Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles could very well be the most improved team in the majors this season. First off, let's not forget that Baltimore went 34-23 under manager Buck Showalter last season. Also, the Orioles lineup additions are a huge upgrade for 2011. Baltimore added guys like Derrek Lee, Vladimir Guerrero, Mark Reynolds, and J.J. Hardy. The remaining sticks the O's carry over from last season certainly include some respectable bats as well. Couple that with a respectable pitching rotation and this team could even improve by 15 games this season and end up with a .500 record. Look for continued improvement from Showalter's club in 2011.

Boston Red Sox

After notching 89 wins last season but missing the post-season, the Red Sox showed they weren't going to settle for that as they were very active in the off-season. Adding Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez to this already potent lineup will pay major dividends. The Red Sox stood pat with their pitching which has proven solid enough and couple that with a potent lineup and you have a team capable of the century mark in wins in the 2011 season! We'll have to pick our spots for line value but we certainly love what this team brings to the table this season.

New York Yankees

The bullpen for the Yanks look rock solid with Rafael Soriano added to be the set-up man for Mariano Rivera. What a 1-2 punch that is. We like the add of Russell Martin to this always-solid lineup but the pitching rotation is the concern here. Adding Freddy Garcia certainly wasn't the answer and A.J. Burnett has regressed in my opinion. Can C.C. Sabathia still lead the way? He's not getting any younger! The Yankees will still win games with their sticks and their bullpen but they appear to be "second fiddle" to the Red Sox in this divisional race this season.

Tampa Bay Rays

After winning 96 wins and capturing the AL East last season, this team appears headed for a quick descent in the standings. This team only hit .247 last season and now they added the aging stick of Johnny Damon and the troubled slugger...Manny Ramirez! If anybody can "reign in" Ramirez it's manager Joe Maddon. However, Ramirez so often leans toward being a malcontent that hinders a clubhouse. Also, starting pitcher James Shields was awful last season. Wade Davis is still inconsistent and Jeremy Hellickson still has to prove himself. That means this pitching rotation has issues and let's not forget that the bullpen includes a "closer by committee" approach that looks very questionable. With also losing some key sticks in the off-season, the Rays fall toward mediocrity this season!

Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays won 85 games last season but are headed for a drop under first-year manager John Farrell. The lineup includes guys like Aaron Hill and Adam Lind who struggled badly last season. Also, Jose Bautista's power is likely to fall back without the powerful bat of Vernon Wells in the lineup. Juan Rivera appears to be a good add to the lineup but Rajai Davis joins a group that looks a little weak at the top and bottom of the order. We like the Jays bullpen but Toronto's starting rotation has holes. That includes Brandon Morrow's injury situation plus a reliance on guys Kyle Drabek and Jesse Litsch that are likely to struggle with consistency. This team drops in the standings in 2011 and could finish in the basement considering the projected improvement of the Orioles.on tap for 2011. Pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg is out after Tommy John surgery. In terms of the offensive production of this team, much has been made of the addition of Jayson Werth. However, I don't expect the same production here as he's now been taken out of a lineup that was stacked with hitters that were power threats like Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. The Nats also added other hitters that are trying to rebound...guys like Rick Ankiel and Adam LaRoche. The bottom line is that this lineup has too many holes and the pitching is hurt because of Strasburg's absence.

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