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By Andrew Armida, FCP 13 year old Special Correspondent 

February is one of the slowest sport months of the year.  Football season is over and Baseball isn’t here yet.  Sure pitchers and catchers are reporting and there will be some exhibition games in March, but unless you’re into the NBA or the NHL, there isn’t much else.  But now is the time to start the early predictions.  Whose year is it and who’s going to fail?  Here are my predictions on the AL divisions this year.

AL East

The AL east isn’t going to be the usual stuff this year.  It is going to be much more interesting.  Of course it is only going to come between the Yankees and the Red Sox, but the other teams have made some moves that will give the beasts of the east a little challenge.  No team in the division this year can look at Tampa Bay or Toronto and say an easy series win is coming.  Tampa Bay has a great young offense and solid front three starters that will put up a good fight this season.  I would say 80 wins are a good and reachable goal for them this year.  This is the same with the Blue Jays.  If everybody can stay healthy, they have a well-balanced attack that could really raise them in the standings.  The Orioles, though, are rebuilding and probably will take fifth this year.  I just think the O’s without Miggy and Bedard can’t get very far.  And now is where it gets interesting…The Yankees and the Sox.  The Yankees have a good shot with their great offense and good pitching staff, but I don’t think their pitching can match up to Boston’s.  Even if Schilling decides to go, a rotation with Beckett, Dice-K, Lester, Wakefeild, and Buchholz is a force to be reckoned with.  I think the team that makes the big move or trade from now to the trade deadline will take the division.  But right now I see the Sox winning the division and the Yankees winning the wild card.  My predicted standings go 1) Boston 2) New York 3) Tampa Bay 4) Toronto 5) Baltimore.

AL Central

Now that the Twins got rid of Johan I don’t think the central will be as interesting at the top as it will be at the bottom.  It is going to be very close this year between the Indians and the Tigers.  I think for the time being the Tigers will be on top.  Their offense is stacked, 1 through 9, with great hitters and they have a pretty solid rotation.  The only question I have about them is the back of their bullpen.  I don’t know that Zumaya will ever be the same pitcher he was again and if Rodney has an injury plagued year like the one he had last year, they may be in trouble.  Jones should be solid as a closer even with the high ERA.  I just think the Tigers are a complete team and will come out top.  The Indians also have a great offense but I don’t think they will be able to finish ahead of Detroit.  Borowski is a very shaky closer even though he will pick up saves. And after C.C. and Carmona, the rotation isn’t that impressive.  I think the bottom three will be very interesting.  I like the Royals a lot this year.  Their front three starters are solid and they have a nice young lineup.  The White Sox also have a good offense, but I don’t find their rotation very impressive.  They are a team built to win now and I can’t see that happening.  The Twins are also a good team, but getting rid of Johan takes them out of contention.  They have a young team and will improve year after year.  My projected standings go 1) Detroit 2) Cleveland 3) Minnesota 4) Kansas City and 5) Chicago.

AL West

The AL west is going to be a two-team race.  The Angels and the M’s are going to battle it out all season until one comes out on top.  I think that LA is going to finish first this year.  I feel that they are more complete from their offense, to their rotation, to their bullpen.  The signing of Torii Hunter really helps this lineup as it gives Vlad the protection he deserves.  The rotation is solid even if Escobar is a little shaky, health-wise this year.  They have a workhorse in Lackey and two more solid pitchers in Garland and Weaver.  If Escobar can stay healthy they will have it pretty good.  And, of course, the bullpen will be lights out with K-Rod and Shields at the end.  The acquisition of Bedard definitely helps Seattle, but I just can’t see them winning the division.  They don’t have as good a lineup as LA.  The one-two punch of King Felix and Bedard will be devastating, but after that the only guy I can see being somewhat solid is Washburn.  I don’t really like Silva or any of the other guys that would fill the number five spot.  They have a solid bullpen, but so does LA so they are pretty much in a stalemate there.  I can only see them being in contention for the Wild Card.  Texas will once again be at the bottom but I think them getting Josh Hamilton really helps.   Their rotation is pretty bad but they have a pretty good offense to back that up.  Oakland is going through a rebuilding phase and will be at the bottom as well.  I think Street and Blanton will go at some point this year but I like them going out and getting some new young talent.  My projected standings go 1) LA 2) Seattle 3) Texas and 4) Oakland.

So that is what I think will happen this year in the AL.  What do you think?  Let me know.  Soon I will be doing my breakdown of the NL so stay tuned.