2011 MLB American League Pennant Race
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The following is a brief preview of each of the American League teams and their current odds to win the AL Pennant as provided by Bookmaker.com.
Boston Red Sox
5/2
Many believe that the addition of Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzales to an already potent lineup will be enough to propel the Red Sox back to the top of the AL East. They have an excellent chance to win the pennant if their pitching holds up.
New York Yankees
5/2
Failing to land Cliff Lee and losing Andy Pettitte to retirement could signal a bit of a downturn for the Yankees this season. Age is starting to creep into this team’s lineup as are some serious question marks with its starting rotation.
Minnesota Twins
8/1
The Twin’s are hoping that the return of ‘ace’ closer Joe Nathan will add a few more victories to an impressive 94 wins in 2010. The addition of Paul Bargas and Tsuyoshi Nishioka could be the key ingredients to pushing this team all the way to the World Series this year.
Texas Rangers
8/1
With the loss of Cliff Lee’s arm and Vladimir Guerrero’s bat, a step backwards from last year’s AL Pennant seems almost unavoidable for the Rangers. Josh Hamilton’s a stud but he will only be able to carry this team so far.
Tampa Bay Rays
10/1
This will be a season of transition for the Rays with the departure of Carl Crawford and Matt Garza and the addition of Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez. The net effect could very well result in a return to the middle of the pack in the East.
Los Angeles Angels
12/1
The Angels fall from grace last season resulted in an 80-win season and third-place finish in the West. LA is hoping it can put last season’s inconsistencies on the mound and at the plate behind to once again rise to the top of the division. 
Detroit Tigers
12/1
The Tiger’s impressive early run last season ran out of steam after the All-Star break as they finished 13 games out of first. With no dramatic changes to this year’s roster it will be up to this team’s pitching staff to improve upon last year’s 4.30 team ERA to keep it in the race this time around.
Chicago White Sox
15/1
The White Sox need to do a much better job at producing some offense if they are to have any chance to compete in the Central. Adding Adam Dunn will help, but it remains to be seen if an aging Paul Konerko can put up the kind of numbers he did last season.
Oakland Athletics
25/1
The Athletics present the most value of any other team in the AL at 25/1. Last season they turned the corner by getting to .500 and are poised to make a run at the West behind the young arms of Trevor Cahill and Gio Gonzales.
Toronto Blue Jays
25/1
The loss of pitcher Shaun Marcum will not help this team’s chances in the ultra-competitive East, but the Blue Jays have enough power in their lineup to still make a serious run at the postseason. Next to Oakland this could be the next ‘team to watch’ in 2011.
Baltimore Orioles
50/1
Manager Buck Showalter has this team moving in the right direction, but the Orioles remain a year or two away from seriously competing for a playoff spot. The addition of Derek Lee, Mark Reynolds, and Vladimir Gurerro should help this team approach 80 wins this season.
Seattle Mariners
60/1
The Mariner’s new skipper Eric Wedge’s first task is to try a tweak a lineup that scored a MLB-worst 513 runs last season with pretty much the same cast of characters. The good news is that Seattle’s pitching remains solid led by Cy Young hurler Felix Hernandez.
Cleveland Indians
100/1
The Indians have a couple of rising stars in Matt LaPorta and Carlos Santana but it is doubtful that will be enough to keep them out of the basement in the Central. A legitimate goal for this team would be to win 70 games this season.
Kansas City Royals
100/1
The Royals join Cleveland as the longest shots to win the AL this year. The reality is both teams will be battling each other to keep from finishing last in their own division. Kansas City will go with a youthful batch of prospects in hopes of changing their fortunes, but this is shaping up as a two to three year project.
David Schwab is a regular contributor to the Cappers Picks Blog. While not cheering for his beloved Philadelphia Eagles David can be found working on his blog. David wants to hear from you so please comment below.
