What every MLB team should be thankful for this Thanksgiving

The holiday season is here. For some, that means consuming good food while being surrounded by old friends and loving family members. Your turkey is juicy, your conversations are rich and your weird uncle decided not to show up this year.

We here at The Stew want you to experience the perfect Thanksgiving this season, but we’re also realistic. Things don’t always go according to plan. Before you know it, the turkey is burned, the table is overtaken by incoherent yelling and your weird uncle not only showed up, but he brought binders full of the latest government conspiracies he believes.

Sports, for many, is a solid way to escape their holiday horrors. While you won’t be able to watch baseball when your hipster cousin starts going into intimate detail about his home-brewed turnip Double IPA, we here at The Stew want to make sure you still have somewhere to turn in times of distress.

With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of what every single Major League Baseball team should be thankful for this holiday season. And since we realize this is your escape from your family, we’re going to keep things overwhelmingly positive. There’s been enough negativity to go around this year. Did you know we also had an election?

You deserve a win, is what we’re saying. So find a place of solitude for 10 minutes, scroll down to find your team and remember that you’ll have things to look forward to when baseball returns in just a few months.

AL EAST
Boston Red Sox
The new “Killer Bs” combine to form one of the most promising, young quartets in the game right now. Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley Jr., Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi could threaten to make the All-Star game every year for the next decade and one or two of them might even pull off an MVP award. Betts nearly did this year! The rotation now features two Cy Young winners in Rick Porcello and David Price. Oh, and the club has plenty of money to spend this offseason, so you would expect an already excellent roster to improve over the next few weeks.

Baltimore Orioles
The bullpen is manned by one of the best closers in the game, and while the sting of the wild card game may still hurt, Buck Showalter is generally an excellent manager when it comes to bullpen usage. He somehow led a team with Chris Tillman at the top of the rotation to the playoffs, you have to give him credit for that. Speaking of the rotation, Kevin Gausman showed growth last year and Dylan Bundy stayed healthy. Manny Machado is a perennial MVP candidate, Chris Davis can still mash taters and Adam Jones is never afraid to speak his mind.

Toronto Blue Jays
The rotation everyone was worried about last year now looks like a strength. Aaron Sanchez developed into one of the better pitchers in baseball, and will enter next season with no restrictions on the amount of innings he can pitch. Marco Estrada continues to be underrated and J.A. Happ retained the Searage Magic he picked up in Pittsburgh. Marcus Stroman looked much more like himself in the second half, and remains one of the most entertaining players to watch on the field and on social media. Josh Donaldson is a freaking monster at the plate and one of the best defenders at third. Kevin Pillar is good for eight to 10 completely mind-blowing defensive plays per season.

New York Yankees
The youth movement seems to be going pretty well. Gary Sanchez was a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate despite playing in just 53 games. Greg Bird should return, and will have a chance to build on an impressive 2015. Aaron Judge may have struggled last year, but remains promising and should take on a bigger role going forward. Didi Gregorius remains an excellent defensive player and hit for the first time in his career in 2016. Gleybar Torres, who was acquired in the Aroldis Chapman deal, looks like he could be a future star at shortstop. While the Yankees haven’t been big spenders lately, everyone knows they have the money to add big-time players once the youngsters come together.

Tampa Bay Rays
Chris Archer is one of the most engaging and thought-provoking players in baseball. Despite his struggles last season, there’s no reason to think he can’t get back to his former ace status next year. He’s exactly the type of player MLB should be pushing in promotional ads. He’s smart, talented and has personality. He’s joined by Jake Odorizzi, Drew Smyly, Blake Snell and Alex Cobb in the rotation. All are strong players, and there’s nothing better than having young, cost-controlled pitching under contract for multiple seasons. On top of that, Evan Longoria returned to superstar form last season and Kevin Kiermaier is an absolute joy to watch in center.

AL CENTRAL
Cleveland Indians
Despite losing Michael Brantley, Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar for essentially the entire postseason, the Indians still managed to make it to the World Series and forced a Game 7 against a dominant Cubs team. All three of those players should return at full force next year, making Cleveland a dangerous threat to end their title drought in 2017. Zach Britton may have been the talk of 2016, but Andrew Miller is the best reliever in baseball, and proved as much in the postseason. Cody Allen ain’t bad, either. Oh, and Terry Francona is the best manager in baseball.

Detroit Tigers
Kate Upton was right, Justin Verlander deserved the AL Cy Young award. But instead of being mad about that, be happy he turned in an elite performance after a few injury-riddled years. Despite his age, Miguel Cabrera remains one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball. Michael Fulmer provided some much-needed stability in the rotation, and he’s just 23. That’s the type of player the team should build around. While there’s talk of a rebuild, all the players rumored to be available are talented, and should fetch back useful pieces if the Tigers sell. The club will need a complete overhaul eventually, and maybe now is the right time. But if Detroit holds steady, there’s still enough here to justify one more postseason run.

