EAST
They’ve lost Nelson Cruz, Nick Markakis, and Andrew Miller, but a consistent pitching staff is in place. Although Matt Wieters and J.J. Hardy will start the season on the disabled list, Wieters and Chris Davis are in team-beneficial walk years. Third baseman Manny Machado also is returning from injury and may be one of the best in the game. The Orioles need righthander Kevin Gausman to emerge as a No. 1.
Clubhouse leader: Adam Jones. The Orioles pass it around with Wieters, Hardy, and Darren O’Day, but Jones is the most vocal.
2014: 96-66, 1st. Manager: Buck Showalter (6th year).
| LINEUP | H | HR | RBI | AVG. | OPS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LF | Alejandro De Aza | 120 | 8 | 41 | .252 | .700 |
| 3B | Manny Machado | 91 | 12 | 32 | .278 | .755 |
| CF | Adam Jones | 181 | 29 | 96 | .281 | .780 |
| 1B | Chris Davis | 88 | 26 | 72 | .196 | .704 |
| DH | Steve Pearce | 99 | 21 | 49 | .293 | .930 |
| C | *Matt Wieters | 32 | 5 | 18 | .308 | .839 |
| SS | *J.J. Hardy | 142 | 9 | 52 | .268 | .682 |
| RF | Travis Snider | 85 | 13 | 38 | .264 | .776 |
| 2B | Jonathan Schoop | 95 | 16 | 45 | .209 | .598 |
| ROTATION | W-L | ERA | K/9 | WHIP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RH | Chris Tillman | 13-6 | 3.34 | 6.5 | 1.230 |
| LH | Wei-Yin Chen | 16-6 | 3.54 | 6.6 | 1.228 |
| RH | Bud Norris | 15-8 | 3.65 | 7.6 | 1.216 |
| RH | Miguel Gonzalez | 10-9 | 3.23 | 6.3 | 1.296 |
| RH | Kevin Gausman | 7-7 | 3.57 | 7.0 | 1.315 |
| CLOSER | SV. | ERA | K/9 | WHIP | |
| LH | Zach Britton | 37 | 1.65 | 7.3 | 0.904 |
2. New York
Healthy spring for their bounce-back players, so the Yankees will start healthy and old, but talented. Keys are CC Sabathia returning from knee surgery, Michael Pineda taking that next step, and a healthy elbow for Masahiro Tanaka. Strong bullpen with Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller. A healthy Mark Teixeira and emerging shortstop Didi Gregorius are keys.
Clubhouse leader: With Derek Jeter gone, catcher Brian McCann could step up.
2014: 84-78, 2d. Manager: Joe Girardi (8th year).
| LINEUP | H | HR | RBI | AVG. | OPS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LF | Brett Gardner | 142 | 17 | 58 | .256 | .749 |
| CF | Jacoby Ellsbury | 156 | 16 | 70 | .271 | .747 |
| 1B | Mark Teixeira | 95 | 22 | 62 | .216 | .711 |
| RF | Carlos Beltran | 94 | 15 | 49 | .233 | .703 |
| DH | Alex Rodriguez | SUSPENDED FOR 2014 | ||||
| C | Brian McCann | 115 | 23 | 75 | .232 | .692 |
| 3B | Chase Headley | 114 | 13 | 49 | .243 | .700 |
| SS | Didi Gregorius | 61 | 6 | 27 | .226 | .653 |
| 2B | Stephen Drew | 44 | 7 | 26 | .162 | .536 |
| ROTATION | W-L | ERA | K/9 | WHIP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RH | Masahiro Tanaka | 13-5 | 2.77 | 9.3 | 1.056 |
| RH | Michael Pineda | 5-5 | 1.89 | 7.0 | 0.825 |
| LH | CC Sabathia | 3-4 | 5.28 | 9.4 | 1.478 |
| RH | Nate Eovaldi | 6-14 | 4.37 | 6.4 | 1.332 |
| LH | *Chris Capuano | 3-4 | 4.35 | 7.8 | 1.387 |
| CLOSER | SV. | ERA | K/9 | WHIP | |
| RH | Dellin Betances | 1 | 1.40 | 13.5 | 0.778 |
3. Boston
A potent lineup, with the additions of Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval to help David Ortiz, and Mookie Betts at leadoff, should be atop the league in runs. The starting rotation lacks an ace. The bullpen could be problematic if Koji Uehara struggles again. The Red Sox have all the pieces to make a significant trade deadline deal.
