Starting things off at
#10) Baltimore Orioles.
- Running away with the division last season and then watching the Red Sox and Blue Jays improving significantly can make the AL East, very exciting to watch in the 2015 season.
- Hopefully Manny Machado and Matt Wieters can return to full form and Chris Davis can have another year like 2013 and not a ugly season of 2014. This team can go far.
- The X-factor will be right-hander Kevin Gausman, who came on strong down the stretch last season and has the stuff to emerge as a legitimate ace atop the staff now that he has finally settled in at the big-league level.
Projected 2015 Lineup
LF Alejandro De Aza
3B Manny Machado
CF Adam Jones
DH Chris Davis
RF Travis Snider
C Matt Wieters
SS J.J. Hardy
1B Christian Walker
2B Jonathan Schoop
Projected 2015 Rotation
SP Chris Tillman
SP Wei-Yin Chen
SP Bud Norris
SP Miguel Gonzalez
SP Kevin Gausman
MR Tommy Hunter
MR Ryan Webb
MR Ubaldo Jimenez
MR Brian Matusz
SU Darren O’Day
CL Zach Britton
#9) Boston Red Sox
How will Hanley Ramirez adjust to left field?
How will Pablo Sandoval hold up over the length of his contract?
Will Justin Masterson bounce back?
Where does Mookie Betts fit into the 2015 plans?
Is Rick Porcello an ACE?
- This team has many question marks and need to figure them out soon. They have all the talent to be division leaders but can they put it all together?
Projected 2015 Lineup
RF Shane Victorino/Mookie Betts
2B Dustin Pedroia
DH David Ortiz
LF Hanley Ramirez
3B Pablo Sandoval
1B Mike Napoli
SS Xander Bogaerts
CF Rusney Castillo
C Christian Vazquez
Projected 2015 Rotation
SP Rick Porcello
SP Wade Miley
SP Clay Buchholz
SP Justin Masterson
SP Joe Kelly
MR Anthony Varvaro
MR Alexi Ogando
MR Craig Breslow
MR Edward Mujica
SU Junichi Tazawa
CL Koji Uehara
#8) Toronto Blue Jays
Rookie hurlers Aaron Sanchez and Daniel Norris could wind up being the X-factors for this team. If they can make an impact similar to what Marcus Stroman did in his debut last season, this team could be awfully dangerous.
With the Blue Jays feeling that the Orioles have lost talent, they went out and brought some in to help contend with them, Acquiring Josh Donaldson and Russell Martin, Makes them have a little bit more pop in that line-up. Second base is still iffy but they feel Goins and Izturis can platoon and get the job done.
Projected 2015 Lineup
SS Jose Reyes
C Russell Martin
RF Jose Bautista
1B Edwin Encarnacion
3B Josh Donaldson
DH Dioner Navarro
LF Michael Saunders
2B Ryan Goins/Maicer Izturis
CF Dalton Pompey
Projected 2015 Rotation
SP Mark Buehrle
SP R.A. Dickey
SP Marcus Stroman
SP Drew Hutchison
SP Daniel Norris
MR Kyle Drabek
MR Marco Estrada
MR Aaron Loup
MR Steve Delabar
SU Brett Cecil
CL Aaron Sanchez
#7) Detroit Tigers
- Losing a big key to the rotation in Max Scherzer (signed with the Washington Nationals) will make a big difference in the 2015 season. But acquiring Shane Greene and Alfredo Simon in the offseason, the Tigers feel they still can win this division.
- Having a healthy Cabrera, Martinez, Verlander and Sanchez coming back, will defiantly make a big difference and will win games.
- With the duo of Kinsler and Iglesias up the middle is very good. This has been the best since Trammell and Whitaker.
- A big key this season is whether or not that the bullpen will show up?
Projected 2015 Lineup
2B Ian Kinsler
CF Anthony Gose
1B Miguel Cabrera
DH Victor Martinez
RF J.D. Martinez
LF Yoenis Cespedes
3B Nick Castellanos
C Alex Avila
SS Jose Iglesias
Projected 2015 Rotation
SP David Price
SP Anibal Sanchez
SP Justin Verlander
SP Alfredo Simon
SP Shane Greene
MR Bruce Rondon
MR Ian Krol
MR Joba Chamberlain
MR Al Alburquerque
SU Joakim Soria
CL Joe Nathan
#6) Seattle Mariners
- Undoubtedly a good team, the Mariners have a chance to be legitimately great if James Paxton and Taijuan Walker take the next step forward behind the terrific duo of Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma. The rotation will also once again be backed by what was the best bullpen in baseball last year.
- Getting Nelson Cruz this offseason, gives them right amount of balanced power to protect Robinson Cano.
- The right field platoon of Seth Smith and Justin Ruggiano should be a significant upgrade over the parade of players that manned the position last year.
Projected 2015 Lineup
CF Austin Jackson
RF Seth Smith
2B Robinson Cano
DH Nelson Cruz
3B Kyle Seager
1B Logan Morrison
C Mike Zunino
LF Dustin Ackley
SS Brad Miller
Projected 2015 Rotation
SP Felix Hernandez
SP Hisashi Iwakuma
SP James Paxton
SP Taijuan Walker
SP J.A. Happ
MR Carson Smith
MR Tom Wilhelmsen
MR Charlie Furbush
MR Danny Farquhar
SU Yoervis Medina
CL Fernando Rodney
Baseball was, is and always will be to me the best game in the world. -Babe Ruth
