David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Matt Carpenter, Outfielder, San Diego Padres

Matt Carpenter was given an opportunity last season with the New York Yankees and he took it and ran with it. He hit for a .305 average and clubbed 15 home runs in only 128 at-bats. That means he averaged a home run in every 8.5 at bats. If he can produce numbers close to that this season for the Padres, opposing teams are going to be in for major problems. The Padres lineup is scary enough as is. He’s going to be 37 years old this season, but that won’t have much of an impact on his play. He proved he still has gas in the tank last season.

Carlos Rodon, Starting Pitcher, New York Yankees

Carlos Rodon is entering his age 30 season, and he’ll be on a new team with the New York Yankees. He’s coming off his two best seasons in his career. He’s 27-13 in those two seasons and had an ERA below three. The Yankees needed some pitching and Rodon is definitely going to help. He has finished fifth and sixth in Cy Young voting over the last two seasons as well, maybe he can make strides in 2023 and win the award.

Willson Contreras, Catcher, St. Louis Cardinals

Contreras is going to be an excellent replacement for Yadier Molina. Cardinals fans have to be ecstatic about this move. They lost one of the best catchers in the history of baseball, and then immediately found the best replacement possible. Contreras is entering his age 31 season but he hasn’t shown any signs of regressing. He’s great behind the plate and at the plate. It’s going to be weird seeing a new catcher behind the plate for the Cardinals, but it’s going to be fun to watch a guy like Willson Contreras replace him.

Jose Abreu, First Baseman, Houston Astros

Abreu has been one of the best hitters in baseball for the past nine seasons. Since joining the league in 2014, he’s hit for a career .292 average with 243 home runs and 863 runs batted in. He’s entering his age 36 season, but I don’t see him slowing down anytime soon. The Astros are the defending champions and Abreu is going to add to their already stacked lineup. He’s never been on a team of this caliber and it’ll be exciting to see what he can do in a winning environment.

Justin Verlander, Starting Pitcher, New York Mets

Justin Verlander is one of the best pitchers to ever walk the earth. It’s incredible what he can do at his age. He’s going to be 40 years old this season, but he’s coming off of a year in which he went 18-4 with a 1.75 ERA. He won the Cy Young award for the third time in his career too. He’s a fantastic replacement for Jacob deGrom, who left for the Texas Rangers, and should be a highly lethal tandem atop the rotation with Max Scherzer.