AL East Preview

AL East (Heavyweight Division)

New York Yankees- 95 wins 1^st place

Call me a homer if you want but this team reminds me of the 2006 Tigers. The 08 Bombers offer a plethora of talented young pitchers who are blossoming at the same time, an excellent lineup and an even better bullpen headlined by emerging superstar Jobah Chamberlain and all time great closer Mariano Rivera. Although I have waxed and waned on the Yanks this off-season, when Robinson Cano, a career 300, hitter is batting 8th in your lineup, you are doing something right. Expect Abreu to have a great season as all baseball players seem to during their walk years. Jeter is Jeter and A-rod is still the best player in the game. I admit if Hughes and Kennedy do not make major contributions to this year’s club, the Yanks may not even make the playoffs. However, I loved what I saw of Kennedy last year and Hughes’s relief appearance in game 3 of the ALDS would have been talked about for years if not for Chien -Ming Wang’s implosion in game 4. Speaking of the only Yankee whose autograph I have; I think Wang will be fine this season, psychologically speaking, as he has generally shown he is a cool customer in the face of adversity. People forget how well he pitched against the Tigers in the ALDS in 2006. Pettite might drop down a bit from last season’s totals but I expect the rise of Hughes and Kennedy to more than compensate for Pettite’s moderate tailing off. I don’t think anyone in major league baseball can beat the Tigers this year but I think the Yankees will give them a fight in the ALCS.

Boston Red Sox- 93 wins 2^nd place (wildcard)

The 2007 World Series champion Redsox (ahh, that goes down a little easier when I think of the Superbowl simultaneously) are everyone and their mother’s favorites to win it all again this year. People seem to just assume that their young pitchers will seamlessly transition to the more prominent roles they will be asked to fill due to Curt “I’m a right wing zealot doucehbag” Schilling’s latest injury. I think Bucholz is going to be an excellent pitcher sometime in the next few years and I think Lester’s comeback from cancer is a wonderfully inspirational story. However, unless Dice K lives up to the ridiculous, even by Yankee’s standards, contract he was given before the start of the 2007 season, the Sox rotation is not that great. They have a phenomenal closer and a very good but not great lineup. Ortiz and Ramirez are probably the best 3, 4 any lineup has put together in my lifetime and I think Pedroia and Ellsbury are going to be stars sooner than later. But I expect Lowell to tail off after a contract season boom and Varitek just isn’t a good hitter anymore. I think the nation will be represented in this year’s postseason tournament but will do so as a wild card entrant.

(The middle weight division)

Tampa bay Devil Rays- 80 wins 3^rd place

Can you see it now? The confetti being thrown about inside the Trop. Carl Crawford being carried off the field as a hero. The Devil rays might engage in such a celebration this season because they are threatening to actually win over 75 games. They have a very talented lineup which features the great Carl Crawford and slugging 1b Carlos Pena and rising stars like BJ Upton Akinori Iwamura. Super prospect Evan Longoria has struggled in the minors so his move up to the big club has been temporarily delayed (this information courtesy of my friend the BEG). They even have a respectable rotation now that they acquired Matt Garza from Minnesota for Delvin Young. Apparently negations were held up until the Rays agreed to part with the bat he threw at that umpire a few years ago as well. (HIYOO!) Seriously though, Garza slides into the third spot in the depth chart behind talented lefty fireballer Scott Kazmir (imagine if he was your 5^th starter Mets fans) and surprise 2007 stud James Shields. They even have a real bullpen this year with 2 solid setup men in Dan Wheeler and AL Reyes to go along with newly acquired prehistoric closer Troy Percival. (Didn’t this guy retire like 5 years ago?) Youth and having no decent 4^th and 5^th starters will force the Rays to watch as the two heavyweights go at it for the division crown but this team and organization appear to finally be on the right track.

Toronto Blue Jays (80 wins) Third place tie

I have a lot of respect for how great a healthy Roy Halliday and AJ Burnett are. I also have respect for BJ Ryan and Scott Rolen. There is just one problem; THEY ARE NEVER FREAKING HEALTHY! Rolen will begin the year on the DL and Ryan missed almost all of last season due to Tommy John surgery. Halliday is a hall of fame caliber pitcher and Burnett is an all-star in his own right. If they actually both stay healthy for a full season, this team might even threaten to get to the 90 game mark. However, the loss of Troy Glaus will somewhat weaken a lineup that was already fairly top heavy. I do expect Vernon Wells to actually give a shit this year and not just sit on his piles of money like he did all of last season; so that should help the Jay’s cause. Alex Rios has finally lived up to his potential earning his first all-star selection this past season. However, a top heavy rotation that is counting on two injury prone aces and a lineup that is solid but not scary will not be enough to compete with the heavyweights.

(The Baltimore Orioles division)

Baltimore Orioles (68 wins) 5^th place

How can Peter Angelos even stomach the team he has put together for the 2008 season? The Orioles had the kind of off-season that even the Twins and A’s are laughing at. They traded their best position player SS Miguel Tejada to Houston and CY young caliber ace Erik Bedard to the Mariners and got back nothing of consequence in return. This leaves Baltimore with Millar being its most potent power bat and with the immortal James Guthrie as the opening day starter; yikes. I love Brian Roberts and New York’s own Nick Markakis and Adam Jones has a fairly big upside but that won’t help the Orioles fans deal with their ballpark being invaded by the obnoxious members of Sox Nation and by the equally entitled fellow Yankee backers. Hey, at least they have a great stadium and Cal Ripken’s legacy to fall back on.