Editor's note: ESPN.com has teamed with ESPN The Magazine and the SweetSpot Blog Network to produce this year's preview capsules. Buster Olney and Tim Kurkjian examined the American League and the National League, respectively. They ordered the teams based on how they think they'll finish, while also breaking down each team's best- and worst-case scenarios.
The SweetSpot bloggers provided the projected lineups, pitching rotations and bullpens, which are mostly approximations based on the latest information. In most cases, they don't include players who will open the season on the disabled list. The lineups reflect the most likely batting order against a right-handed starter and are subject to change.
Tampa Bay Rays
PROJECTED LINEUP
PLAYER POS
Desmond Jennings LF
Luke Scott DH
Evan Longoria 3B
Carlos Pena* 1B
Ben Zobrist 2B
Matt Joyce* RF
B.J. Upton CF
Jose Molina C
Sean Rodriguez SS
BENCH POS
Reid Brignac IF
Sam Fuld OF
PITCHING
ROTATION POS
James Shields SP1
David Price* SP2
Jeremy Hellickson SP3
Jeff Niemann SP4
Matt Moore* SP5
BULLPEN POS
Joel Peralta RP
Kyle Farnsworth RP
* -- left-handed
# -- switch-hitter
Information courtesy of The Ray Area
THE PICK
1st Place
Best-case scenario: Wunderkind Desmond Jennings picks up right where he left off after a stellar second-half debut (10 HRs, 20 SBs), and the starting pitching turns out to be as good as it can be, with rookie Matt Moore teaming with ace David Price to form the American League's premier lefty tandem.
Worst-case scenario: Tampa Bay's fragile bullpen, filled once again with buy-low journeymen, collapses, and the lineup sputters due to strikeout-prone hitters (B.J. Upton and Carlos Pena) and potential black holes at catcher (Jose Molina) and shortstop (Sean Rodriguez).
New York Yankees
PROJECTED LINEUP
PLAYER POS
Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Robinson Cano 2B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Nick Swisher# RF
Raul Ibanez* DH
Russell Martin C
Brett Gardner LF
BENCH POS
Eric Chavez IF
Andruw Jones OF
PITCHING
2011: Stats » AL ERA (4th) »
ROTATION POS
CC Sabathia* SP1
Hiroki Kuroda SP2
Ivan Nova SP3
Michael Pineda SP4
Phil Hughes SP5
BULLPEN POS
David Robertson RP
Mariano Rivera RP
* -- left-handed
# -- switch-hitter
New players in italics
Information courtesy of Bronx Baseball Daily
THE PICK
2nd Place
Best-case scenario: Michael Pineda develops a changeup to baffle lefties, Ivan Nova continues to evolve into a reliable midrotation starter, Phil Hughes rediscovers his 2010 form and suddenly the Yankees have a powerhouse rotation that can go toe to toe with the Rays' starters.
Worst-case scenario: Robinson Cano, Brett Gardner and Curtis Granderson can't do enough to prop up Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, who, as it turns out, can't beat Father Time. An aging core of position players finally crumbles, and, coupled with a shallow rotation, it leads to (gasp) a fourth-place finish.
Boston Red Sox
PROJECTED LINEUP
PLAYER POS
Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Dustin Pedroia 2B
Adrian Gonzalez 1B
Kevin Youkilis 3B
David Ortiz DH
Cody Ross RF
Jarrod Saltalamacchia# C
Ryan Sweeney LF
Mike Aviles SS
BENCH POS
Nick Punto IF
Darnell McDonald OF
PITCHING
ROTATION POS
Jon Lester* SP1
Josh Beckett SP2
Clay Buchholz SP3
Daniel Bard SP4
Felix Doubront* SP5
BULLPEN POS
Mark Melancon RP
Andrew Bailey RP
* -- left-handed
# -- switch-hitter
Information courtesy of Fire Brand of the AL
THE PICK
3rd Place
Best-case scenario: Buoyed by bounce-back years from Carl Crawford and Clay Buchholz and invigorated by the arrival of manager Bobby Valentine and his attention to detail, the Sox bury their reputation as beer-drinking, in-game-feasting louts by playing deep into October.
Worst-case scenario: The Great Collapse of 2011 continues despite Valentine, and by season's end, the Boston fan base is calling for tar-and-feathering, or at least a shake-up of the Pedroia-Youkilis-Ellsbury core. The countdown continues to 2017, the end of Crawford's monster contract.
Toronto Blue Jays
PROJECTED LINEUP
PLAYER POS
Kelly Johnson* 2B
Yunel Escobar SS
Jose Bautista RF
Adam Lind* 1B
Edwin Encarnacion DH
Eric Thames* LF
Brett Lawrie 3B
Colby Rasmus* CF
J.P. Arencibia C
BENCH POS
Omar Vizquel IF
Rajai Davis OF
PITCHING
ROTATION POS
Ricky Romero* SP1
Brandon Morrow SP2
Brett Cecil SP3
Henderson Alvarez SP4
Dustin McGowan SP5
BULLPEN POS
Francisco Cordero RP
Sergio Santos RP
* -- left-handed
# -- switch-hitter
Information courtesy of Mop-Up Duty
THE PICK
4th Place
Best-case scenario: The offseason work of Brett Cecil and Kyle Drabek pays off, and the Jays fashion a strong rotation behind Ricky Romero. On offense, 3B Brett Lawrie blossoms into a star to complement Jose Bautista, and the Jays make the playoffs for the first time since 1993.
Worst-case scenario: Bautista extends his second-half slump (12 HRs after the All-Star break), and core young players such as Lawrie, Drabek and CF Colby Rasmus fail to take the next step. The offseason decision to stay out of the high-end free-agent market buries the Jays in the loaded AL East.
Baltimore Orioles
PROJECTED LINEUP
PLAYER POS
Nolan Reimold LF
Nick Johnson DH
Nick Markakis* RF
Adam Jones CF
Matt Wieters C
J.J. Hardy SS
Mark Reynolds 3B
Chris Davis* 1B
Robert Andino 2B
BENCH POS
Wilson Betemit# IF
Endy Chavez OF
PITCHING
ROTATION POS
Jason Hammel SP1
Wei-Yin Chen* SP2
Tommy Hunter SP3
Brian Matusz* SP4
Jake Arrieta SP5
BULLPEN POS
Matt Lindstrom RP
Jim Johnson RP
* -- left-handed
# -- switch-hitter
Information courtesy of Mop-Up Duty
THE PICK
5th Place
Best-case scenario: Left-handers Brian Matusz and Zach Britton make major strides before the team is crushed under the weight of a powerful division. For the sixth straight year, Baltimore fails to win 70 games; for the 15th straight year, the team has a losing record. Yes, this is the best-case scenario.
Worst-case scenario: Matusz's oblique injury limits the velocity that once made him a top prospect, and Toronto's improvement makes Baltimore even more of an AL East whipping boy than usual. The O's end up breaking the club record (107 in 1988) for losses in a season.