MLB Preview and Predictions 2K10: American League

Baseball season begins April 4, so it’s time to predict the outcomes for every team in the AL. Look for your favorite squads and compare your picks to mine.

I’ve ranked the teams based on their predicted finish for the 2010 season. I’ve also ranked each squad’s batting and pitching on a letter scale, with a short explanation following.

AL East

Predicted Standings

1. New York Yankees

2. Boston Red Sox

3. Tampa Bay Rays

4. Baltimore Orioles

5. Toronto Blue Jays

1. New York Yankees

Batting: A+

The Yankees enter the season as the undisputed champions of the baseball world. They have the best all-around lineup in the bigs, but as usual, manager Joe Lunardi will have to control New York’s high-priced egos to stay successful.

Alex Rodriguez appears much healthier than he did at this time last year, which is an added bonus for the Yanks. If he can play like he did during the postseason, an MVP award is likely.

Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano, and Mark Teixeira are proven commodities, and Tex should be an MVP contender like his teammate A-Rod.

The only real questions regarding New York’s hitting are at catcher and centerfield. Jorge Posada is dropping off quickly, and there isn’t much depth at the position to replace him. Curtis Granderson, who was essentially swapped for Johnny Damon, needs to prove his worth versus lefties after hitting a dismal .193 against southpaws in 2009.

Pitching: A

The top three in New York’s rotation are All-Star candidates to be reckoned with (C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Javier Vazquez). Andy Petitte and Phil Hughes are solid options starters, and Hughes has the potential to break out by season’s end.

Mariano Rivera will provide stability as the closer, like always. Joba Chamberlain’s move to the bullpen could really help New York in the long run, as he gives some extra depth behind Rivera.

2. Boston Red Sox

Batting: B+

The Red Sox batting doesn’t pack the same punch as in years past, but it’s still a scrappy group capable of surprising lots of squads.

Kevin Youkilis and Victor Martinez need to produce huge offensive numbers to keep Boston in the race for the AL East title, and they more than likely will.

Don’t expect too much out of David Ortiz—he was inconsistent in 2009 and isn’t getting any younger at 34 years of age.

The rest of the group, including newcomers Adrian Beltre, Marco Scutaro, and Mike Cameron, are good for average batting and superb defense, which was the emphasis of Boston’s offseason.

The key for the Red Sox offense lies with Dustin Pedroia. He needs to play like he did in 2008, as opposed to his 2009 season in which he suffered a statistical drop in almost every batting category.

Pitching: A+

The Red Sox have the best pitching in baseball—better than the Yankees, better than the Cardinals, better than the Giants.

Josh Beckett, John Lackey, and Jon Lester are a trio no team wants to see come playoff time. Tim Wakefield, Clay Buchholz, and Daisuke Matsuzaka will battle over the final two spots, and that kind of talent at the bottom of the rotation is deadly.

Jonathan Papelbon is a proven champion as the closer. The rest of the bullpen is extremely deep, and Daniel Bard is a special talent.

3. Tampa Bay Rays

Batting: B+

The Rays have a youthful core of batters that they’ve built around nicely. Evan Longoria is the leader of the pack, and Carl Crawford along with Carlos Pena are feared hitters to avoid if you’re an opposing pitcher.

Jason Bartlett and Ben Zobrist will look to show that their breakout ’09 seasons were no fluke, although they could be in store for slightly downgraded numbers.

And of course, the baseball world will be watching to see if this is finally the season B.J. Upton emerges from his cocoon and turns into a bonafide stud. It’s an unlikely scenario, but if he puts the pieces together, this offense becomes much more potent.

Pitching: B-

James Shields is a dependable starter, but it gets dicey from there.

Matt Garza and David Price were shaky at times last year, and if the Rays want to compete for the Wild Card, both need to step up. Look for Garza to answer the call and for Price to stay inconsistent.

The relievers in Tampa have good track records, but closer Rafael Soriano isn’t a lights-out option. The Rays need J.P. Howell to return from injury and shore up the bullpen.

4. Baltimore Orioles

Batting: B

Watch out for the Orioles’ batting. Seriously.

Baltimore did a sneaky, good job of arranging a lineup that can consistently keep pitchers on their toes. Nick Markakis and Adam Jones are budding All-Stars (Jones made the All-Star game last season), and the additions of Miguel Tejada and Garrett Atkins bring some veteran stability to a young team.

Matt Wieters and Nolan Reimond are starting the season as the everyday catcher and left fielder of the O’s, and their presence brings hope to a city that has struggled with sub-par baseball for over a decade. Wieters especially could be in store for a monster 2010 campaign.

Pitching: C

Baltimore’s pitching is improving, but isn’t there yet.

Kevin Millwood is a reliable ace at the top of the order, but won’t wow anyone with his stat line. After Millwood, the rest of the staff is either mediocre or worse. The one exception is Brian Matusz, who has been thrust into the three-spot, but could put up big numbers with his lethal stuff.

The bullpen needs lots of work. Mike Gonzalez is set to go as the closer and Jim Johnson will be the set up man, but everyone else doesn’t really have a set role. Time will tell how that impacts Baltimore’s quest to finish with a winning record.

