AL East

Yankees (104 – 58): Just like the Bravos, they find a way to win the East every year – eight in a row now, and eleven straight playoff appearances. Their All-Star lineup added even more punch this year, and for the first off-season in a while did so without using their farm system. Credit GM Brian Cashman for holding on to his prospects while still improving the team – of course, when your spending money is equivalent to Fort Knox that’s not hard to do. If they use 14 starting pitchers like they did in 2005 they will once again make it interesting for the rest of the division in 2006, but if their starters can stay healthy they’ll wrap it up by the end of August. DIVISION WINNER

Blue Jays (91 – 71): Sorry Boston fans, as much as I like the Red Sox, I’m a big fan of ‘pitching wins championships,’ and in Boston’s case let me say that healthy pitching wins championships. Toronto has made the moves to make this team better, and their starting pitching can match up with anyone in the league. They have also added punch to their lineup to go along with the players they’ve developed that together will put up enough runs to win plenty of games. And if they are close games, then they’ve got a happy ending with B.J.

Red Sox (84 – 78): Yes, the Lester’s and Paplebon’s are another year away from making an impact, but my guess is they’ll be forced into action by injuries to old man Schilling and the annual bi-monthly Beckett blister. The team can survive without Damon’s bat, but not without his energy. Mueller and Millar are gone, and the idiots are all but a legend. It’s time to re-tool with the kids and load up for 2007.

Devil Rays (78 – 84): Late bloomers last year, this team will benefit from not having the overbearing Lou Pinella under foot all the time. Their kids are all maturing at the same time, and this is the year they start to separate themselves from the cellar dwellers. As the second half of last year showed, they have achieved .500 baseball. But maybe .500 baseball is too much to ask, maybe it’s enough just to have them not lose 90+ games, something they’ve never done.

Orioles (68 – 94): Yeah, I think they’re this bad. They have too many holes and not enough bats to fill them. Leo Mazzone will help some of their young guns develop, but when you can’t hit the ball unless you’re named Tejada then losing is inevitable. The off-season saga is not yet completed for the O’s, as we are yet to find out whether or not they will trade Tejada, and what they are going to do with two starting catchers in Hernandez and Lopez.