Well, the life of a busy full time husband/Dad and having a full-time job caught up with me and I am simply running out of time to do each division in the American League as it’s own preview. I am going to go through the whole American League in a more condensed version than normal and set you up with my Season win total and division plays. I’ll finish up tomorrow with some season awards and season long predictions.
ALWest
Betting Odds to Win Division and Season Over/Under Win Totals
Houston Astros -115/92.5
Texas Rangers +200/89.5
Seattle Mariners +250/87.5
Los Angeles Angels +2200/72.5
Oakland Athletics +12500/58.5
Houston Astros
Astros didn’t make many moves to the core of the team with the big addition being Josh Hader into the bullpen giving them him and Ryan Pressly at the back end which is solid. The lineup remains intact from last season. The big question marks are will the young arms in the rotation make a step forward with Hunter Brown and Christian Javier as the back end of the rotation is a question mark. I don’t see this team being as good as it has been in the past. Prediction 89-73
Seattle Mariners
The Mariners rotation is young and getting better. George Kirby, Bryce Miller and Logan Gilbert are all top tier arms following Luis Castillo in the rotation. The lineup got a bit of a makeover bringing back Mitch Haniger who will need to stay healthy to return value. If he does the top six in this lineup are very dangerous. I love Andres Munoz at the back end of the bullpen. Prediction 89-73
Texas Rangers
The defending champs won the World Series with a solid core in the lineup and it should only get better with a full season on deck for Evan Carter and Wyatt Langford. Add those two onto Marcus Semien, Corey Seagar and Adolis Garcia and the lineup should score plenty. The rotation also looks solid with Nathan Eovaldi, Jon Gary, Andrew Heaney and Dan Dunning hopefully awaiting an effective and healthy arrival of Jacob Degrom and Max Scherzer at some point. The bullpen is the weakness of the team. This group should certainly be in play for a chance to get back to the playoffs in 2024. Prediction 86-76
Los Angeles Angels
Losing Shohei and replacing him with Aaron Hicks isn’t going to make this team better. They signed some other low tier options to replace others that left in Free Agency and this team will be rebuilding in 2024. The rotation isn’t great, but also isn’t awful and they should keep some games close. The bullpen is already injured and doesn’t have any dominant arms. Prediction 72-90
Oakland Athletics
The lineup has potential to improve as some young bats outperformed predictions in 2023. J.D. Davis joins the lineup as well for a solid veteran presence. The rotation adds Alex Wood and Ross Stripling and hopes for a bounce back for both. Mason Miller looks like a dominant closer in the making if the A’s can ever get him the ball with a lead. Prediction 63-99
AL West Free Plays
Oakland Athletics Over 58.5 wins – 1.5 Units
I can’t see this team being as bad as they were in 2023. 9 more wins is a lot, but I’m still only asking them to lose 103 games or less.
ALCentral
Betting Odds to Win Division and Season Over/Under Win Totals
Minnesota Twins -120/86.5
Cleveland Guardians +300/79.5
Detroit Tigers +300/79.5
Kansas City Royals +700/73.5
Chicago White Sox +300/63.5
Minnesota Twins
The Twinkies lose Sonny Gray in the off-season from the rotation that led this team to the division title in 2023. The rest of the rotation has ace Pablo Lopez and Bailey Ober and Joe Ryan backing him up. If the lineup can stay healthy and have Royce Lewis and Edouard Julien perform as they showed glimpses of in 2023 this group should be enough to get them back to the title in 2023. The bullpen has health issues already with Jhoan Duran, but I think is a top five overall unit in baseball. Prediction 85-77
Cleveland Guardians
The team was devastated by injuries to the rotation in 2023 and hope for consistency this year. Shane Bieber will look to regain his ace form this season. The lineup led by Jose Ramirez doesn’t have a ton of power in it, but contact and speed is in abundance. Emmanuel Clase and Scott Barlow are a solid top two in the bullpen. Prediction 80-82
Detroit Tigers
The Tigers are everyone’s darling to make a big step forward and compete in 2024 after a surprise 78 win season last year. Former first round picks Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson have begun to produce as advertised. They’ll need to get some more advances from Kerry Carpenter and hope Parker Meadows is also as good as his counterparts. If Kenta Maeda and Jack Flaherty can return to past form they’ll join Tarik Skubal as keys to the rotation. The bullpen is a weakness and is likely the most limiting factor to them making a big jump. Prediction 80-82
Kansas City Royals
This team lost 106 games in 2023, and yet some folks think they will be 20 games better this year. They have the most exciting player in baseball not named Acuna in Bobby Witt. They added Hunter Renfroe and Adam Frazier to Salvador Perez, Vinnie Pasquantino and Nelson Velazquez. The rotation features Cole Ragans who was dominant once he got in the rotation last year. He is joined by free agents Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha. They’ll need Brady Singer to figure things out again to really compete though. The bullpen has Will Smith as a trade bait closer. Prediction 72-90
Chicago White Sox
This team is two years removed from being a World Series favorite and lost 101 games in 2023. They let Dylan Cease go a few weeks back, and now will feature one of the worst rotations in baseball. The lineup still has Luis Robert, Eloy Jimenez (If he’s healthy) and Andrew Vaughn. Michael Kopech moved into the bullpen this spring and has potential to be an elite arm in the bullpen, but the rest of the group is weak. Prediction 66-96
AL Central Free Plays
The prices on the teams behind the Twins are to short for me to make a play, and I think this division will be volatile so I am staying away.
AL East
Betting Odds to Win Division and Season Over/Under Win Totals
New York Yankees +165/92.5
Baltimore Orioles +165/90.5
Toronto Blue Jays +375/87.5
Tampa Bay Rays +525/84.5
Boston Red Sox +1500/77.5
Baltimore Orioles
They won 101 games last year and added Corbin Burnes in a huge trade. They lost Kyle Bradish already for the season however and John Means is still coming back from his injury. If Grayson Rodriguez improves and Tyler Wells stays solid they will still have a Top 10 overall rotation. The lineup doesn’t change much, but is already good enough to win this division again. The bullpen added Craig Kimbrel to take over for the injured Felix Bautista. Prediction 94-68
New York Yankees
The Yankees made the biggest move this off-season adding Juan Soto. They didn’t address 3B, but I think they’ll have enough pieces with Torres, Judge, and Rizzo surrounding Soto. I also think Anthony Volpe is ready to make a big step forward for them. They added Marcus Stroman to a rotation that now has Gerritt Cole likely spending a good chunk of the first part of the year on the IL. The bullpen has four solid arms led by Clay Holmes. Prediction 89-73
Tampa Bay Rays
Everyone always sleeps on the Rays. Don’t. This team turns young players struggling on other teams into solid pitchers again and again. The did it with Zach Eflin was last year and Ryan Pepiot is this years candidate. The lineup is solid top to bottom. I think Jose Caballero could lead the league in steals. Isaac Parades could lead all 3B in Home Runs. Pete Fairbanks leads a Top 5 bullpen. Prediction 87-75
Toronto Blue Jays
This is the team that never seems to get over the final hurdle. Injuries seem to bite, and the lineup keeps under performing. Jordan Romano is already out in the bullpen, and Kevin Gausman has dodged a scare already in the rotation. The lineup really needs its stars to have a big season to compete in this division. Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette are always solid, but they need a big year. If Dalton Varsho delivers on his pedigree that would help the cause. Prediction 85-77
Boston Red Sox
This is likely the strongest division in baseball , and I don’t think the Red Sox are a bad team, but they will need something to really go their way to compete. They’ve won 78 games back to back years and I don’t see a lot of reasons that will change this year. They shed salary and got younger and I love the additions of Tyler O’Neill and Vaughn Grissom (once healthy). Kutter Crawford could become and ace for them, but the rest of the rotation is likely looking at +4 ERAs across the board. Kenley Jansen seems past his prime in the bullpen, and there are not many other intriguing arms there. Prediction 78-84
AL East Free Plays
Orioles Over 90.5 Wins – 1.5 Units
Tampa Bay Rays over 84.5 -2 Units
Tampa Bay Rays to win Division +525 .5 Units