Clubhouse leader: Dustin Pedroia remains the heart and soul of the team.
2014: 71-91, 5th. Manager: John Farrell (3d year).
| LINEUP | H | HR | RBI | AVG. | OPS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CF | Mookie Betts | 55 | 5 | 18 | .291 | .812 |
| 2B | Dustin Pedroia | 153 | 7 | 53 | .278 | .712 |
| DH | David Ortiz | 136 | 35 | 104 | .263 | .873 |
| LF | Hanley Ramirez | 127 | 13 | 71 | .283 | .817 |
| 3B | Pablo Sandoval | 164 | 16 | 73 | .279 | .739 |
| 1B | Mike Napoli | 103 | 17 | 55 | .248 | .789 |
| RF | Shane Victorino | 33 | 2 | 12 | .268 | .685 |
| SS | Xander Bogaerts | 129 | 12 | 46 | .240 | .660 |
| C | Ryan Hanigan | 49 | 5 | 34 | .218 | .642 |
| ROTATION | W-L | ERA | K/9 | WHIP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RH | Clay Buchholz | 8-11 | 5.34 | 7.0 | 1.386 |
| RH | Rick Porcello | 15-13 | 3.43 | 5.7 | 1.231 |
| LH | Wade Miley | 8-12 | 4.34 | 8.2 | 1.401 |
| RH | Joe Kelly | 6-4 | 4.20 | 6.2 | 1.349 |
| RH | Justin Masterson | 7-9 | 5.88 | 8.1 | 1.632 |
| CLOSER | SV. | ERA | K/9 | WHIP | |
| RH | *Koji Uehara | 26 | 2.52 | 11.2 | 0.917 |
4. Toronto
Marcus Stroman’s season-ending injury really eats into their pitching depth. A lot will be placed on the shoulders of youngsters Aaron Sanchez and Daniel Norris. The Jays will have six rookies on their Opening Day roster. The Jays have a decent lineup and their defense should improve with Josh Donaldson at third. The Jose Bautista/Edwin Encarnacion dynamic in the middle of the lineup is potent.
Clubhouse leader: Bautista still sets the tone for this team on and off the field, but catcher Russell Martin could take that over.
2014: 83-79, 3d. Manager: John Gibbons (3d year).
| LINEUP | H | HR | RBI | AVG. | OPS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SS | Jose Reyes | 175 | 9 | 51 | .287 | .726 |
| C | Russell Martin | 110 | 11 | 67 | .290 | .832 |
| RF | Jose Bautista | 158 | 35 | 103 | .286 | .928 |
| DH | Edwin Encarnacion | 128 | 34 | 98 | .268 | .901 |
| 3B | Josh Donaldson | 155 | 29 | 98 | .255 | .798 |
| LF | *Michael Saunders | 63 | 8 | 34 | .273 | .791 |
| 1B | Justin Smoak | 50 | 7 | 30 | .202 | .614 |
| 2B | Devon Travis | MINORS IN 2014 | ||||
| CF | Dalton Pompey | 9 | 1 | 4 | .231 | .738 |
| ROTATION | W-L | ERA | K/9 | WHIP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RH | R.A. Dickey | 14-13 | 3.71 | 7.2 | 1.229 |
| RH | Drew Hutchison | 11-13 | 4.48 | 9.0 | 1.262 |
| LH | Mark Buehrle | 13-10 | 3.39 | 5.3 | 1.356 |
| RH | Aaron Sanchez | 2-2 | 1.09 | 7.4 | 0.697 |
| LH | Daniel Norris | 0-0 | 5.40 | 5.4 | 1.500 |
| CLOSER | SV. | ERA | K/9 | WHIP | |
| LH | Brett Cecil | 5 | 2.70 | 12.8 | 1.369 |
5. Tampa Bay
Pitching will take an early blow with Drew Smyly and Alex Cobb out for the first month or more. By June, when Matt Moore returns and closer Jake McGee is back, we may see a team that can stay in contention. But the Rays will continue to have problems scoring. They need former Nationals farmhand Steven Souza to add a power dimension.
