First substantive post! Here are my predictions and a brief blurb for each team in the Junior Circuit. The National League will come tomorrow.
AL EAST
1. Boston Red Sox
I swear I’m not being a homer on this one. I really think that the Red Sox pitching is going to take them over the top, regardless of whether that team in the Bronx manages to lure Roger Clemens for one last “one last” season. The team finally has a real leadoff hitter in Julio Lugo, and if they can keep Manny Ramirez happy and J.D. Drew healthy, this team is going to be a real handful come October. Matsuzaka will be a finalist for AL Cy Young and ROY. Fantasy Sleeper: Joel Piniero (RP) Don’t be surprised if Piniero wins and thrives in the closer’s spot at Fenway.
2. New York Yankees (Wild Card)
This race is going to come right down to the end. The Yankee offense will mash AL pitching, and the pitching will be just good enough to keep them in it (Pettite and Mussina will regress, but Chien-Ming Wang will continue his evolution and win 18 games, making him another contender for AL Cy). If they want to get it done with this current version of the team, they’d better do it now, as there’s a (albeit slim) possibility that they could lose both A-Rod and Rivera this offseason. Fantasy Sleeper: Melky Cabrera (LF) Obviously most of the Yanks’ offense is extremely valuble, but Melky puts up pretty good numbers for a fourth outfielder if you’re in a pinch. Later in the season, watch out for uber-pitching prospect Philip Hughes.
3. Toronto Blue Jays
The Jays are going to be right in this until September. In the end, I don’t think Halladay and Burnett are going to be enough pitching to survive this division. With the addition of Frank Thomas, though, I’m beginning to think that my thoughts last season that this was the scariest offense we faced didn’t even scratch the surface. If they can land one more starter in a trade or next offseason, watch the $#%@ out. Fantasy Sleeper: Alex Rios (RF) A big breakout season last year was derailed late by injury. If he slips into the middle rounds, grab him. Don’t forget about doubles machine Lyle Overbay, either.
4. Tampa Bay Devil Rays
The past few years, I’ve been predicting the Rays to move up in the standings. This is a real solid young team, and they could really make the leap if they trade some of their outstanding outfield depth (probably Rocco Baldelli, not Carl Crawford or Delmon Young) for a starting pitcher to complement the phenomenal Scott Kazmir. Fantasy Sleeper: Akinori Iwamura (3B) Although infielders have had a tendency to struggle in the transition from Japan to MLB (see Matsui, Kazuo), Iwamura seems to be a reasonable chance to take. Don’t overpay for him, but keep him in mind if you don’t nab one of the few hot corner blue-chippers and it’s getting late in your draft.
5. Baltimore Orioles
It’s gonna be a tough year for my old hometown team. Injuries have already begun to hit the pitching staff, as well chronicled here. Although Miguel Tejada, Aubrey Huff, and Brian Roberts will continue to produce runs in the lineup, Erik Bedard and (to a lesser extent) Hayden Penn will not be able to keep up. Fantasy Sleeper: Nick Markakis (RF) Definitely worth either a late-round flier if your outfield is weak, or at least a spot on your watch list as a capable injury replacement. A rookie last year, Markakis performed admirably and will continue to blossom as a hitter.
