Previewing the American League

     With the season under way, I will take a look at every team in baseball going from their best-case scenarios to their worst and from the lineup to rotation along with my prediction for each team and my eventual World Series champion.

AL EAST

Tampa Bay Rays

Prediction: 1^st place. Rotation and just enough offense will propel the Rays back into the playoffs.  

Key Player: Evan Longoria. The Rays were 47-27 last season when Longo was in the lineup and 43-45 when he was not. He needs to stay healthy because outside of him, this lineup is shaky. If Longo is hurt, the Rays will struggle.

Best Case Scenario: Longoria stays healthy, Wil Myers comes up mid-season and Longo finally has legitimate protection. The rotation performs at its highest and David Price wins CY Young. They win 96 games eventually leading to a World Series title.

Worst Case Scenario: The lineup drags the team down, Longo cannot stay healthy and Myers is not ready for the bright lights. They fall to third place with 84 wins.

Lineup: This lineup could struggle at times. Longoria will need to be completely healthy. Myers could be big addition if he lives up to his potential and expectations.

Rotation: Very solid rotation with David Price and Matt Moore leading the young and talented rotation. Fernando Rodney was ridiculous last season as their closer (1.92 era). Him and Joel Peralta form a solid back end of the bullpen.

New York Yankees

Prediction: 2^nd place. Once everyone comes back, their veteran and winning mentality will overcome their age and they will be back in the playoffs.

Key Player: Robinson Cano. Cano is in the final year of his contract and he will be looking for a monster year. The Yankees will need Cano to be his best with the loss of so much production this offseason. He will be relied on night in and night out. Teams may choose to pitch around Cano but will he accept a walk?

Best Case Scenario: Cano and company scores enough runs and their rotation shine as they stay around .500 for the first month of the season. Granderson, Teixeira, Jeter, and Hughes all come back strong and lead this team to another division title. 90 wins.

Worst Case Scenario: Age and injuries catch up with them along with their catching situation. Their problems leave the Yankees under .500 for the first time since 1992. 80 wins.

Lineup: Age and injuries are the primary questions heading into this season but if everyone can get and stay healthy they will have a solid lineup. They will not be the team people are use to seeing as they will be more of a get on, steal, and drive him in type of team.

Rotation: They will have a very solid rotation and if CC is completely healthy, there is no reason he should not be the ace he is. Phelps and Nova will need to step up with Hughes out and Michael Pineda can become a great addition mid-season. No more Rafael Soriano means the Yankees have complete faith in 43-year-old Mariano Rivera who will be coming off an ACL injury. David Robertson and Joba Chamberlain will lead a very solid bullpen.

Toronto Blue Jays

Prediction: 3^rd Place. Injuries will haunt this team in the end. If healthy however, they will win this division.

Key Player: Jose Reyes and Josh Johnson. Both acquired in a trade with the Miami Marlins and both injury-prone. The Jays took a risk with both of them but if they are both healthy, the Jays could be the best team not only in this division.

Best Case Scenario: Reyes, Jose Bautista, Brett Lawrie, and Johnson all stay healthy. Additions of Reyes, Johnson, Buehrle, Dickey, and Cabrera pay off and they Jays win 96 games, the division, and a World Series title.

Worst Case Scenario: Reyes, Bautista, Lawrie, Johnson, and Morrow cannot stay healthy. Reyes’ legs break down on the turf and the Jays finish fourth with 86 wins.

Lineup: If everyone is healthy, this lineup will be one of the best in baseball. Bautista will be interesting coming off a bad wrist injury. Can he be that 50-homer player that he is?

Rotation: Additions of last years CY Young award winner (Dickey), Mr. Dependable (Buehrle), and an injury-prone ace (Johnson) can and will be huge acquisitions. The question remains; how will those three fair in the toughest division in the league? Janssen and Santos were not that great last season; both had high ERA’s. They will need to step up.

Baltimore Orioles

Prediction: 4^th place. They will prove that last season was a fluke and come back down to earth in an even better AL East.

Key Player: Manny Machado. When he was called up, the O’s season took off and he led them to a playoff appearance. Now that he is around for the whole season, we will see what he can do.

Best Case Scenario: 2012 was not a fluke and the Orioles win the division behind Machado and all-star Adam Jones. Nick Markakis and Brian Roberts stay healthy and contribute tremendously to a run in the playoffs. 92 wins and division title.

Worst Case Scenario: 2012 was a fluke and the Orioles finish in the basement of the AL East once again. Their bullpen is not as fortunate as it was last season, their lineup cannot stay healthy and their untouched rotation is a disaster again. 5^th place and 77 wins.