5. Toronto Blue Jays

Batting: C

The good news? Aaron Hill and Adam Lind established themselves as power hitters with over 30 homers each last year.

The bad news? Besides Vernon Wells, none of the other batters on the Blue Jays have proven to pack much of a punch.

Hopefully, lots of playing time for youngsters will help the Blue Jays develop down the road, but in such a tough division, it’s going to be a long and painful season for the fans.

Pitching: C-

The rotation for the Blue Jays is by far the worst in the American League, with the up-and-down Ricky Romero serving as the only glimpse of hope. Shaun Marcum is capable of hitting double-digit wins, but he won’t be putting up great numbers.

Toronto’s bullpen helps redeem them, as it features three potential closers (Kevin Gregg, who currently has the job, along with Jason Frasor and Scott Downs). The rest of the relievers have played well over recent years, and will likely be called on often to bail out the questionable starting pitchers.

AL Central

Predicted Standings

1. Chicago White Sox

2. Detroit Tigers

3. Minnesota Twins

4. Cleveland Indians

5. Kansas City Royals

1. Chicago White Sox

Batting: B+

The White Sox will win the AL Central behind an improved batting lineup and spectacular pitching.

Carlos Quentin isn’t on many fans’ radar screen anymore, but he shouldn’t be forgotten. He went through an injury-plagued season in 2009, and in 2008, he hit 36 homers with 100 RBI.

Alexei Ramirez and Juan Pierre provide major speed at the top and bottom of the lineup, while Paul Konerko and new DH Andruw Jones can still belt out homers.

And don’t forget Alex Rios along with Gordon Beckham. To win the AL Central, both guys need to play better than they did in 2009.

Pitching: A

Very few teams can boast of having such a deep rotation. Former Cy Young winner Jake Peavy is tough enough to face, and the Sox can throw Mark Buehrle, Gavin Floyd, and John Danks out on the mound too.

Bobby Jenks will close again, and has done a fine job for the past few years. J.J. Putz and Matt Thornton shore up a strong bullpen.

2. Detroit Tigers

Batting: B

Having a talent like Miguel Cabrera is enough to turn a poor batting team into a good one. Cabrera should be an MVP candidate, assuming the off-field issues are behind him.

The rest of the lineup isn’t too intimidating.

Magglio Ordonez is no longer the dominate batter of year’s past, yet he still hits third. The Tigers basically swapped Curtis Granderson for Johnny Damon, which isn’t an upgrade in most people’s eyes.

Keep a watchful eye on rookie Austin Jackson if you’re a fantasy baseball owner in need of some speed. He could produce solid numbers as the leadoff hitter.

Pitching: B+

Justin Verlander is the ace of a strong pitching rotation that will be called on to carry the team. He could approach 20 wins by season’s end.

Youngsters Rick Porcello and Max Scherzer will pick up where they left off last year and prove their worth.

It will be interesting to see whether Dontrelle Willis will earn the fifth spot in the rotation. If he doesn’t, it means Nate Robertson or Jeremy Bonderman beat him out.

Jose Valverde takes over as closer, and he’s been an effective option for the past couple of seasons.

It’s always nice to have a flamethrower like Joel Zumaya in the bullpen, but Detroit needs Zach Miner to return from the DL.

3. Minnesota Twins

Batting: B+

Joe Mauer certainly has some large shoes to fill.

Sure, he proved his worth as AL MVP last season, but after signing a $184 million deal, the expectations to deliver a postseason berth increased tenfold. He will continue to put up monster numbers, as will Justin Morneau.

The other Minnesota batters aren’t flashy, but get the job done. Delmon Young, Denard Span, Michael Cuddyer, J.J. Hardy, and Orlando Hudson can all be counted on to provide above-average hitting.

Pitching: C+

The Twins' pitching will keep them from reaching the playoffs for a second straight season. Scott Baker is a good second or third starting pitcher on most teams, but for the Twins, he’s the ace. Not good.

Losing closer Joe Nathan to injury is equally as disturbing.

New closer Jon Rauch isn’t nearly the same talent as Nathan, and the rest of the bullpen isn’t very intimidating other than Matt Guerrier and Francisco Liriano, who might end up as the fifth starter.

4. Cleveland Indians

Batting: B-

Fantasy owner alert: Asdrubal Cabrera will have a breakout 2010 season as the leadoff hitter for Cleveland. Mark it down.

Grady Sizemore will be counted on to lead the Indians offense, and he is fully capable of doing so—assuming he stays healthy.

There are other bright spots in Cleveland’s lineup, mainly Shin-Soo Choo and Matt LaPorta. The hype surrounding LaPorta has been enormous, and now he has the chance to prove his worth.

The others batters don’t look too appealing, especially over-the-hill Travis Hafner and unproven catcher Lou Marson.

Pitching: C

The Indians’ rotation could very easily be the worst in baseball if Jake Westbrook and Fausto Carmona both struggle.

That won’t happen though. Carmona will pitch better, and Westbrook should be solid.