Kansas City Royals
The same core that took them to two straight World Series is still intact. Eric Hosmer, Lorenzo Cain, Salvador Perez and Alex Gordon are still around, and Mike Moustakas will be healthy in 2017. Danny Duffy turned himself into a possible top-of-the-rotation starter last year, but few noticed. He’s still flying under the radar. Wade Davis is still incredible. Some would refer to Ned Yost’s on-field strategies as “exciting, fun and interesting,” and he’s always a candidate to give an incredible quote.

Chicago White Sox
Chris Sale is either a top-5 pitcher in baseball or a top-5 trade commodity … so that’s a positive either way you look at it. Jose Quintana is a top-20 pitcher in baseball, only no one has noticed because the White Sox offense never gives him any support. Carlos Rodon isn’t a finished product, but occasionally flashes No. 1 stuff. His slider induces awe-inspiring strikeouts. Adam Eaton is criminally underrated, and an ideal leadoff hitter. Tim Anderson is the first promising White Sox position player in a long time. He’s also a shortstop, that’s pretty crucial. Nate Jones is much better than people realize. You won’t have to hear about Drake LaRoche or John Danks in 2017.

Minnesota Twins
It’s a small sample, but Byron Buxton hit .287/.357/.653, with nine home runs, in September. He was once considered the best prospect in baseball and is still just 22. Do not write him off. Miguel Sano is in the same boat. Last year may have been a disappointment, but he’s 23 and has rare power. Brian Dozier hit 42 freaking home runs. His transformation over the past few seasons has been incredible to watch. Jose Berrios had a rough rookie season, but like many Twins prospects, he’s still young (22). There’s plenty of promise there. The Twins will no longer employ one of the worst pitch framers in baseball, and that should help the entire pitching staff next year.

AL WEST
Texas Rangers
Adrian Beltre is a national treasure. Every moment he spends on a baseball field should be cherished and adored by all. His relationship with Elvis Andrus is one of our favorite things about the game. Nomar Mazara had a successful rookie year, and there’s no reason he won’t improve during his sophomore season. Jonathan Lucroy is back for another year, and his weird beard pulling thing with the Rangers’ relievers is quirky, but endearing. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better 1-2 punch than Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish in the rotation. Joey Gallo, a man capable of hitting 500 foot home runs, should have an opportunity at legitimate playing time next year and will be playing in a small park.

Seattle Mariners
Robinson Cano’s demise was greatly exaggerated. Many worried about the Nelson Cruz contract a few years back, but he’s stayed healthy and put up excellent offensive numbers. Kyle Seager somehow keeps getting better each season. He’s turned himself from an average player to one of the best third baseman in the league. As the whole, the team’s offense was actually pretty strong last season. That’s the first time that’s happened in a while. Newly-acquired Jean Segura should help there too. He enjoyed a nice resurgence in Arizona last year. James Paxton showed flashes in the rotation. Felix Hernandez may be coming off a down year, but he has a great track record and is still capable of electric performances. Edwin Diaz struck out 88 batters in 51 2/3 innings last year. Over a full season, he could be one of the best relievers in baseball next year.

Houston Astros
The team already has a powerful young core led by Jose Altuve, George Springer, Carlos Correa and Alex Bregman. Now, it looks like they are finally willing to spend to bring in big-time veterans to go with those youngsters. Josh Reddick and Brian McCann might be just the start. Dallas Keuchel showed improvement in the second half, and Lance McCullers remains excellent when healthy. Ken Giles and Luke Gregerson are capable of dominating late in games. If Houston is really serious about spending, they could boast one of the most dangerous teams at the start of the 2017 season.

Los Angeles Angels
Mike Trout is historically good. Every fan should be thankful they get to watch him play baseball. He’s won two MVP awards, but probably deserves five. His fWAR through age-24 is the highest of any player all-time. We’re not just talking best player in baseball here, we’re talking possibly the best player to ever step foot on a baseball field. He’s that special. Please don’t take what he’s doing for granted. Garrett Richards was producing like an ace before he got hurt last season, but he should be ready to go in 2017. Both Matt Shoemaker and Tyler Skaggs should be healthy next year too.

