American League East Preview 2017
By Tyler Smith
#1 Boston Red Sox
Stadium: Fenway Park (37,673)
Manager: John Farrell
General Manager: (vacant)
2016 Record: 93-69
Projected 2017 Record
Rotation: The addition of Sale takes this rotation to another level. Sale comes over from the White Sox. There's another Cy Young Award winner in David Price on the team as well. Price was a work horse last year with 230 innings. Clay Buchholz is gone, which I am sure is a positive for most Red Sox fans. Rick Porcello won 22 games last year for the Red Sox (22!). Fans thought they would never see the day but it happened. Porcello has elevated his ceiling so he can't afford a big dip this year. Eduardo Rodriguez and Steven Wright are great options at the back end.
Bullpen: Craig Krimbel is still one of the best closer in the game. Nothing to worry about there. Where you might find some questions are when they go to the setup guys. Tyler Thornburg and Matt Barnes will be relied on to get the job done now. If they falter this is where the Red Sox could come up short.
Bats: Lets all remember the great David Ortiz. Ortiz has finally retired despite putting up monster numbers. The lineup doesn't fall off though. Andrew Benitendi will get a full season of work after emerging last season. Pedroia will bat leadoff and set the tone with his stellar batting average. Betts and Bogaerts will look to boost their steals this season with Ortiz gone. The key for this team will be at 3B/DH with Pablo Sandoval. I hasn't worked to this point. If his OPS can creep back up to .780 this lineup will be so tough. Mitch Moreland has been brought in from the Rangers and will bat 8th. That is a solid 8 hole hitter.
Final Thoughts: Their doesn't seem to be a reason why the Red Sox shouldn't get back to the playoffs. Some would see John Farrrell is the one person who could hold this team back. I don't buy into that too much. If the panda man can turn it up a notch. That lineup is going to be painful to play against.
Manager: John Farrell
General Manager: (vacant)
2016 Record: 93-69
Projected 2017 Record
Rotation: The addition of Sale takes this rotation to another level. Sale comes over from the White Sox. There's another Cy Young Award winner in David Price on the team as well. Price was a work horse last year with 230 innings. Clay Buchholz is gone, which I am sure is a positive for most Red Sox fans. Rick Porcello won 22 games last year for the Red Sox (22!). Fans thought they would never see the day but it happened. Porcello has elevated his ceiling so he can't afford a big dip this year. Eduardo Rodriguez and Steven Wright are great options at the back end.
Bullpen: Craig Krimbel is still one of the best closer in the game. Nothing to worry about there. Where you might find some questions are when they go to the setup guys. Tyler Thornburg and Matt Barnes will be relied on to get the job done now. If they falter this is where the Red Sox could come up short.
Bats: Lets all remember the great David Ortiz. Ortiz has finally retired despite putting up monster numbers. The lineup doesn't fall off though. Andrew Benitendi will get a full season of work after emerging last season. Pedroia will bat leadoff and set the tone with his stellar batting average. Betts and Bogaerts will look to boost their steals this season with Ortiz gone. The key for this team will be at 3B/DH with Pablo Sandoval. I hasn't worked to this point. If his OPS can creep back up to .780 this lineup will be so tough. Mitch Moreland has been brought in from the Rangers and will bat 8th. That is a solid 8 hole hitter.
Final Thoughts: Their doesn't seem to be a reason why the Red Sox shouldn't get back to the playoffs. Some would see John Farrrell is the one person who could hold this team back. I don't buy into that too much. If the panda man can turn it up a notch. That lineup is going to be painful to play against.
