The land of the rising sun will host the beginning of America’s pastime, as the Oakland A’s will host the Seattle Mariners at the Tokyo Dome. With the season fast approaching it’s time to act like Nostradamus and see if the Big Man can predict how the playoffs will shape up, and which players will take home the end of the year hardware. The shift of power from the National League will affect the shape of two AL divisions in the form of former Cardinal superstar “King” Albert, and Brewers slugger Prince Fielder. So let the show begin as Sports Zone presents… The American League prediction show.
American League West Champions: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim It pains me to say this being an Athletics fan, but hands down the favorite to win the AL West and maybe even the American League Championship are the rally monkey lead Angels. When you have the best pitching staff coming into the 2012 season with a 3.57 team earned run average and you add a good, though not great, pitcher in C.J Wilson, it gives you the upper hand on the pitching tip. Combine the league’s best pitching with baseball’s best player in Albert Pujols, and the average hitting team becomes a major threat to dethrone the two time defending AL West Champion Rangers.
However it’s hard to ignore the fact that the Rangers have a talented team that pack a major punch seeing that they rank in the top five in all key hitting stats, while the Angels were a middle of the road offensive team before the addition of Pujols. The Rangers did lose C.J Wilson to the rival Angels, but they did acquire the highly sought after Yu Darvish. Unfortunately Darvish is off to a mediocre spring training surrendering 7 walks and allowing a run a game and not notching a win. I see the Rangers as a team that can still win, but I think their run of back to back American League Championship will end with a disappointing season and a 3rd place finish in the division.
Now I know some might be scratching their heads right now, if the Rangers are in 3rd who is the runner up to the Angels? It is very simple; the Oakland Athletics under the guidance of Manager Bob Melvin will resurrect their glory and make a mad dash to win the division. Hear me out people, the A’s did trade away two of their best starters in Gonzalez and Cahill but they did add two pitchers to a mix that have a very bright future. Tommy Milone was acquired from the Nationals in exchange for Gonzalez and has proved that it wasn’t as lopsided of a trade as many might believe. Milone is posting a nine to one strikeout to walk ratio in twelve innings this spring. And the most impressive pitcher is Berkeley alum Tyson Ross with an eye popping .90 earned run average. Add this with some additions like Yoenis Cespedes, Manny Ramirez, and journey man Jonny Gomes the A’s should be able to contend in the wild wild west.
American League Central Champions: Detroit Tigers The reigning Division champion Tigers have the AL Cy Young award winner and American League MVP Justin Verlander. Combine that with the addition of a big first basemen in Prince Fielder, and you have to have an easy path to the title in a weak division. Not to mention they do have a very talented Miguel Cabrera and the closer of closers “Papa Grande” Jose Valverder, you have a well rounded team that packs probably the best three, four punch in baseball.
With the Tigers being the diamond in this ruff central you have the Twins adding former A’s slugger Josh Willingham, the Cleveland Indians have Ubaldo Jimenez who can be a contender for the American League Cy Young award if only he can make the right corrections. The sleeper pick for the Central are the Kansas City Royals who will host the Mid Summer Classic, and have a bevy of young talented players that with the right coaching can make a very strong run and might end the season in second place a few games behind the Tigers.
The saddest story of the division has to be the epic collapse of the former World Champion Chicago White Sox’s. They have lost their franchise pitcher Mark Buehrle to the Miami Marlins as well as skipper Ozzie Guillen, it seems that they are in limbo as to where the future of this franchise is going thus it’s going to be a hard season for White Sox’s fans.
American League East Champions: New York Yankees When you think of division races that entertain and excite, you have the East Division that will never let you down. It has produced the wild card winner in eight out of the last ten season, and was the focus of last year’s season as it came down to the last few days with the Rays finishing a fantastic run past the Red Sox’s who had the biggest collapse in MLB history. But this season I see only one playoff berth coming from the mighty division and it will come in the form of defending champions the New York Yankees.
