Boston Red Sox (89-73, 3rd Place AL East inside 2010): The Red Sox truly have a different feel with them this yr. Sure, they ran out of time to scan the big guys inside the AL East last season and were truly uncharacteristically left out of the postseason, however they surely have several hot blood inside the lineup inside the form of Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford. These two really could shine and make everyone more inside this batting prescribe better, and when you've absolutely got the most stacked pitching staffs inside hockey, you've got a heck of a shot to win it all. Strengths: Is there anything this lineup can't do? Gonzalez might hit 40 homers inside this ballpark, while he will merely sit there and take pot shots at the Green Monster or rip 1 down the line near Pesky's Pole. Crawford brings another dimension of speed to the lineup, and he and Jacoby Ellsbury might blend for 100 swipes this yr. Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis best tandem to get on base. Oh yes, andwe haven't created mention of JD Drew or David Ortiz either. Weaknesses: You have several issues about the center of that rotation, yet we're truly nitpicking. Josh Beckett and Daisuke Matsuzaka truly haven't shown you much over the span of the last two years or so, and they may both be decaying. If that's the case, men like John Lackey and a few of the kids inside Pawtucket have to step up and help out Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester at the front of the rotation. MLB Picks & Prediction: Anything not as much as 100 wins for the Red Sox will be incredibly disappointing. If they don't win the AL East, Manager Terry Francona has several explaining to do. 2011 Boston Red Sox Prediction: first Place inside AL East New York Yankees (95-67, 2nd Place AL East inside 2010): General Manager Brian Cashman knew which he wanted to create a big time splash inside the offseason, yet he merely wasn't able to do so. Cliff Lee spurned the team and is taking his trade to the City ofBrotherly Love, that truly leaves NY significant and dry inside terms of acquiring several aid for CC Sabathia at the front end of the rotation. Andy Pettitte has absolutely retired, and men like Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, and Mariano Rivera aren't getting any young. Can there be another run into the postseason this yr for the guys within the Bronx? We're truly not all which sure. Strengths: The strength of that team is definitely the center of its lineup. There really may not be a better 1-2 punch than Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez. These two both had ideal Spring Trainings, and both hope they can truly get started with possibly as various as 70 homers and 250 RBIs between them. Weaknesses: Cashman knew which he wanted pitching inside the offseason... and he still doesn't have any of it past CC. The actual bad news is the fact that Sabathia will walk after this season, and he truly might do so. But beyond which... AJ Burnett, Ivan Nova, Bartolo Colon, Phillip Hughes... which are these guys? We wouldn't be surprised if the residual starters inside this rotation apart from Sabathia end up getting a joint ERA above 5.00 by the time this season is said and done with. Baseball Picks & Prediction: Pitching wins championships. Big bats don't. The Yanks usually slug a quantity of groups under the table this yr, yet we're not so sure which that'll be sufficient to put them inside the 2nd season. Don't be surprised if Manager Joe Girardi has a great deal of stress on his towards the end of that yr, as his team is viewing the 2nd season within the sofa. 2011 NY Yankees Prediction: 2nd Place inside AL East Tampa Bay Rays (96-66, first Place AL East inside 2010): The Rays might have a 2nd department title inside their last three seasons, yet nobody is expecting a duplicate performance this yr. The window of opportunity might have slammed shut on this team earlier this yr, as ownership cut sum, causing for the departure of men like Jason Bartlett, Matt Garza, Carlos Pena, Carl Crawford, and simply the whole bullpen. There's still a lot of talent here inside Tampa Bay, and Manager Joe Maddon is truly one of the best inside the biz at turning poultry poo into poultry dish, yet this task is just too tough this yr. Strengths: The front end of that rotation may not have Garza any more, yet the team survived the loss of Scott Kazmir two seasons back as well. David Price was probably screwed out of the Cy Young Award during the past year, and he or she is going to be a frontrunner for the award again this season. Jeremy Hellickson is the hot guy inside the blend, while he takes over for Garza. Hellickson