Climbing the Ladder with the American League East

Sox Looking to Repeat in 2008

2007 Recap

The tradition of the American League East being the flagship of Major League Baseball continued for another year as it was home to the 2007 World Series Champions and the AL Wild Card winner. After finishing in third place for the first time since 1997, the Boston Red Sox revamped their roster by signing Julio Lugo, J.D. Drew, Hideki Okajima and Japanese Ace, Dice-K Matsukzaka. New York brought Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens back to the Bronx and signed Doug Mientkiewicz in an effort to improve the team’s defense. The first two weeks of the season started out with teams swapping spots for the first place position. On April 15 ^th , Boston took the divisional lead from the Toronto Blue Jays. Despite a mid-season turn around by the Yankees, the Red Sox would hold the position atop of the American League East until the conclusion of the season. With the division and wild card race coming down to the wire in late September, America watched as the two teams fought to ensure themselves playoff spots. Boston would go on to sweep the Angles in three games, while New York’s season would end four games later in a 6-4 loss to the Cleveland Indians. After a grueling seven game series, the American League had its representative for the 2007 World Series in the Boston Red Sox. Four games later the team would be crowned World Champions.

2008 Season

It will be hard to argue that there is no stronger division in baseball than the American League East. The powerhouse Yankees and the Red Sox combination of young talent and deep pockets make them the clear favorites to win the division. Look for Boston to pull away from New York as the season unfolds. Toronto looks to battle Tampa Bay for the number three spot, while the dismal Orioles will finish last and can expect to do so for the next couple years.

2008 Team Previews

Boston Red Sox

Projected 1 ^st place AL East; 96-66

The Red Sox won their first division title since 1995 and look to repeat in 2008. The key to the team’s success in 2007 was their ability to score runs (3 ^rd most in AL), while not giving up many (1 ^st in AL in runs allowed). With essentially the same team coming back in 2008, look for more of the same. The absence of Curt Schilling will cause the team to rely more heavily upon veteran Bartolo Colon, Jon Lester, and rookie Clay Buchholz. Many people in baseball view this to be the team’s only flaw. What separates the Boston Red Sox from the New York Yankees is their ace, Josh Beckett. The presence of a clear #1 starter gives them a surefire advantage and makes them a much better team in the playoffs. Look for shortstop Julio Lugo and right fielder J.D. Drew to find their swing in 2008. Drew, who came under fire in 2007, actually had a better year than many Boston fans gave him credit for. Despite missing time, Drew scored more runs in 2007 than Trot Nixon did in any season with Boston. Look for Boston to lead all of baseball in wins in 2008 and repeat as World Series Champs.

New York Yankees

Projected 2 ^nd place AL East; 89-73

The departure of Joe Torre will have more of an effect on the Yankees than people expect. The Yankee roster is full of veteran players and Joe Girardi’s controlling managing style will likely be a problem with the older players on the team. This could remain a problem for not only this season, but for seasons to come. Despite the team’s ability to score runs, pitching looks to be New York’s biggest weakness for the second consecutive year. New York did little in the offseason to combat this problem and failed to make a trade for ace Johan Santana. The Yankee’s reliance on its youngsters is very similar to the problem in Boston, but the lack of a true number one starter will likely cause more pressure to be placed on the young staff. If things go south early look for Hank Steinbrenner to force Brian Cashman’s hand in the trade market. For the Yankees to make the playoffs they will need to play above and beyond their talent. It is unlikely that Jorge Posada, A-Rod, and Andy Pettitte will match their 2007 performances, and it’s also unlikely that New York will make the playoffs in 2008.

Toronto Blue Jays

Projected 3 ^rd place AL East; 85-77

Toronto’s anemic offense will prevent the Blue Jays from gaining any ground in the American League East. The Blue Jays pitching staff was as good as its offense was bad, posting the second best ERA in the AL East and fourth best in the American League. On a positive note, the Blue Jays offense can’t be worse than it was in 2007, so look for improved seasons from Vernon Wells, Ales Rios, and Frank Thomas. Toronto’s strong starting five and solid bullpen will keep them in games. If things go right for their offense, the Blue Jays may have a chance to take second place from New York.

Tampa Bay Rays

Projected 4 ^th place AL East; 84-78

2008 looks to be the year that Tampa Bay finishes outside of last place for only the second time in the history of the franchise. The Rays have lost ninety or more games for ten consecutive years and have featured a rotation made up of some of the worst pitchers (statistically) in the game. The Ray’s bullpen wasn’t much better, ranking dead last in all of baseball and in some categories, the worst in history. The Rays have since parted ways with some of its pitching baggage and bolstered its staff with the addition of Matt Garza. Tampa’s roster is filled with players who are either all-stars or have all-star potential. In addition to improving their bullpen and starting pitching, the Rays have been proactive in improving their defense, which was the worst in the majors in 2007. There is tremendous room for improvement for the Rays in 2008. Look for them to pass the reins of the AL East punching bag to Baltimore.

Baltimore Orioles

Projected 5 ^th place AL East; 66-96

The only competition the Baltimore Orioles will be in during the 2008 season is with the Pittsburg Pirates and the San Francisco Giants for worst team in all of baseball. With the departure of Erik Bedard, Cory Patterson, and Miguel Tejada, only Nick Markakis and Brian Roberts are left to build around. The future doesn’t look bright for Baltimore and the road to recovery will be long and hard for fans of the Orioles. The farm system was improved with the prospects the team received from the Tejada and Bedard trades, but it seems that a majority of the talent there won’t start making an impact until 2009. The biggest draw at Camden Yard in 2008 will be the visiting teams. Good Luck.