Oakland Athletics
Sonny Gray suffered through an injury-riddled year, but there’s no reason to think he’s suddenly awful now. The 27-year-old entered the year with a career 2.88 ERA. He’s a good bet to return to form. Joining him at the top of the rotation is Sean Manaea. Manaea turned in a promising rookie season, and should, at the very least, be a mid-rotation starter. Khris Davis mashed 42 home runs. Marcus Semien hit 27, and was no longer one of the worst defensive shortstops in the league. Franklin Barreto, who was acquired in the much-maligned Josh Donaldson trade, looks like a possible superstar. Reliever Sean Doolittle is one of the most engaging and entertaining athletes on Twitter.

NL EAST
Washington Nationals
Though he won’t admit it, it certainly looks like Bryce Harper played most of the season with a shoulder injury. After putting up Bondsian numbers in 2015, there’s just no reason to think he’s suddenly bad at age-24. Expect an MVP-type rebound in 2017. Trea Turner is a stud, and may have seriously challenged Corey Seager for the Rookie of the Year award had he been up all year. Daniel Murphy retained his postseason gains with the Mets and has turned himself into one of the best hitters in baseball. Tanner Roark is incredibly underrated, and the top of the rotation is led by Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg. Top pitching prospect Lucas Giolito should be in line for more work too.

New York Mets
Remember how the Mets lost all their really great pitchers to devastating injuries in 2016? All those guys are back, and should be healthy, to start next season. A rotation of Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, Steven Matz and Zack Wheeler sounds pretty great on paper. Curtis Granderson doesn’t hit for a great average, but still walks and has enough pop to make it work. Lucas Duda and Travis d’Arnaud will be healthy to start 2017. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where Michael Conforto is any worse next year.

Miami Marlins
Giancarlo Stanton is one of the entertaining players to watch when he’s on. He hits the ball with so much force that it seems impossible he’s actually human. He’s always a good bet to mash the longest home run of the season too. Christian Yelich took a huge step forward in 2016. He’s gone from underrated slap-hitter to possible MVP candidate. J.T. Realmuto is one of those rare catchers who can actually provide offense these days. You don’t see that anymore.

Philadelphia Phillies
The future doesn’t look so bad. Aaron Nola, Vince Velasquez and Jerad Eickhoff all showed flashes last season, and could factor into the next winner in Philadelphia. Jake Thompson struggled in his brief debut, but he figures to get more playing time in 2017. On the offensive side, Maikel Franco is the big standout. He’ll be joined soon by J.P. Crawford, who could be the next superstar shortstop to reach the majors. Outfielder Nick Williams didn’t have a great year in 2016, but remains promising. There are promising pieces here.

Atlanta Braves
By signing Bartolo Colon, the 2017 team should at least be sexier. There’s also that new ballpark everyone keeps talking about. That should be fun. Dansby Swanson only played in 38 games, but looks like he’ll be a superstar. The team has a ton of young, promising pitching, (like Mike Foltynewicz, Matt Wisler, Aaron Blair and Max Fried, to name a few) both in the majors and minors. Not all of those players will hit, but it’s a strong strategy for a rebuilding club. After a down year in 2015, Julio Teheran returned to form.

NL CENTRAL
Chicago Cubs
They just won the World Series, and pretty much all their major players are going to return in 2017. Kyle Schwarber should be fully healthy heading into 2017, and we all saw his impact during the World Series. The best lineup in baseball will somehow get better, and that doesn’t seem fair. Kris Bryant is dreamy, and there’s not really a limit to what he can do on a baseball field. Anthony Rizzo is pretty great too. Javier Baez remains incredibly entertaining to watch, even when he slumps. Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta and Kyle Hendricks are one heck of a trio at the top of the rotation. Even if they make no additions this offseason, the Cubs are still going to be considered the best team in baseball heading into 2017.

St. Louis Cardinals
Even during a down year, the Cardinals still managed to win 86 games. Michael Wacha should be healthy to start 2017, and Lance Lynn will be ready to return following Tommy John surgery. Aledmys Diaz and Stephen Piscotty emerged as above-average offensive contributors, and Matt Carpenter retained his power gains from 2016. The Cardinals sprinkled their “devil magic” all over Jedd Gyorko and he somehow mashed 30 home runs. That actually happened. You can look it up. Knowing St. Louis, they’ll find a way to turn 1-2 mediocre minor leaguers into excellent major leaguers in 2017. That’s an official part of the “devil magic” lore.

Pittsburgh Pirates
Thinking about this outfield is enough to get you lightheaded. Starling Marte turned in another great year, Gregory Polanco lived up to his prospect status and there’s no reason to think Andrew McCutchen’s best days are truly behind him. Jung-Ho Kang performed well coming off a terrible knee injury, and David Freese put up excellent numbers considering the team signed him for pennies. The team may have a legitimate first baseman now that Josh Bell is in the majors. John Jaso and his dreadlocks are still around, but he won’t have to do as much. Jameson Taillon and Tyler Glasnow should get a full year in the rotation, and pitching coach Ray Searage is around to work some magic on whatever questionable veteran the team signs in the offseason.

