Looking Ahead: American League Contender Analysis, Predictions

We've just passed the trade deadline in Major League Baseball, and the playoff race is really going to heat up in the upcoming weeks. I've taken a look at each division and provided predictions as to who's in, and who's going home.

AL East
This isn't even close right now. Honestly, who thought the Toronto Blue Jays would be just as good in the standings as the New York Yankees? The Boston Red Sox have a clear hold of the division title right now. The only question in this division is, can somebody pull of a run similar to the Oakland 20-game wonder last year? Barring a miracle from the other 3 sub-.500 compadres, the Yankees figure to be the best team to do it. But they need some starting pitching and production from all aspect of the lineup, something they haven't been getting thus far.

The Blue Jays are a mystery to me- one week they can hang with the best, the next week they're battling (and mostly losing) to teams with worse records. Roy Holliday's been good, no doubt, and Alex Rios has stepped up to carry this team up from the cellar. Still, even if this were the NL Central, they'd be too far back to do much.

The Yankees are also a mystery, but for a different reason. Aside from A-Rod, Jeter, and Jorge Posada, who's really producing in that lineup? The glaring weakness is 1B, where Johnny Damon seems the best bet. I'd say New York's a buyer in this trade market. But the starting pitching, hit by injuries, hasn't lived up to expectations, and the bullpen isn't nearly as strong as it could be.

The BoSox are one of the best teams in baseball....without lively bats from Manny or Big Papi. Mike Lowell leads them in HRs? Talk about a "didn't see that one coming." The bullpen is dominant, Okajima-Papelbon are downright scary to face. I cringed when my Braves saw it. It was painful. Oh, and the pitching's been there, though overall it's mediocre. Josh Beckett has been light out, but where'd Tim Wakefield's knuckleballing expertise go? He's an okay 8-7 right now, right? He needs to improve for the playoffs.