MLB Season Preview: American League East

Winners of 12 of the last 14 All-Star games, the American League has been the dominating force in Major League Baseball for the better part of the last 15 years. Featuring the games most powerful division, and the inspiration for the movie Confessions of a Shopaholic, the American League is clearly the league for those short attention span 'fans' of high-octane, big bopping baseball. Another distinction that the American League is known for is the amount of bandwagon fans that, year after year tell us how good the Yankees or Red Sox are going to be without knowing anything other than Derek Jeter, his girlfriend, A-Rod, A-Rod's girlfriend and that obese gentleman for the Red Sox who is called 'Big Papi.'  The American League continuously reminds me of cable television shows: games are always broadcast and teams here get the most attention but the quality of baseball is not pitch perfect and after 1 bad season the exec's are not afraid to pull the trigger on some guys.


Season previews are ambiguous, in fact its damn near impossible to determine the outcome to something before you see it in action. But, to me, that is the whole fun with it. I can decide that the Royals will shock the world and win the soft Central Division (probably not), or that Rangers' manager Ron Washington will get busted for using drugs before the infamous Josh Hamilton (wait. that happened?). Baseball is a game of streaks where what happens today can affect how you play tomorrow, and that is what is so great about it. It has an aura of unpredictability, that any team can beat another on any given day is why we watch the Yankees play the Indians saturday on Fox, why we decide that, "Tim Lincecum looks like he is hooked on meth and scours the streets looking for forsaken money, I want the Giants to win the World Series." Baseball is the ultimate individual sport, and is thus completely ruled by a world of meaningless stats and cheap trends. But in between the 7 dollar beers, 35 dollar hats, and Tim McCarver's lucid, vivid stories and analysis (don't make that face, yes this is sarcasm) is a game that we can all enjoy from our $4135 air conditioned club box where we can justifiably think that, "hey, I think I could beat David Ortiz in a foot race," or that "theres no way Jim Thome can touch his toes, I should be out there instead." It is a sport that personifies what it is like to be American, but also complete luck to figure out.


Just like the rest of the world, I will start with the American League East, or as I like to call it: The 'Lets Throw Money at our Problems to Make Them Go Away' Division. One of the most popular in all of professional sports.
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The Boston Red Sox: Preseason Grade: A- (Division Winner)

Good luck in Beantown, sweetie.

Infinitely deeper than the 2010 Sox, the 2011 model has a chance to make some waves in the storied AL East, provided they don't get bit as hard by the injury bug like last year. It is great to watch how Theo Epstein has, year after year, identified his squads weaknesses and aggressively attacked them in the off season. In fact, after the past couple of years, the Yankees could stand to learn a thing or two. But obviously hot-stove championships do not necessarily translate to on field success, however I believe that these current Sox have the pitching and hitting depth that are crucial to potential contenders. Recently much has been made about the additions of Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez; how two premier players at their respective positions make the Red Sox a no-brainer pick for World Series glory. However, although baseball is a sport ruled by statistics something must be said for the circumstances into which these guys enter. Both of them come from relatively small markets compared to Boston and there is no way to know how they will react to the media pressure and intense scrutiny that comes with the territory. Some players can handle the pressure, like a Manny Ramirez, but others cannot and their tenure is marred with underachievement and tension. CC has been in this division for his whole career so he knows something about playing at Fenway in September, but Gonzalez, who has been stuck in San Diego (what a problem to have) his whole career, doesn't know the pressures of Boston or even the hardships of the American League. For the most part players switching from the NL to AL struggle in their first couple of seasons, unaccustomed to the style of play and stiff level of competition. I will say that the Red Sox are the best looking team in this division coming into the season, and I believe that this is their division to lose.


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The New York Yankees: Preseason Grade: B+ (Wild Card)

So totally precious... OMG

Led by A terrific, albeit ageing, group of core players, the New York Yankees have the ingredients to, yet again, contend for division title with the only real competition being the new look Red Sox. They have the priciest and most talented infield of any team in baseball- both offensively and defensively, and a quality, veteran group of outfielders. However, the Achilles heel of this team in recent years has been a lack of pitching depth and this year looks no different. Very uncharacteristically of the Bronx Bombers, it seems that this off season they have done very little, if not nothing, to get better. This is a team that, 2 years ago, was too talented not to win the World Series, and now after 2 straight off seasons of futility has declined to the point at which their 4 and 5 starters will be virtually unknown to everyone outside the 5 boroughs. The contenders for the final 2 spots (after Sabathia, Burnett, and Hughes) are Sergio Mitre (64 career games started, 3 last season), Ivan Nova (7 career, all last season), Andrew Brackman (0 career starts), and Joba Chamberlain (now that Brett Favre is gone, the best 'Will he, or won't he' in sports). Look for another season with the team ERA pushing 4.5-5 and an embarrassing loss in the early rounds of the playoffs. Probably the most competitive Yanks-Sox rivalry in several years.   


