Doublemochaman:JaLaBar... will you be doing a rundown of the American League, too? Just please be kind to the hapless Mariners.
The American League is harder. At the top, I put Texas and Detroit. After that? Well, the Yanks should still have lots of offense, though Teixeira's steady decline is somewhat alarming. But Cano and Granderson should be solid again. I also think Rivera has at least one more season as a premiere closer, so they should be good there. But I am not at all sold on their starting pitching, though I think overall they should be good enough to win the East. The Red Sox and Rays will be competitive, but I have even more questions about the Sox pitching than the Yanks, and the Rays I don't think have the offensive horses to stay in it this year. The Blue Jays are a dark horse, but I don't think they are ready yet. The Orioles stink. In the Central, the Royals aren't ready yet, though there is a ton of young talent there. Chicago is in rebuild mode, the Twins have jumped the shark with their current roster, and I don't think Cleveland has the horses to compete with the top AL teams. Out west, the Angels made a couple of big splashes that should have them nipping at Texas' heels and in prime WC position. I question whether Weaver or CJ Wilson will perform up to last year's level. If they do, the Angels could win the West. Oakland seems to be eternally rebuilding, and the Mariners should be solid, but aren't ready to compete, talent-wise, with Texas and the Angels, Fielder or not. And playing in that park in Seattle may cost Fielder 5 dingers a year. Though, he does seem that as he ages, he's going to be more suited for the AL (read: DH).
So, in the AL, I like Texas, Detroit, and the Yankees, with Los Angeles and either Boston or Tampa as wild cards, though I think the Angels may be the second or third best team in the AL. The only other team I really see with an outside chance to crack the post-season is Toronto, if two of the top three East teams falter.
There are more questions at the top of the AL than the NL. Will the Red Sox bounce back? is #1, I think. They have the talent to be the best team in baseball, if the pitching chips fall their way. I think the AL East will end up #1)Yanks, #2)Sox, #3)Rays, but any order of those three wouldn't surprise me. And while I think Texas will win the West, if the Angels took it I wouldn't be shocked. I feel pretty comfortable about my three division winners in the NL. In the AL? Not so much. However, there are 6 teams I feel have a legit shot at the 2 NL wild card spots (9 counting the division winners), and I only really see 6 possible playoff teams in the AL.
And for the record, I grew up in the DC suburbs of Maryland an Orioles' fan, however the Angelos carcinoma caused me to switch allegiances to the Nationals. So my rooting interest is in the Nats, who I feel have a good shot to compete for a wild card spot this season, after the Gio Gonzalez acquisition. Should see Bryce Harper by mid-May if he doesn't flat-out make the team out of spring training. The only reason they might hold him back until late May-early June is to delay his FA eligibility a year.