30 key betting notes for 30 MLB teams by covers
AL East
Baltimore Orioles
They might be one bat short after losing Nelson Cruz and Nick Markakis. Those aren’t easy voids to fill. The O’s bullpen takes a hit as well, with Andrew Miller lost to free agency. There are going to be a lot of moving parts in the early going and in a crowded A.L. East race, that could ultimately spell trouble.
Boston Red Sox
What happens if the injury bug bites again? Dustin Pedroia seems to have a new ailment each season and Hanley Ramirez wasn’t exactly a rock in Los Angeles. The Red Sox are counting on a lot of production from a select few and that leaves them exposed to failure once again if a couple of key injuries pop up.
New York Yankees
The bullpen has the potential to dominate with Andrew Miller, David Carpenter and Justin Wilson joining an already promising group led by last year’s rookie standout Dellin Betances. Who knows what A-Rod can contribute but I do anticipate some improvement from the Yankees offensively, and even a small boost in that department could catapult them to the top of the A.L. East with a strong starting pitching staff.
Tampa Bay Rays
Gone are the days of a dominant starting rotation in St. Petersburg. Alex Cobb now finds himself at the top of the rotation and it will probably take career years from Drew Smyly and Chris Archer to keep this group afloat. The bullpen has similar question marks. Grant Balfour has a ton of miles on his arm and can’t be relied upon as an anchor.
Toronto Blue Jays
No American League team made a bigger splash in the offseason than the Jays, as they brought in catcher Russell Martin and third baseman Josh Donaldson to add to an already potent lineup. Toronto’s youthful starting rotation shows a lot of promise and boasts just enough of a veteran presence (R.A. Dickey and Mark Buehrle remain on board) to qualify it as one of the best in baseball.
AL Central
Detroit Tigers
Will their pitching staff hold up its end of the bargain? Losing Max Scherzer hurts. Their bullpen will likely face a heavy workload and isn’t exactly dripping with talented arms. There’s going to be an awful lot of pressure on the offense to produce, which it will, but getting involved in slugfest after slugfest could be a recipe for disaster.
Chicago White Sox
The secret is already out. Most bettors are anticipating major progress from the White Sox this season. If they’re able to get off to a strong start, the value could be quickly sucked out of the equation. The back-end of Chicago’s rotation is a question mark and the reality is, Sale, Samardzija and Quintana aren’t going to win every start.
Cleveland Indians
The young core that led the Tribe’s resurgence in 2014 remains intact entering the new campaign. If last year’s numbers hold up and Brandon Moss is able to make an immediate impact, Cleveland should be in contention all season long. The Indians batting order is sneaky-good from top-to-bottom and this is a team that could fly beneath the radar of most bettors’ once again providing substantial value.
Minnesota Twins
It would be easy for the opposition to overlook the Twins every time they take the field. Most have Minnesota pegged as one of the A.L.’s worst teams in 2015 but there’s no dominant team in the Central and that could help the Twinkies exceed expectations. They did make small upgrades in a number of areas during the offseason and it won’t take much to improve on last year’s results.
Kansas City Royals
There were a number of changes made in the offseason and few of them figure to improve the Royals net results. There was a lot of luck involved in last year’s run to the World Series. How will this club, which isn’t exactly used to success, respond to being the hunted rather than the hunters? One thing’s for sure, the departure of James Shields leaves a gaping hole at the top of the starting rotation.
AL West
Oakland Athletics
It's easy to forget that the A's were the best team in baseball for a considerable period last season. While they're coming off a down-year for their backers, they have a history of bouncing back and their re-worked middle of their order should pace the charge with Josh Reddick, Billy Butler and Brett Lawrie ready to inflict damage.
Seattle MarinersThe bullpen has a few bright spots but closer Fernando Rodney isn't one of them. Even with the additions to the M's lineup, there are still plenty of weak spots from 1-through-9. They'll need to manufacture runs on most nights and aren't going to win many slugfests, which may not bode well in the A.L. West.
Los Angeles Angels
What about the bullpen? The Angels 'pen performed well last season but I'm not completely sold on this group. Huston Street is the closer but whether he can stay healthy remains to be seen. At the dish, say what you will about Josh Hamilton but there's no question his absence will be felt.
Houston Astros
This is a franchise on the way up. The Astros managed to make money for their backers last season despite finishing 22 games under .500 and figure to improve considerably here in 2015. Adding Evan Gattis should give an already powerful lineup a boost, with Chris Carter and George Springer coming into their own as well.
Texas Rangers
We're not sure it's as easy as simply counting on a bounce-back performance from the Rangers. They made only minor adjustments to their roster in the offseason and their pitching staff in particular still leaves a lot to be desired, especially if Derek Holland isn't able to return to form. There are simply too many players trying to get healthy and being asked to shoulder much of the load.
