I’d like to take this opportunity to disregard all of the analysts who are picking the Kansas City Royals to be the surprise team in the AL. Some people are even picking them to win the AL Central.
As bad as the AL Central is likely going to be, the Royals are still the Royals. They are not “this year’s Rays” no matter how many people wish it.
Dayton Moore might become a great GM but the Royals are not going to become contenders overnight. Unless Zack Greinke is pitching every game this year, it just isn’t happening.
Here are the real picks for biggest improvements…AL: Texas Rangers
The Angels are going to regress and Cleveland is going to fall further off the map before they get better anytime soon. If not the division than if the AL East teams beat up on each other enough, someone could sneak into the Wild Card and the Rangers could be that team.
NL: Florida Marlins
I know the Marlins won 84 games last year but they never really had a chance in a relatively strong NL East last year. I think they are going to put up a real fight in that division all season. Same as in the AL, the National League East might be the deepest division in that league.
Oh yeah, and HI COCO!
Yeah, the Rangers could be good…aside from their subpar pitching and abyssmal defense. Baseball Prospectus rates their defense as worst in the majors.