The American League East:

Once heralded as the best division in baseball year-after-year each team lacks a true ace. While Masahiro Tanaka may be able to take that position, we’ve yet to see enough from him to justify calling him an ace. The Red Sox, Orioles, Blue Jays and Rays all lack a credible number 1 pitcher after free agency and trades from the season before. Nonetheless the division should be incredibly competitive.

5. Tampa Bay Rays:

The Rays have been torn apart and rebuilt each year, being one of the most successful teams since their 2008 breakout averaging nearly 90 wins in that time-span despite the lack of overall star power. The club started off slow last season which led to the eventual trades of David Price, Ben Zobrist, Yunel Escobar, Wil Myers and other bullpen pieces. After coming off 77 wins last season it appears the magic might be running out as they saw the departure of one of the best minds in baseball in Andrew Friedman.

The rotation will be formidable, once healthy, boasting Alex Cobb, Drew Smyly, Chris Archer, Jake Odorizzi and once healthy Matt Moore. However, Evan Longoria is the only offensive threat the team has at the moment. They will be relying on Steven Souza Jr., James Loney, Desmond Jennings and several new faces to produce runs.

Cobb, Smyly and Moore will start the year on the DL. Souza Jr. could be sent down to figure out his swing in the minor leagues. It has been really hard to count this team out, but look for them to finish in the bottom of the division.

4. New York Yankees

The Yankees have had a quietly loud off-season/pre-season. The Yankees, now feeling the sting of all those lengthy, expensive contracts, made very little moves in the off-season. They re-signed Chase Headley, creating drama as A-Rod will not get much playing time at third base. They won the Andrew Miller sweepstakes, solidifying their bullpen. They traded for Didi Gregorious, whom has the fun job of following-up the legend of Derek Jeter, retained Stephen Drew,  they acquired Nathan Eovaldi from the Marlins and some of their guys are looking to get healthy.

The rotation is the biggest problem for the Yankees. Tanaka is coming off of an injury in which he elected to rest instead of having surgery. While he dominated the MLB when healthy, the sample size was just too small. The league now has had an off-season to watch film and learn his tendencies. CC Sabathia is no longer CC Sabathia, just check his availability in your standard fantasy baseball league. He is there. No one wants him. Michael Pinenda, Eovaldi and Capuano/Nova will fill out the rest of the rotation. Eovaldi is an unfinished product that had more value in the National League. He could be a good number 3 or 4 pitcher in the future but still needs to develop.

The offense of the Yankees should be improved but Drew and Gregorius have major offensive question marks. Carlos Beltran and Mark Teixeria have spent many days on the DL, if they can stay healthy, the club will be better. McCann did not have the impact offensively the Yankees thought he would.

3. Baltimore Orioles

This mid-market team has to be wise when spending money. Nelson Cruz was the biggest value pick-up last season and he slugged 40 home runs. He’s gone now. Nick Markakis has left town as well but the team that went to the ALCS last season was remarkable because they lost Manny Machado, Matt Wieters and Chris Davis due to injuries or suspensions.

The rotation is led by Chris Tillman, which shows the sign of how weak it is. Wei-Yin Chen, Miguel Gonzalez, Bud Norris and Kevin Gausman fill out the rotation with Ubaldo Jimenez on the outside looking-in. Buck Showalter’s game management and use of his bullpen helped the club be successful in 2014. Gausman has good stuff, but the club may yet send him to the bullpen.

Offensively speaking Matt Wieters is out until July and the newly acquired Travis Snider will not do what Cruz did. Machado had a down, injured season, JJ Hardy did not produce offensively like expected, Chris Davis was no where near the player he had been. Adam Jones and Steve Pearce were bright spots for the club and the team could be much better if the other guys return to form.

2. Boston Red Sox

The Sox were busy in the offseason acquiring Hanley Ramirez to play leftfield, Pablo Sandoval to play 3rd base, trading away Yoenis Cespedes, losing Jon Lester, snatching away the young, Cuban-prospect, Yoan Moncada, trading for Rick Porcello and Wade Miley and signing Justin Masterson. Deep breath, they were busy.

The rotation is led by Clay Buchholz, whom has shown signs of brilliance and signs of blowing-up. He has had his share of injuries and to rely on him at this point would be foolish. Rick Porcello broke out with the Tigers last season, finally showing some of the promise he was meant to have. He is a sinker pitcher that will not strikeout many batters and relies on ground balls, though Fenway might not be as friendly to him. Wade Miley was an all-star in 2012 but regressed much last season. Justin Masterson was a Boston product and is now back. He was brilliant with the Indians in 2013 but was atrocious last season in which he pitched through injury.

Offensively the club is crowded in the outfield, but could be very dangerous. Sandoval and Ramirez should improve offensively at Fenway. Napoli and Ortiz make a very good 1B/DH combination. The middle part of the field has questions. Former MVP Dustin Pedroia had the worst year of his career last season. Was it injury and a fluke? Or the beginning of true regression. Xander Bogaerts will now be trusted to take shortstop for his own and with improved offseason he can stop pressing. Mookie Betts is slatted to be in centerfield, but with Rusney Castillo in the wakes it isn’t easy to predict how long he will be there. Shane Victorino is slated in rightfield and Allen Craig, once an offensive force, might be traded.

1. Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays somehow managed to acquire Josh Donaldson from the A’s in the offseason, making their own offensive more impressive. While the club has plenty of questions in their rotation, especially with Marcus Stroman being injured for the year, the rest of the division has the same problem.

The rotation is led by Drew Hutchsinson, looking to breakout after showing excellent control and strikeout capabilities. R.A. Dickey, rookie Daniel Norris, Mark Buehlre and Aaron Sanchez fill out the rotation. While Hutchinson, Norris and Sanchez have plenty of questions they have shown good stuff in the minor-leagues. They will be thrown in the fire right away and Norris might be the key to the rotation.

The offensive juggernaut that is the Blue Jays are lead by Jose Bautista, Edwin Encanarcion and Josh Donaldson. All three are powerful and could put up between 30-40 home runs each. Another rookie, Dalton Pompey will patrol CF after losing Colby Rasmus to free agency. Jose Reyes, Devon Travis, Justin Smoak and most likely Kevin Pillar fill out the rest of the spots for the team.

The Blue Jays are going to be a young team with enough Veteran leadership to get the young guys along. The team is in a win-now mode as their window is getting closer to closing. I see this team making a move for pitching by the trade deadline if they are in the race, but I believe they will be your AL East Champions.

The American League Central

Baseball has the best parity in all of sport, the American League Central is no different. Last year, the Royals finally made the playoffs and came close to winning the World Series. The Tigers are looking for that elusive championship. The White Sox did everything they could to improve their club. The Indians have one of the better rotations in baseball while the Twins will look to continue to rebuild.

5. Minnesota Twins

The Twins haven’t been good for quite some time and this year isn’t looking much better for the club. With a new manager and a few new players they may have improved but not enough.

The rotation is led by Phil Hughes followed by Ervin Santana, Ricky Nolasco, Kyle Gibson and Tommy Milone. Hughes had a very good season with the Twins but Satana with the Braves was just average. Gibson and Milone will get a chance to show what they can do over a full season.

Offensively the team isn’t much better. Joe Mauer’s value is very little at first-base and probably boasts one of the worst contracts in all of baseball. Tori Hunter is coming back for one last hurrah. Danny Santana will most likely come back down to earth after his 2014 season. Oswaldo Arcia, Jordan Schafer, Trevor Plouffe and Kurt Suzuki make out the rest of the club that isn’t going to have enough to complete.

4. Kansas City Royals

If it wasn’t for Madison Bumgarner they would be the World Series champions. Yet, one year removed from winning the ALCS this club will finish toward the bottom of the much improved division. GM Dayton Moore has done everything he can to build this club around the current dynamics of baseball but they were close to and should have been bounced out in the Wild Card game.

The rotation is led by Yordano Ventura and if the name is familiar it was probably because Pedro Martinez went on a rant, slamming Ned Yost’s misuse of him in the playoffs. Ventura should shine in 2015 but the James Shields hole will still be wide. Danny Duffy, newly signed Edinson Volquez, Jason Vargas and Jeremy Guthrie fill out the rotation. Volquez will miss pitching in Pittsburgh, but he did what he needed to do there. Guthrie was a post-season hero but won’t shine in the regular season. The bullpen is still probably the best in baseball, but having a lead there could be a problem.

Offense was always a problem for KC. Alex Gordon was a bright spot for the club. Eric Hosmer has not lived up to his potential, the team let go Billy Butler, but then brought in Kendrys Morales. Mike Mousetakes, Omar Infanta, Lorenzo Cain and Alcides Escobar fill out the lineup. Alex Rios will take over in CF, but he was a shadow of what he used to be last season. The Royals did not rely on offensive fire power last season and they won’t this year. But, it won’t work out the same way this season and it is incredibly difficult to repeat those bullpen appearances.

