The Baseball Season is getting closer and closer. With spring training getting started hope springs afloat for all 30 teams. What does the AL have to offer us this year?
Baltimore Orioles: Last year they came up just short of an unexpected playoff berth with the hitting core breaking out in August. However I just don’t know what to expect from the O’s. Anthony Santander, and Ryan Mountcastle are obviously the cornerstones of their future but despite losing most of their unexpected success stories last year it won’t stop them from developing top flight hitters thanks to playing in the hitter friendly Camden Yards. The one thing that makes no sense to me is that they might put Dean Kremer in the bullpen to start the year when he clearly was their best starter last year. That’s because they brought in 2 fossils in Matt Harvey and King Felix to develop the pitching staff. I will give them a year or 2 before they can become a playoff contender again.
Boston Red Sox: The offseason in BeanTown in my opinion makes no sense. They threw Alex Cora out of town for that whole Astros scandal in 2019 yet brought him back after the Ron Reonicke experiment failed miserably. This year the Red Sox are blessed that both Chris Sale and Eduardo Rodriguez are coming back after sitting out last year. At least Rafael Devers, Xander Bogaerts, and JD Martinez are still around. Plus they finally replaced Craig Kimbrel with 35 year old Adam Ottavino, and brought in Kike Hernandez to bolster the hitting core. I don’t think the rest of your division wants you back to being a dark horse contender!
New York Yankees: Once again the Yankees are throwing money at everything that moves. Last year it was Gerrit Cole, this year they got his potential wingman in Corey Kluber, he had a rough season in Texas last year but he could be the final piece to their puzzle. They did however accomplish their main goal of the offseason by bringing back DJ LeMahieu which takes the pressure off of Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. Once again they bolstered their already deadly bullpen by getting an old rival in Darren O’Day to be with his buddy Zach Britton. I will say if they don’t make it to the World Series with this much talent Aaron Boone is likely thrown right into the Hudson River!
Tampa Bay Rays: The Rays once again made some strange offseason moves that likely will make sense in the long term. Trading Blake Snell to the Padres and letting go of Charlie Morton was rough but the one thing knows how to do is develop or resurrect pitchers. They brought back Chris Archer and still have more top flite pitching prospects. Thank goodness they didn’t trade Randy Arozarena Austin Meadows or Brandon Lowe since they brought back their entire starting 9 from last year. Just be prepared for the rest of the AL East aiming to knock you out.
Toronto Blue Jays: The offseason champions by most of the baseball writers have successfully kept their championship window from 2015 and 2016 open and they are trying to compete for championships again. Getting perhaps the 3 biggest names on the market in closer Kirby Yates Marcus Seimen and George Springer to add to their already deadly hitting core. With the big names like Vlad Jr, Cavan Biggio, Bo Bichette, Teoscar Hernandez, Lourdes Gurriel this team could be deadly. I can’t wait for the moment that the Canadian Government allows the Jays to come back to SkyDome so their fans can eat the other teams alive. Be careful about this team Yankees fans!
Chicago White Sox: This is the first time since the “OzzieBall” era that the White Sox have championship ambitions. Bringing in a star closer in Liam Hendricks to hopefully give them the final piece to their puzzle. The hitting core of Luis Robert, Eloy Jimenez as well as MVP candidate Jose Abreu are back in action as well plus Michael Kopech is going to be healthy this year to form a 1-2 punch in the rotation with Lucas Giolito. So I wonder who they replaced Rick Renteria with? TONY LA RUSSA!!! (If there is one thing he knows how to do is put together an elite pitching staff regardless of age) HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Cleveland Indians: Well management decided to be cheap in the offseason and ship off Francisco Lindor for pennies on the dollar. That doesn’t mean the Indians will go out easy. As long as the starting rotation led by Shane Beiber and Zach Plesac is as good as they say the Tribe does have a chance at the Wild Card especially if the 8 team playoff bracket returns. The main reason that anything less than a deep playoff run is unacceptable this year is because their other star Jose Ramirez is a free agent and is likely gone. At least if there’s one thing these guys can do it’s develop starting pitching!