Lineup: If healthy they will be better than last season. Machado and Jones will need to carry them along with last season all-star Matt Wieters.

Rotation: 21^st in ERA last season. They will need to improve if they want to compete in this division. Brian Matusz was a huge disappointment last season and former high touted prospect needs to regain his confidence. Their bullpen was excellent last season but do not expect the same this season.

Boston Red Sox

Prediction: 5^th place. The teams changes will not be enough and injury concerns haunt team for the whole season.

Key Player: Jon Lester and Jacoby Ellsbury are tremendous players who fell last season. They will have to be at their best this season if the Red Sox want to compete.

Best Case Scenario: Lester is revitalized, Ellsbury and Pedroia return to MVP form and Jackie Bradley Jr. sparks team and ignites hope for the future. 3^rd place and 86 wins.

Worst Case Scenario: Shane Victorino, Ryan Dempster, and Mike Napoli continue their career declines and they finish in last place for the second straight season. 5^th place with 76 wins.

Lineup: Ellsbury, Will Middlebrooks and David Ortiz need to remain healthy while Victorino and Pedroia need to have big seasons. If all the cards fall right, their lineup will be solid.

Rotation: Lester and Clay Buchholz struggle like they did in 2012 and Dempster struggles mightily in the not-so-kind AL East. Andrew Bailey does not improve from last season and newly acquired Joel Hanrahan struggles in the American League.

AL CENTRAL

Detroit Tigers

Prediction: 1^st place. No one in this division is as talented offensively and pitching. The defending American League champions will run away with another division crown.

Key Player: Victor Martinez. If Martinez can stay healthy and produce this season, the Tigers will have one of the most dangerous 2-5 in the league with Torii Hunter, Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder, and Martinez. That would be very scary for any pitcher.

Best Case Scenario: Cabrera repeats last seasons MVP and Triple Crown while the richest pitcher in baseball Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer battle for the CY Young. They repeat as AL champs and win the World Series behind 97 wins.

Worst Case Scenario: They endure a World Series hangover, the bullpen struggles without a real closer and they get bounced out of the playoffs in the first round. 1^st place with 86 wins.

Lineup: Very strong lineup that could be the best in the league if healthy. Hunter and Martinez will give them depth and pop. Austin Jackson is continuing to grow and develop into an All-Star.

Rotation: They have two possible CY Young candidates, which includes the newly richest pitcher in baseball in Verlander. This rotation is strong and deep. Their bullpen however, has many question marks. They do not have a real closer on their roster. They believe Bruce Rondon was the answer but he did not even make the team. Could they possible bring back unemployed Jose Valverde? I highly doubt that.

Kansas City Royals

Prediction: 2^nd place. The rebuilt pitching staff and young, talented lineup will bring hope to Kansas City and a 2^nd place finish.

Key Player: James Shields. The Royals gave up a lot (top prospect Wil Myers) in exchange for James Shields who will be the ace of this staff. He will have to bring his veteran experience and his winning ways.

Best Case Scenario: Shields leads Royals along with young lineup to battle for a Wild Card berth. They finish in 2^nd place with 84 wins.

Worst Case Scenario: Shields and Ervin Santana are busts while Wil Myers has a monster year with the Tampa Bay Rays. Young lineup flops and they fall to a 4^th place finish with 72 wins.

Lineup: Young and talented lineup that continues to grow. First basemen Eric Hosmer needs to have a better season, one that resembles his 2011 .799 OPS. Salvador Perez is going to be a huge upgrade after missing the entire season last year. There is a lot of promise for this lineup.

Rotation: New additions Shields, Santana, and Wade Davis will give them a formidable rotation and give fans hope and reason to come support. Greg Holland has 16 career saves and will be asked to become their everyday closer. Aaron Crow is another reliever who can help. There are certainly some question marks with this rotation.  

Chicago White Sox

Prediction: 3^rd place. They surprised some last season with challenging the Tigers for the division. This season the Royals and Indians improved but the White Sox really did not. They will stay middle of the pack.

Key Player: Chris Sale. He was a CY Young award candidate last season winning 17 games. He needs to repeat his stats from last year (3.05 ERA, 1.135 WHIP).

Best Case Scenario: Paul Konerko and Adam Dunn keep hitting home runs while the rotation stays healthy. Addison Reed comes in and steps up as their new closer. They finish 2^nd with 84 wins.

Worst Case Scenario: Konerko and Dunn show their age and rotation cannot stay healthy. They finish in fourth place with only 74 wins.

Lineup: Questions with age could hinder their lineup but either way they will score runs. Alexis Rios needs to improve from last season while Dunn needs to keep hitting home runs.

