The New York Yankees returned to prominence last season by winning the 2009 World Series. They beat the Philadelphia Phillies in six games of a best out seven series to capture their 27th World Title in the storied history of this franchise. They will have their sights set on a repeat performance in 2010, but there are few teams in their own division that also have their eye on the prize. Boston finished last year with a record of 95-67 which was good enough to win the AL wildcard spot, but they were still eight games behind their nemesis. Their disappointment was highlighted by getting swept 3-0 in the Division series by the LA Angels. Tampa Bay finished third at 84-78, 19 games out of first. This was a major step backwards from their World Series run in 2008. In fourth place were the 75-87 Toronto Blue Jays who started the season strong, only to fade away in the heat of the summer. The Baltimore Orioles spent the second year in a row in the AL East basement ending 64-98, 31 games out of first. Here is a brief preview of all the teams in the East and their future odds for the 2010 season.
New York Yankees – Odds to Win the American League 2/1 Odds to Win the World Series 14/5
The Yankees are still loaded with talent and the odds-on-favorite to win it all again this year. Their starting rotation remains solid with C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Andy Pettitte. The bats remain solid with Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, and Alex Rodriguez. The only kink in the armor could be the loss of Johnny Damon, but Nick Johnson was signed in the off season to help fill the void.
Boston Red Sox – Odds to Win the American League 7/2 Odds to Win the World Series 11/2
Boston’s big off season acquisition was P John Lackey from the Angels. Along with Josh Beckett, and Jon Lester they have one of the best rotations in baseball which may be just enough to overtake New York. Offensively; Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, and Jacob Ellsbury help bolster one of the more formidable lineups in the league. Look for the Red Sox to stay toe to toe with the Yankees this season as they have worked hard to close the gap from last year.
Tampa Bay Rays – Odds to Win the American League 11/2 Odds to Win the World Series 11/1
In any other division the Rays would probably be one of the favorites as they still have a solid nucleus of talent that took them all the way to the World Series in 2008. Their starting rotation is led by Matt Garza and James Shields and adding closer Rafael Soriano will definitely help. With players like Carl Crawford, Ben Zobrist, and B.J. Upton they should remain competitive all season long.
Toronto Blue Jays – Odds to Win the American League 35/1 Odds to Win the World Series 75/1
The Blue Jays will struggle to fill the huge void left by the departure of ace Roy Halladay who was traded this off season to Philadelphia. Ricky Romero and Shawn Marcum seemed poised to step up and Brandon Morrow, who was acquired from Seattle will help round out the rotation. They still have some fairly good offensive power led by Vernon Wells, Jose Bautista, and Lyle Overbay.
Baltimore Orioles – Odds to Win the American League 50/1 Odds to Win the World Series 100/1
The Orioles are hoping a change of scenery for spring training; as they move from Ft. Lauderdale to Sarasota will help turn their recent misfortunes around. Pitching has been one of their biggest problems over the past two seasons and they will need Jeremy Guthrie, Brad Bergesen, and Kevin Millwood to elevate their game if they are to have any chance of climbing out of the AL East basement. With players like Nick Markakis, Adam Jones, and Matt Wieters they have some talent, but it remains to be seen how far they can carry this team this season.
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