In the east team includes: Red Sox, Yankees, Rays, Orioles and Blue Jays. The Boston Red Sox went under the radar to acquire Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford, Adam Dunn’s big lumber landed in Chicago New York– AL AL
1. Red Sox (Projected Victories 92-70):
Key Player: Beckett had one of the worst seasons of his career going 6-6 with 5.78 ERA. He’s been too good of a pitcher to have another year like that but you have to wonder if injuries are starting to force his career to decline.
2. Yankees (Projected Victories 90-72):
If last year wasn’t the passing of the torch from Derek Jeter to Robinson Cano than this has to be the year. Cano was sensational last campaign, hitting .319 with 29 homers and 109 RBI and is a preseason frontrunner for AL MVP. Much like their brethren in Boston
Key player: Hughes went 18-8 last season but Yankees fans would probably like to see him drop that 4.19 ERA by a full run. He has to be a reliable No. 2 behind Sabathia if the Yanks are going to make a deep playoff run.
3. Rays (Projected Victories 84-78):
Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon continue to tour the AL East and since Tampa New York
Key Player: B.J. Upton is one of the most talented young outfielders in the game and it’s time for him to mature. Without Crawford, he has to be better than his .237, 18, 62 although the 42 steals are nice.
4. Orioles (Projected Victories 77-85):
Buck Showalter made news this spring for his shall we say less-than-flattering comments about Boston GM Theo Epstein and Jeter. When you play somebody 19 times per season, you shouldn’t like them and there’s too much of opposition patting each other on the back these days. If that gets his ballclub to play better, more power to Showalter. The O’s responded to his appointment last season by finishing 34-23, showing there is hope in Baltimore
Key player: Nick Markakis is the best player on this team and he’s coming off an excellent season (.297, 12, and 60). If they can get anything from the aging Derek Lee and whiff-machine Mark Reynolds, who does hit homers (32 last season with Arizona) when he does make contact, the O’s could cause some problems for the AL East’s top dogs.
5. Blue Jays (Projected Victories 75-87):
Live and die by the longball. Toronto
Key player: Not a player for the Jays, but rookie manager John Farrell. The AL East can be an unforgiving place for any skipper, let alone one with no managerial experience at any level. Farrell will have a tough job overseeing a young pitching staff and a lineup prone to slumps because of its reliance on the big fly.