Rotation: Needs to stay healthy and Jake Peavy needs to continue to be productive. Sale will lead a rotation that is not very good in the bottom half. Bullpen can be very strong if Reed is what he is projected to be. Matt Thorton has proved he can close and set-up.

Cleveland Indians

Prediction: 4^th place. They added some real good pieces but questions with the rotation will continue throughout the season and the end in fourth in a tight race from two to four.

Key Player: Justin Masterson. He is anchoring this rotation and needs to become the ace they believe he can be. He needs to improve on his 4.93 ERA from last season.

Best Case Scenario: Major acquisitions pay off, the rotation improves tremendously, and they challenge the Tigers for the Central crown. 86 win season gets them 2^nd place.

Worst Case Scenario: Key additions do not pay off. They spend big money on busts and the rotation stumbles to the finish line. By giving away prospects, they do not show much hope for the future. Finish in fourth place with 73 wins.

Lineup: With additions of Michael Bourn, Nick Swisher, and Mark Reynolds this lineup could be very good. How will Swisher do in Cleveland not having home run hitting Yankee Stadium anymore? They have done a good job signing guys that will help but can these guys carry a team. They never have in any of their careers.

Rotation: Masterson and Ubaldo Jiminez need to be aces especially Jiminez who was once a top of the line starter. Brett Meyers could be a good signing if he stays healthy and that is a big if. They could have a decent bullpen if Chris Perez is a lock down closer with help from Matt Albers.

Minnesota Twins

Prediction: 5^th place. This team is going to struggle mightily. Their rotation and lineup is not up to par with this division and it will be another long season in the Twin City.

Key Player: Vance Worley. Acquired from the Phillies, Worley is asked upon to be the ace of this staff. The Twins own the worst record in the league over the past two seasons and their pitching is the main reason. He along with newcomers Mike Pelfrey and Kevin Correia will hopefully make the Twins competitive.

Best case Scenario: Joe Mauer wins the MVP while Justin Morneau is concussion free and has a tremendous season. Scott Diamond shows that he is an ace and the future looks bright. They will finish in 5^th no matter what unless something drastically changes and will win a best 72 games.

Worst Case Scenario: Mauer gets injured, Morneau gets dizzy, and the rotation is atrocious. They finish in the basement with only 60 wins.

Lineup: They will struggle to score even if Mauer and Morneau are at full strength. They just do not have enough pieces around them to compete at a high level.

Rotation: Worley has front-end talent but can he be the ace right now? The Twins are very excited for Scott Diamond but will he be their ace now or years down the road? Bullpen will struggle with bad rotation and bad lineup. Perkins will help but he does not have much.

AL WEST

Los Angeles Angels

Prediction: 1^st place. The have the most dangerous lineup in the league and that alone will carry them to a first place finish. They went all in this season so it is championship or bust.

Key Player: There are two key players on this team, Albert Pujols and CJ Wilson. Pujols had a down year for Albert Pujols. If he hits .330 with 40 home runs and 120 RBI’s, this team may run right through the American League. Wilson will need to get back to his Texas form and lead this team to a championship.

Best Case Scenario: They do what they are supposed to do and win a World Series. Mike Trout wins the MVP by going for 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases while Pujols returns to Pujols form and Jered Weaver wins the CY Young award. They get to 100 wins and beat everyone in sight.

Worst Case Scenario: Josh Hamilton struggles with injuries, sophomore slump for Mike Trout, and Wilson and Madson struggle. They finish in 3^rd place with 86 wins.

Lineup: If everything goes well, it will be the best lineup in baseball. No pitcher will want to face this lineup. There are no holes especially one through six.

Rotation: Struggled this spring but expect them to be just fine. The offense will carry this team but if this rotation is bad enough, it might lead to the teams’ downfall. Ernesto Frieri was not the guy to close last season but will be called on again this year. Ryan Madson was an addition to the bullpen and is already hurt. His injuries could hurt this bullpen.

Oakland Athletics

Prediction: 2^nd place. This team showed they were no joke last season by surprising everyone and winning the division. I believe this pitching staff is only going to get better and a wild card game is in their future.

Key Player: Yoenis Cespedes. Oakland was 82-46 with the dynamic Cuban in the lineup, 12-22 without. He is a big part in their lineup and needs to stay healthy and improve off of last season.

Best Case Scenario: Young rotation continues to grow. Cespedes becomes an All-Star and candidate for MVP. Josh Reddick, Brandon Moss, and Chris Young hit home runs and Oakland leads the league. End up in first place with 91 wins.

