Strike Zone podcast: SI's Jonah Keri talks preseason power rankings
The 2016 regular season is almost here. But which teams are sitting pretty for this coming year, and which teams are going to be dwelling in the cellar?
On this week's edition of The Strike Zone podcast, new Sports Illustrated contributing baseball writer Jonah Keri joins Ted Keith and Stephen Cannella to talk about how baseball's best and worst stack up ahead of next week's SI debut of "The 30," his weekly in-depth power rankings. In particular, they discuss whether Yoenis Cespedes is a difference maker for the Mets, whether the Royals have done enough to stay atop the American League Central and repeat as World Series champs, why the AL Central teams could surprise in 2016, why he's high on the Braves' future and how he would fix the Rockies. Along the way, Jonah gives his thoughts on tanking, optimal team construction and how to build a roster to contend in both the present and the future.
Want more top-notch baseball talk delivered straight to you every week? Then subscribe to The Strike Zone podcast on iTunes, Stitcher and Soundcloud. Have any questions, comments or thoughts on the show? Reach out to Ted, Steve or producer Jon Tayler on Twitter.
4:00: How Jonah came up with and assembles "The 30"
9:20: What to expect from Cespedes, Mets in 2016?
12:25: Are the Royals the favorites for this season?
21:40: Which teams were the hardest to rank?
27:45: Which of baseball's five worst teams would you most/least like to be?
34:40: What's the best way to build a team from the bottom up?
49:40: Do all the Diamondbacks' moves make them contenders?
