American League Team Previews

[RAYMOND]

American League Team Previews

AL EAST

(1) New York Yankees
This is arguably the best lineup ever assembled. The Bombers will truly live up to their nickname and could easily plate over 900 runs this season. The problem will be preventing them. Despite having no shortage of arms, New York was snake-bitten by injuries to its rotation and suffered due to terrible middle relief last season. The bullpen was addressed very well this offseason by adding two former closers (Kyle Farnsworth and Octavio Dotel) and two lefty specialists (Ron Villone and Mike Myers). Dotel is coming off Tommy John surgery and won?t be available until sometime in late May, but he should eventually be part of a much-improved pen. The main worry for the Yanks is still the rotation. SP?s Carl Pavano (back), Jaret Wright (back), and Aaron Small (hamstring) have already had setbacks before Opening Day. All three, especially Wright and Small, will remain question marks as the season progresses. Back injuries are always troublesome for pitchers. Just ask Kevin Brown. Johnny Damon adds a ton of range to the center field defense, but his arm is barely better than Bernie Williams? rag. All in all, the Yankees will be better prepared because should injuries become an issue, the improved bullpen will be more capable of carrying a heavier load than last year?s crew.

(2) Boston Red Sox
If Curt Schilling and Josh Beckett can stay healthy, they have the deepest and potentially best rotation in the division. Schilling has lost weight, claims his ankle has fully healed, and appears poised to have a season that will more closely resemble 2004 than 2005. Beckett is a great young arm and he has the rare, invaluable experience of having dominated the Yankees in the postseason. Matt Clement (22-11, +$475), David Wells (19-11, +$585), and Tim Wakefield (18-15, -$30) fill out the rotation and Boston has some top prospects?Jonathan Papelbon, Manny Delcarmen, and Lenny DiNardo?as insurance. That gives them an immediate edge over the Yankees in terms of starting pitching. Most importantly, there will be stability now that Keith Foulke is healthy, Schilling will remain a starter, younger arms (like 2005 first-round pick Craig Hansen) are ready to contribute, and the bullpen is much deeper. But, the roster experienced a great amount of turnover with seven regulars (four batters, three pitchers) coming over from the NL. Those players will need time to adjust and that could result in a sluggish start before the team really jells.

(3) Baltimore Orioles
Once Brian Roberts came back down to Earth last year, the Orioles simply tanked because they lacked the pitching to keep winning. The potential of this year?s pitching staff is high now that Leo Mazzone will be its tutor. Flamethrower Daniel Cabrera turned heads in the WBC and will become an ace if he can harness his command. Erik Bedard (8-16, -$1,140) was hurt for most of last season but has looked sharp and ready to rebound in spring training. The rest of the rotation (Rodrigo Lopez, Kris Benson, Bruce Chen) is above average and should keep the O?s in a few more games than last year when the offense runs into trouble. Losing B.J. Ryan forces the team to use promising but unproven second-year man Chris Ray as closer and the combustible LaTroy Hawkins as primary setup man. The lineup has some big names but it could end up having more bark than bite and pales in comparison to those of Boston and New York. It will be another frustrating year in the middle of the pack for the Baltimore reclamation project.

(4) Toronto Blue Jays
The addition of pitchers A.J. Burnett and B.J. Ryan and hitters Troy Glaus and Lyle Overbay have undeniably improved this team. However, Toronto cannot expect to compete against two of baseball?s best teams with only a top-heavy ball roster. Losing Gold Glove 2B Orlando Hudson to Arizona may have just as much effect as some of the Jays? additions. Toronto?s two best starters?Roy Halladay and Burnett?make their money by inducing large numbers of groundballs. Losing Hudson, compounded by the fact that Aaron Hill is among the worst defensive shortstops around, and you don?t have a recipe for success with groundball pitchers. A lot more hits may find their way through this infield and cause the ERAs of Halladay and Burnett to be higher than they should be. At least Ryan has proved he can be a high-level closer in the AL East. The team is counting on another strong season from Gustavo Chacin (19-15, +$850), matching last year?s production in his second go-round the league. The Blue Jays are headed in the right direction but still won?t make a huge dent in the standings.

(5) Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Don?t be fooled. This team can hit and has lots of team speed. They will be an annoyance for opposing pitchers. Unfortunately, Tampa Bay has little pitching to complement what will be a productive offense. Scott Kazmir is their only front-of-the-rotation starter and as a raw, 22-year-old, he is still a work in progress -- 100 walks in 2005. Seth McClung is big (6?6, 235 lbs) and has shown he can be effective at times (8-9, +$370). He could be a dark horse if he can develop quickly. Otherwise, the pitching staff is weak and has already lost projected closer Shinji Mori for the year with a torn labrum. The Rays were 13-10 (+$895) versus southpaws at home and 7-22 (-$540) on the road so they can make some money as long as you pick the right spots. We?ll want to target them as underdogs against teams with mediocre pitching that rely on offense. That strategy was especially successful against the Yankees (11-8, +1660) and Rangers (6-2, +530) last year. Keep in mind that Tampa Bay has two of the best hitting prospects in the minors in Delmon Young and B.J. Upton, which will give them the flexibility to make trades for some arms at some point.

