The Great Zamboni’s 2018 MLB American League Season Preview: Astros, Yankees lead the way
Will any team prevent the Astros from reaching a second consecutive World Series appearance? Who wins the tight AL East race?
AL East: The AL East race comes down to two teams: The New York Yankees and The Boston Red Sox. They both made the most noise in the offseason, with the Yankees acquiring Giancarlo Stanton in a trade with the rebuilding Miami Marlins, and the Red Sox signing free agent power slugger J.D. Martinez. This season should see a rebirth in the rivalry between the two teams — and I’m not complaining. Baseball Prospectus predicts the Yankees will win the division and finish the season with a 96–66 record. It’s quite simple for the Bronx Bombers: if they can find stability and consistency in their pitching staff, they will win the division and be a heavy World Series favorite.
In their only notable offseason move to bolster the rotation, the Yankees resigned veteran starter CC Sabathia, who was good last season (3.69 ERA in 27 games pitched) but it feels like the boys in the pin stripes need one more quality starter to slot in the rotation before they can be a complete team. They already have a strong bullpen and Sonny Gray could prove to be an x-factor for the Yankees after he was acquired at the trade deadline last season, but don’t be surprised if the Yankees shop for another starter come the trade deadline this season.
Much like their rivals, the Red Sox will use their offensive prowess to fill other voids on the roster. On paper, Boston has the edge for strongest starting rotation in the division, but the question remains if the group can stay healthy (how bad does the David Price contract look now?). Surprisingly — or not, considering how slow the offseason was — the Red Sox did little else aside from signing Martinez to help their ball club in the offseason. Considering that Boston lost Doug Fister and Addison Reed in the offseason, like the Yankees, the Red Sox could be shoppers for pitching to solidify the back end of the rotation and bullpen come the trade deadline.
The Orioles, Blue Jays and Rays are the unlucky trio in the AL East. All three teams are in a quasi-rebuilding phase, but none of the teams are bad enough to completely tank and finish at the bottom of the MLB standings at season’s end. The Rays let nearly half of their team go this offseason — RHP Brad Boxberger, RHP Alex Cobb, OF Corey Dickerson, 1B Lucas Duda, 3B Evan Longoria, 1B Logan Morrison, RHP Jake Odorizzi, OF Steven Souza Jr- but the slew of prospects they acquired this offseason could pan out and help make the Rays a respectable team. As for the Blue Jays and Orioles, it seems as if both franchises are stuck in neutral for the time being.
Division Winner: Yankees
Wild Card spot: Red Sox
AL Central: The Central race — if you can call it that — is a runaway freight train named the Cleveland Indians. It’s no mystery that many MLB clubs find themselves rebuilding for the future and the AL Central is exhibit A for the “rebuilding your MLB franchise” museum. The Indians are the most veteran team that still has a chip on their shoulder from the past two disappointing seasons — one that saw them blow a 3–1 World Series lead and the other that saw them fizzle in the AL Divisional Round.
The Indians added first baseman Yonder Alonso, who inked a two-year deal worth $16 million in the offseason to replace Carlos Santana, but outside of that, the Indians remained largely quiet this offseason. I expect manager Terry Francona to use his bullpen early and often in many games (such is the nature of the game these days) but the Indians could be an overlooked club this season because they didn’t have a splashy offseason signing. Either way, I expect this team to run away with the division crown in what could be Cleveland’s last hoorah as presently constructed.
The team that will present the Indians’ biggest challenge is the Minnesota Twins, who made the postseason last year as a Wild Card team that ultimately lost in the AL Wild Card game to the Yankees. Minnesota added Jake Odorizzi and Lance Lynn to bolster their starting staff — after they fell short of signing the big name stars like Yu Darvish and Jake Arrieta. The Twins want to prove 2017 was not a fluke and they certainly solidified their rotation — even with the oft-injured Ervin Santana manning the starting staff- and added reliever Addison Reed to the bullpen. If the offense contributes at a respectable rate and the pitching staff remains healthy, the Twins could make another run at a playoff spot.
The White Sox are the other team to watch for in the division, not because they will contend for the playoffs, but for the plethora of young talent that will be on display at various points of the season. The White Sox have rebuilt their minor league system in a hurry and many believe they are poised to be contenders two or three years down the road. It should be fun to watch Eloy Jimenez , Michael Kopech, Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Yoan Moncada take major steps forward this season and potentially make an impact in the big leagues. Things are looking bright on the South Side of Chicago.
Division Winner: Indians
AL West: Can they? Will they? That will be the storyline to watch this season. Can the Astros repeat as World Series Champions? They’ll certainly be one the few World Series favorites with a healthy balance of young talent and older veterans. They have the 2017 AL MVP. They have the 2015 AL Cy Young. They have a World Series ring. Offensively, they are led by 2017 AL MVP Jose Altuve, 2017 World Series MVP George Springer and shortstop Carlos Correa. On the mound, they added Gerrit Cole to an already formidable rotation that included Dallas Keychel, Justin Verlander and Lance McCuller Jr. It’s just a matter of sitting back and enjoying the spectacle known as the Houston Astros. They should, and barring any major injury, will easily win the AL West.
The Angels haven’t won a playoff game since 2009, but this should be an interesting team to watch given their offseason additions. The Angles have the best player in MLB in Mike Trout but have wasted his career thus far, only making the playoffs once in his career (98 wins in 2014). The Angles knew they needed to surround Trout with more talent, so they did just that. The Angels extended the contract of OF Justin Upton, traded for second baseman Ian Kinsler, signed Zack Cozart and two-way Japanese stud Shohei Ohtani. I think the additions will be enough to catapult the Angels into the final Wild Card spot, but the key will be staying healthy. It’s time to enjoy Mike Trout in the postseason, so on behalf of baseball fans everywhere, please don’t rob us of this opportunity, Angels.
As for the Mariners, Athletics and Rangers? Well, it’s safe to say all three teams are stuck in neutral and won’t be contenders in 2018. The Rangers have an old pitching staff that is in dire need of some youth rejuvenation. The Mariners’ window, if it ever was open, is closing in a hurry. The Robinson Cano-Nelson Cruz era has not panned out and GM Jerry Dipito realized this and tried to solidify the roster by adding speedy outfielder Dee Gordon. On the mound, ace Felix Hernandez will need to say healthy, while James Paxton and Mike Leake will also have to show up and take advantage of the pitcher-friendly Safeco Field. Meanwhile, the A’s added Stephen Piscotty alongside power hitters Khris Davis and Matt Olso. That is about as good as it gets for the boys who call the East Bay home. The Athletics don’t have enough star power to make real noise this season, so the only hope for fans is to hope the farm system pans out.
Division Winner: Astros
Wild Card spot: Angels
