Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox Are Still the Best in the AL: Part One

After an off-season of spending, one might think that the Yankees have once again restored order to the Evil Empire. But the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays are still the best teams in the AL.

Although the Yankees have signed some big names, huge questions still remain. 

Will Burnett stay healthy? Will Wang and Posada make a good recovery? How effective will their bullpen be? All of these issues could sabotage the Yankees' season, which could be another very long one if some of their signings don't pan out.

So let's take a look at the defending American League Champion Tampa Bay Rays. While the Rays have a relatively low payroll and boast one of the youngest teams in baseball, what they did last year should not have come as a shock.

They have been stockpiling talent through the draft for years, and have developed several young stars.

Their pitching staff is deep, to the point that they have several potential aces in their rotation. Scott Kazmir has been a horse for their staff for years now and is starting to get support from his fellow rotation members.

James Shields was superb last season, winning 14 games with a 3.56 ERA, eating up 215 innings and striking out 160 batters.

Then you had Andy Sonnanstine emerge as a solid No. 3 starter and pitch lights out in the postseason. He is a guy who should still grow and mature as a pitcher, solidifying the staff even more.

Durability is another strength of this staff, with five pitchers eating up over 150 innings last season. This durability kept the bullpen rested and allowed them to be effective when needed. Kazmir was the only starter with limited innings due to injury, and still led the team in strikeouts with 166.

With the reduced workload, the bullpen had a great season, with five relievers posting an ERA under 3.20. Those numbers set up lights-out late game situations. And with the growth of David Price in the postseason, we may see him emerge as the next great closer in the league. 

Match that with Tamp Bay's lineup, and you have a very dangerous team. Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria were a very good middle-of-the-order combo last year, and Longoria is expected to only get better as he gains more experience in the league.

B.J. Upton was masterful in the postseason, setting a record for home runs, and is expected to fully recover from last season's injury. Expect him to have 30 home runs and steal 30 bases this year.  

The rest of the lineup is solid, and with the new acquisition of Pat Burrell (who can still hit 20 to 25 homers,) the Rays should have one of the best lineups in baseball as well. Expect this team to be in the playoffs for the next few years.