Milwaukee Brewers
Ryan Braun remains one of the best hitters in baseball when healthy. Jonathan Villar blossomed into an incredibly useful player, and outfielder Domingo Santana has some promise on offense. Orlando Arcia got off to a terrible start in the majors, but he’s 22 and was a highly-regarded prospect. He’ll be fine. In the rotation, Junior Guerra developed into a pretty useful starter. You could say the same for Zach Davies. Lewis Brinson, an outfielder acquired in the Lucroy deal, struggled last season but remains intriguing. Pitcher Josh Hader gets compared to Chris Sale a ton. That’s probably way too optimistic, but even a poor man’s Chris Sale is a pretty good MLB player. They have a player named Damien Magnifico.

Cincinnati Reds
Joey Votto remains excellent. Since he’s stuck playing on the Reds, fans don’t seem to appreciate his rare combination of being a home run hitter who is capable of hitting .310 every year. His mastery of the strike zone is unmatched. He also embraced the role of the heel last year, to predictably hilarious results. He’s also really thoughtful, and is known to give insightful quotes during interviews. Jose Peraza looked strong during his brief taste of the majors, Brandon Phillips turned in a resurgent year and Adam Duvall found a way to hit 33 home runs. The starting pitching isn’t terrible. Anthony DeSclafani and Brandon Finnegan showed flashes. The team still has prospects Robert Stephenson and Cody Reed waiting in the minors. Raisel Iglesias had a 1.98 ERA after moving to the bullpen.

NL WEST
Los Angeles Dodgers
Clayton Kershaw is the best pitcher in baseball. He has a 1.88 ERA over his last 816 innings in the majors. This isn’t hard for him anymore. It’s like he’s playing a video game. Rich Hill may move on, but the Dodgers have a lot of money. They are always a threat to sign any big-name free-agent. They’ll probably add considerable talent in the offseason. Even if they don’t, this is already a deep team coming off a playoff appearance. They somehow managed that despite breaking the record for most players on the disabled list in a single season. That won’t happen again. Julio Urias could be a superstar. Brandon McCarthy is a must-follow on Twitter.

San Francisco Giants
The top five hitters in the lineup will give opposing pitchers the vapors. And if Joe Panik recovers from a poor 2016, you can make that the top six hitters in the lineup. Brandon Crawford is laughably good in the field, and his improvements at the plate have made him one of the best all-around players in baseball. He’s still pretty underrated. Hunter Pence is not only a good baseball player, but his mannerisms often lead to some incredibly entertaining moments on the field. He also does some fun and nerdy stuff on social media. Madison Bumgarner and Johnny Cueto are a great top-of-the-rotation duo. A poor bullpen was the only thing that held them back in 2016, and there’s no way they’ll allow that to go unaddressed in the offseason.

Colorado Rockies
The Rockies boast an incredible offense, and it’s not all just Coors Field. Charlie Blackmon and Carlos Gonzalez are tremendous and David Dahl looked great in his brief stint in the majors. This is a really great outfield. Nolan Arenado should be a perennial MVP candidate moving forward. D.J. LeMahieu won a freaking batting title! Oh, and that Trevor Story guy looked pretty good before he got injured. The rotation … has some promise for once. Jon Gray had strong peripherals, Tyler Anderson was passable and Jeff Hoffman got a taste of the majors. Maybe it’s not saying all that much, but this is the most talent the Rockies have had in years on the mound.

Arizona Diamondbacks
Losing A.J. Pollock early last year really killed them. If he can return to his 2015 form, they could boast a pretty decent offense. Paul Goldschmidt remains one of the best players in baseball. That ought to continue. Jake Lamb hit 29 home runs Welington Castillo put up strong offensive numbers for a catcher and Yasmany Tomas quietly hit 31 bombs. Zack Greinke can’t possibly be this bad again moving forward, right? And Robbie Ray might be good depending on which version of WAR you like best.

San Diego Padres
Turns out, Wil Myers can really hit. Yangervis Solarte isn’t bad at the plate either, and the defensive metrics didn’t hate his defense … though scouts may quibble with that. Hunter Renfroe excelled in his 36 plate appearances, and will build on that in 2017. He’ll be joined by Manuel Margot, who at the very least should be a strong defensive center fielder. That’s a big positive in Petco Park. Tyson Ross will be back, thank goodness for that. James Shields and his contract are no longer an issue. That might be the biggest positive here.

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik