2009 AL East Predictions

[Redz]

A lot of question marks should make for a very interesting AL East.  Can the Rays keep the pace they established last year?  Are the Sox healthy and deep enough to do it again?  Have the hired hands in NY made the Yanks a legit contender again?  Is Toronto going to bounce pack and return to the progress they had seemed to have made a couple of years ago?  Will the Orioles have more fans the Red Sox at Camden Yards?

I think the Rays are the most compelling part of the race.  They had an amazing season last year.  They never faltered all season, despite immense pressure from the Sox in both the regular season and the ALCS. This year they'll likely have both the Sox and the Yankees to contend with.  I just don't see all of the pieces falling together for them for a second straight.  They'll be in the hunt, but drop to 3rd.

I can't bring myself to be sold on the Yankees until they start racking up some wins.  It all seems to make sense on paper, but I'll believe when I see it.

I guess that makes the Red Sox the Division Winners.  Yes, I'm a homer, but I trust these guys and the core is back.  Beckett's going to bounce back.  Ellsbury will be an All Star. 

Toronto & Baltimore 4-5

Thoughts? 

[Atzar]

I agree with your standings, although I don't think the Yanks win the wild card (just a guess rather than an informed prediction though, I don't really know too much about what's going on in other divisions).

I don't see Ellsbury as an All-Star this year.  I have a hard time seeing him as an All-Star, I guess... he's fast, but other than that I just haven't bought into the hype.

Buchholz is the one that I expect to bounce back.  He probably starts in Pawtucket, but I fully expect him to get his chance at some point this season and start living up to his ridiculous talent.  His stuff is just too good for him to be a bust.

Look for Lowrie to have a good year as well, I think.

[yall hate]

I voted:

Yankee's - I think they have some major questions, and I could see the Sox taking this spot...but they have gotten some great players.
Sox (WC) - I think they are going to be really really good.  Their pitching should carry them.  Their offense scares me (Ortiz, Lowell, Tek, Ells, Drew are all offensive question marks for me...)
Rays - I think they are going to be good again.  very competitive and give good teams fits.  but I think a lot of their pitchers are going to regress a bit.
Orioles - they are going to suck.  but they have some young exciting players.
Blue Jays - they are going to suck.  they dont have very many good young players, and they will likely be sellers at the trade deadline.

[MBz]

I voted with:
Sox:  The sox lost out on the division by 2 games last year with Ortiz, Lowell and Drew all missing about 50 games a piece.  Also Lowrie only played about 80 games and for half of them he was hurt too.  The pitching staff will be better then last year and the bullpen seems to be more secure as well. 

Yankees:  Yes the yankees added a lot of pieces, but they also lost a lot of pieces.  They are not a good defensive team, and you don't know what you're going to get with the pitching after CC and Burnett.  The bullpen is average and Rivera is on the way down.  Though I did pick them to the win the wildcard, I wouldn't be surprised to see a team like the Twins step up and take it.

Rays:  I see this team going backwards quite a bit, everything was perfect for them.  No one in the pitching staff got hurt minus Kazmir early in the season.  Very rarely does something happen like this, and I highly doubt it happens again.  I am excited to see David Price pitch though.

Jays:If Wells stays healthy him, Rios and Overbay could do a little damage in the middle of their order, but its not enough to surpass any of the other 3 teams.

Baltimore: They've got some talented young kids in Jones, Markakis, and Matt Wieters whom I believe will be up on the club within the first month of the season.  The kid hit the ball quite well during spring training.  He could very well have a season like Longoria did last year, though they have some talented players, they have ZERO pitching, which is what will cause them to come in last in the division.

[yall hate]

Rays:  I am excited to see David Price pitch though.


Baltimore: ...and Matt Wieters whom I believe will be up on the club within the first month of the season. 

you are going to have to wait a bit for both.  Both are going to stay in AAA for like a month and a half to two months of the season in order to prevent them from reaching 'super-2' status and delay their free agency by another year.  End of May - June is when they both should get their call ups....

[libermaniac]

Sox baby.  Their pitching is unreal and deep and veteran and clutch.  I love the pen too.  The hitting will be ok, but will be plenty enough to help the pitching to 95-98 wins.

Then, with Beckett, Lester, Smoltz and Dice-K as their 4 starters in the playoffs, would you want to face them?

[Roy Hobbs]

I went:

1. Red Sox
2. Rays (WC)
3. Yankees
4. Blue Jays
5. Orioles

Do I *really* feel that way?  Probably not, but hope is good.  The Yankees will continue to implode.

[twistedrico]

I like The Yankees to win the East this year with Tampa Bay and Boston in a close fight for the wild card with all 3 teams winning over 90 games.

[Redz]

Who's the wisenheimer picking the Sox for last? 

[Evantime34]

1. Red Sox (shut down bullpen best feature)
2. Yankees (can't keep them down for too long, pitching might be a problem but they will score and defend)
3. Rays (almost every single player on their team had career years it, some will have a dip in production)

[QuinielaBox]

Tough division to call. A good team or two will have to sit out after October 4. I hope it ain't the Red Sox.