2013 AL East Predictions

2013 AL East Predictions
By David J Weller

The AL East appears to be going through an upheaval. The bottom feeders are looking strong and the perennial front runners are starting to slide.

1 Blue Jays - They had a very successful offseason. They picked up Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle from the Marlins and signed NL Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey. Considering the fact that they already had Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Brandon Morrow, the Blue Jays should be the team to beat in the East.

2 Orioles - The Orioles were the surprise team of the AL East last year, and there is no reason to believe that they will slip from how they finished. Their pitching staff is coming back pretty much intact. The only question is whether or not they can win the 1-run games like they did last year.

3 Rays - The Rays have one of the best pitching staffs in baseball, including AL Cy Young Award winner David Price, and they are going to need that pitching staff this season. Other than Evan Longoria, their lineup does not seem to have a lot of run production. But once again, the Rays will field a competitive team with a low budget.

4 Red Sox - The Red Sox lost Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett, and Adrian Gonzalez to the Dodgers. This is going to be a rare rebuilding year for the BoSox.

5 Yankees - The Yankees are getting old and beat up. Derek Jeter is coming off of a serious injury and Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, Curtis Granderson, and Michael Pineda are all out. That being said, this is still the Yankees, so they cannot be counted out until game 162.

The AL East definitely looks like it has been turned upside down. It is still a strong division, but there is a changing of the guard in progress.

DJ Weller has been a student of baseball for over 30 years. He enjoys passing on his knowledge to all those who are interested.

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