Clubhouse leader: Evan Longoria remains the leader. He was only one of three players in the majors to play all 162 games last season.
2014: 77-85, 4th. Manager: Kevin Cash (1st year).
| LINEUP | H | HR | RBI | AVG. | OPS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DH | John Jaso | 81 | 9 | 40 | .264 | .767 |
| 2B | Logan Forsythe | 67 | 6 | 26 | .223 | .616 |
| SS | Asdrubal Cabrera | 133 | 14 | 61 | .241 | .694 |
| 3B | Evan Longoria | 158 | 22 | 91 | .253 | .724 |
| 1B | James Loney | 174 | 9 | 69 | .290 | .716 |
| CF | Kevin Kiermaier | 87 | 10 | 35 | .263 | .450 |
| LF | Desmond Jennings | 117 | 10 | 36 | .244 | .697 |
| RF | Steven Souza | 3 | 2 | 2 | .130 | .622 |
| C | Rene Rivera | 74 | 11 | 44 | .252 | .751 |
| ROTATION | W-L | ERA | K/9 | WHIP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RH | *Alex Cobb | 10-9 | 2.87 | 8.1 | 1.136 |
| RH | Chris Archer | 10-9 | 3.33 | 8.0 | 1.279 |
| LH | *Drew Smyly | 9-10 | 3.24 | 7.8 | 1.163 |
| RH | Jake Odorizzi | 11-13 | 4.13 | 9.3 | 1.280 |
| RH | Nathan Karns | 1-1 | 4.50 | 9.8 | 0.917 |
| CLOSER | SV. | ERA | K/9 | WHIP | |
| RH | Grant Balfour | 12 | 4.91 | 8.2 | 1.444 |
CENTRAL
1. Chicago
OK, I’m buying the hype. Chris Sale (out with a foot fracture to start the season), Jeff Samardzija, and Jose Quintana are a good front three, and Hector Noesi and John Danks are so-so at the end. Need rookie lefthander Carlos Rodon to step up. Jose Abreu should continue to be one of the top sluggers and Melky Cabrera and Adam LaRoche will add to a decent lineup ignited by leadoff man Adam Eaton. David Robertson can be an inconsistent closer, but the results are there.
Clubhouse leader: Eaton is emerging.
2014: 73-89, 4th. Manager: Robin Ventura (4th year).
