The Red Sox, powered by offseason acquisitions look to be a team to reckon with this year in AL East. Mike Lowell has fit in nicely, thank you very much. Lowell went 4 for 4 yesterday to support the pitching of Josh Beckett. Beckett's day started rather slowly. He struggled mightily in the first inning, but survived to walk off the mound only surrendering one run. The Red Sox bats did the rest. Look for this team to gel as the season moves on.
The Indians have reeled off six wins in a row! After watching the hot start put up by the Detroit Tigers, Cleveland decided to show a little muscle of their own. Hoping their pitching would be the key for them this season, they have relied heavily on the bats instead. Only one of the starting nine is struggling at the plate; Ronnie Belliard at .143. Every other player, with the exception of Ben Broussard (.286), is at .300 or better for the season. I'm not so sure this team can continue to post numbers like that for any length of time. With the exception of Hafner and Boone there is simply not alot of proven talent in the lineup. Time will tell.
The Mets. Wow! The Mets. Their offseason moves look to be complimenting an already star studded team. Unlike the Indians, the Mets have a proven lineup 1-8 that can deliver on any day against any pitcher. David Wright appears poised to establish himself as one of the premier players in the league. His power and leadership skills are making a positive impact on a daily basis. No doubt, with Rick Down there to hone the little things, Wright will blossom this year. I see this team as the cream of the crop. Pitching, Hitting, Fielding, Coaching... that about says it.
The Rockies are definitely a surprise. Packed with a bevy of young talent and sprinkled with just the right veteran (Todd Helton), this team could be a force. Helton is a masterful hitter that rarely gets his kudos because of the Coors Field stigma. Make no mistake, He can hit! Throw in the young talented bats of Hawpe, Holliday and Clint Barmes and the run production shouldn't be a problem. Can they put up the pitching numbers? I think that is the major question for this team. They should be fun to watch, but I think my money rests on the Dodgers in this division. They are loaded with talent and once Grady Little figures out how the pitching breaks down they should be solid all year long.
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