Worst Case Scenario: Rotation has sophomore slump, Reddick cannot hit and they lose a lot of one run games, opposite of last season. 3^rd place with only 75 wins.

Lineup: Good lineup who will hit a lot of home runs. Cespedes and Reddick will need to continue to progress and lead this team. Addition of Chris Young and Japanese shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima will help this lineup.

Rotation: Very solid and very young. So much talent who carried them last season. Their bullpen will be good again. They will shut down games and win a lot of close games.

Texas Rangers

Prediction: 3^rd place. The loss of Josh Hamilton will certainly hurt and they will feel it by not making the playoffs in an even tougher division.

Key Player: Ian Kinsler. He will need to step up big time without Hamilton. He had a down year batting only .260 with 22 home runs. If he struggles this lineup will too.

Best Case Scenario: Kinsler hits .300 with 20 plus home runs leading off. Jurickson Profar wins the Rookie of the Year and Adrian Beltre, Lance Berkman, and Nelson Cruz make Texas forget about Hamilton. They win the division with 94 victories.

Worst Case Scenario: They start to feel the pain of not having Hamilton. Berkman cannot stay healthy; Beltre and Kinsler decline and they fall to third place with 84 wins.

Lineup: Good combination of veterans and youngsters. Should still be a solid lineup even without Hamilton. Kinsler and Cruz need to be better and mid-season call up of Profar could ignite them.

Rotation: Lewis and Perez will help when they return from injury. Will have a solid rotation. Derek Holland will need to step up. Yu Darvish will be a star. Solid bullpen is Joe Nathan can stay healthy.

Seattle Mariners

Prediction: 4^th place. They added some big bats but will not be enough to contend in this division.

Key Player: Michael Saunders. Saunders has the chance to be a 25 homer, 25 steal man and is the best of a young group (Dustin Ackley, Jesus Montero, Kyle Seager and Justin Smoak) that must produce.

Best Case Scenario: Kendry Morales, Michael Morse, Jason Bay, and Raul Ibanez will all provide pop and offense. Their lineup will be better but nothing better than a fourth place finish. Ceiling is 77 wins.

Worst Case Scenario: Aging acquisitions do not pay off and continue to decline rapidly. Hernandez’s tender elbow acts up and he does not live up to big contract. 68 wins and a fourth place finish.

Lineup: New acquisitions will definitely help if they remain healthy. Their young core really needs to step up and start leading this team to what could be a bright future.

Rotation: Felix Hernandez is a CY Young award candidate every season but after him it is a bunch of no-name guys who will struggle. They are the major downfall of this team. Bullpen along with the rotation will struggle. Tom Wilhelmsen could be a solid closer but will offense or rotation help?

Houston Astros

Prediction: 5^th place. Lack of talent all over their roster and their payroll less than Alex Rodriguez’s contract for the season will leave them as the worst team in the big leagues.

Key Player: Carlos Pena and Chris Carter. These two new acquisitions will need to carry this lackluster lineup. Pena will have to bat better than .192 and needs to mash 40 home runs.

Best Case Scenario: Jose Altuve and Brett Wallace are All-Stars and team is fundamentally sound. Will still finish in 5^th place and win just 64 games.

Worst Case Scenario: They resemble the 1962 New York Mets and are historically bad. They lack any real talent and will struggle to win games. Only bright side is that Mariano Rivera’s final game is in Houston. 5^th place with 55 victories.

Lineup: Pena and Carter will provide pop but team will struggle to score. Altuve needs a repeat of last season and Wallace needs to step up.

Rotation: It is definitely going to be a long season in Houston. Rotation is just bad. Bullpen does not get better either. Veras and Wright is not a good closer-set-up man combination. Hey at least the Texans are good!

AMERICAN LEAGUE PLAYOFFS

Wild Card Round                Championship Round                                                 

Yankees vs. Athletics          Tigers vs. Angels                                         

           

Divisional Round

Yankees vs. Angels

Rays vs. Tigers

One Last Time

             It is an experience like no other at Yankee Stadium. It is the end of the eight inning and you hear “Enter Sandman.” Chills run down your spine, as you know as a Yankee fan, in the famous words of Derek Jeter, “game over.” That is the feeling when the greatest closer of all-time exits the bullpen and enters the meca of baseball.  50,000 screaming fans jump out of their seats and applaud number 42, Mariano Rivera. No matter how old or young, no matter how many Yankee games you have been too, the moment Mariano enters the field you feel the hair on your arms stand. It is a scene like no other in sports. The Yankees know it, the opposing team knows it, and Mariano knows it, the games over when he crosses the warning track and finally steps foot on the mound.