| LINEUP | H | HR | RBI | AVG. | OPS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CF | Adam Eaton | 146 | 1 | 35 | .300 | .763 |
| LF | Melky Cabrera | 171 | 16 | 73 | .301 | .808 |
| DH | Jose Abreu | 176 | 36 | 107 | .317 | .964 |
| 1B | Adam LaRoche | 128 | 26 | 92 | .259 | .817 |
| RF | Avisail Garcia | 42 | 7 | 29 | .244 | .718 |
| SS | Alexei Ramirez | 170 | 15 | 74 | .273 | .713 |
| 3B | Conor Gillaspie | 131 | 7 | 57 | .282 | .752 |
| 2B | Micah Johnson | MINORS IN 2014 | ||||
| C | Tyler Flowers | 98 | 15 | 50 | .241 | .693 |
| ROTATION | W-L | ERA | K/9 | WHIP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LH | *Chris Sale | 12-4 | 2.17 | 10.8 | 0.966 |
| RH | Jeff Samardzija | 7-13 | 2.99 | 8.3 | 1.065 |
| LH | Jose Quintana | 9-11 | 3.32 | 8.0 | 1.243 |
| LH | John Danks | 11-11 | 4.74 | 6.0 | 1.441 |
| RH | Hector Noesi | 8-12 | 4.75 | 6.4 | 1.369 |
| CLOSER | SV. | ERA | K/9 | WHIP | |
| RH | David Robertson | 39 | 3.08 | 13.4 | 1.057 |
2. Detroit
Losing Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello can’t be good. David Price is entering his walk year and Alfredo Simon may fool ’em in the AL for a while. Yoenis Cespedes needs to stay healthy. Ditto for Victor Martinez and Miguel Cabrera. The Tigers, per usual, have to come up with the right mixture in the bullpen. They need reinforcements from Bruce Rondon and Joakim Soria if Joe Nathan declines.
Clubhouse leader: Victor Martinez is undoubtedly the team leader.
2014: 90-72, 1st. Manager: Brad Ausmus (2d year).
| LINEUP | H | HR | RBI | AVG. | OPS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CF | Rajai Davis | 130 | 8 | 51 | .282 | .721 |
| 2B | Ian Kinsler | 188 | 17 | 92 | .275 | .727 |
| 1B | Miguel Cabrera | 191 | 25 | 109 | .313 | .895 |
| DH | Victor Martinez | 188 | 32 | 103 | .335 | .974 |
| RF | J.D. Martinez | 139 | 23 | 76 | .315 | .912 |
| LF | Yoenis Cespedes | 156 | 22 | 100 | .260 | .751 |
| 3B | Nick Castellanos | 138 | 11 | 66 | .259 | .700 |
| C | Alex Avila | 85 | 11 | 47 | .218 | .686 |
| SS | Jose Iglesias | INJURED IN 2014 |
| ROTATION | W-L | ERA | K/9 | WHIP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LH | David Price | 15-12 | 3.26 | 9.8 | 1.079 |
| RH | *Justin Verlander | 15-12 | 4.54 | 6.9 | 1.398 |
| RH | Anibal Sanchez | 8-5 | 3.43 | 7.3 | 1.095 |
| RH | Alfredo Simon | 15-10 | 3.44 | 5.8 | 1.207 |
| RH | Shane Greene | 5-4 | 3.78 | 9.3 | 1.398 |
| CLOSER | SV. | ERA | K/9 | WHIP | |
| RH | Joe Nathan | 35 | 4.81 | 8.4 | 1.534 |
3. Kansas City
Replacing the performance and leadership of James Shields will be an ongoing issue. The Royals are depending on Edinson Volquez, Danny Duffy, and Yordano Ventura to make up Shields’s 220 innings. The Royals have an elite bullpen and added Luke Hochevar, who missed all of last season. The lineup and defense is fast and effective and Kendrys Morales should replace Billy Butler at DH. Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, and Lorenzo Cain should continue to get better.
Clubhouse leader: Hosmer appears to be the new leader of the Royals.
2014: 89-73, 2d. Manager: Ned Yost (6th year).