NL East
Atlanta Braves
Atlanta has one of the best closers in baseball in Craig Kimbrel. He blew just four saves all year long so if the Braves get a lead late, he should be able to hold it. They've got some nice pieces at the top of their rotation in Julio Teheran and Alex Wood, plus Nick Markakis is a solid addition to the lineup.
Miami Marlins
Miami opened up the check book and acquired several new additions, along with giving slugger Giancarlo Stanton a huge contract. Mat Latos solidifies the top of the rotation to go along with Jose Fernandez when he is ready to return. Mike Morse, Dee Gordon and Martin Prado provide depth to a lineup that needed some additions.
New York Mets
Who will be the closer for the team and who is going to provide middle relief? This bullpen has some live arms in Jenrry Mejia and Jeurys Familia, but they are young and inconsistent. Will Matt Harvey stay healthy all year and can DeGrom stave off the sophomore year jinx?
Philadelphia Phillies
Ryan Howard and Chase Utley still have talent and they are both too good to struggle again this season. Dom Brown and Grady Sizemore combine well with Ben Revere in the outfield. Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee are still solid veterans in the rotation. Jonathan Papelbon is a strong closer and the team has several live arms in middle relief.
Washington Nationals
The bullpen is weaker without Tyler Clippard. Matt Thornton and Craig Stammen will have to step up their game. Jayson Werth is already banged up and Zimmerman is injury prone. Can the team handle the expectations that come with being the preseason World Series favorites?
NL Central
Chicago Cubs
The rest of the rotation is weak with Travis Wood, Jason Hammel and Kyle Hendricks most likely filling things out. The majority of the bullpen is still hard to trust and the offensive lineup is extremely young. Javier Baez struck out 225 times last year in the majors and minors combined.
Cincinnati Reds
Johnny Cueto is an ace and he is the second best pitcher in the league after Clayton Kershaw. Cueto is backed by veteran starters Homer Bailey and Mike Leake. Aroldis Chapman can be a dominant pitcher as well. Joey Votto and Billy Hamilton make up a solid offensive lineup that can hit.
Milwaukee Brewers
The bullpen is shaky as Jonathan Broxton is untrustworthy and the pitchers behind him are very young with few quality options available. Aramis Ramirez is getting older and his effectiveness going forward is questionable. Health has been an issue with Adam Lind as well.
Pittsburgh Pirates
AJ Burnett is back with his former team and he joins Francisco Liriano, Gerrit Cole and others in a solid pitching rotation. Andrew McCutchen continues to be one of the best hitters and overall players in the league. The bullpen is underrated as a unit and Mark Melancon had a fantastic 0.92 WHIP the past two seasons.
St. Louis Cardinals
A veteran team that contains experienced players that have won in this division. The bench picked up Mark Reynolds who will be a productive role player. Jason Heyward plays good defense which improves the outfield. The pitching rotation is solid with strong starters and relievers.
NL West
Arizona Diamondbacks
Their rotation lacks an ace and is filled with mediocre starters. Josh Collmenter pitched well last year, but his awkward motion has now been seen repeatedly by everyone in the division. Rubby De La Rosa and Jeremy Hellickson come over from the American League and will now have to pitch in a very hitter friendly ballpark.
Colorado Rockies
The lineup returns pretty much intact and if Troy Tulowitzki, Carlos Gonzalez and Charlie Blackmon can stay healthy, the Rockies will roll offensively. Justin Morneau and Nolan Arenado are solid pieces as well. The rotation has talent at the top with Jhoulys Chacin and lefty Jorge De La Rosa who pitches especially well at Coors Field.
Los Angeles Dodgers
They feature the best pitcher in baseball, Clayton Kershaw, and he's backed by an incredible staff. Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu are very nice complementary pieces. They added Jimmy Rollins and Howie Kendrick to an already strong offensive lineup. Relief pitcher Kenley Jansen converted 44 of his 49 save opportunities last year and the bullpen is filled with live arms.
San Diego Padres
San Diego's bench is weak and is comprised of several players that struggled last season. Wil Myers and Yonder Alonso are injury prone and have consistently missed games during their careers. The Padres appear improved this season, but they still need to prove it on the field where San Diego has won 77 games or less in six of their past seven seasons.
San Francisco Giants
They are the defending World Series champions and they have a solid pitching rotation with Madison Bumgarner, Matt Cain, Jake Peavy and more. The bullpen is back intact and is one of the best in the league. The offensive lineup has Hunter Pence and Buster Posey in the middle and both are coming off very good seasons.
