MLB Preview: American Leage

AL East
1. New York (99 wins)
I keep thinking age is going to catch up to the Yankees, but I'm always wrong. I think this has the potential to be a great team, especially if Phil Hughes becomes as good as I think he'll be. Even without him, that's a great starting rotation. And the lineup only has one hole: Nick Johnson at DH. I put the over/under on games played at 100, and I'm taking the under.

2. Boston (93)
The Red Sox are going to be good and make the playoffs, but not quite as good as the Yanks. The starting rotation is awesome 1-3, but there's big questions after that, and not enough depth beyond that. The hitting and the defense will be very good, and if the starting pitching is better than I think, this could be a 100-win team.

3. Tampa Bay (90)
The Rays scare me as a Sox fan. Evan Longoria is one of the best players in baseball. The pitching is good and young. And they are athletic all over the field. If Tampa won 100 games, I wouldn't be shocked.

4. Baltimore (75)
The Orioles were last above .500 in 1997 when Davey Johnson's team won 98 games and advanced to the ALCS for the second year in a row. In the 12 seasons since, they've never finished better than 3rd in the AL East, and they've been last the past two seasons. Well, I don't think they'll finish last.

5. Toronto (70)
From 2005 to 2008, I thought the Blue Jays were becoming what the Rays have become -- a legitimate third player in the AL East. Injuries, bad luck, and some questionable front office moves have put that at the bottom of the AL East pile. And as I look at that lineup and the pitching, I think the 70 wins might be generous.

AL Central
1. Minnesota (89)
I know everyone is jumping off the Twins bandwagon due to the Joe Nathan injury. I don't think it will mean a lot; even the best closers are overrated. I like the defense, I like the pitching, and though I'm not really high on Minnesota, I just like the Twins better than the other AL Central teams.

2. Chicago (87)
I really like Chicago's pitching, with Peavy and Buerhle leading the way, and a good bullpen. The offense is a little weak (any lineup with Juan Pierre is), but I really like the potential of Beckham and a rebound by Rios. The rest of the offense will be good enough.

3. Detroit (81)
The Tigers are a team that I have a hard time getting my head around. They could win 90 games; they could win 75. The top 3 starters (Verlander, Porcello, Scherzer) might be very good. The offense is anchored by stud Miguel Cabrera, but is old and weak at a lot of positions. The defense will likely be bad, and the bullpen might be as well.

4. Cleveland (72)
My love affair with the Indians is over. The offense will be decent, with a slick outfield in Sizemore, LaPorta and Choo. But besides A. Cabrera at SS, I don't like the infield, and the starting pitching could be brutal. The Indians will be good again, but not in 2010.

5. Kansas City (66)
Do you realize that the last time the Royals were really relevant was 1989? They won 92 games and Bret Saberhagen won the AL Cy Young. Twenty years have passed, with only mediocrity and down right brutality to show for it. And the way this team is still being run, it may be another 20 years before they're any good.

AL West
1. Seattle (89)
I'm all in on the Mariners. The defense is good, the offense is good enough (though a healthy, non-crazy season from Milton Bradley could elevate it substantially). The pitching should be good. And I don't like the rest of the AL West.

2. Oakland (82)
Not sure why some are so down on Oakland. I think, with a few breaks, they could win the AL West. The outfield defense might be the best I've ever seen. The starting pitching could be anywhere from good to great, especially if Sheets stays healthy. The bullpen will be awesome. But they will struggle to score runs again, and this will keep them out of the postseason.

3. Los Angeles (81)
The starting pitching should be OK. But Abreu, Matsui, Hunter and Rivera are all old and declining, and the outfield defense will be bad. There are some good, young hitters in the infield. The bullpen will be brutal. This looks like a very average team to me. But I thought that last year too.

4. Texas (77)
I just don't see an above-average, complete team. The pitching has question-marks all over it, and the offense has about as many. Could they win 85 if the young pitchers develop and Hamilton stays healthy (and away from the manager's drug stash)? Sure, but I wouldn't put any money on it.

ALDS
Yankees over Twins
Mariners over Red Sox

ALCS
Mariners over Yankees