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The Tampa Bay Rays: Preseason Rank: B

How fast can I get out of Tampa? Just you watch.

Even with the addition of Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon, oh how the mighty have fallen. The Rays, reigning champs of the hellacious East, are a shadow of their former self. Losing Carl Crawford, Carlos Pena and Matt Garza in the same off season puts much pressure on the backs of Evan Longoria and B.J. Upton to increase production. It also puts a large weight on the Rays rookies, most notably Jeremy Hellickson and Desmond Jennings (the Rays two highest rated prospects, most likely to see starting action). Unless this new crop of Rays' young guns live up to the hype right now (as unfair as it may seem), this team is looking to take a huge step back this season. Negatives aside, I do believe this is a team which has the potential to shake things up a bit in the division, possibly contend in the early months but ultimately fall flat once September rolls around. The Tampa Bay Rays will be one of the most exciting teams in baseball this season, however to young and inexperienced to contend in this division.




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The Toronto Blue Jays: Preseason Grade: C+

Product of 'Roid Rage'? Probably.

A young team with loads of hitting prowess but also a glaring lack of pitching depth, the Toronto Blue Jays were a pleasant surprise to the uber competitive AL East last year resulting in many jumping on the Labatt's Blue Jay Bandwagon this season. I wanted to join, I really did, but I just couldn't convince myself that an inexperienced pitching staff such as this could lead a lumberjacking, homerun hitting team anywhere. That being said, these Jay's are one of the most interesting teams in the division this year; seeing how they will cope with trading away their franchise player (Vernon Wells) for an above average catcher (Mike Napoli) then turning around and tradign him for a 3rd closer/ setup man hybrid (Frank Francisco). Following the Blue Jays must be the Canadian equivalent of 'General Hospital' or 'As the World Turns,' D-R-A-M-A. That being said Blue Jays' fans do have things to look forward to this season: Ricky Romero, their 27 year old ace, came off a very solid season going 14-9 with an ERA of 3.73 in 210 innings of work. Solid, eh? Fans also have the luxury of looking forward to another season of Jose "I must be taking some type of performance enhancer because I had never hit over 15 homeruns in a season until last season when I hit 52" Bautista, although let's be honest he is not going to have another season like last year. That is unless he hits .260, gets less than 150 hits and strikes out 120 time, which is very reasonable. The Jays have a very promising core of players, including the very talented but yet to figure it out Yunel Escobar, but are still one or two pieces away from seriously contending in this division. On the brightside they might have the best end of a bullpen in the league and deal some of those guys later for a much needed starter or, no, no they need a starter.

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The Baltimore Orioles: Preseason Rank: C

Guerrero in Baltimore? Why not?

The Orioles, my hometown team before the Washington Nationals entered the scene, have been one of the worst franchises in professional baseball for the past decade. Since Cal Ripken retired in 2001 the Orioles have all but disappeared from the baseball landscape and can hardly be expected to fill more than 40% of their beautiful Camden Yards. Going to Orioles games are my earliest baseball memories and, although they are not my favorite team, I feel inclined to root for them more so than any other team (besides the Tigers). Recently, however the birds have made strides in a positive direction by signing Buck Showalter, developing young pitching talent (Zach Britton, Brian Matusz), and vehemently searching for roster upgrades (Mark Reynolds, Derek Lee, and potentially Vlad Guerrero). It is never a good time to be an Orioles fan, because it seems like the organization never has a desire to win, but someday soon this franchise just might crack that magic 75 win plateau and, potentially more impressive, sell out a game that doesn't feature the Red Sox or Yankees. However, we are still several years away from anything better than The Wire coming out of Baltimore- sorry Ravens. 



Looking like another season of Boston-NY coverage, but unlike last year their meetings will actually have playoff implications. Can't wait.