#2 Baltimore Orioles
Stadium: Camden Yards (45,971)
Manager: Buck Showalter
General Manager: Dan Duquette
2016 Record: 89-73
Projected 2017 Record:
Rotation: Kevin Gausman has a fastball that can reach the high 90's. His off speed stuff is pretty good too. When he has it all going he is really tough to beat. If he can cut down on the HR balls things will trend up. The top dawg in the rotation is Chris Tillman. Tillman won 16 games last season with an ERA under 4.00. What is amazing about Tillman is his pick off move is so respected that he had zero steals against him last season. Dylan Bundy will be slotted in the middle of the rotation. Last season he totaled 10 wins but had an ERA over 4. The rotation as a whole needs their ERA to go down after posting a 4.72 last season. Wade Miley and Ubaldo Jimenez round out the rotation. Remember when Ubaldo was a sought after player? Ever since leaving Colorado things have been trending down. Ironic, I know, a pitcher leaves Colorado and gets worse.
Bullpen: If teams figure out how to hit Zach Britton's sinking fast ball things could go down hill but they won't. Last year Zach converted 47 saves. Two other arms that will see a of time in front of Britton are Brad Bach and Darren O'Day. O'Day had a great year that earned him an all star nod.
Bats: We all know the three staples to the Orioles lineup Adam Jones, Manny Machado and Chris Davis. Mark Trumbo came in last season and just hit bomb after bomb, 47 to be exact. He will be back at DH. Newcomer Seth Smith comes in from Seattle. Expect him to put up average numbers across the board. The Orioles were very poor in terms of stolen bases so it is a bit odd they didn't bring in one player to boost that number a bit.
It will be odd not to see Matt Wieters behind the plate this season. You will now see Welington Castillo. Wellington is a wild card for the Orioles. Not a make it or break it type player but one that would be a nice surprise. A player that could really breakout this season and become a top 2B in the majors is Jonathan Schoop. If he can keep the power numbers he had last season and get around .280 BA, watch out. J.J. Hardy and Hyun Soo Kim round out the lineup.
Final Thoughts: The Orioles are a really interesting team. They have the pieces to make it to the playoffs this year. They need Gausman and Schoop to have great years and it should happen. This is a team that is poised to add another piece at the break.
Manager: Buck Showalter
General Manager: Dan Duquette
2016 Record: 89-73
Projected 2017 Record:
Rotation: Kevin Gausman has a fastball that can reach the high 90's. His off speed stuff is pretty good too. When he has it all going he is really tough to beat. If he can cut down on the HR balls things will trend up. The top dawg in the rotation is Chris Tillman. Tillman won 16 games last season with an ERA under 4.00. What is amazing about Tillman is his pick off move is so respected that he had zero steals against him last season. Dylan Bundy will be slotted in the middle of the rotation. Last season he totaled 10 wins but had an ERA over 4. The rotation as a whole needs their ERA to go down after posting a 4.72 last season. Wade Miley and Ubaldo Jimenez round out the rotation. Remember when Ubaldo was a sought after player? Ever since leaving Colorado things have been trending down. Ironic, I know, a pitcher leaves Colorado and gets worse.
Bullpen: If teams figure out how to hit Zach Britton's sinking fast ball things could go down hill but they won't. Last year Zach converted 47 saves. Two other arms that will see a of time in front of Britton are Brad Bach and Darren O'Day. O'Day had a great year that earned him an all star nod.
Bats: We all know the three staples to the Orioles lineup Adam Jones, Manny Machado and Chris Davis. Mark Trumbo came in last season and just hit bomb after bomb, 47 to be exact. He will be back at DH. Newcomer Seth Smith comes in from Seattle. Expect him to put up average numbers across the board. The Orioles were very poor in terms of stolen bases so it is a bit odd they didn't bring in one player to boost that number a bit.
It will be odd not to see Matt Wieters behind the plate this season. You will now see Welington Castillo. Wellington is a wild card for the Orioles. Not a make it or break it type player but one that would be a nice surprise. A player that could really breakout this season and become a top 2B in the majors is Jonathan Schoop. If he can keep the power numbers he had last season and get around .280 BA, watch out. J.J. Hardy and Hyun Soo Kim round out the lineup.
Final Thoughts: The Orioles are a really interesting team. They have the pieces to make it to the playoffs this year. They need Gausman and Schoop to have great years and it should happen. This is a team that is poised to add another piece at the break.