| LINEUP | H | HR | RBI | AVG. | OPS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SS | Alcides Escobar | 165 | 3 | 50 | .285 | .694 |
| LF | Alex Gordon | 150 | 19 | 74 | .266 | .783 |
| CF | Lorenzo Cain | 142 | 5 | 53 | .301 | .751 |
| 1B | Eric Hosmer | 136 | 9 | 58 | .270 | .716 |
| DH | Kendrys Morales | 80 | 8 | 42 | .218 | .612 |
| RF | Alex Rios | 138 | 4 | 54 | .280 | .709 |
| C | Salvador Perez | 150 | 17 | 70 | .260 | .692 |
| 3B | Mike Moustakas | 97 | 15 | 54 | .212 | .632 |
| 2B | Omar Infante | 133 | 6 | 66 | .252 | .632 |
| ROTATION | W-L | ERA | K/9 | WHIP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RH | Yordano Ventura | 14-10 | 3.20 | 7.8 | 1.295 |
| LH | Danny Duffy | 9-12 | 2.53 | 6.8 | 1.112 |
| RH | Edinson Volquez | 13-7 | 3.04 | 6.5 | 1.230 |
| LH | Jason Vargas | 11-10 | 3.71 | 6.2 | 1.273 |
| RH | Jeremy Guthrie | 13-11 | 4.13 | 5.5 | 1.303 |
| CLOSER | SV. | ERA | K/9 | WHIP | |
| RH | Greg Holland | 46 | 1.44 | 13.0 | 0.914 |
4. Cleveland
A few prognosticators are picking the Indians as the surprise team. I think it would be a surprise if they won the division. They have one of the best young pitching rotations in the league, though righthander Danny Salazar was disappointing in the spring. Their team defense and ability to score runs are in question. Unknowns are comeback years from Nick Swisher and Jason Kipnis. Brandon Moss should help if healthy.
Clubhouse leader: Corey Kluber is becoming that leader. He has much more cache now with his AL Cy Young Award in hand.
2014: 85-77, 3d. Manager: Terry Francona (3d year).
| LINEUP | H | HR | RBI | AVG. | OPS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CF | Michael Bourn | 114 | 3 | 28 | .257 | .674 |
| 2B | Jason Kipnis | 120 | 6 | 41 | .240 | .640 |
| LF | Michael Brantley | 200 | 20 | 97 | .327 | .890 |
| 1B | Carlos Santana | 125 | 27 | 85 | .231 | .792 |
| RF | Brandon Moss | 117 | 25 | 81 | .234 | .772 |
| C | Yan Gomes | 135 | 21 | 74 | .278 | .785 |
| 3B | Lonnie Chisenhall | 134 | 13 | 59 | .280 | .770 |
| DH | Nick Swisher | 75 | 8 | 42 | .208 | .608 |
| SS | Jose Ramirez | 62 | 2 | 17 | .262 | .646 |
| ROTATION | W-L | ERA | K/9 | WHIP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RH | Corey Kluber | 18-9 | 2.44 | 10.3 | 1.095 |
| RH | Carlos Carrasco | 8-7 | 2.55 | 9.4 | 0.985 |
| RH | Trevor Bauer | 5-8 | 4.18 | 8.4 | 1.379 |
| LH | T.J. House | 5-3 | 3.35 | 7.1 | 1.324 |
| RH | Zach McAllister | 4-7 | 5.23 | 7.7 | 1.442 |
| CLOSER | SV. | ERA | K/9 | WHIP | |
| RH | Cody Allen | 24 | 2.07 | 11.8 | 1.062 |
5. Minnesota
The Twins aren’t going to be pushovers, but they need a strong comeback year from Joe Mauer and success from top free agent Ervin Santana. They need to keep introducing some of their excellent prospects, such as Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton. Center field, until Buxton is ready, is a concern.
Clubhouse leader: Torii Hunter will assume the role and that’s the biggest reason they acquired him as a free agent.