The Yankees have the most players returning that were part of the championship run, and will continue to chase World Title number twenty-eight. Jeter and Mariano return to lead the Bronx Bombers to another AL East title, but they might have to deal with the Rays as they stayed ahead of the Red Sox’s. Even though Bobby Valentine is an amazing manager, the Sox’s have an aging team that has too much ground to make up for the disaster of blowing a nine game lead. What I wish would happen with the AL East is for the Orioles and the Blue Jays to return to their past glory where they won multiple world titles and had the likes of Eddie Murry, Cal Ripken Jr., Joe Carter and Paul Moliter roaming the field.
American League Wild Card: Oakland Athletics & Tampa Bay Rays The Oakland A’s will surprise most every sports media outlet and will win, as the team has proven with their ability to string together some wins in the Cactus League. A pitching staff that took a hit with the trades of Gio Gonzalez and Trevor Cahill can rise back to the top of the American League under the guidance of World Champion pitcher Curt Young. As I mentioned earlier Ross and Milone seem to be ready to step into the middle of the rotation and give maybe ten wins a piece, and then you have Jemile Weeks who should have gotten more consideration in the voting for Rookie of the Year seeing that he did hit in the .300 during his 82 game season. As well you have the power of Brandon Allen waiting to be unleashed and with three of them coming so far in spring training he can provide some much needed pop the likes of which Josh Willingham gave us in 2011. After his fifty game suspension is up you can count on Manny to provide a little excitement and knowledge, so he can teach Yoenis Cespedes how to be an elite player at the major league level.
The Tampa Bay Rays, will be knocking at the door of the AL East title. In the end they will lock down the other wild card, they have some pop in the form of Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena, however the pitching staff can be a down fall for them. James Shields is a above average pitcher, that can be in the Cy Young mix but can Price be his wing man so that this pitching staff can aid in the efforts to claim the wild card. I have a feeling that it should be no problem as they push fifteen wins a piece.
American League MVP: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim First Basemen Albert Pujols
Pujols coming to the American league will be the best move of his career, seeing that the American league has less super stars that can out shine the best player in baseball. I see this being Albert’s best year with a career high in Home Runs and Runs batted in, maybe he can finally achieve his triple crown that has hidden from him.
American League Cy Young: Seattle Mariners Pitcher Felix Hernandez
The Mariners may be the worst offensive team in the American league, but it will have the best pitcher in the form of “King” Felix. Hernandez can be the beacon of hope for the Mariners faithful, and it can land him back in his 2010 form when he won the Cy Young award by leading the AL in earned run average. The next best pitcher will be Justin Verlander who will be trying to repeat, but I’m concerned that he might have used a lot of his energy last season and will fail to rack up twenty wins again.
American League Manager of the Year: Oakland Athletics Bob Melvin Bob Melvin has resurrected the Diamondbacks and aims to do the same with the A’s, matched with a well rounded coaching staff Melvin provide the green & gold with a no nonsense attitude. Melvin wants to win now and no matter what Oakland’s managing partner says, he plans on pushing this team to its limits. In doing so, he will lead the A’s to the Wild Card and the team’s first playoff appearance since 2006.
American League Rookie of the Year: Oakland Athletics Outfielder Yoenis Cespedes Cespedes will take his talents to a new level and have a fantastic season. He will give Pujols and Jose Bautista a run for the American league home run crown. He can give you thirty-eight Home Runs and push one hundred runs batted in. His strike outs can be his down fall but many pitchers don’t know how to handle him so he’ll be able to rack up big numbers. Cespedes only threat for the award is Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish. To me, he has control issues that will lead to more runners on base and that can burn his earned run average. Darvish’s spring hasn’t been as expected but a person can adjust, and with many of the pro players yet to face Yu he stand a chance to win 15 games and it might edge out Cespedes for the Title of Rookie of the Year.
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