 

[RAYMOND]

AL CENTRAL

(1) Chicago White Sox
The World Series Champs owned the AL Central last year (52-22, +2405), turning a profit against every team and dominating their closest competitors (14-5, +1120 vs. Cleveland). The Chisox added depth (Javier Vazquez) to its great rotation and another power bat (Jim Thome) to its lineup in the offseason. Opposing teams will have to be at their best against Chicago, because their top five starters have great control (2.8/1 K/BB ratio last year). They also have 23-year-old Brandon McCarthy (1.69 ERA in 42.2 IP in the second half) waiting in the wings if anyone goes down. Luckily, the rotation?s strength will take pressure off the bullpen, which is the biggest question mark. Closer Bobby Jenks has come into camp overweight with erratic command and Dustin Hermanson has back problems. LF Scott Podsednick has a host of nagging injuries that have carried over from last year. His base-stealing presence was key to the ChiSox surge and the club struggled offensively when he couldn?t set the table in August. There is no one else on the roster that could replace him effectively in the leadoff spot. There was always a sense that Chicago was overachieving last season, though the anticipated drop-off never occurred. There is little reason to think that the White Sox won?t be right in the playoff mix all year long (with Cleveland) but playing with a bulls-eye on their backs will take a toll and cause a decline in total wins.

(2) Cleveland Indians
Had they not lost six of their last seven games, the Indians would have won the Wild Card and gone on to the postseason for the first time since 1999. Ticked off about the way last season ended, the Tribe will be motivated to prove its true worth and is well suited to do so with a great core of young hitters signed to long-term contracts. Cleveland was fortunate that its top five starters made all but four starts and they will need that kind of durability again. But perhaps the biggest boost to the Tribe?s improvement last year was in the bullpen, which had the lowest ERA (2.83) and WHIP (1.13) in the majors. The swap of Paul Byrd and Jason Johnson for Kevin Millwood and Scott Elarton in the rotation should not result in too much of a drop off. However, the performance of relief pitchers varies greatly from year to year when you get past the elite tier and Cleveland?s pen looks much different with David Riske, Arthur Rhodes, and Bob Howry gone and Guillermo Mota and Danny Graves coming over from the NL. The uncertainty with the bullpen is the main reason we?re hesitant to pick the Indians to out-duel the White Sox, but management has financial flexibility and could make a move to bolster the staff mid-season. This team was a superb 50-31 on the road in 2005.

(3) Minnesota Twins
Injuries and lack of offense were the source of Minnesota?s downfall last season. Only five regulars played more than 130 games and only two (Joe Mauer and Matthew LeCroy) had OPB?s higher than .350. Torii Hunter missed most of the second half after injuring his ankle on Fenway Park?s center field wall in late July and the lineup mustered little production afterwards. In recent years, the Twins have had offensive black holes at SS and 2B and last year?s combination of Luis Rivas, Nick Punto, Luis Rodriguez, and Jason Bartlett were no better. Bartlett, 26, has won the starting SS job and his performance in spring training and in AAA last year (.405 OBP) indicates that he, as well as new addition 2B Luis Castillo, can be the top-of-the-order guys the Twins have lacked. Other than Johan Santana, the Minnesota starters won?t blow you away with their stuff but they are solid and exhibit excellent control, making batters work to get on base. The bullpen is this team?s strength and boasts one of the best late-inning combos around with Joe Nathan and Juan Rincon. The lack of overall power and depth in the lineup will again leave the Twins especially vulnerable to injuries and we have serious concerns about Castillo, 3B Tony Batista, and Shannon Stewart staying healthy on the Metrodome?s unforgiving carpet.

(4) Detroit Tigers
Detroit signed southpaw ?media darling? Kenny Rogers to a two-year, $18 million contract to be the #1 starter and help mentor the two other young lefties on the staff?Nate Robertson and Mike Maroth. Rogers got off to an amazing start, but his ERA hovered around 5.00 after May, which is right about where it has been for the last two years (4.76, 4.57). Jeremy Bonderman is the true ace and future of this staff, so look for him to take another step forward this year. Robertson and Maroth are young, but neither projects to be much better than average. New closer Todd Jones had a great year for the Marlins last year, compiling an ERA (2.01) that was nearly two runs below his career average (3.91). At age 38, Jones is a prime candidate to regress this year and he?s already on the DL with Fernando Rodney taking over for now. The lineup is solid, but not good enough to overcome the pitching strength of the White Sox, Indians, and Twins without more help coming from the hill. Second-year 1B Chris Shelton and rookie CF Curtis Granderson are a nice duo that will bring power and speed to the offense.

