American League Central Division Breakdown

 The last division I'm going through is considered one of the best in all of the Major Leagues.. Well, to watch. It's probably not fun to play in. The American League Central features some of the best players in the game such as Chris Sale, Miguel Cabrera, and Alex Gordon…

 The team that won the American League pennant last season calls the Central division home- the Kansas City Royals. The Royals have showed us that speed and defense can go a long, long way in this business. They've also got a future superstar in my opinion, Yordano Ventura. Will they make it back to the Postseason? They want to, and they very well might. The next team I am talking about will not go quiet though…

 The Detroit Tigers have lots of hopes for the playoffs and rightfully so. They've got Miguel Cabrera, arguably the best hitter in all of baseball. Their pitching staff isn't as sharp as it has been the past few years, though. The biggest subtraction came from the departure of Max Scherzer. Even though that was a blow, I still think Detroit is a nice ball team. 

 The Minnesota Twins. Ahh, the Twins. The team that looks good on paper, but doesn't seem to in the standings. Crazy, I know. I think they might be better than everyone is predicting them to be. Dozier, Mauer, and Tori Hunter may carry the team farther than we think…

 The Chicago White Sox really have built up to contend. Abreu, Sale, and Samardzija are guys you probably enjoy having on your team.  As long as they can hold their ground through the summer and stay towards the top, they'll play around in September for a playoff spot. 

 The last team in the division is the Cleveland Indians. They haven't performed, win/loss record wise, like you'd think they would have. They have the reigning American League Cy Young award recipient, Corey Kluber, Michael Brantley, and Jason Kipnis who are "built" to carry a team. Will they, is the question.

-JC

American League East Division Breakdown

 The American League East Division has been in the spotlight over the last few weeks. You've got the whole Baltimore thing, Alex Rodriguez chasing history, the Rays' injuries... So, respectively, that's the division I'm talking about this week. 

 The Boston Red Sox have started the season on the losing side of things. The 13-17 record gives them the fifth spot in the division. The early season failures could be blamed on the starting rotation.. 

 The Baltimore Orioles are looking to put together a win streak long enough to boost them over .500. Currently 13-15, Jones and Davis are beginning to heat up to give Baltimore fans something to cheer about. Their starter, Wei-Yin Chen, has been a welcomed presence. 

 The New York Yankees' fan base is beginning  to "forget" the Alex Rodriguez that they seemed to dislike over the last few seasons. The whole A-Rod saga is starting to trend in the right direction. He has hit seven home runs this season, good enough to to pass Willie Mays for fourth on the ALL-TIME leaderboard. The arguably most notable offseason pickup went to the bullpen. Lefthander Andrew Miller has served at team's closer so far and has thirteen saves. 

 The Toronto Blue Jays are ready for some Postseason action. With the Josh Donaldson and Russell Martin acquisitions playing to their favor so far, the fans are getting excited. Marcus Stroman, a starter who was really being counted on, suffered a knee injury during Spring Training will miss this season entirely. Definitely not helping their chances, but right now the 'jays aren't looking too shabby. 

 The Tampa Bay Rays have been bit by the killer injury bug. Drew Smyly is likely out for the season with surgery and Alex Cobb is for sure out. Certainly not what the Rays needed, that's for sure. Though the injuries haven't had an excessive amount of time to effect anything, their record is still on the positive side of .500 (17-14). Playoffs? Ehh, anyone could as of now. 

-JC 

American League West Division Breakdown

 Injuries have been the thing around MLB in past week. There aren't any significant njuries in the division I'm breaking down, though. The American League West is on tap for this week.

 The Houston Astros have been out to a fast start. Currently leading the division, the 'stros are looking to do big things. They are backed by the bats of George Springer and Jose Altuve, both of which are off to fast starts. Can they fight off the other Texas team, Seattle, and the California-based squads? It's a small sample size currently, but Houston is looking pretty good.. 

 The Seattle Mariners are awfully hungry for some October baseball. After the heartbreak of 2014, missing the Postseason by ONE game, the went out and locked up Nelson Cruz. With the King, Iwakuma, Cano, Cruz, and Seager the "M's" may be able to manage winning one extra game this season. 

 The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are looking to win another division title, and there's no reason to not think they can. With the AL MVP, Mike Trout, Pujols, Aybar, and a few others, the Halos statistically beat the teams in their division. Garrett Richards has returned, and he doesn't look too bad. 

 The Texas Rangers might as well just call their roster a hospital. Injuries have just bombarded them over the last season. Last year it was Prince Fielder. This year it's Yu Darvish, which stings a little more than Fielder did. I wouldn't count them out, though. Fielder is back, and they have one of the best third basemen in the game, Adrian Beltre. 

 The Oakland Athletics were back at it with their crazy trading moves again. They've traded Josh Donaldson for Brett Lawrie, much to the disappointment of their fanbase. It's too early to tell if the exchange was a good one, but the A's still have some sure talent now. They have Sonny Gray, a pitcher who has looked impressive so far. Honestly, who knows what's going to happen with this team? 

-JC