#3 Toronto Blue Jays
Stadium: Rogers Centre (54,000)
Manager: John Gibbons
General Manager: Ross Atkins
2016 Record: 89-73
Projected 2017 Record:
Rotation: Aaron Sanchez emerged as the ace of the Blue Jays staff last season. He went 15-2 with a 3.00 era. Marco Estrada turned in a good season as well. He averaged 8.9 K/9 with an 88 MPH fastball. This season will be a make or break for Marcus Stroman as hitters are beginning to figure him out. If he can elevate his game this rotation gets even better. J.A. Happ was sensational last season. 20-4 with a 3.18 ERA it will be hard to put up those numbers again this season but still expect a solid year out of Happ. The biggest mystery is what the Blue Jays will get out of Francisco Liriano. He had a rejuvenation after heading to Pittsburgh until 2016 hit. If he can turn it around the Jays have a good shot at the East title.
Bullpen: The pen took a hit with the departure of Brett Cecil. They still have Roberto Osuna closing out games though. You may remember Matt Latos, the player that emerged at San Diego, got big bucks from the Reds. Well, things have trended down ever since his days in the Reds uniform. Latos will be an interesting player to track this season. Joe Smith has been a steady hand for many major league teams. Rule 5 draft pick Joe Biagini has everyone attention.
Bats: Don't overreact to the loss of Edwin Encarnacion. Yes, he was a big bat and key to the lineup but the jays still have a lot of talent 1-9. When your 4 and 5 hole hitters are Josh Donaldson and Troy Tulowitzki you are in good shape. Those two combined for 61 home runs and 178 RBI. Oh I forgot to mention Jose Bautista returns as well. He had one of his worst years since being in Toronto but I wouldn't count him out yet. One player that has to get it going is first baseman Justin Smoak. He has the capable power but if he doesn't hit enough long balls his .218 average is worth having in the lineup. One free agent the Jays brought in that could replace the numbers Edwin put up is Kendry Morales. Morales should be close to 100 RBI with this lineup.
Final Thoughts: This is one of the best lineups in baseball even with the loss of Edwin. The rotation should be above average. The rotation might give fans a few scares throughout the year. A few players will make or break this season but a wildcard birth is certainly possible.
Manager: John Gibbons
General Manager: Ross Atkins
2016 Record: 89-73
Projected 2017 Record:
Rotation: Aaron Sanchez emerged as the ace of the Blue Jays staff last season. He went 15-2 with a 3.00 era. Marco Estrada turned in a good season as well. He averaged 8.9 K/9 with an 88 MPH fastball. This season will be a make or break for Marcus Stroman as hitters are beginning to figure him out. If he can elevate his game this rotation gets even better. J.A. Happ was sensational last season. 20-4 with a 3.18 ERA it will be hard to put up those numbers again this season but still expect a solid year out of Happ. The biggest mystery is what the Blue Jays will get out of Francisco Liriano. He had a rejuvenation after heading to Pittsburgh until 2016 hit. If he can turn it around the Jays have a good shot at the East title.
Bullpen: The pen took a hit with the departure of Brett Cecil. They still have Roberto Osuna closing out games though. You may remember Matt Latos, the player that emerged at San Diego, got big bucks from the Reds. Well, things have trended down ever since his days in the Reds uniform. Latos will be an interesting player to track this season. Joe Smith has been a steady hand for many major league teams. Rule 5 draft pick Joe Biagini has everyone attention.
Bats: Don't overreact to the loss of Edwin Encarnacion. Yes, he was a big bat and key to the lineup but the jays still have a lot of talent 1-9. When your 4 and 5 hole hitters are Josh Donaldson and Troy Tulowitzki you are in good shape. Those two combined for 61 home runs and 178 RBI. Oh I forgot to mention Jose Bautista returns as well. He had one of his worst years since being in Toronto but I wouldn't count him out yet. One player that has to get it going is first baseman Justin Smoak. He has the capable power but if he doesn't hit enough long balls his .218 average is worth having in the lineup. One free agent the Jays brought in that could replace the numbers Edwin put up is Kendry Morales. Morales should be close to 100 RBI with this lineup.
