American League Season Predictions
AL East
Division Champion: Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox are absolutely loaded this year. Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Jacoby Ellsbury, and David Ortiz return and are joined with key offseason acquisitions Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez. With a solid pitching staff returning and the addition of Bobby Jenks, the BoSox are poised for their first AL East Division Championship since 2007.
Wild Card: New York Yankees
As much as we love to hate the Yankees, there’s no keeping the Bronx Bombers out of the playoffs this year. I see veterans Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, and Curtis Granderson using their experience to clinch a Wild Card playoff berth. Robinson Cano will make another push towards the AL MVP and Mark Texeira will add an All-Star caliber bat to an always-deep NYY lineup. Look for CC and Burnett to both win 15-20 games and trusty veteran Mariano Rivera to be reliable as always.
Don’t be surprised if:
The Baltimore Orioles have a season like the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays. The O’s quietly picked up Derrek Lee, Vlad Guerrero, Mark Reynolds, and JJ Hardy. Nick Markakis, Adam Jones, and Brian Roberts all will contribute as the Orioles could really turn some heads this year. Baltimore could make a serious playoff push, even in the loaded AL East.
Rest of the Pack:
The Rays just lost too much talent and don’t the overall depth to make a playoff run. Young stars Evan Longoria and David Price will continue to shine. The Blue Jays will be an exciting team to watch as they’ll again provide big power numbers. However, a lack of pitching depth holds Toronto back from competing in this year’s star-studded AL East. The Rays and Jays will battle back and forth to stay out of the AL East basement.
AL Central
Division Champion: Detroit Tigers
Yes, the Tigers should be playoff bound, and this is not just some Detroit biased prediction. Victor Martinez was a key pick-up for the Tigers as they finally found a solid bat to put behind the dish. Miguel Cabrera will have another MVP-like season in Detroit with a solid lineup around him. Magglio Ordonez should have one solid season left in him. Joaquin Benoit was another great pickup for Detroit as he adds depth to our bullpen. Austin Jackson is geared up for another great season in CF and Verlander, Porcello, and Scherzer will all push for around 15 wins.
Don’t be surprised if:
Those pesky Minnesota Twins try to crawl out of 3rd place as the season concludes to make a playoff push. Mauer and Morneau are among the most dangerous 3-4 combos in the league.
Rest of the Pack:
The White Sox have a very powerful lineup, but they have some aging bats. Look for Chicago to lead the division most of the year but cool off after the season passes the All-Star Break. The ChiSox and Twins will be on the Tiger’s heals all season, and this will be a very close finish. The Indians and Royals will be among the worst teams in the American League, and I’ll leave it at that.
AL West
Division Champion: Texas Rangers
The defending American League Champions will have no trouble winning this division and look to make another playoff run. The Rangers are looking past the departure of ace Cliff Lee and will rely on their consistent lineup. CJ Wilson will lead the pitching staff and once Brandon Webb is off the DL, Rangers fans will soon forget about Cliff Lee (who will probably get traded from Philadelphia at some point anyway). Josh Hamilton will put up MVP-like numbers again with a strong supporting cast of Adrian Beltre, Nelson Cruz, Ian Kinsler, and Michael Young.
Don’t be surprised if:
The Rangers win the division by 15 games. The Mariners, Athletics, and Angels look to be pretty irrelevant in this year’s MLB playoff race.
Rest of the Pack:
The Angels should finish 2nd in the division, most likely with a sub .500 record. The Mariners and Athletics will spend another season in the AL West basement until they make some serious moves to get back into contention.
League Awards
MVP: Miguel Cabrera, 1B, Detroit Tigers
Cy Young: CC Sabathia, SP, New York Yankees
Manager of the Year: Ron Washington, Texas Rangers
Rookie of the Year: Jeremy Hellickson, SP, Tampa Bay Rays
Postseason Results
ALDS: Texas over New York, 3-1
ALDS: Boston over Detroit, 3-2
ALCS: Boston over Texas, 4-2
World Series: Boston over St. Louis, 4-1
-BP, BTH guest writer
Fuck the Sox
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