    “It has been a privilege and honor to wear the pinstriped uniform that I have proudly worn for so many years,” said Mariano today at his press conference announcing his retirement. “It’s official now. After this year, I will be retired.” These are the words every Yankee fan feared to hear. There was no way their closer was going to retire. He is too good. He is immortal. Yet Mariano showed everyone something today. He is happy and is going to be happy that he is retiring. There were no tears, just smiles from the 20-year veteran. The Yankees and their fans, however, will certainly miss Mo. He has been the anchor at the end for this team since 1997. No one has done it better than Rivera.

     Just knowing that Mariano was warming up in the bullpen, there was a sense of comfort for Yankee fans. His 0.70 earned run average in the postseason will be missed. His 2.21 career ERA will be missed. His all-time leading 608 saves will be missed. This guy has done so much for the Yankee organization. He brings class, and pride to the game. He gives it everything he has and he has finally admitted to himself that there is not much left. He will certainly be missed because everyone knows there will never be another Mariano Rivera.

     The Yankees will savor this last season with Mariano. They will do everything in their power to have Mariano’s last ever pitch be the last out of the World Series. After this season, however, is a different story. The Yankees will never again be able to replace the greatest closer of all-time. They will have to hope that they can find a replacement to fill some pretty big shoes. No matter who it is, if it is David Robertson, Joba Chamberlain, or someone they bring in, they will have the toughest job to do in baseball. They will have to follow Mariano’s footsteps.

     No matter what happens this season or beyond, there is one thing that is certain. Mariano Rivera is the greatest closer to ever play this wonderful game. He is one of the greatest pitchers to ever sport the pinstripes. Mariano Rivera will forever be in the hearts of every Yankee fan and anybody that has been given the privilege to marvel at this once in a lifetime pitcher. 

What's Happening to the Yankees?

     The 2013 New York Yankees might have arguably had their worst offseason in a long time. They lost Nick Swisher, Raul Ibanez, Russell Martin, Eric Chavez, and Rafael Soriano to free agency. They then lost Alex Rodriguez to hip surgery and in the first spring game, they lost Curtis Granderson for 10 weeks after getting hit on the hand. To make matters worse Mark Teixeira is now out 8-10 weeks with a sprained right wrist. The Yankees have now lost a staggering 141 home runs between those players. That accounts for nearly 58% of their home runs last season.

Cashman has a lot to worry about this season

     This season the Yankees will certainly look a lot different. They will have to use their speed, pitching, and defense to win games. No longer are they the Bronx Bombers. They will no longer lead the league in home runs and no longer but that juggernaut of an offensive like they usually are. The loss of Teixeira really dampers the outlook for this team to begin the season.

      They will now be forced to have to replace not only Granderson but now Tex too. In house replacements include Juan Rivera, Dan Johnson, and A-Rod’s replacement Kevin Youkilis. If they go the route of putting Youk back to first they then will have to fill the whole at third. If I were Girardi, I would see what Eduardo Nunez could do for your team at third. After at, it won’t hurt. 

Yankees News and Notes

     As we are over a week into spring training many things have already happened to the New York Yankees. In the first spring training game of the year, Curtis Granderson got hit by a pitch by Blue Jays pitcher J.A Happ. That resulted in Granderson breaking his forearm and missing ten weeks. He is expected to be back early May.

Granderson is not the only injury that has come this spring. Pitcher Phil Hughes has been sidelined with a herniated disk in his back and will be out for the start of the season.

Derek Jeter is continuing to progress from his broken foot, which occurred in game one of the American League Championship Series. He is running, hitting, and taking grounders and Brian Cashman said he should see game action on March 10^th. The Yankees however continue to lose, as they are now one and seven in spring games this season. Derek Jeter and the Yankees remain confident as they always are.

The Bombers also have key free agents leaving after the seasons end and they are trying right now to lock on of them up. The New York Daily News reported that Brian Cashman has given Robinson Cano a “significant” offer. They have also stated that he has turned it down. The deal was reportedly for 7 years worth around $17 million. Cano is seeking a 10-year deal worth about $20 million per year.

The Yankees need to do everything in their power to resign Cano. He is becoming the face of the franchise and is their best player. They also have a lot of guys on one-year contracts and a lot of guys on the downside of their careers. Cano is just getting started and is an MVP candidate year in and year out. The Yankees know this and that is why negotiations are ongoing. The Yankees usually hold off contract negotiations until after the season but they know that they do not want to get into a bidding war with the likes of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Angels.

The Yankees will certainly have their hands full to start this season. They had plenty of problems before hand but now with Grandy and Hughes getting hurt they will have their share of struggles for sure.