. Outlook: I wouldn't be surprised if Boston was my least favourite team by the end of the year.
  30. Texas Rangers: I'm not going to repeat everything that's happened between Toronto and Texas over the past two years, but all of it is made worse by the fact that there are Rangers fans who think punching Bautista was a good idea. Outlook: This is going to depend on what happens when we play the Rangers next and what Boston does this year. Like I said above, there's a fair chance of Boston replacing Texas at the bottom.

Editor's Note: This is a FanPost written by a reader and member of Bluebird Banter. It was not commissioned by the editors and is not necessarily reflective of the opinions of Bluebird Banter or SB Nation.