The timing was just right last season. The order of the American League was disrupted — up was down, red was green. The Royals — the Royals! — streaked to the World Series. They weren’t the only surprise team in the American League. The Orioles dominated the East, a division long locked down by the Yankees and the Red Sox. And the Athletics were surprisingly knocked out of the playoffs in an early exit. But just as the receding of the AL superpowers gave the little guys a chance, that door of opportunity is about to close. The balance of power is about to swing back to the big-money boys. The Red Sox are retooled. The Tigers and White Sox are in a bidding war. The Angels still have Mike Trout. The Mariners could be this year’s Royals. The Indians have the potential to make a move. The Blue Jays look tough. Here is a breakdown of each AL division, in predicted order of finish:
West
Best player in MLB an Angel
Los Angeles and Seattle should battle to the wire in the West. Any discussion about the Angels centers on Mike Trout, the best player in baseball. Trout had a “down” year last year — and still won MVP honors in the AL, scoring 115 runs and driving in 111. The Mariners lack offensive punch. But with ace Felix Hernandez at the top of the rotation, he is capable of taking them a long way. Oakland blew up its roster; it’s difficult to see the Athletics contending this season.
Los Angeles Angels: Their pitching rotation — Jared Weaver, C.J. Wilson and Matt Shoemaker at the top — can’t match up with Detroit’s. And their defense might be the worst in the AL. But they have Trout. His 7.9 WAR last year led everyone except Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers’ ace.
Seattle Mariners: Seth Smith, a former Rockies outfielder who has bounced around the past few years, will hit ahead of Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz in the Seattle lineup. Which goes to show the Mariners lack star talent once you get beyond Cano and Hernandez.
Oakland Athletics: General manager Billy Beane is a roster-tweaking machine. He basically blew up the A’s at the MLB trade deadline last season to make a run at winning it all. Then he did so again during the offseason. The A’s are light in the wallet and bright in their moves.
Texas Rangers: The Rangers lost 2,347 player “days” to injuries last season. And it’s already carried over to 2015. Last month, pitcher Yu Darvish was lost for the season to Tommy John surgery.
Houston Astros: The Astros are No. 1 in MLB’s power rankings of teams that compile top draft picks. And they certainly are stockpiling prospects. One of these years, that talent will get on the field.
Central
Look for the Tigers to roar
Detroit should win this division, despite losing ace pitcher Max Scherzer. Remember, the Tigers still have David Price, Justin Verlander and Anibal Sanchez in the rotation. But Kansas City shocked everyone by going to the World Series, and Cleveland is improving.
Detroit Tigers: Price, left, Verlander and Sanchez are strikeout machines, each averaging better than 7.5 per nine innings. At the plate, Detroit crushed the ball last year, trailing only the Angels in runs scored in the AL. Then the Tigers added Yoenis Cespedes’ bat in left field.
Cleveland Indians: Behind ace pitcher Corey Kluber, one of the best in baseball, Cleveland is on the upswing.
Chicago White Sox: While the San Diego Padres were spending wildly in the NL, the White Sox were their AL counterparts. In December, they signed Melky Cabrera, right, Adam LaRoche, Zach Duke, Jeff Samardzija and David Robertson.
Kansas City Royals: K.C. won the AL pennant and advanced to the World Series with a boost from its bullpen, the best in baseball. But the relievers were never over-extended, allowing them to shine in a defined role. James Shields and his 200-plus innings allowed the ‘pen to do its duty late in games. His loss could have a domino effect.
Minnesota Twins: The Twins are in a waiting mode. They are stocked with potential in the minor leagues — topped by Byron Buxton, a 21-year-old center fielder who is the No. 1-ranked prospect in baseball. Losing No. 2 starter Ervin Santana to an 80-game suspension hurts.
East
This is Red Sox’s year to roll
The Red Sox are marching in a worst-or-first cycle. In recent years, they’ve been all in or cashed out. They finished fifth in the East in 2012, then retooled and won the World Series the next year. They finished 11 games back in 2006, then won the World Series in 2007. And with a bunch of young 20-somethings ready to bust out, look for Boston to soon be back on top.
Boston Red Sox: If only their pitching staff weren’t dependent on Clay Buchholz as the No. 1 starter and Justin Masterson and Joe Kelly as back-of-the-rotation starters. David Ortiz is very nearly the “other guy” in the lineup now, hitting between Dustin Pedroia and Hanley Ramirez. Newcomer Pablo Sandoval has a short porch in right to aim for.
Toronto Blue Jays: The Blue Jays signed free-agent catcher Russell Martin and traded with Oakland for third baseman Josh Donaldson, both big bats. The Jays haven’t seen the postseason since 1993, when they won the World Series.
Baltimore Orioles: Baltimore crushed the East last year, winning 96 games and finishing 12 games ahead of the New York Yankees. The Orioles bowed out of bidding wars for Nelson Cruz (to Seattle) and Nick Markakis (to Atlanta). But they still have third baseman Manny Machado, the Nolan Arenado of the AL.
New York Yankees: New York magazine recently calculated that, yes, there have been worse years in New York sports than 2014, when most of the city’s professional teams fizzled. But it seems worse when the Yankees field a blah team. They’re still saddled with a bunch of big contracts and too few hot prospects.
Tampa Bay Rays: The Rays lost hotshot GM Andrew Friedman to the Dodgers and guru manager Joe Maddon to the Cubs. At least fans can root for third baseman Evan Longoria.
