After 3 weeks of WBC coverage, it's hard to believe that MLB's regular season starts in just 11 days. So it's time to begin my predictions for the upcoming season. I start with the AL East.
1. Boston Red Sox- It's so hard to pick against these guys. They have arguably the best pitching staff, 1 thru 12, in the majors. A rotation that goes 7 deep, and a 7th (Saito), 8th (Okajima), and 9th (Papelbon) that will keep them ahead or close in every game. Thier lineup is none too shabby either, with the only real question mark at shortstop. Reigning MVP Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz lead the way. Their only problem is staying healthy (Ortiz, Penny, Saito, etc).
2. Tampa Bay Rays- Expect a bit of a comedown from last year's surprising AL Champs. But not too much- a lot of young talent is a year wiser (Upton, Navarro, Longoria). Troy Percial may stumble as closer, but Grant Balfour is there to pick up the slack. The biggest question mark is the back of their rotation, but if David Price is the real deal, that won't much matter.
3. NY Yankees- Sabathia! Burnett! Teixiera! Umm...great, but some glaring weaknesses still missed on this All-Star laden team. Bullpen is very questionable besides HOF'er Rivera. And the Yanks overlooked one of their glaring problems- this team got really old, really quick last year, and guys like Damon, Matsui, and Posada are even longer in the tooth. Oh, and that whole A-Rod thing...even if he comes back healthy in June, how will he deal with the steroids issue?
4. Toronto Blue Jays- It really was only a year ago that this team was everyone's "dark horse" pick. Not so much this year- Roy Halladay and pray for 4 days of rain doesn't work when you play indoors. Batting lineup is solid- Wells and Rolen make a nice combo when healthy. And BJ Ryan should be saving games like he used to- but how many leads will the Jays have in the 8th and 9th innings?
5. Baltimore Orioles- Help is on the way, allegedly. Alot of young bats, including phenom catcher Matt Wieters (above), who may be on the team sooner rather than later. A young outfield of Pie, Jones, and Markakis gives them some hope, but thier pitching is woeful- Jeremy Guthrie is your best starter, really? Maybe in 2010, O's fans..
Coming up next- AL Central..
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