Yes, with snow on the ground, I
know, it’s hard to believe it, but the 2013 baseball season did start on Monday.
Jasper’s AL East Predictions
1. Toronto Blue Jays
2. Tampa Bay Rays
3. Baltimore Orioles
4. Boston Red Sox
5. New York Yankees
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Even though I want to say that the
Red Sox will lead the pack of the east this year, I just don’t’ see who they
finish in front of besides the Yankees.
The Sox look better than last year, with an improved starting rotation
and a strong middle of the lineup--if they’re healthy. But the rest of the AL
East looks like a powerhouse division.
Along with the Sox in the east, you
have the Blue Jays who made a blockbuster deal with the Miami Marlins. The Marlins sent all-star shortstop
Jose Reyes, catcher John Buck, starter Mark Buehrle, and outfielder Emillio
Bonifacio to the Jays in a deal that was initiated to clear salary space for
Miami. My very early prediction is
that the players who they acquired will lead Toronto to a division title.
Also in the east you have the Tampa
Bay Rays. Even with the loss of
former AL all-star pitcher James Shields, the Rays still have aces David Price,
Jerremy Hellickson, and Matt Moore to lead the way. If three-time all-star third basemen Evan Longoria can stay
healthy, I see the Rays as a close second-place finish to the Blue Jays in the
east.
In third place, I have the
Baltimore Orioles. I see the birds
falling back slightly this year.
With everyone raving about their starting pitching, keep in mind that
nobody on that staff last year won more than 12 games. Also, the Orioles posted a 29-9 record
in one-run games, and 16-2 in extra innings. I often say that there’s no such thing as luck in baseball,
but that’s a lot of luck. I would
be more than a little surprised to see any team go back-to-back seasons with
those kinds of numbers in close games.
The team who I have finishing in
fourth is the Boston Red Sox. The
Sox look to have a strong top of the rotation with the addition of starting
pitcher Ryan Dempster in the off-season.
Dempster, a 14-year veteran, is a great guy to have around the clubhouse
who can contribute greatly to the team.
Another key for the Sox this year
is the health of the players in the middle of the lineup. Red Sox DH David Ortiz is set to start
the season on the disabled list due to a heel injury. Ortiz is a key bat in that lineup, and he’s tough to lose so
early.
Another question mark in my mind is
whether or not new Red Sox first basemen Mike Napoli can stay healthy. It looked like Napoli was a go for the
Sox during the off-season when they were negotiating the deal, but when medical
tests showed that he had a problem with his hip, the Sox drew back a bit. They negotiated for a little while but
then came to a deal which Napoli makes $5 million as opposed to the huge
initial deal that they were talking about.
The best-case scenario for the
BoSox is a middle of the lineup where everyone plays at the top of their
game. If all of the pieces of the
puzzle line up, the Red Sox have lots of power. Third baseman Will Middlebrooks has the potential to be a
very strong offensive infielder.
Whether or not Middlebrooks can stay healthy is another matter. He missed much of last year with a
broken wrist.
Anchoring the cellar of the
division, I have the New York Yankees.
The Yanks appear to be in trouble.
As sportscaster Mal Boright put it in the 2013 baseball preview show
that I hosted Thursday on WDEV, “The Yankees are on Medicare.” SS Derek Jeter, 1B Mark Texeria, CF
Curtis Granderson, and 3B/DH Alex Rodriguez will all start the year on the DL. With Granderson posting 43 homers for
New York last year, losing him and Texeria at the same time, is a lot of
runs. However, the good news for
the Yanks is that both Granderson and Tex are looking at returning in May.
Follow Jasper Goodman on twitter: @Jasper_Goodman
Check out Jasper’s blog:
www.goodmansports.blogspot.com
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