Ranking baseball's managerial openings, from the Braves to the Rockies

It's a subjective exercise of course, and it depends on what a prospective manager values. Some teams can offer a talented current roster, while others might have a better long-term outlook. And of course, the quality of the front office and ownership plays a big role.

1. Atlanta Braves

The good: Atlanta has a lot more talent than your usual 76-win team, and that puts the Braves atop the list. There's good reason to believe they are poised for a rebound after Ronald Acuña Jr. and Austin Riley each missed at least 60 games this year. Few teams can match Atlanta's reputation for consistent success over the past three-plus decades, and even since Bobby Cox departed in 2010, the Braves have needed only two managers — Snitker and Fredi Gonzalez.

The bad: It's a tough division, and after winning 104 games in 2023, Atlanta declined to 89 before falling even further this year. So the Braves' of wealth of talent under team control may have already peaked.

2. Texas Rangers

The good: There's still a chance for short-term success here after Texas led the major leagues in ERA for the first time in franchise history. The Rangers have veteran starters Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi signed beyond next season, along with former No. 2 overall pick Jack Leiter coming off a solid rookie season. Their retractable-roof home stadium, which stays mostly closed, has become more of a pitcher’s ballpark.

The bad: The front office has already indicated that the $241 million payroll is going down after the Rangers missed the playoffs without a winning record in both seasons since their only World Series championship in 2023. There is at least some uncertainly on how to proceed after four seasons with the half-billion dollar middle infield of shortstop Corey Seager and second baseman Marcus Semien. And outgoing manager Bruce Bochy is a tough act to follow.

3. Baltimore Orioles

The good: A couple years ago, the Baltimore job would have ranked even higher after the Orioles won 101 games behind a young, cost-controlled core that could make any franchise envious. Now Baltimore has to rebound from a sub-.500 season, but there's still a lot of potential here with Gunnar Henderson in the middle of the infield and Kyle Bradish looking good down the stretch on the mound. The parade of prospects continued this year, with catcher Samuel Basallo arriving in August.

The bad: Basallo is the only one of those young standouts to sign an extension so far, so it's possible the Orioles could lose Henderson and some others before too long. Also, several of Baltimore's young hitters regressed this year, meaning the future isn't as certain as it once seemed. After a successful rebuild, there are still questions about the franchise's ability to attract established stars, and the AL East can be brutal.

4. San Francisco Giants

The good: It's an organization with plenty of history, and the front office showed it was willing to go big when it traded for Rafael Devers. Throw in a beautiful ballpark and a market they now have all to themselves, and it feels like the Giants should never be all that far from contention.

The bad: This job comes with a fair amount of pressure — witness Bob Melvin getting fired after just two seasons — and the Giants have to compete with the Dodgers in the NL West. Although Devers is a decent hitter to build around, the overall roster is decidedly average.

5. Washington Nationals

The good: This ranking assumes some real potential in Washington's young players. As badly as this season went, James Wood, C.J. Abrams, Dylan Crews, Robert Hassell III and MacKenzie Gore — with Eli Willits on the way — is a group that could eventually win a lot of games. And there's plenty of room for the payroll to grow.

The bad: Will the payroll grow? After a couple years attempting to sell the team, Mark Lerner and his family decided not to, and the Nationals have been reticent in their spending of late.

6. Minnesota Twins

The good: The AL Central is a forgiving spot: Nobody in the division has won more than 93 games since the Twins themselves won 101 in 2019. A market like Minnesota can compete with Detroit, Kansas City and Cleveland, and with the Twins coming off a deadline sell-off, this should be a relatively low-pressure situation initially.

The bad: Like the Nationals, Twins ownership flirted with a sale before deciding against it. The team cut payroll after winning the division in 2023, with their regional television revenue taking a hit after the Diamond Sports Group bankruptcy.

7. Los Angeles Angels

The good: It's a team that has been willing to spend in the past. That hasn't necessarily worked out — witness the Anthony Rendon contract — but it suggests under the right circumstances, money won't be an obstacle. And as bad as things have been recently, they did improve by nine games this year.

The bad: No team has gone longer without a postseason berth than the Angels, who were generally mediocre when they had Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani — and now have only Trout, who hasn't been an MVP threat in a while. This franchise has been a revolving door of managers since Mike Scioscia's departure.

8. Colorado Rockies

The good: Expectations should be low, and Denver can be lovely in the summer.

The bad: The Rockies didn't set the record for losses this year, but make no mistake: They were one of the worst teams ever, posting a run differential that was the worst in modern history. They have only two top-100 prospects according to MLB Pipeline, and neither has reached Triple-A yet. Despite plenty of fan support and no competing big league teams nearby, the Rockies have never really built a sustained winner.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

AP Baseball Writer Stephen Hawkins contributed.