American League All-Star teams are going to be ridonkulous. If the best hitters were picked as the reserves, they would all be first basemen. Pujols, Fielder, Cabrera, Teixeira, Gonzalez, and sleepers like Hosmer, Konerko, and Morneau makes the decision for who’s on first the most difficult probably ever.
The lineups this year on teams like Boston, New York, Texas, and Detroit will break an XBox. Any 2 or 3 of the top hitters on those teams can arguably be the best two hitters in baseball. The psychic abilities of Cliff Lee must have predicted these offseason moves that brought over two monster hitters when Lee decided that the Phillies were better suited for him and his ERA. Although just speculation to say, Justin Verlander striking out that many people in the American League and winning that many games, should just be counted as double if he were pitching in the NL. This year features the same lineups that were packed with superstars in the playoffs, and adds a few more to the lineups of teams that were pawing at the notion they wanted to play in October too.
The Central is looking like a rough year for everyone except the Tigers and possibly the Indians, who are starting a ton of sophomore players. The key to the Indians success will be determined by their starting rotation that was boosted by Ubaldo Jimenez; and Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner, and Shin-Shoo Choo drinking more milk. Those 3 players were supposed to anchor that lineup alongside Carlos Santana. Instead, they got in free to watch the Indians play a lot.
According to Bovada, the favored Tigers are looking at 4/1 odds to win the AL pennant, followed by the Indians way back at 28/1. The Twins get no love because Mauer, Morneau, and Liriano can’t stay healthy. The East is so ferocious, excluding the Orioles, that it’s too close to pick favorites. The Yankees sit at 13/4, Red Sox at 11/2, and Rays at 12/1 according to latest 2012 ALCS betting odds as found at Bovada. The odds for the Red Sox will probably increase once we see a more sober September from them. The West will probably be overshadowed by all the beasts from the East, but in my opinion hold more excitement. Adding Pujols to this division that has been dominated by Texas’ power is just what was needed to make the rally monkey happy to hop around again. There hasn’t been a big home run hit in the Angels’ stadium since Scott Spiezio in the ‘02 World Series. The only possible surprise that could happen in the West would come from the Mariners, who have gathered a ton of really good young players. Bovada gives the Angels 7/2, the Rangers 11/2, and the Mariners 60/1 odds to pop champagne. The West is wild again, the central is more top heavy than ever, and there are beasts in the east.
Odds To Win 2012 AL Pennant – click image to bet on these at Bovada