(5) Kansas City Royals
SP Zach Greinke left spring training just after camp started to deal with familial and personal issues and meet with a sports psychologist to work out various undisclosed issues. It is uncertain when Greinke will return to the team and it?s probably a safe assumption that he is far behind in his conditioning and preparation. The Royals have a new pitching coach and were looking to pare down Greinke?s repertoire in order to focus on his best pitches, so that process has been halted as well. Despite that trouble, Kansas City?s rotation will be stronger with Mark Redman, Scott Elarton, and Joe Mays in the mix. But it will still easily be the worst in the division. The addition of veterans OF Reggie Sanders, 2B Mark Grudzielanek, and Doug Mientkiewicz will put some much-needed experience out on the field with the rest of the youngsters, but each of those players is past his prime (Mientkiewicz is the worst offensive 1B in baseball) and unlikely to make any impact in the standings. This team has only one player on the roster worth getting excited about?CF David DeJesus?and has already lost expected closer Mike MacDougal (shoulder) until May.

 

[RAYMOND]

AL WEST

(1) Oakland Athletics
Injuries prevented the A?s from being runaway winners of the AL West in 2005. Their starting middle infield of Bobby Crosby and Mark Ellis missed a combined total of 118 games and the stud of the pitching staff, Rich Harden, made only 22 starts. This year, Oakland goes into the spring with the best rotation in the West, hands down, after allowing the fourth-fewest runs in the AL last year. Barry Zito will lead this young group with extra vigor since he is also playing for a contract. Rich Harden has the stuff to be the most dominating pitcher in baseball when healthy, and veteran Esteban Loaiza will bring added experience to complement Joe Blanton and Danny Haren, both of whom topped 200 innings in their first seasons as starters. Joe Kennedy and Kirk Saarloos will be the swingmen in a strong bullpen and serve as injury insurance. The lineup will improve with experience, and if Frank Thomas can play anywhere near 120 games it will be a nice power boost for a group that doesn?t have overwhelming pop. The defense is very strong all around, especially up the middle. Sophomore closer Huston Street?s progression should be fun to watch, since he put up numbers comparable to those of Mariano Rivera in his rookie campaign. No team in the division has a bigger upside.

(2) Los Angeles Angels
LA has been successful in recent years on the strength of its pitching staff. They have one of baseball?s best bullpens and it finally added a quality lefty, J.C. Romero, to its ranks. Cy Young winner Bartolo Colon leads a good rotation, followed by John Lackey, Kelvim Escobar, Ervin Santana, and Jeff Weaver. Pitching will have to carry them and they will have to win their share of close games because the offense will be rather weak. Other than Vlad Guerrero, the Angels have no proven power threats. Cleanup hitter Garret Anderson is old, rickety and already bothered by a foot injury this spring. We don?t see him playing more than 120 games if he plays LF with any regularity. That means Vlad ? a superstar lacking in discipline necessary to avoid hacking at bad balls -- won?t see many good pitches to hit this year. Manager Mike Scioscia loves to play small ball and with this offense, he?ll have to. The organization has a nice crop of quality prospects in its system ready to make the leap, so it will be interesting to see if the club gives them a chance this year.

(3) Seattle Mariners
Adrian Beltre had a down year after signing a monster contract, but we expect him to rebound nicely and his performance in the World Baseball Classic for the Dominican Republic is a step in that direction. He will team with Richie Sexson to form a formidable power duo and don?t forget that they have the world?s best leadoff hitter setting the table. Our biggest wonder is what will happen with C Kenji Johjima, who was brought in from Japan. Former Japanese stars have been hit-or-miss in the majors, but he has the skills to be successful and early scouting reports have been positive. Felix Hernandez will turn 20 at the start of the season and has already shown filthy stuff and the confidence to throw any of his pitches in any count. He is the best young pitcher in the majors but the Mariners wisely plan to bring him along slowly as the fifth starter and limit his innings to less than 200. The Mariners are very young up the middle with SS Yuniesky Betancourt, 2B Jose Lopez, and CF Jeremy Reed. They will need time to develop but should be good defensively. Another year together will help the team jelll and improve on last year?s 69 wins, but they will eventually fade out of contention in the AL West, due mainly to the shortcomings of the starting rotation, which has two injury-prone members (Joel Pineiro and Gil Meche).

(4) Texas Rangers
The Rangers can hit. We all know that. The big question is whether their offseason pitching acquisitions can get them over the hump and allow them to compete with the golden arms of Oakland and Anaheim. Adding SP?s Kevin Millwood and Vincente Padilla looks great on paper, but another promising new starter, Adam Eaton, could miss the first three months of the season after finger surgery. The bullpen will be a major headache once again as they have little more than flotsam to supplement closer Francisco Cordero and setup man Akinori Otsuka (who will have to adjust to life in the AL and summertime Texas heat). That will translate into plenty of blown leads. Giving away Chris Young to the Padres in the deal that netted Eaton and Otsuka may be an eventual source of regret, but management decided to sacrifice upside for greater depth. Eaton?s late debut could be a forestalling of inevitable disappointment, since he is transitioning to the notoriously hitter-friendly Ameriquest Field after posting a road ERA of 5.09 away from San Diego?s cavernous PETCO Park last season. This team must to learn to hit away from their home bandbox, as well as improve its performance versus lefties (14-25, -$1,295). We envision the Rangers landing right around .500 once again and wouldn?t be surprised if the Mariners leapfrogged them in the standings.

 

[LET'S EAT!!!]

thx for the info raymond...look forward to ur monster parlays this season...le