Baltimore - This is an improved team but playing in the AL East makes it tough for that improvement to shine through. They are a strong hitting club, especially at home, and the key will be the production the Orioles get from their pitching staff. How much does veteran Kevin Millwood have left? How will young pitchers like Brian Matusz and Brad Bergesen develop?

Boston - The Red Sox lineup might have a little less pop but, with pitching depth and an improved defense, Boston will once again be challenging the Yankees for the top spot in the division as well as the league. The loss of Jason Bay is a big concern but, overall, this year's team looks solid with improved defense and a solid pitching staff.

New York Yankees - The defending champs still look strong. They have too much firepower in the lineup to keep from being among the elite in the league. The Yankees aren't getting any younger and injuries could be a factor to watch for. Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, and Jorge Posada are all between the ages of 35 and 40 years old.

Tampa Bay - Talented, but young, pitching rotation here. Now they have a closer in Rafael Soriano but the rest of the bullpen has some question marks and that could make it tough to get games to the closer. Still talented offensively but, battling it out in the same division with the Red Sox and Yankees makes things even tougher on the Rays.

Toronto - The Blue Jays are filled with question marks in the rotation and that means that even a quality bullpen will be under a lot of pressure...too much in fact. Still some big sticks in this lineup but pitching concerns could lead to a long season for the Blue Jays.

American League Central:

Chicago White Sox - It wasn't that long ago that this team was filled with power hitters and just hoped to outslug the opposition. That certainly is no longer the case. Now the White Sox are focused on pitching and defense. As for the offense, don't be surprised to see a very aggressive approach on the bases as the ChiSox hope to disrupt opposing pitchers with their baserunning. The White Sox look strong this season and will be especially potent if Jake Peavy is in top form.

Cleveland -The Indians certainly appear to be in a rebuilding mode as they've let some real fan favorites go in recent seasons. The offense still has some potent sticks, especially when Russell Branyan's back is healed up, but the pitching rotation has question marks and even though the Indians have a solid closer in Chris Perez there is concern about the rest of the bullpen. The Indians bullpen has been a weakness and with that likely to be the case again this season, subpar pitching will likely hurt Cleveland's rebuilding efforts.

Detroit - How much hangover will there be from blowing that late season divisional lead last year? Not enough to mar the season but yet this team is trying to bounce back with a number of question marks. That said, trying to keep up with the Twins and White Sox is likely to prove tough. The Tigers have a lot of youth that is unproven and then they have veterans that might have seen their better years already pass them by. Johnny Damon, Brandon Inge, Magglio Ordonez...which "version" of these players will show up this season? Could be a tough year in Detroit as the pitching staff looks young and lacks solid depth.

Kansas City - Call us crazy but we like this team. No they're not going to be among the best in baseball, that is for certain. However, the Royals outfield is now built around speed and defense and their lineup still includes a number of solid sticks. Jose Guillen looked lean (and hungry to bounce back) this spring and Billy Butler is coming off of a breakout season. The problem for the Royals is pitching. Other than the #1, Zack Greinke, and the closer, Joakim Soria, there are question marks on this pitching staff.

Minnesota - Of course the loss of closer Joe Nathan is huge but the Twins do have a number of strong arms in the bullpen. Also, the young starting staff is talented and should be the beneficiary of plenty of run support. Minnesota's lineup looks stacked and is especially strong at home. With the extra excitement of Target Field's inaugural season, don't be surprised if the Twins parlay all this positive momentum into becoming the frontrunners for the AL Central title.

American League West:

Los Angeles Angels - This is still the team to beat in the AL West but they've likely fallen back a few notches. This means we could find some value in going against this team at times this season. The Angels lost John Lackey, Chone Figgins, and Vladimir Guerrero and those types of losses would test any team! We know they added Joel Pineiro but pitching back in the AL again could be a problem for him. Also, though they added Hideki Matsui, how will his "problem knees" hold up? Additionally, though this starting rotation looks good on paper, we're not sold on it. Don't be surprised if the Angels have to outhit teams to win games because, other than Jered Weaver, the rest of the rotation features pitchers with question marks. Kazmir hasn't been the same since getting roughed up late in his tenure at Tampa Bay. Also, Joe Saunders is often very hittable and Ervin Santana has had injury issues in recent seasons. This is just our opinion of course but we would not be surprised to see the Angels fall off if the pitching declines as we feel it will. This is still a very strong hitting team though that can win games with its offense.

Oakland - The A's are hoping to win with pitching but both Ben Sheets and Justin Duchscherer have had injury issues. Also, will talented younger starters like Dallas Braden, Brett Anderson, and Trevor Cahill prove to be up to the task. Their lineup is not overly powerful and the Athletics don't have much depth either. If the lineup continues to struggle the pitching staff, even with a solid bullpen, still may not be enough to put this team into contention. They still have a lot of ground to make up in this division.

Seattle - The loss of Russell Branyan hurts the offense. Yes, this team is hoping for another big jump, like last season's improvement in the standings, but the injury to Cliff Lee, their big offseason acquisition, could set this team back. The last time he suffered an abdominal strain he really struggled the rest of the season. With an offense with question marks - Ichiro Suzuki and Chone Figgins are solid at the top as table setters but then who will clear the table? Guys like Casey Kotchman and Milton Bradley are going to have to prove they can "step it up" for the Mariners. This team has a lot of "moving parts" in our opinion so they will have to be evaluated in more depth once the season starts. They could go either way this season, continuing their strong upward trend from last season, or falling hard again if the middle of the order struggles and Lee's injury has a big impact.

Texas - Still a very powerful lineup for Texas and this is especially true when the Rangers are at home. However, adding Rich Harden may not be enough for this poor pitching staff to get over the hump. They are still relying on too many unproven hurlers. Youth and inconsistency go hand in hand and that means the Rangers are likely going to have to outslug teams to get most of their wins. Keep in mind, Harden had a rough spring, and Neftali Feliz pitched poorly plus Derek Holland is expected to open the season in the minors. We like their lineup, if they can avoid the heavy strikeout totals that have plagued them in the past, but this team still has big question marks on the pitching staff.

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