AL East

Baltimore Orioles –

Season Outlook – I like what the O’s have done this offseason. The additions of Vlad Guerrero and Derek Lee are good, veteran additions. J.J. Hardy has looked great in the spring also, which could be a big upgrade at the shortstop position. The outfield is still very talented and underrated, with Luke Scott, Adam Jones and Nick Markakis. The Mark Reynolds experiment at third should be interesting. I am sure he will hit quite a few balls out of Camden Yards, but he will strike out a ton too. Matt Weiters is still trying to put it all together, and Brian Roberts remains the mainstay at second. Overall, I really do like the lineup. The pitching is another issue. It is improved from last year, but not a ton. Jeremy Guthrie is the ace, followed by Brian Matusz, Justin Duchscherer (if he is healthy), Jake Arrieta and Brian Bergesen. I except prospect Zach Britton up at some point this year in that rotation also. The downfall of the team could be the closer role, which is currently filled by Kevin Gregg. The Orioles are defiantly moving in the right direction, but they need to move in that direction a lot more in the tough AL East.

Pros – Camden Yards, young outfield, minor league prospects

Cons – Weak pitching staff, Gregg as closer, Heroine

MVP – Nick Markakis. Even with Adam Jones and Luke Scott in the outfield, Markakis is looked at as the leader. He has to fulfill the hopes the Orioles placed on him soon or he will be in hot water. I like him and think he could have a very big 2011.

MIP – Jeremy Guthrie. He is not looked at as a youngster anymore. He needs to step up and be the man for this staff.

X – J.J. Hardy. If Hardy can play like he did for a couple season in Milwaukee, the O’s have the potential to be one of the most dangerous lineups in the majors.

Best Thing – The best thing about the Orioles is the City of Baltimore. Wait before you laugh. My friends and I went on an East Coast road trip last year, going to Cincinnati, New York, Boston, Philly and Baltimore. Baltimore had the most welcoming people (Besides maybe Boston, they were neck and neck), and the best prices for beer. We had an absolute blast in Baltimore. We also did not get mugged once. It was great. I would love to go back. Just don’t make a wrong turn.

2010 Record – 66-96

2011 Prediction – 75-88

Boston Red Sox –

Season Outlook – The Red Sox are stacked. The additions of Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford are amazingly huge. Gonzalez is possibly the second best first baseman in the game today. Now he gets to hit in Fenway for 81 games instead of Petco?!? Wow. Crawford is equally as dangerous and I expect big things from him this year. Add that to a healthy Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis, and that is a scary good lineup. I do think they will miss Victor Martinez, and David Ortiz is a year older, but they should still be great. The pitching staff has questions, but I expect big things. I think Josh Beckett and John Lackey will have bounce back years, Jon Lester will be a Cy Young candidate and Clay Buchholz will build on a strong 2010. Dice-K is the biggest question mark, and he is still not bad for a number five starter. The bullpen should be strong, and I expect a trade of Jonathan Papplebon at some point to clear space for Daniel Bard or Bobby Jenks to close. Going to be a fun season in Bean-Town

Pros – Hitting, Pitching, Defense

Cons – Dice-K, Ortiz’s April and May, Uncomfortable seats at Fenway

MVP – Adrian Gonzalez. Gonzalez was their big acquisition this year, and he has a lot of pressure on him to be THE producer for this lineup. I fully expect him to rise to the challenge.

MIP – Jon Lester. Beckett and Lackey will likely be themselves, or at least a little worse version of themselves. The Sox need Lester to live up to his hype for 2011. Many are projecting him as the best pitcher in the AL this year. That is a tall order.

X – Jonathan Papplebon. Papplebon needs to close games effectively for this Red Sox team or he will be gone. Bard is really good, but inexperienced as a closer, and Jenks is fat. Papplebon plays an important role.

Best Thing – The best thing about the Red Sox is Fenway Park. Remember that East Coast trip I mentioned? The people at Fenway were incredible. We drank, we sang, and I actually cheered for the Red Sox. I loved every minute of it. Even if my knees were touching the person in front of me.

2010 Record – 89-73

2011 Prediction – 99-63 and World Champions

New York Yankees –

Season Outlook – The Yankees lineup looks like a carbon copy of last year’s. Robby Cano is one of the best second basemen in the game. Same can be said for A-Rod and Mark Teixeira. I really think Derek Jeter will have a big year. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him hit .300 again this year. The contract thing only inspires people like Jeter to work harder. The outfield looks the same with Brett Gardener, Curtis Granderson and Nick Swisher out there. The outfield is good, but not great. One move I am not a fan of is the Russell Martin acquisition. He hasn’t been good for the Dodgers since about 2008. The pitching staff for the Yankees is very top heavy. C.C. Sabathia will be his usual large self. A.J. Burnett and Phil Hughes will be capable of winning or losing every game they pitch. Ivan Nova and Freddy Garcia are the downfall. Who knows what the Yankees will get with them. If all else fails, I am sure they can wait until an Indians pitcher looks decent and just trade a low-level prospect and a season of Seinfeld to Cleveland for him. Also, don’t forget about Mariano Rivera. No matter how much I hate the Yankees, I love Rivera. Watching him pitch is just fantastic.

