Special Contributor // Robert Lowrey
Spring is right around the corner, even if it doesn’t feel like it if you live anywhere you can still see snow on the ground. But one thing that always marks the inevitable return of warmer weather is the annual gathering of baseball players in the Arizona desert and the Florida beaches.
After a couple of weeks of spring training out of the way, speculation for the upcoming season is underway. Seasoned veterans like Derek Jeter hope to show they still have what it takes to play the game as well as they could in their prime while younger stars like Bryce Harper are showing abilities that will keep them a household name for years to come.
So what’s to expect for the 2011 season? Glad you asked. Because The Five has your answer.
American League
East W L GB
New York 98 64 –
Boston 90 72 8
Tampa Bay 88 74 10
Baltimore 75 87 23
Toronto 69 93 29
Yankees will still be at the top // Photo: bostonfinancialguide.com
It was a predictable year in 2010 for the AL East. There was a constant battle between the longtime rival Yankees and Red Sox and the continuing sur
ge of the Rays. There have been a couple of big changes though in this division. Inter-divi
sion trades are going to play an interesting role. Carl Crawford, Rafael Soriano, Johnny Damon, and Manny Ramirez are still in the East or are returning to play against former teams.
But in the end, history will inevitably repeat itself. The Yankees will emerge as the leader of the division with an amped up bullpen and a (hopefully) more c
onsistent AJ Burnett. It’s sad to see teams like Baltimore and Toronto still scrounging around at the bottom of the cellar but the Orioles should hopefully find a little bit of solace knowing that Buck Showalter has the helm. It just might take some time.
Central W L GB
Minnesota 95 67 –
Chicago 86 76 9
Detroit 82 80 13
Cleveland 70 92 25
Kansas City 65 97 30
Minnesota Twins should hold off Chicago and Detroit
Before, the AL Central appeared to be a group of par teams that were fighting to get on top of a par division. But if last year showed us anything, it’s that Twins are not just a par team. Last year showed that the Twins have all the tools to make the playoffs year after year.Young stars like Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau show they can carry the team (almost reminiscent of Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell) and their pitching staff isn’t half bad either. Francisco Liriano slow come back from injury was much needed and don’t forget that they will be getting Joe Nathan back in the bullpen as well.
Turns out the new Target Field offered a big boost in morale for the Twin Cities. But don’t count the White Sox out. Ozzie Guillen has showed he manage ball players, even if it he a little erratic at times.
West W L GB
Texas 89 73 –
Los Angeles 84 77 4
Oakland 81 81 8
Seattle 69 93 20
Texas Rangers // Photo: zimbio.com
The Rangers may have lost a couple of its stars but the pitching staff, although young, shows a lot of promise. CJ Wilson and Colby Lewis have showed the promise of great careers in Texas and will have more responsibilities in the rotation now that Cliff Lee has once again changed his mailing address.
But expect this division to be a long, drawn out battle between the top three teams. The Angels have added some new depth around the field snatching Vernon Wells from our neighbors to the North. And Oakland has also added some veteran presence to the clubhouse, including Hideki Matsui. But in the end, look for the Rangers to come out victorious in the end.
National League
East W L GB
Philadelphia 99 63 –
Atlanta 89 73 10
New York 78 84 21
Florida 77 85 22
Washington 69 93 30
After an interesting and somewhat unexpected offseason, who else would you expect to come out on top of the NL East other than the Phillies. It’s hard to overlook a team that has a pitching rotation so strong, Joe Blanton is your number five starter. He’d be an opening day starter in over half the teams in baseball.
The Phillies have such a strong group of young players as well. I think it is safe to say the City of Brotherly Love will be winning this division for the next half-decade at least. In the South, the Braves are still working on slowly rebuilding a team full of players who are starting to get past their prime. But Atlanta will still be led by one of the last of Bobby Cox’s boys still around, Chipper Jones.
Central W L GB
Cincinnati 92 70 –
Milwaukee 87 75 5
St. Louis 80 82 12
Chicago 79 83 13
Houston 70 92 22
Pittsburgh 60 102 32
It took about 15 years but the Reds finally arrived back in the playoffs. Despite getting swept by a dominant Phillies squad, the Queen City’s boys are young and the quick exodus from the postseason will only make them stronger. Many of the young players have longer contracts and Edgar Renteria has added a new veteran presence, coming off his World Series win with the Giants. They caught a break this spring though when the Cardinals lost one their premier pitchers though in Adam Wainwright.
But that second spot in the division will easily be filled by the rejuvenated Brewers. Their pitching rotation has added some new firepower with Zack Greinke and they still retain a group of young players with a lot of talent.
West W L GB
San Francisco 90 72 –
Colorado 87 75 3
Los Angeles 81 81 9
San Diego 78 84 12
Arizona 72 90 18
Not many would have predicted the Giants would have won the World Series in 2010. Definitely look for them to continue to lead this division. But the Rockies are going to make things extremely difficult. Ubaldo Jiminez might not have the same year he had in 2010 but his stuff is still nasty.
And the young players like Troy Tulowitzki are going to continue to lead the team. It was also a shock to see the Padres leading the division for a majority of the year with the impressive pitching of Mat Latos. But the continued fire-sale of star players has left the Padres broken losing players like Chris Young and Miguel Tejada.
…we’ll see, buddy. I still think the Brewers have a chance.
…we’ll see, buddy. I still think the Brewers have a chance.