Photo Credit: Peter G. Aiken/USA TODAY Sports
Even though MLB games don’t end until October, it’s never too early to predict who will end up clinching the division in each league. The American League is up first which includes the AL East, AL Central and AL West divisions.
AL East: Right now, the AL East winner is hard to predict. Currently, the Yankees lead with 44 wins, but the Orioles, Jays and Rays all have 43 wins. While the Orioles have last year’s win under their belt, it’s hard not to put them in the running for winning. The Jays and Rays are also looking like they could make a comeback. Sadly for Red Sox fans, it looks like this is not going to be their year. Each team also knows what their strengths are and plays them to their full advantage and their PCTs are all over .500 (except for Boston) which is why it makes deciding on the winner so difficult. With the way that the Orioles have been playing, I predict that the Orioles will clinch the AL East division.
AL Central: While the AL Central has some good potential, it looks like Royals are going to be the ones who end up winning. The Royals lead with 46 wins while the Minnesota Twins are the closest but still trail by 3 wins. The Royals also have the highest PCT at .582 and if that wasn’t enough evidence of their talent, four Royals players have been selected to participate in the 2015 All-Star MLB Game. Sadly, Alex Gordon will have to be replaced after straining his groin and he will be sidelined for eight weeks. Like the Orioles, the Royals clinched the division last year too. While this is not a guarantee of this year, I predict the Royals will be able to keep up their lead and will end up winning the division.
AL West: The AL West is very similar to Central in terms of wins. Presently, the Houston Astros are in the lead with 48 wins while the LA Angels have 43 wins. The Houston Astros are the most recent team added to the AL West in 2013. Certainly if they clinch the division, it will be their first division win in the American League and will be an exciting victory for them. The Astros also have a PCT of .571 and the trio of Luis Valbuena, Jose Altuve, and Carlos Correa aren’t shy with racking up runs. Currently, Houston holds the record for the most home runs in the MLB with a whopping 116 so far! The Astros did a complete overhaul last season, adding new players and a new hiring manager, A.J. Hinch. Most of the Astros success could be attributed to him and the Astros certainly have an eye for winning regardless of their past. Center fielder Jake Marisnick had this to say, “We’re going to win ballgames. We know what we’re capable of” and with an attitude like that, I predict the Astros will finally win the division.