3. Cleveland Indians

The Indians were in the mix for the playoffs last season, winning 85 games, but it was not enough. The Indians lack the budget to get big-name free agents to come to town, they have to rely on smart moves. Their offensive had some players with break-out years and others were disappointing.

Corey Kluber broke out to take the Cy Young Award. Carlos Carrasco’s second-half stats were very impressive. Trevor Bauer, TJ House and Zach McAllister fill out the rotation that was quietly one of the best in baseball. Their rotation gives the ma chance to compete day-in and day-out.

Offensively they are led by Carlos Santana, Yan Gomes, and Michael Brantley. Jason Kipnis was supposed to be a big offensive player for the team but took a step backwards. Michael Bourn doesn’t steal anymore, which was about the only thing that made him valuable when the club signed him. Brandon Moss had big power in Oakland, but it was surprising to see the A’s part with him. Swisher hasn’t done what he was brought into.

The team will compete but miss out on the playoffs yet again. They will be missing contributions offensively that will keep them out.

2. Chicago White Sox

The White Sox got busy in the offseason. They want to win and they want to win now. Jose Abreu was an offensive force and while he may not hit that good, he should be able to produce significant numbers. Chris Sale may be the best pitcher in the American League. Yes, he could be better then King Felix.

The rotation is led by Chris Sale, who will start to the year on the DL. The White Sox acquired Jeff Samardzija who is set to be a free agent and will be looking to pitch the best of his career. Jose Quintana, John Danks and Hector Noesi fill out the rest of the rotation. David Robertson will help to improve their dreadful bullpen from last season, along with Zach Duke.

Offensively they should be much improved from last season. Adam Eaton and Avisail Garcia had to deal with injuries last season, both should breakout this season. Melky Cabrera probably won’t hit 20 home runs but collected 171 hits and finds ways to get on base. Adam Lachore has been one of the more consistent players in the MLB and should enjoy success in the White Sox lineup, pairing up with Abreu. Aramis Ramirez and Conner Gillaspie will fill out SS and 3rd base respectively while 2nd base is still in the air. Tyler Flowers will pair with Geo Soto behind the dish and Emilio Bonofacio provides good depth.

1. Detroit Tigers

Losing Max Scherzer hurts the team, but they still have David Price. They added Yoenis Cespedes. Miguel Cabrera, after playing injured, should be ready to go this season.

The rotation also lost Rick Porcello and Drew Smyly but they will still be strong with Justin Verlandar, Alfredo Simon, Anibal Sanchez and Shane Greene. Price will now be asked to lead the group with Verlander on the DL.

Offensively the team should be improved, healthy and a force. Cabrera will pair with Victor Martinez yet again. While Martinez had a great year, he will regress to his normal numbers, which are still good. Ian Kinsler, JD Martinez and Nick Castellanos will look to improve. Anthony Gose will take over in centerfield, with Rajai Davis being a nice backup plan. Yoenis Cespedes struggles to get on base but provides plenty of pop in the lineup. Jose Iglesias is more regarded for his defense, along with Alex Avilia behind the dish.

The bullpen still needs to improve but the Tigers have shown they are willing to take a loss in money to win. It hasn’t happened yet and they disappear in the playoffs but they still have the best team in the AL Central.

The American League West

The AL West had a three-headed monster last season with the Los Angeles Angles, Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners. The Mariners really improved their roster in the offseason. The Rangers struggled with injuries last season and unfortunately, it appears they will again this year.

5. Texas Rangers

The Rangers were plagued with injuries last season with Prince Fielders, Shin-Soo Choo, Jurickson Profar, Neftali Feliz and seemingly anybody in their pitching staff. This season has begun with Yu Darvish electing to have Tommy John surgery and it appears the season is over for the Rangers before it was started.

The rotation is now led by Yovani Gallardo, once an ace, now more like a number 3 or 4 and will be asked to lead the team. Derek Holland, Colby Lewis, Ross Detwiler and Nick Martinez fill out the rotation. The staff is going to struggle this season, regardless of injuries.

Offensively, Prince Fielder should produce, Adrian Beltre is one of the best third basemen in the league despite his age. Yet, Shin-Soo Choo’s contract will be regrettable. Leonys Martin does not get on base enough, Elvis Andrus has proven to everyone that he isn’t going to be anything but mediocre offensively, Rougned Odor at second-base has a lot to show. Mitch Moreland, Ryan Rua and Robinson Chirinos fill out the lineup. Look for the Rangers to stay at the bottom.

