For those of you that do not know, the 2014 MLB season begins this Saturday at 4AM in Sydney, Australia. The Diamondbacks and Dodgers face-off in a two-game Opening Series while a bunch of cricket-loving Aussies drunk off Fosters watch and will think baseball is the quickest game in the world. Both teams then will head back to their camps in Arizona. With that being said, here are my division story lines & picks for the 2014 American League Season. Later this week, I will post my preview of the National League and the Postseason.
AL WEST:
1. Oakland Athletics: The winningest team in the pros the last year and a half and most people probably couldn't name one player on their team. Here's one: Yoenis Cespedes. He put himself on the map during last year's home run derby and look for him to explode even further this year. The A's need to make a playoff run though, or the love of moneyball will start to decline.
2. Texas Rangers: The strange move of Kinsler for Fielder highlighted their offseason...and it was actually pretty smart. They're known as chokes and without a World Championship, fans will be disappointed. Fielder, Choo, and Darvish anchor this team. And those three make for a pretty heavy anchor, for a recently successful team. Don't sleep on Texas yet.
3. Los Angeles Angels: This team's level of underachievement is that of the Eagles' last two Reid seasons. Mike Scoscia brought a title to Anaheim, but should have been gone last year. Way too much talent to be .500.
4. Seattle Mariners: This is the year King Felix is traded. And Robinson Cano? Will wish he was back in New York while he watches the rest of his team bat in the .100s. Maybe some hope for them for the future...but they need to act quickly to make the money they spent on him worth while.
5. Houston Astros: Easily the worst franchise in professional sports by a mile and even though are drafting good talent, it will mean nothing if their minor league system does not develop them. These guys they are drafting are not Strasburgs and Harpers. Tanking is for the NBA.
AL CENTRAL
1. Detroit Tigers: The Tigers will have more competition in this division than they have had in years. I love the direction Cleveland and Kansas City are going in, but it simply isn't enough to make me believe they will defeat the most balanced and talented team in baseball.
2. Kansas City Royals (WC2): THIS IS THE YEAR! The most classic seller dwellers in all of the majors will get over the hump to the postseason. Consistency means everything in baseball and the Royals lineup is certainly that everything. 1st in steals and last in strikeouts. They are only getting better.
3. Cleveland Indians: Certainly a team that came out of nowhere last year, but I have a feeling they will not be able to succeed the way they did last year. But they will evolve into a team that will be good for a while. After all, their manager has the hardware to prove he can do that.
4/5. Minnesota Twins & Chicago White Sox: There is not a lot I can say about these two teams, simply because they are in a division that promises to be too young in the Royals and Indians sake and too powerful in Detroit for their near-minor league lineups & rotations.
AL EAST
1. New York Yankees: Offseason loading up never works in any sport with the exception of two teams: The Miami Heat and the New York Yankees. They made all the right moves and are a totally different team from their double-A roster last spring training. They have an overload of outfielders so look for one of them to get moved so they can improve somewhere else. As long as the A-Rod BS stays far far far far far far away from the clubhouse, they will succeed in getting Jeter back on top, one last time.
2. Boston Red Sox (WC1): Little negativity I can give to the World Champs. Their biggest test will be the most competitive and built division in baseball. It didn't prove to be that big of a deal last year, but not everyone is returning, pointing to the Yanks stealing Ellsbury in free agency. They are well coached and still have arguably the most complete pitching staff in the AL. As long as they stay healthy, they should have nothing to worry about.
3. Tampa Bay Rays: There is no team I feel worse for than the Rays. They have been the most fun team to watch since their miraculous run of worst to (almost) first in 2008. Their speed and small ball just has not been enough to carry them to postseason victories. And even after all their success, the fans just do not seem to care. Let it be known I shun the fans of all Florida sports teams. None fill the seats. I would not say their window of opportunity is running out. Longoria is there for a while and they have somehow found the money to pay players, regardless of their lack of fan interest. Players also like to live in Florida so thats something the Rays have that other teams do not.
4. Baltimore Orioles: Top 5 in Runs and the major league leader in bombs. This team is jacked lead by Auburn's kick-six hero Chris Davis. Their hitting coach clearly knew what he was doing and now is as irrelevant as Peyton Manning's offensive coordinator. They lead the majors in hitting home runs and also in allowing them last year. And were bottom 10 in ERA and Ks. Their pitching coach is clearly the failure of this regardless well-coached team.
5. Toronto Blue Jays: Remember how I said loading up only works for the Miami Heat and the New York Yankees? Well last year's Blue Jays are just another reason to why that's true. I was the only person who thought the Blue Jays build up would fail and I was right. And now they suck and dumped a lot of their farm system. Prepare for a long couple of years Toronto.