Pros – Infield, 1-2-3 pitchers, Rivera

Cons – Martin, Questions in the rotation, New Yorkers

MVP – Derek Jeter. Jeter, whether he likes it or not, will have a lot of pressure on him this season. The contract negotiations took longer than he wanted and he will be expected to produce. I think he will, and it will greatly benefit the Yankees both on and off the field.

MIP – Phil Hughes. Sabathia is a proven commodity. Burnett is pretty consistent when healthy. Hughes needs to pitch like he did for most of 2010 to be a good number three pitcher. The AL East is no joke, and having two consistent pitchers is not going to get it done. They need Hughes.

X – Nick Swisher. Swisher has been streaky throughout his career. He played very well last season. He needs to do it again and not relapse like it is 2009.

Best Thing – The best thing about the Yankees is the City of New York. It is just a wild, mind-blowingly big city. It was a blast to visit, but I would never want to live there.

2010 Record – 95-67

2011 Prediction – 93-69

Tampa Bay Rays –

Season Outlook – My outlook on the Rays is unlike a lot of experts. I do not think they will be in the thick of the AL East race. A lot of people seem to think they are still a contender because of their pitching staff. I think they will be a very good team, but not on the level of the Red Sox and Yankees. David Price is really good. James Shields and Wade Davis struggled at times in 2010. Jeremy Hellickson is totally unproven, and it will be interesting to see what teams do against him in his first full year in the bigs. Jeff Niemann? Ehh. Not crazy about the rotation. The lineup is also very top heave. B.J. Upton is either really good, or really bad. Even Longoria is great. I don’t have anything bad to say about him. Ben Zobrist, Johnny Damon, Reid Brignac and Sean Rodriguez don’t get me excited. Dan Johnson at first and John Jaso at catcher REALLY don’t get me excited. I could see Manny having a good year as the DH. The bullpen lost Soriano as their closer, but still could be decent. That is, until they get to their closer who is none other than….(Drum roll)…Kyle Fransworth! Have you not watched any of Fransworth’s outings since 2001 Tampa? What are you doing? I just don’t like this team very much.

Pros – Longoria, Price, nice weather

Cons – Tropicana Field, Infield outside of Longoria, Farnsworth

MVP – Evan Longoria. He is the Rays right now.

MIP – David Price. He needs to be as good or better than he was in 2010 for the Rays to have any chance at the Wildcard.

X – Manny Ramirez. Is this 2009 Manny or 2010 Manny? Short answer? Nobody knows. Not even Manny.

Best Thing – The best thing about the Rays is that they have KYLE FARNSWORTH AS THEIR CLOSER! Thank you Rays. Sincerely, the rest of the American League.

2010 Record – 96-66

2011 Prediction – 85-77

Toronto Blue Jays –

Season Outlook – The Jays will be good in a few years when their pitching staff matures. This year they won’t be great though. Jose Bautista is back after his breakout year. Rajai Davis came over to play center which should help. Adam Lind and Travis Snider have to find their power stroke again. Some good players, but not good enough to hang with the big boys in the AL East. The pitching staff will be their saving grace. It is young, but filled with talent. Kyle Drabek will be really good someday. I am glad the Indians did not get him from Philly in the Cliff Lee trade. Idiots. Ricky Romero and Brandon Morrow could both be very good, if healthy. Brett Cecil could also be a nice looking pitcher. A lot of hope in Toronto, but still a year or two away.

Pros – Young pitching, outfield hitting, universal health care

Cons – inexperience, infield hitting, cold weather

MVP – Jose Bautista. Bautista took the majors by storm in 2010. He needs to do it again with a lot more eyes focused on him in 2011.

MIP – Kyle Drabek. Even though Romero is the ace, Drabek represents the future. They need him to be good to keep the fans interested.

X – Rajai Davis. If Davis can be the table setter they want him to be, they will score more runs than some expect.

Best Thing – The best thing about the Blue Jays is that they are keeping Canada alive in the MLB. They, and they alone, force me to get a passport before seeing all 30 major league stadiums. Thanks Jays!

2010 Record – 85-77

2011 Prediction – 84-78