2014: 70-92, 5th. Manager: Paul Molitor (1st year).
| LINEUP | H | HR | RBI | AVG. | OPS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SS | Danny Santana | 129 | 7 | 40 | .319 | .824 |
| 2B | Brian Dozier | 145 | 23 | 71 | .242 | .762 |
| 1B | Joe Mauer | 126 | 4 | 55 | .277 | .732 |
| RF | Torii Hunter | 157 | 17 | 83 | .286 | .765 |
| DH | Kennys Vargas | 59 | 9 | 38 | .274 | .772 |
| 3B | Trevor Plouffe | 134 | 14 | 80 | .258 | .751 |
| LF | Oswaldo Arcia | 86 | 20 | 57 | .231 | .752 |
| C | Kurt Suzuki | 130 | 3 | 61 | .288 | .727 |
| CF | Jordan Schafer | 50 | 1 | 15 | .238 | .615 |
| ROTATION | W-L | ERA | K/9 | WHIP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RH | Phil Hughes | 16-10 | 3.52 | 8.0 | 1.130 |
| RH | Ervin Santana | 14-10 | 3.95 | 8.2 | 1.306 |
| RH | Ricky Nolasco | 6-12 | 5.38 | 6.5 | 1.516 |
| RH | Kyle Gibson | 13-12 | 4.47 | 5.4 | 1.310 |
| LH | Tommy Milone | 6-4 | 4.19 | 5.7 | 1.398 |
| CLOSER | SV. | ERA | K/9 | WHIP | |
| LH | Glen Perkins | 34 | 3.65 | 9.6 | 1.184 |
WEST
1. Seattle
The Mariners have become the chic pick. They added offense — (Nelson Cruz and Seth Smith). The key is Austin Jackson as leadoff hitter/center fielder after a terrible couple of months last season. The Mariners also need another solid season from closer Fernando Rodney, who was 48 for 51 in save opportunities last season. It was the second time he’d saved 48 or more games, making him just one of six relievers to do it. No reliever has done it three times.
Clubhouse leader: Robinson Cano for the positional players and Felix Hernandez for the pitchers. Cano’s impact has been huge on the field and in the clubhouse.
2014: 87-75, 3d. Manager: Lloyd McClendon (2d year).
| LINEUP | H | HR | RBI | AVG. | OPS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CF | Austin Jackson | 153 | 4 | 47 | .256 | .655 |
| RF | Seth Smith | 118 | 12 | 48 | .266 | .807 |
| 2B | Robinson Cano | 187 | 14 | 82 | .314 | .836 |
| DH | Nelson Cruz | 166 | 40 | 108 | .271 | .859 |
| 3B | Kyle Seager | 158 | 25 | 96 | .268 | .454 |
| LF | Dustin Ackley | 123 | 14 | 65 | .245 | .692 |
| C | Mike Zunino | 87 | 22 | 60 | .199 | .658 |
| 1B | Logan Morrison | 88 | 11 | 38 | .262 | .735 |
| SS | Brad Miller | 81 | 10 | 36 | .221 | .653 |
| ROTATION | W-L | ERA | K/9 | WHIP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RH | Felix Hernandez | 15-6 | 2.14 | 9.5 | 0.915 |
| RH | Hisashi Iwakuma | 15-9 | 3.52 | 7.7 | 1.050 |
| LH | James Paxton | 6-4 | 3.04 | 7.2 | 1.203 |
| LH | J.A. Happ | 11-11 | 4.22 | 7.6 | 1.335 |
| RH | Taijuan Walker | 2-3 | 2.61 | 8.1 | 1.289 |
| CLOSER | SV. | ERA | K/9 | WHIP | |
| RH | Fernando Rodney | 48 | 2.85 | 10.3 | 1.342 |
2. Los Angeles
The Angels were dealt a blow when Josh Hamilton had shoulder surgery, then admitted to a drug relapse. Matt Joyce/C.J. Cron will platoon at DH, with Joyce/Collin Cowgill platooning in left. Ace Garrett Richards is unlikely to see the mound until late April/early May after knee surgery. Andrew Heaney (acquired in the Howie Kendrick deal with the Dodgers) and Nick Tropeano add depth to rotation.
Clubhouse leader: No doubt it’s Albert Pujols. Word is Mike Trout is emerging and Erick Aybar’s leadership is underrated.
