It’s the best time of year for baseball fans lucky enough to be in Arizona or Florida.
Fifteen major league teams have their spring training camps in Arizona (Cactus League) and the other 15 are based in Florida (Grapefruit League).
It’s a bit more than a 20-minute drive from my winter dugout in West Palm Beach’s Century Village to Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida, where the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals share the facility.
As I write this, twenty-four of us from the Aitz Chaim shul which services Century Village are set to attend the Tuesday, March 8, game featuring the Yankees against the Marlins. Some will accompany me the following day on a one-hour drive to Port St. Lucie to see the Mets host the Yankees at Tradition Field.
The Yankees are one of the most interesting teams to watch this year. Right now I can’t pick them to go deep into the postseason because of the question marks surrounding the starting pitching: Nathan Eovaldi, wrist; Ivan Nova, recovering from Tommy John surgery; Michael Pineda, forearm; C.C. Sabathia, knee and alcohol rehab; and Masahiro Tanaka, wrist and forearm issues).
The bullpen, though, is the best in baseball. Dellin Betances (1.50 ERA), Andrew Miller (2.04 ERA), and Aroldis Chapman (1.63 ERA with the Reds last year) combined for a whopping 347 strikeouts in 213 innings. It’s pretty much “game over” if the Yankees are leading after six innings.
A balanced lineup including three switch-hitters should give the starters some runs. Can Alex Rodriguez, 41 in July, repeat his 2015 output – .250 average and 33 home runs? I think he should do at least as well; he’s more relaxed going into this season and in good shape.
The double play combination of shortstop Didi Gregorius and second baseman Starlin Castro (.265 with 11 homers for the Cubs last year) will attract my attention. Gregorius improved in the field and at bat as 2015 wore on and ended the season with nine home runs and a .265 average.
The Red Sox could go from last to first in the American League East this year. New president Dave Dombrowski, who left the Tigers in good shape with prospects after trading free agents David Price to Toronto and Yoenes Cespedes to the Mets last July, made some quick moves in Boston after being hired to oversee the franchise.
Dombrowski signed free agent Price to anchor the starting pitching and bolstered the bullpen with the addition of Craig Kimbrel (2.58 ERA with 87 strikeouts in only 59.1 innings) and Carson Smith (2.31 ERA, 92 strikeouts in 70.1 innings). The big rivalry between Boston and New York should be back in full steam this year.
The Tigers improved in the off-season by signing free agent pitcher Jordan Zimmermann and bringing in three above-average pitchers (Justin Wilson, Mark Lowe, and Francisco Rodriguez) to bolster a bullpen that surrendered the lead in most games last season.
Justin Upton, added through the free agent route, should anchor left field for several years and adds punch to an already strong lineup. Upton, Miguel Cabrera, and J.D. Martinez should easily pass 75 home runs. The Tigers could unseat the Kansas City Royals for the top spot in the A.L. Central this year.
Houston should win the A.L. West. The Astros’ starting rotation had the second-lowest earned run average (3.71) in the league last season and their superb double play combination of second baseman Jose Altuve (.313, 15 home runs, 38 stolen bases) and shortstop Carlos Correa (.279 and 22 home runs in only 99 big league games) should be even better this year.