MLB Preview- AL Picks

So basically in my last post I introduced you to my MLB Preview. So let's jump right in to it now.

AL East- The AL East is by far the most open division. Anyone could win it. For years the Yankees and Red Sox dominated it, but both teams are shaky to say the least this year. The Yankees have a lot of injury problems. The Red Sox are in rebuilding mode, and we don't know how long that will last. The Orioles are coming off a magical season and may have a tough time replicating it. The Blue Jays are coming off one of the best off-seasons in baseball history on paper, and will be put to test on the field. I went to a Blue Jays-Pirates spring training game a week ago and I was impressed with both teams. My initial reaction to seeing that the Blue Jays brought in all these guys from the Marlins was "wow, they're going to be just as big an embarrassment as the Marlins were last year." But that isn't the case. You see, they took those guys from a bad team and blended them with talent on their current roster. And then they went out and got R.A. Dickey. They've got power, they've got speed, they've got pitching, and if it all comes together they could be a dangerous team come October. I expect them to have some early struggles but finish the year hot. However, they aren't my pick to win the division. I like the Rays. The Rays are a team that's shown consistency, even though they have hardly any money. The Rays are well-managed and have great pitching, which is the type of team I would put my money on in this crazy, unpredictable division. Division Winner- Tampa Bay Rays

AL Central- This is without a doubt the weakest division in the bigs. The Tigers will win this division, and if they don't run away with it, they should be ashamed. The White Sox will finish the second and the Royals will prove to be a team on the rise. The Indians and Twins could both be in for 100 loss seasons, however, their time will eventually come. The Tigers have one of the best lineups in the league and an unreal pitcher in Justin Verlander. There really is no contest here and I don't know if there's anything left that needs to be said. Division Winner- Detroit Tigers

AL West- I think this is the most intriguing division. You've got a new team in it, and three that will be very good, as well as some good story-lines. How will Josh Hamilton's return to play Texas be received? How will Mike Trout play in his sophomore year? How will the Rangers fair without Hamilton? All, and many more will be interesting to watch this season. I think a team that could be overlooked is the A's. People forget that the A's were the team that won the division last year. The Rangers collapsed and the A's played out of their minds for 162 games, and came close to upsetting the potential AL champ, Detroit. Left fielder Yoenis Cespedes has been compared to Bo Jackson and Willie Mays. The guy could be great. If the pitching holds up, we could see the A's sneaking in to the playoffs yet again. I do think however that the Angels and Rangers will be better this year. I think that because Hamilton left, the current Rangers team will be more fired up to prove that they can win without him. The Rangers have one of the best farm systems and we could be seeing some more of their young talent coming up this year, as well as some of their young players they've brought up in recent years elevating their games to new heights. I will pick the Angels, though. I think bringing in Josh Hamilton made them a super-team. Not only did they get a five-tool player, and pair him with another five-tool player in the outfield, but they stole that five-tool player from their division rival and they won't have to face him again. Trout, Pujols, Hamilton, Trumbo... This team is loaded. I like them to win the West.  Division Winner- Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

The rest of this blog will be completed tomorrow, with my NL and playoff picks too! Thanks for reading guys!