Division a Day I: AL East

Welcome to this week's daily division previews on ye olde Inside Pitch blog. Each day we'll provide you some nuggets on each team, make our own selection and then give you a chance to cast your vote on the division winner. We start in the AL East, the division where so many Buffalo fans are focused every year.

The Rays won it last year and went to the World Series. Remember that? All the Yankee-Red Sox talk that goes on every year seems to overlook that point heading into '09. And Tampa Bay is no fluke either. A great lineup and some terrific pitching mean Joe Maddon's club is no fluke. Still, B.J. Upton's shoulder is an early-season trouble spot, the bullpen overachieved last year and can't possibly be that good again and I hate starting David Price at Triple-A Durham to keep his innings down (I still think it's a money move to slow his arbitration clock).

So I think the Rays take a step back this year and the Red Sox are primed to make another run. They lost Game Seven of the ALCS last year at Tampa or we could be talking about three World Series titles in five years after none in the previous 86. You have to love how the Sox are reinventing themselves from within: Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Kevin Youkilis, Jon Lester and Jonathan Papelbon are stars and none of them were around in '04.

Then there's the Yankees. I love the signing of CC Sabathia (although he's done nothing in October). I'm OK with Mark Teixeira and I don't think much of A.J. Burnett, who had one good year in Toronto. There are still questions about injuries in the rotation and about A-Rod's status. How good a shortstop can Derek Jeter still be and is Brett Gardner really the starting center fielder? It all figures to be a pretty interesting inaugural year in the new Yankee Stadium. 

Only because duty calls do we even bother with the Orioles and Blue Jays. I do think Baltimore will be improved this year and the O's are trying to do it through the farm (catcher Matt Wieters is a keeper). Ex-Bison Jeremy Guthrie is the Opening Day starter for the second straight year. The Blue Jays lost Burnett and injuries have shelved Shawn Marcum (for the season) and Dustin McGowan (at least until May). This might be the year Roy Halladay is dealt at the deadline.

So my picks are 1-Red Sox; 2-Yankees (AL wild card); 3-Rays; 4-Orioles; 5-Blue Jays.

Choose your AL East winner below. Next: NL East.

---Mike Harrington

poll by twiigs.com

Comments

[beatcanisisus]

If nothing goes wrong then it's the Yankees. We know about Burnett's injury history and saw how Joba and Wang went down last year, but what if an unexpected injury to C.C. happens? The Yankees offense could be more of a question not knowing how Posada, Cano, or even A-Rod (after hip surgery) will perform. If all goes smooth then 99 wins, if injuries hit 89 wins.
As for the Red Sox, well, the same applies. They will compete for the top spot as long they avoid injuries. I don't expect any of there signings to pay off though. Smoltz, Penny, Baldelli.....old and injury prone. They could win 95 but any significant trouble drops them to 85.
Tampa is solid, their pitching is really consistent but unfortunately for them the east is stacked. If injuries plague the Red Sox then Tampa finishes in second. 90 wins.
Toronto is solid but injuries have already hurt them. Last place for the Jays.
Baltimore good young pitching? They are not the Rays of 2008, but they will show remarkable promise. Fourth place and maybe 81 wins.
So the bottom line is DON'T GET HURT!!!

[rl1856]

The Yankees will win. Starting pitching is much better than last year, pen is one of the best in the AL and they added not 1 but 3 hitters to the lineup. We all know about Tex, but the return of both Posada and Matsui from injuries, means you have 2 guys capable of 280+/350+/20hr+ in the middle of the lineup. Emergance of Gardner and offensive return of Cano would be icing on the cake.