2014: 98-64, 1st. Manager: Mike Scioscia (16th year).
| LINEUP | H | HR | RBI | AVG. | OPS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RF | Kole Calhoun | 134 | 17 | 58 | .272 | .776 |
| SS | Erick Aybar | 164 | 7 | 68 | .278 | .700 |
| CF | Mike Trout | 173 | 36 | 111 | .287 | .939 |
| 1B | Albert Pujols | 172 | 28 | 105 | .272 | .790 |
| LF | Matt Joyce | 106 | 9 | 52 | .254 | .732 |
| DH | C.J. Cron | 62 | 11 | 37 | .256 | .739 |
| 3B | David Freese | 120 | 10 | 55 | .260 | .704 |
| C | Chris Iannetta | 77 | 7 | 43 | .252 | .765 |
| 2B | Johnny Giavotella | 8 | 1 | 5 | .216 | .593 |
| ROTATION | W-L | ERA | K/9 | WHIP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RH | Jered Weaver | 18-9 | 3.59 | 7.1 | 1.209 |
| RH | *Garrett Richards | 13-4 | 2.61 | 8.8 | 1.038 |
| LH | C.J. Wilson | 13-10 | 4.51 | 7.7 | 1.446 |
| RH | Matt Shoemaker | 16-4 | 3.04 | 8.2 | 1.074 |
| LH | Hector Santiago | 6-9 | 3.75 | 7.6 | 1.359 |
| CLOSER | SV. | ERA | K/9 | WHIP | |
| RH | Huston Street | 41 | 1.37 | 8.6 | 0.944 |
3. Oakland
The A’s will enter the season with fragile players at key spots: Coco Crisp in center, Josh Reddick in right, and Brett Lawrie at third, who replaces Josh Donaldson (traded to Toronto). They’ll start the season with closer Sean Doolittle on the DL. In Jesse Hahn (via San Diego) and Kendall Graveman (via Toronto), the A’s might have better pitching than anyone expects. Don’t count them out.
Clubhouse leader: Not too much to chose from here. Crisp because of his veteran presence and Stephen Vogt because of his grit.
2014: 88-74, 2d. Manager: Bob Melvin (5th year).
| LINEUP | H | HR | RBI | AVG. | OPS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LF | *Coco Crisp | 114 | 9 | 47 | .246 | .699 |
| CF | Sam Fuld | 84 | 4 | 36 | .239 | .663 |
| 2B | Ben Zobrist | 155 | 10 | 52 | .272 | .749 |
| DH | Billy Butler | 149 | 9 | 66 | .271 | .702 |
| 1B | Ike Davis | 84 | 11 | 51 | .233 | .722 |
| 3B | Brett Lawrie | 64 | 12 | 38 | .247 | .722 |
| RF | Josh Reddick | 96 | 12 | 54 | .264 | .763 |
| C | Stephen Vogt | 75 | 9 | 35 | .279 | .752 |
| SS | Marcus Semien | 54 | 6 | 28 | .234 | .673 |
| ROTATION | W-L | ERA | K/9 | WHIP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RH | Sonny Gray | 14-10 | 3.08 | 7.5 | 1.192 |
| LH | Scott Kazmir | 15-9 | 3.55 | 7.8 | 1.161 |
| RH | Jesse Hahn | 7-4 | 3.07 | 8.6 | 1.214 |
| RH | Kendall Graveman | 0-0 | 3.86 | 7.7 | 0.857 |
| RH | Drew Pomeranz | 5-4 | 2.35 | 8.3 | 1.116 |
| CLOSER | SV. | ERA | K/9 | WHIP | |
| LH | *Sean Doolittle | 22 | 2.73 | 12.8 | 0.734 |
4. Houston
Certainly it’s a team trending upward. The Astros aren’t doormats anymore. They seem to have their bullpen fixed with the additions of Pat Neshek and Luke Gregerson. They need four huge breakout guys — AL batting champ Jose Altuve, DH Chris Carter, and starters Dallas Keuchel and Collin McHugh to have repeat or better seasons. Outfielders George Springer and Evan Gattis have to have healthy seasons.