Final Thoughts: This is one of the best lineups in baseball even with the loss of Edwin. The rotation should be above average. The rotation might give fans a few scares throughout the year. A few players will make or break this season but a wildcard birth is certainly possible.
#4 New York Yankees
The Stadium: Yankee Stadium (49,642)
Manager: Joe Girardi
General Manager: Brian Cashman
2016 Record: 84-78
Projected 2017 Record:
Rotation: The rotation is simple to figure out, what are you going to get from CC Sabathia and Micheal Pineda. Last year they both threw 175 innings and combined for an ERA over 4.25 and 15-24 record. If they don't perform this team continues to fall short. We know that Masahiro Tanaka will be filthy but that is the only guarantee for this staff.
Bullpen: If the rotation can get the ball to the pen they will be in good shape. Aroldis Chapman enjoyed a World Series title last season with the Cubs but decided to return to the Yankees. Chapman continues to light up the radar gun and doesn't look to be slowing down anytime soon. Tyler Clippard and Dellin Betances will be the setup guys for Chapman. Dellin can get his fast ball near triple digits as well as a nasty curve. Overall be happy with your options in the bullpen Yankee fans.
Bats: Thanks to a retirements from Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeria the Yankees can start to move to youth. Brian McCann also is gone via trade. Well OK they did bring in a veteran in Matt Holiday but still. Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury will get things started for the Yankees. If they have down years this team will have a down year. Batting third will be the up and coming catcher Gary Sanchez. Don't be surprised if he ends up on an all star team roster this season. An infield featuring Bird, Castro and Gregorius should be solid for years to come. Is this lineup as of today scary, not really. Could it in a few years. YES.
Final Thoughts: This doesn't seem like the year for the Yankees to make a move to the playoffs. The rotation just has too many question marks. The bullpen will keep them around when the rotation goes down but that will wear on a team after awhile. The lineup is looking better and better but it isn't there just yet.
Manager: Joe Girardi
General Manager: Brian Cashman
2016 Record: 84-78
Projected 2017 Record:
Rotation: The rotation is simple to figure out, what are you going to get from CC Sabathia and Micheal Pineda. Last year they both threw 175 innings and combined for an ERA over 4.25 and 15-24 record. If they don't perform this team continues to fall short. We know that Masahiro Tanaka will be filthy but that is the only guarantee for this staff.
Bullpen: If the rotation can get the ball to the pen they will be in good shape. Aroldis Chapman enjoyed a World Series title last season with the Cubs but decided to return to the Yankees. Chapman continues to light up the radar gun and doesn't look to be slowing down anytime soon. Tyler Clippard and Dellin Betances will be the setup guys for Chapman. Dellin can get his fast ball near triple digits as well as a nasty curve. Overall be happy with your options in the bullpen Yankee fans.
Bats: Thanks to a retirements from Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeria the Yankees can start to move to youth. Brian McCann also is gone via trade. Well OK they did bring in a veteran in Matt Holiday but still. Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury will get things started for the Yankees. If they have down years this team will have a down year. Batting third will be the up and coming catcher Gary Sanchez. Don't be surprised if he ends up on an all star team roster this season. An infield featuring Bird, Castro and Gregorius should be solid for years to come. Is this lineup as of today scary, not really. Could it in a few years. YES.
Final Thoughts: This doesn't seem like the year for the Yankees to make a move to the playoffs. The rotation just has too many question marks. The bullpen will keep them around when the rotation goes down but that will wear on a team after awhile. The lineup is looking better and better but it isn't there just yet.
#5 Tampa Bay Rays
Stadium: Tropicana Field (40,473)
Manager: Kevin Cash
General Manager: Erik Neander
2016 Record: 68-94
Projected 2017 Record:
Rotation:
Bullpen:
Bats:
Final Thoughts:
Manager: Kevin Cash
General Manager: Erik Neander
2016 Record: 68-94
Projected 2017 Record:
Rotation:
Bullpen:
Bats:
Final Thoughts: