Seattle Mariners
Despite losing out on the Johan Santana sweepstakes, last year’s World Series Champs countered by adding 2005 Cy Young Award winner Bartolo Colon. Even if Colon doesn’t pan out and none of their top players go down due to injuries, the Red Sox will have all the ingredients to win their third championship in five years. 2007 Rookie of the Year, Dustin Pedroia, adds more firepower to one of the league’s most gifted offenses. The Red Sox have a strong rotation, solid bullpen, and an overpowering closer that should make it tough for the Blue Jays or Yankees to dethrone them from the top spot in the American League East.
Anaheim Angels
Coming off their third division title in four years, the Angels didn’t need to make a lot of changes to maintain their comfortable digs atop the west. However, a few upgrades that may help them reach the World Series for the first time since winning in 2002: Jon Garland and Torii Hunter. Garland, a two-time 18-game winner with the Chicago White Sox, joins starters John Lackey and Kelvim Escobar, 19- and 18-game winners respectively, giving the Angels much needed playoff experience. Vladimir Guerrero will lead an Angels offense that finished in the middle of the pack last season, but the addition of Hunter, a seven-time gold glove winner who also had one of his best-ever offensive performances in ‘07 (.287, 28 homeruns, 107 RBIs), should power the Angels to another division crown.