Clubhouse leader: It’s unusual that pitchers would be the leaders, but starter Scott Feldman and reliever Chad Qualls seem to be just that.
2014: 70-92, 4th. Manager: A.J. Hinch (1st year).
| LINEUP | H | HR | RBI | AVG. | OPS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | Jose Altuve | 225 | 7 | 59 | .341 | .830 |
| 3B | Luis Valbuena | 119 | 16 | 51 | .249 | .776 |
| RF | George Springer | 68 | 20 | 51 | .231 | .804 |
| 1B | Chris Carter | 115 | 37 | 88 | .227 | .799 |
| DH | Evan Gattis | 97 | 22 | 52 | .263 | .810 |
| SS | Jed Lowrie | 125 | 6 | 50 | .249 | .676 |
| LF | Colby Rasmus | 78 | 18 | 40 | .225 | .735 |
| C | Jason Castro | 103 | 14 | 56 | .222 | .651 |
| CF | Jake Marisnick | 55 | 3 | 19 | .249 | .607 |
| ROTATION | W-L | ERA | K/9 | WHIP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LH | Dallas Keuchel | 12-9 | 2.93 | 6.6 | 1.175 |
| RH | Scott Feldman | 8-12 | 3.74 | 5.3 | 1.303 |
| RH | Collin McHugh | 11-9 | 2.73 | 9.1 | 1.022 |
| LH | Brett Oberholtzer | 5-13 | 4.39 | 5.9 | 1.378 |
| RH | Roberto Hernandez | 8-11 | 4.10 | 5.7 | 1.391 |
| CLOSER | SV. | ERA | K/9 | WHIP | |
| RH | Luke Gregerson | 3 | 2.12 | 7.3 | 1.009 |
5. Texas
The Rangers are in big trouble. They lost ace Yu Darvish for the season to Tommy John surgery. Prince Fielder and Shin-Soo Choo, their two high-priced players, are returning from injuries. And they lost Jurickson Profar for the second straight season early in camp. Home run threat Joey Gallo is knocking on the door.
Clubhouse leader: That would be Adrian Beltre, the 36-year-old third baseman who shows no signs of regressing.
2014: 67-95, 5th. Manager: Jeff Banister (1st year).
| LINEUP | H | HR | RBI | AVG. | OPS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SS | Elvis Andrus | 163 | 2 | 41 | .263 | .647 |
| RF | Shin-Soo Choo | 110 | 13 | 40 | .242 | .714 |
| 3B | Adrian Beltre | 178 | 19 | 77 | .324 | .879 |
| 1B | Prince Fielder | 37 | 3 | 16 | .247 | .720 |
| DH | Mitch Moreland | 41 | 2 | 23 | .246 | .644 |
| LF | Ryan Rua | 31 | 2 | 14 | .295 | .740 |
| 2B | Roughned Odor | 100 | 9 | 48 | .259 | .698 |
| CF | Leonys Martin | 146 | 7 | 40 | .274 | .689 |
| C | Robinson Chirinos | 73 | 13 | 40 | .239 | .705 |
| ROTATION | W-L | ERA | K/9 | WHIP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RH | Yovani Gallardo | 8-11 | 3.51 | 6.8 | 1.295 |
| LH | Derek Holland | 2-0 | 1.46 | 6.1 | 1.054 |
| RH | Colby Lewis | 10-14 | 5.18 | 7.0 | 1.521 |
| LH | Ross Detwiler | 2-3 | 4.00 | 5.6 | 1.413 |
| RH | Nick Martinez | 5-12 | 4.55 | 4.9 | 1.461 |
| CLOSER | SV. | ERA | K/9 | WHIP | |
| RH | Neftali Feliz | 13 | 1.99 | 6.0 | 0.979 |
Follow Nick Cafardo on Twitter at @nickcafardo.