Detroit Tigers: The rebuilding process continues for the Tigers. This year they decided to go all in on it by getting a former World Series Champion in AJ Hinch to manage. I know that people are going to say that they hired the architect of the biggest cheating scandal since 1951 but considering that he knows how to manage a pitching staff and Casey Mize is entering his first full season in the big leagues he could be the next Justin Verlander. Honestly even if they don’t make the playoffs this year the future is very bright since they have several top prospects on the way.
Kansas City Royals: Just like last year the tanks are back out in KC. Even if the Royals have two of the best pitching prospects in the minors coming up this year it will be another few years before they can start competing for a postseason spot again. Signing a few old World Series heroes from the Red Sox and Cubs is a start but Jorge Soler needs to return to 2019 form after a rough year last year, they at least are on the right track I guess.
Minnesota Twins: Let me say this, last year’s disaster in the playoffs cannot happen again. Look, the rotation is still strong and most of their good pitchers are back and they didn’t lose much in the hitting core this offseason even if they almost lost Nelson Cruz to the Angels and Eddie Rosario joined the Indians. All the Twins really need this year is to win their first playoff game since 2004. This year I think they will overtake the White Sox in the division and not lose to those “Damn Yankees” again!
Houston Astros: The Astros once again are loaded despite last year’s mediocre season but they almost reverse swept the Rays in the ALCS last year. Almost everyone but George Springer is back and hopefully Justin Verlander and Roberto Osuna will be back at some point of the season. I think that even though they had the sign stealing scandal a couple of years ago they still are favorites to win the AL West. I hope that Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman don’t decline, they are too special for that to happen to them.
Los Angeles Angels: Ok let’s try this again. Last year the Angels had all of the pieces ready for a playoff push and then the pitching staff implodes yet again. This year they are hoping for that to not happen again. Mike Trout deserves a chance at winning a playoff game for the first time in his career, and most of the hitting core like Anthony Rendon and David Fletcher are in their primes but the real question for them is going to be can the pitching staff stay healthy? Part of the reason that they missed the playoffs was because Ohtani and Bundy were injured in September. If they have any chance against the A’s and Astros they need all of the breaks to go their way. Your move Joe Maddon!
Oakland Athletics: This is the first year for the A’s in the post Billy Beane era. With that being said Moneyball is looking for a new identity after losing to the Astros in the ALDS. Matt Chapman and Matt Olsen still lead the charge even if Khris Davis and Marcus Semien are gone and Liam Hendricks took his talents to the South Side of Chicago. If there’s one thing that these guys know how to do is do more with less. I have a feeling that this will be the case even if the starting rotation has several questions. Just don’t lose to the Astros or Yankees again!
Seattle Mariners: This is another development year for the Mariners like most of the last 20 years. I know they have plenty of prospects that they got in the Edwin Diaz trade a couple of years ago but Kyle Lewis is ready to become the next face of the franchise after a stellar rookie season. As long as Kyle Seager avoids the end of his prime they could have promise for the future. But then the Mariners decided to do nothing with the bullpen but they did make a gutsy move. LOOK EVERYONE! JAMES PAXTON! HE’S COMING BACK TO SAVE THE ROTATION!!!
Texas Rangers: Management decided to bring in old stars from the A’s in Khris Davis to hopefully convince Joey Gallo and Elvis Andrus to stay but knowing how much they want to be on real teams I don’t know if this will work. They did give up Corey Kluber to those “Damn Yankees” and Lance Lynn wants out to. YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS!? BRING OUT THE TANKS! Because the rest of the division only got better and the Rangers got worse in terms of bullpen and rotation help. Keep whining about the unwritten rules of baseball!
The AL is top heavy for the most part. There are compelling stories but there probably will be a few teams that are completely over the top and a couple that will be tanking.
AL East
- Yankees 100-62 #1
- Rays 94-68 #5
- Blue Jays 89-73 #7
- Orioles 75-87
- Red Sox 75-87
AL Central
- Twins 96-66 #3
- White Sox 95-67 #4
- Indians 87-75 #8
- Tigers 70-92
- Royals 65-97
AL West
- Astros 98-64 #2
- A’s 91-71 #6
- Angels 82-80
- Mariners 72-90
- Rangers 68-94
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