Spring Training is here and in full swing. The weather is warming up and the snow is melting. Free agency is essentially wrapped up except for a few players. Opening Day is less than a month away. It's almost summer and more importantly, almost baseball season. The American League is wide open this year. Each of the three divisions has at the least two teams who can contend.
American League East
Contenders: Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox
This is such a wide open division. The AL East could potentially feature three playoff teams. This is the only division where every team could potentially contend. I had to leave the Tampa Bay Rays as the odd-man out in this situation. Of these four, I would count on the Orioles and Jays to take the division race all the way to the last few days of the season.
Maybe Next Year... Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays have a solid staff. However, I don't think that they have the lineup to keep pace with the other four. I wanted to include the Red Sox in this section, but they just have too much talent to not be a team to contend.
American League Central
Contenders: Kansas City Royals, Detroit Tigers
The AL East will once again be a race between the Tigers and Royals. The Twins had a good season last year, but I think it will be tough for them to continue their success. I think the Tigers could win around 95 games. The talent is there. I think the Tigers will beat out the Royals for the division.
Mid-Tier: Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians
Cleveland could go either way. Minnesota has the most upside, especially with a flourishing farm system. If the young players in their farm system prove ready to play and be successful this season, they could be in for a big year. Cleveland does not exactly impress me, but they certainly have a playoff-caliber pitching rotation. Corey Kluber is the best pitcher in the division and the rotation is the deepest in the division. However, it is worth noting that Carlos Santana is their leadoff hitter. Yikes.
Maybe Next Year... Chicago White Sox
The trade for Todd Frazier really does not make much of a difference in my eyes. Chris Sale is great. But the rest of the team should look for another sub-par year.
American League West
Contenders: Houston Astros, Texas Rangers
Houston and Arlington will once again run the AL West. Both teams are young and have very high ceilings. Texas could be a big contender. The Rangers have a healthy mix of youngsters and effective veterans. Houston is a young team with great pitching and a lineup that does a fantastic job of getting on base as well as hitting for power. I look forward to this race going all the way to the final day of the season.
Mid-Tier: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Seattle Mariners
The Angels have one of the best players in the game in Mike Trout. They also have an aging Albert Pujols. They looked like a legit contender a few years ago when they picked up Pujols and Josh Hamilton, but neither signing has elevated them the way they envisioned. The Mariners still have King Felix. Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz are still great. But like the Angels, the team does not live up to expectations. I like the Mariners better than the Angels as contenders in that division right now. However, I think there will be a significant gap between these two teams and the two teams in Texas.
Maybe Next Year.... Oakland Athletics
There is nothing about the Athletics that gets me excited. But you never know with GM Billy Beane. Out of nowhere, they could be right in the mix. They looked like a good bet last year but flopped miserably. This year could be much of the same minus the expectations. All that said, Oakland is tough to predict. Maybe they'll win 100 games. Who knows?