4. Houston Astros

The team has improved their lineup but it’s going to be a lot of home runs and a lot of strikeouts. It didn’t really work out for the Braves, but the Astros will give it the college-try. While they finally won 70 games the fans have a long way to go before the can celebrate.

The rotation is led by Dallas Keuchel , he reached 200 innings last season with an ERA under 3. Scott Feldman, Asher Wojciechowski (yep), Colin McHugh and Roberto Hernandez fill out the rotation. Keuchel will have to prove his season was not an anomaly but there isn’t enough pitching to make them formidable.

The lineup is led by Jose Altuve and George Springer. Springer is looking to graduate to the next level of performers. Evan Gattis and Chris Carter have big-time power and big-time strikeout numbers. They fill out first base and  DH, potentially playing some games in the OF. Luis Valbuena and Jed Lowerie fill out the infield with Jason Castro behind the dish. Colby Rasmus will be playing leftfield and Jake Marisnick will be in center. The team has improved, but not enough to make the playoffs.

3. Oakland Athletics

No one ever really knows what Billy Beane is up to. It typically works out for him but this offseason was a head-scratcher. I probably shouldn’t count these guys out, but I am. No Samardzija, no Lester, no Donaldson, no Moss. We’ll see what happens.

The rotation is still good led by Sonny Gray, followed by Scott Kazmir. Jesse Hahn, whom enjoyed success in San Diego should be a solid #3. Drew Pomeranz and Jesse Chavez fill out the rotation and Kendall Graveman could make the rotation as well. Pitching has always been the force and Oakland, these guys are still there.

They created holes and filled holes but the balls die in Oakland, even Matt Holliday couldn’t hit there. At first is the failed Mets project, Ike Davis. Ben Zobrist will be a second, the best utility man in the game, Marcus Semien will be asked to play SS and Brett Lawrie to play 3rd but has never lived up to the hype in Toronto. Coco Crisp, Sam Fuld and Josh Reddick fill out the outfield. Billy Butler is the DH and Stephen Vogt catching.

2. Los Angeles Angels

They finally lived up to all the expense, making the playoffs for the first time since Albert Pujols came around. The won 98 games last season, even with Garrett Richards going down. Their playoff run ended quickly but they should be towards the top of the division.

Jeff Weaver still leads the rotation, but is still working on reinventing himself. Richards will return at some point in the season and if he can return to his 2014 form, the Angels will be fine. CJ Wilson hasn’t been the ace they needed him to be, regressing badly in 2014. Matt Shoemaker had a very nice rookie campaign. Hector Santiago is slated at the number 5, which is where he belongs. Former top-prospect Andrew Heaney will be asked to start early, he has had a terrible spring.

Offensively, they have the best player in the game in Mike Trout. Albert Pujols put up better numbers, but nothing like he did in St. Louis. Kole Calhoun and Collin Cowgill will be in the outfield. Where is Josh Hamilton? Currently in purgatory. The Angels probably will not miss him. Erick Aybar and David Freese are on the left side of the field, Aybar can get on base. Chris Iannetta behind the place and Johnny Giavotella will be asked to play second base with Howie Kendrick gone. Matt Joyce was a big free agent pick up to DH.

The club should still make the playoffs but will take a step-back from the 98 wins they won last season.

1. Seattle Mariners

The Mariners have been building to something big. They want to win badly. After getting Robinson Cano to come to town, other free agents are willing to give Seattle a chance. They are investing in their young talent and their rotation will be one of the best in baseball.

Leading that rotation is ‘King’ Felix Hernandez, if it wasn’t for Corey Kluber’s last two months, he would be holding another Cy Young. Hisashi Iwakuma, James Paxton, JA Happ and Taijuan Walker will fill out the rotation. Walker is going breakout this season and will pitch more like a number 2 or 3 than a 5.

The club landed Nelson Cruz this offseason and got much better offensively. Mike Zunino has big power and will need to improve on average. Kyle Seager, Brad Miller, Robinson Cano and Logan Morrison fill out the infield. With Nick Franklin out of the way, Miller should improve. Dustin Ackley, Austin Jackson and Seth Smith will be in the outfield, which will be strong defensively. Ackley hasn’t lived up to reputation offensively, but this could be the year.

The Mariners have put it all together for this season. They have spent money and filled in the holes they had. They will need better performances than what they had a year ago, but they just missed the playoffs last season.

Playoffs:

AL East: Blue Jays
AL Central: Tigers
AL West: Mariners
Wild Card: Angels and White Sox

ALCS: Mariners vs Blue Jays

Mariners advance to the World Series.