The bullpen isn’t very promising either. Kerry Wood is constantly in and out of the closer role with injuries, and Chris Perez isn’t a reliable replacement. The rest of the relievers are equally forgettable.

5. Kansas City Royals

Batting: C-

There isn’t much to be excited about batting-wise in Kansas City.

Rick Ankiel was a nice pickup as the everyday center fielder, but isn’t a game-changing hitter. David Dejesus and Jose Guillen are solid batters in their own right, but once again, nothing out of the ordinary.

Billy Butler is the only batter with a real chance to break out of his shell. It’s unlikely, but he possesses the power to become a feared slugger by season’s end.

Pitching: C+

The Royals’ pitching staff can be broken down very simply.

Zack Grienke is amazing.

Joakim Soria is great.

Everyone else is terrible.

If Kansas City built around its pitching staff, it could contend in a relatively weak division. Instead, they will throw out one quality starting pitcher and one quality closer. That only works one out of five starts, so it appears the Royals will be destined for last place in the AL Central.

AL West

Predicted Standings

1. Los Angeles Angels

2. Texas Rangers

3. Seattle Mariners

4. Oakland Athletics

1. Los Angeles Angels

Batting: B

The Angels routinely prove that you can indeed teach an old dog new tricks.

Los Angeles continues to dump high-priced free agents for cheap alternatives, and still finds a way to win. Until that streak ends, they are the incumbents in the AL West. But not by much.

There’s still enough power in this lineup to scare other teams, thanks to Bobby Abreu, Torii Hunter, Hideki Matsui, and especially Kendry Morales.

The emergence of either 3B Brandon Wood or 2B Howie Kendrick would be huge in keeping the Angels afloat. If both those guys falter, either Texas or Seattle will be knocking on the door for the division.

Pitching: A

From top to bottom, the Angels have one of the deepest starting five pitchers around. You can literally rearrange the entire rotation in any order and it would still be equally as effective.

The reemergence of Ervin Santana and Joe Saunders is a storyline to follow. At the top of their games, both are aces.

2. Texas Rangers

Batting: A-

The Rangers are the sleepers of the AL. By the time the regular season ends, expect Texas to either own the Wild Card spot or be within a few games of a playoff berth. There’s a decent chance they could win the AL West.

To make a run at the postseason though, Josh Hamilton needs to return to his previous form. He experienced a “sophomore slump” of sorts last year, and appears poised to show that 2008 was no fluke.

The rest of the Rangers hitting is explosive, to say the least. Vladimir Guerrero can still smack the baseball out of the park, as can Ian Kinsler and Nelson Cruz.

More consistency out of Chris Davis is going to be key. He got sent to the minors last season, but the Rangers insist he’s a different player now.

Don’t forget the top and the bottom of the lineup either. Julio Borbon and Elvis Andrus are speed demons that other squads will have to watch closely when either gets on base.

Pitching: B-

Scott Feldman is good for a lot of wins, and Rich Harden is good for lots of quality starts. Problem is, Harden will more than likely go down to injury, and after him, it’s hard to feel confident in the Texas pitching staff.

C.J. Wilson is the X-factor of the rotation. If he’s as good as the Rangers are advertising him, Texas has more depth than anyone is giving them credit for. Problem is, it’s doubtful Wilson is as good as advertised.

The bullpen has quantity but little quality. There are plenty of options behind dependable closer Frank Francisco, but other than Neftali Feliz, no one else stands out as a superb reliever.

3. Seattle Mariners

Batting: C+

There’s plenty of speed in the Mariners' lineup, as Ichiro and Chone Figgins are two of the fastest players in the game. Still, where’s the power going to come from?

Forty-year-old Ken Griffey Jr. and crazy man Milton Bradley are supposed to hit homers, and that’s a pretty iffy proposition. Seattle desperately needs a big bat, and would be wise to look at acquiring the very-attainable Adrian Gonzalez from San Diego if they truly want to contend.

Pitching: B+

Cliff Lee and Felix Hernandez are lights-out studs at the top of the rotation. Ian Snell is going to be counted on to produce quality outings, and the other Seattle pitchers are shaky. The Mariners just have to hope Erik Bedard makes a speedy return.

David Aardsma had a great 2009 season and will look to continue his dominance as closer. He needs more stability in the bullpen, as most of the other relievers are young and inexperienced.

4. Oakland Athletics

Batting: D+

The A’s are counting on Ryan Sweeney, Kevin Kouzmanoff, and Jack Cust to produce homers. Seriously?

To win baseball games, a team needs to possess two of the following three abilities: speed, hitting for contact, and power. Oakland has speed, and that’s it. Until they add consistent hitters, they will remain at the bottom of the AL West, even with a terrific pitching staff.

Pitching: B+

Ben Sheets is a lethal ace when he’s actually on the mound, which isn’t often. Dallas Braden and Justin Duchscherer are great options after Sheets, and Brett Anderson has “star” written all over him.

Andrew Bailey will emerge as one of the top closers by the end of the season, but probably won’t get a chance to earn a save very often.

Michael Wuertz and Brad Ziegler help deepen a very talented bullpen certain to assist Bailey and the starting pitchers.