RealGM

Like the NBA version, we asked our MLB experts, Jim Bowden, Keith Law and Buster Olney, to rank all 30 franchises, from 1 to 30, in five categories. But because MLB organizations are run a bit differently than NBA clubs (and the leagues operate under different rules), the categories are different. For MLB they are:

• Majors: Quality of current big league roster

• Minors: Quality and quantity of prospects in their farm system

• Finances: How much money do they have available to spend?

• Management: Value and stability of ownership, front office and coaching staff

• Mobility: Do they have a lot of young, cheap players? Or old, immovable guys?

The average of the panelists' scores for each category are visible in the bar graphs for each team and are rounded to the nearest integer.

To come up with an overall score, we weighted the categories based on importance.

Major and minor league quality are given the most weight, finances and smarts are given 2/3 the weight, and mobility is given 1/3 the weight. So, for example, if everyone voted your team first in majors and minors, it would be worth 30 points, for finances and management that would be worth 20 points, and for mobility it would be 10.

The final scores are given on a scale from 0 to 100, representing a team's percentage of total possible points.

The scores and rankings are designed to reflect how well these clubs are set up for sustained success over the next five years.

Schadenfreude wrote:Daresay we could crack the top 10.

Parataxis wrote:

Schadenfreude wrote:Daresay we could crack the top 10.

With those categories, absolutely. Especially if they evaluate how much money we are able to spend, not how much we're willing to spend.

#6 Toronto Blue Jays
LAST SEASON: 81-81 (fourth place AL East)

Toronto was given a score of 69.3/100

18/30 for Major league roster
29/30 for Farm system
17/30 for Finances
19/30 for Management (This included President and owners so sadly it looks like some people agree with the Rogers haters on this board)
19/30 for Mobility - I do not get this one because which contracts are bad?

The lowdown

In any other division, Toronto probably would have made the playoffs a couple of times over the past decade, and no team will benefit from the extra wild card as much as the Jays. Of course, they could be in position to win the AL East outright very soon.

Not only do they have arguably baseball's best hitter (Jose Bautista), phenom (Brett Lawrie) and farm system, they have virtually no long-term commitments. They are probably one or two pitchers away from winning this division, and have the payroll flexibility and trade chips to make it happen. This sleeping giant is almost ready to wake up. -- Buster Olney

The next step

Lawrie will be a fixture in Toronto's lineup for years, but the Jays still will need a big bat to accompany him and Jose Bautista. Toronto should pursue Canadian Joey Votto if he becomes available in a trade or as a free agent. -- Jim Bowden

tha-prince wrote:6th best in the majors

2nd last in own division ...

BobbyBoy wrote:How come Baltimore has such a bad farm system? I say the jays will be 13th.

LBJSeizedMyID wrote:

BobbyBoy wrote:How come Baltimore has such a bad farm system? I say the jays will be 13th.

No money invested in scouting

Myth111 wrote:O's board thinks MLB will approve the deal in 30 days.

Is there any hope we will ever get out of this terrible division? Seriously. It is a joke how easy Central teams have it and few people talk about it.