2013 MLB Picks and Predictions: Updated American League Division Favorites

2013 MLB Picks and Predictions – Updated American League Division Favorites: While there have been plenty of surprises in the early portion of the 2013 MLB season in both leagues, the American League has definitely been home to a majority of the turmoil. Preseason favorites Toronto and Los Angeles have been huge disappointments while teams like Cleveland and Boston have come out of the gate strong. Needless to say, many preseason division predictions are already looking shaky. With that in mind, here is an updated look at the favorites for all three divisions in the American League.

AL East: New York Yankees

Wasn’t this supposed to be the year that New York and Boston take a step back? Instead, the Red Sox find themselves with a 1.5-game lead on the Yankees. While both teams have surprised thus far, the fact that the Yankees are even within striking distance of the Red Sox and their MLB-leading offense is incredible. After all, Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson, Derek Jeter and Andy Pettitte are among the names that have missed time or haven’t played at all in 2013. Despite the injuries, the Yankees rank in the top 10 in the majors in home runs, and needless to say, they have some serious firepower that will be returning eventually. Meanwhile, CC Sabathia and Hiroki Kuroda form a strong duo atop the rotation, and Mariano Rivera is still the ultimate hammer at the end of games. Weathering Boston’s scorching start will play dividends down the road for the Yankees, who should assume their familiar position atop the AL East as they slowly return to full strength.

AL Central: Detroit Tigers

For some reason, Detroit refuses to bury the competition in their division despite being the most-talented and balanced team by a wide margin. That being said, the Tigers will end up winning the AL Central once again, even though they won’t make it easy. With defending MVP Miguel Cabrera looking as stout as ever, Detroit leads the majors in batting average and ranks third in runs scored. Meanwhile, Justin Verlander leads a rotation loaded with hard throwers, and the Tigers rank sixth in ERA and first in strikeouts. Aside from figuring out the closer’s spot, this team is just way too good not to win its division. If anything, the Tigers should be embarrassed that they are only up by 2.5 games at this point.

AL West: Oakland Athletics

Although they currently trail the Texas Rangers by 0.5 games, the Athletics are once again showing that chemistry and quality can trump star power and huge payrolls. Oakland doesn’t hit for a high average or slug a lot of home runs, but the Athletics rank fifth in the majors in runs scored. They also rank 11th in ERA. From speed at the top of the lineup to steady bats in the middle of the order and a deep rotation, Oakland has a little bit of everything. More importantly, this current group of players has shown that it just knows how to win games and has consistently gotten better as the season goes on. When all is said and done, look for Oakland to win the AL West once again.

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