You hear that, that’s the sign of all things good in the world of sports. Finally we get to witness the return of America’s Pastime after months on end of the owners, players, and front office of Major League Baseball arguing about how the season would look like now, we can officially say it…BASEBALL IS BACK! Let’s take a look at the American League side of the board.
Baltimore Orioles: I can understand what the O’s are trying to do, trade and cast off all of the awful contracts and build a contender from the prospects they have the same way their neighbors in the Nationals did. Having 2 of the first 3 picks in the draft is a start, but the next thing they need to do is release Chris Davis, and this is the first year on that 7 year deal that began in 2016 that they can do so. You get the feeling that this team will benefit in a shortened season. I don’t know.
Boston Red Sox: This is the exact same thing the Mariners went through when Ken Griffey Jr. was traded to the Reds in 2000, except worse. Their best player, manager, and GM are gone, but most of their pieces from the 2018 team are back but need a breakthrough year to get them back into World Series Contention, knowing a manager like Ron Roenicke he will try and field a contender in every sense of the word.
New York Yankees: This is the first year that the Yankees are not the Evil Empire since the 2001 Season. That is because the two teams that have eliminated them the last 3 years did the one thing the team they beat in the 1951 World Series did, Stole Opposing Teams Signs, this is the first time that the Bronx Bombers under Aaron Boone come into a season with no weaknesses and ambitions of Championship #28 since they signed Gerrit Cole to lead the pitching staff. It is Go Big or Go Home in YankeeLand.
Tampa Bay Rays: I don’t understand that this team always gets overlooked. They have other than the Astros “the best pitching staff in the American League”. Morton, Snell, Glasnow, etc. They have a strong core of players and are winning the same way the “Moneyball” Athletics did in the early 2000s. That’s the kind of team that baseball needs.
Toronto Blue Jays: This year is a pivotal year in the Jays rebuild, they made moves to get the ERA Champion in the National League last year, and have one of the best farm systems in all of baseball. With Vlad Jr, Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio, along with more top prospects who knows what they can do in the future. The only bad part for them is that every player from the 2015 and 2016 teams are gone.
Chicago White Sox: This is a feeling that most fans get when their team hasn’t made the playoffs in a long time. The White Sox are tired of this narrative and have the longest current playoff drought in the American League. Now they have become insufferable. If their prospects, and faces of the franchise like Yoan Moncada, Eloy Jimenez, and Lucas Giolito become some of the best players in baseball at their positions this could be the first time that the South Side could have playoff baseball since the days of “OzzieBall”.
Cleveland Indians: This is probably the last chance that the Tribe have at a World Championship, Francisco Lindor is on the last year of his rookie contract, and the pitching staff could be in trouble with Corey Kluber, and Trevor Bauer gone in trades with the Rangers and Reds. All things for sure if the Indians don’t make the playoffs this year they will probably blow it up and their 25 year window of Championships will be gone and they won’t have a commissioner’s trophy to show for.
Detroit Tigers: I know it will be a few more years before the Tigers will return to being a tough team in the AL Central they could succeed in the 60 game season. This year could be it for Miguel Cabrera, one of the best players this franchise has ever had and he has no Championships on his legacy, if you aren’t counting the championship he had with the 2003 Marlins. All I can say is you better give him a grand sendoff by trying to avoid those tanks.
Kansas City Royals: Bringing in Mike Matheny as the manager in replacement for Ned Yost is a good start, the only problem is that this year will be a long year in KC for baseball because it still might be tanks as far as the I can see. At least they have the Chiefs, and Jorge Soler to mash some Homers for the downtrodden Royals.
Minnesota Twins: The Bomba Squad is doing everything they can to avoid setting the record for the longest losing streak in Playoff History in any of the 4 major sports and those Damn Yankees. Signing Josh Donaldson and Kenta Maeda is definitely the path to go on because those players have experienced playoff success except like the rest of the team they have no rings to their resume. I hope for once these guys can win at least one playoff game.
Houston Astros: This team has officially become the new Evil Empire of Sports, doing something that hasn’t been seen since the 1951 New York Baseball Giants is something that deserves to get their manager and GM fired. The pitching staff I think won’t have any problems with that because they were the lucky ones, the problem was the hitters in particular Jose Altuve. It is always a team that has a 5,8 player be responsible for this. The good news is that with Dusty Baker everything will be ok, as long as they don’t steal signs again.
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: I have a feeling that Mike Trout has become desperate, in his 9+ year career he has yet to win a playoff game and only made the playoffs once. What did the Halos do for this thinking? They got Joe Maddon to be their manager and threw money at last year’s NL MVP runner up in Anthony Rendon. I think that if Houston will get challenged in their own division this is the team that will do that.
Oakland Athletics: For the first time since 1994 the A’s are the only team playing in the Oakland Coliseum, and that won’t last because they are either getting a new stadium across the street, or joining the Raiders in Las Vegas. As for Moneyball 2.0 themselves they are trying to overcome the recent playoff failures and certainly have the hitting lineup and bullpen for the job. I hope this will be a breakthrough year for them, it’s about time.
Texas Rangers: This is a team that probably is the most upset with the COVID-19 situation, because they have yet to open their new ballpark, for a team that had a mediocre season last year things can definitely change. Their rotation is stacked now with Corey Kluber leading the pack and Joey Gallo in my opinion is about to rake some Home Runs inside their new retractable roof wonder like he does in MLB the Show for almost everyone. I think the stadium will be a pitcher friendly place like the old Arlington Stadium was in the late 1980s.
Seattle Mariners: I have this weird vision that the Mariners will be very good in the shortened season even though they finished in last place a year ago and wasted King Felix as well. I don’t know what to think of this team. They have prospects yes, but how long will they like the O’s, Tigers, Blue Jays, and Royals benefit in this season who knows. But unfortunately for their fans with the Nats winning the World Series last year, they are now the least successful franchise in the MLB.
If you want predictions for the AL side of the board here it is (note that the playoff predictions will be in the National League Preview):
AL East
- Yankees 48-12 #1
- Rays 44-18 #4
- Red Sox 32-28
- Orioles 22-38
- Blue Jays 22-38
AL Central
- Twins 44-16 #3
- White Sox 38-22
- Indians 35-25
- Royals 21-39
- Tigers 19-41
AL West
- Angels 46-14 #2
- Astros 43-17 #5
- Athletics 41-19
- Rangers 27-33
- Mariners 23-37
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