is truly one of the best prospects inside the game today, as well as the Rays have to be excited about viewing him function a full season this yr. James Shields, Wade Davis, and Jeff Niemann round what ought to be a ideal rotation, and Andy Sonnanstine is a ideal choice for a sixth starter. Weaknesses: For as ideal as the rotation is, the bullpen on this team is just which bad. Literally each piece from last year's challenge was dismantled, and after this the club must commence over once again. Jason Isringhausen was created to become the closer for this team, that have been a ideal move... six or 7 years back... MLB Picks & Prediction: The Rays merely lost too much this yr. Can Maddon pull off the.600 season this yr? Sure, it's possible. Following all, guys like BJ Upton, Evan Longoria, as well as the likes are all still inside town, and which knows what Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon will bring to the flip. But when push comes to shove, which pen is just going to blow so many games for this team to seriously deal. 2011 Tampa Bay Rays Prediction: 3rd Place inside AL East Baltimore Orioles (66-96, 5th Place AL East inside 2010): Manager Buck Showalter got the many out of his Orioles last season, as they actually performed better ball over the span of the last 50 games of last seasonthan some other team inside the whole league. Sure, there continue to be several issues, specifically inside the pitching staff from top to bottom, yet this lineup wants a heck of a lot better now than it did during the past year. These youngsters really may be the hot up and coming team inside this department this yr. Strengths: There is a lot of seasoned leadership inside this lineup now, that is anything which was desperately lost during the past year. Vladimir Guerrero, Derrek Lee, and Mark Reynolds are all inside orange and black now, and this could signify ideal details for young guys like Brian Roberts, Felix Pie, and Nick Markakis. Baltimore may quietly hit 200 house runs this yr as a team, anything which would've been unheard of inside seasons previous. Weaknesses: There are a great deal of good No. 3 arms inside this rotation, yet there merely isn't an ace to be had. Brian Matusz merely doesn't scare you, and neither does Jeremy Guthrie. If someone will step up and become the actual leader of that rotation, Baltimore can be frightening. Otherwise, if there isn't a pitcher which will post an ERA of better than 4.50, it can be a long year. Baseball Picks & Prediction: This team is the 1 which is mobile and shaking inside this department this yr. Baltimore usually improve at least a dozen games from last year's team, and you wouldn't be surprised if the club challenges which.600 barrier within its effort to confirm which it belongs with the big guys. It still is a season where a fourth area finish inside the department will be considered a triumph. 2011 Baltimore Orioles Prediction: 4th Place inside AL East Toronto Blue Jays (85-77, 4th Place AL East inside 2010): Toronto merely seems to hang about which.600 mark each single season inside this department, anything which is truly unheard of consistently for a team not named NY or Boston. This just seems like another 1 of these years though, where the guys within the Great White North merely don't have the horses to compete, and they'll once again be contending for someplace between 3rd and sixth area unless there are several truly unforeseen developments. Strengths: Of all the pitchers inside this department, Ricky Romero is the most underappreciated. He has 27 wins over the span of his two seasons inside the majors, and this is a yr inside that he truly can be busting out. He went 4-1 over the span of his last four starts last season, as well as the team obtained 5 of the four. Romero can be the real key for this whole season for this team. Weaknesses: Where is the energy coming from inside this lineup? Gone is Vernon Wells, which was able of blasting 26 homers inside a season, and changing him is Rajai Davis. Does anybody truly think which Jose Bautista and Aaron Hill will have seasons like they did during the past year? We certainly don't. MLB Picks & Prediction: You wouldn't be surprised if Toronto ended up inside the cellar this yr inside this department. It's a shame too, because the pitching staff is adequate to win many any department inside hockey. But contending against these groups for 19 games apiece merely isn't going to be a superior factor, as well as the Blue Jays pays the greatest prize and be stuck inside the gutter. 2011 Toronto Blue Jays Prediction: 5th Place inside AL East Free MLB Picks
Related Articles -
MLB Picks, Free MLB Picks, MLB Free Picks,
|