AL Central Preview

So it's been a few days - I got sidetracked by opening day and the NHL playoffs (the second best in pro sports, only to the run to the World Series, and not by much).  The AL Central is by far the easiest division to call - it's the Tigers and everyone else.  Only one team to the post season here this season.

JQ's Preseason Picks (or maybe early season picks)
1. Detroit Tigers
2. Kansas City Royals
3. Cleveland Indians
4. Minnesota Twins
5. Chicago White Sox

1. Detroit Tigers
What's not to like about Detroit's club?  Two of the best hitters in the game in Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrerra, a gamer in Austin Jackson, and decent bats at every spot on the field.  You've got the #1 arm in the game right now in Justin Verlander, and some other good pieces to back him up.  The bullpen is probably the weakest part of the the team, but with a lineup like this, there shouldn't be too many close leads to protect.  If there's a 100 win team out there this year, I'd say Detroit is the safest bet.

2. Kansas City Royals

KC hosts the All-Star Game in 2012

Yessireee.  This could finally be the year that KC breaks the .500 mark and gets over 80 wins.  Although most of the quality arms are still in the minors, the Royals may have just enough starting pitching to get them over the hump - and make no mistake, that's where the team's biggest weakness lies.  Jonathan Sanchez was a great off-season pickup, and maybe Luke Hochevar can finally deliver this season.  Mix in Bruce Chen, Danny Duffy, and Luis Mendoza (plus a call-up or two), and maybe this team can break into the positive numbers this year.  Even without Joakim Soria, the 'pen should be stout, and they have some bats all over the place - Alex Gordon, Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer, Lorenzo Cain, Billy Butler...hell, even Jeff Francour can hit (if he can make contact).  I can't stand Yuniesky Bentancourt - why this team picked him up is beyond me.  I'd rather put the mascot out at second base personally...but hey, it is still the Royals.

3. Cleveland Indians
Cleveland's season all come down to injuries and visa issues.  Can Sizemore stay healthy?  Doesn't look like it.  Can the player formerly known as Fausto Carmona make it across the border?  Doesn't look like it.  Can Johnny Damon show some pop and hit 20 HR for the Tribe?  Don't count on it.  Can Carlos Santana and Asdrubal Cabrerra carry the team offensively?  Maybe.  Can Ubaldo Jimenez stay un-suspended for an entire season?  No way in hell.  The only reason Cleveland isn't sitting at the bottom of this division is because someone has to finish third.

4. Minnesota Twins
See above, minus the visa issues.  Mauer and Morneau will each have to have monster years for this club to break .500.  Even then, the Twins have a much bigger issue: NO PITCHING.  Tough to win when you headline your rotation with Carl Pavano and Francisco Liriano.  With Scott Baker making his exit to the DL already this year, the load shift over the guys like Jason Marquis....yeah, that's just not gonna work.  If the pitching isn't bad enough, guys like Jamey Carroll and Josh Willingham are nice role players, but not cornerstones to a lineup if Morneau and Mauer struggle.

5. Chicago White Sox
There's just too many question marks for the White Sox this year -- it really says something to be picked to finish behind the Twins, Indians, and Royals for this club.  Paul Konerko can rake (one of the most underrated hitters of the past 2-3 years), but that's about it.  Pierzynski is past his prime, Alex Rios just looks like a huge bust, and the pitching staff will likely be gone by the end of the year (if the club can even find any takers).  It will be a miracle if this team even finishes better than the Cubs.

AL West Preview

Time to head to the American League, and to start things out here on a Tuesday, a look at the AL West.

For the record, the top two teams in this division are as safe of playoff bets as they get, and the bottom two don't have a chance in hell in my book.

JQ's Preseason Picks:
1. LA Angels
2. Texas Rangers
3. Seattle Mariners
4. Oakland A's

1. LA Angels

CJ Wilson helps LA

Sure, they get the biggest free agent prize of the century in Albert Pujols, but CJ Wilson might be the more important pickup for the Halos.  He's not a bona-fide ace, but the Angels didn't need one - they already had a great 1-2 punch in-house with Jered Weaver and Danny Haren, who is the most underrated player in the bigs in my opinion.  Add CJ Wilson at #3, and Ervin Santana at #4, and you've got a dynamite rotation.  While I think Wilson was overpaid (but who's not these days), he adds the strength to the middle of the rotation that LA has been lacking.  With a lineup that includes Pujols, LA will be a sure bet to make the post season.

2. Texas Rangers
Texas won't be far behind LA when it's all said and done, but their pitching depth just isn't quite what the Halos' have.  I don't blame Texas for taking a chance on Yu Darvish, but he miserable track record of Japanese pitchers speaks for itself.  Every sign points to Darvish being the exception, but I'll take the "wait and see" approach.  The Rangers boast an impressive lineup with Josh Hamilton being somewhat of an injury risk, but he's a top 10 player when he's healthy.  Not much else has changed for the Rangers, and I have no reason to think they'll see much of a fall-off this year.  The only difference in the Angels out-spending them this offseason and making the leap.

3. Seattle Mariners
Take your pick 3-4 in this division.  It won't much matter, as neither team is playoff worthy this season.  The Mariners are probably closer than the A's are this year - prying Jesus Montero away from the Yankees was a huge victory for the M's.  They still have Ichiro, and are hoping to get major-bounce back efforts from Justin Smoak and Chone Figgins.  Dustin Ackley has shown a lot of promise, and Miguel Olivo is coming off a decent season behind the dish.  But, once you get past King Felix in the rotation, there's just not much there.  When you list Kevin Millwood as your #3 starter, you've got a problem.

4. Oakland A's
Well, we're still waiting for the Moneyball philosophy to net a World Series title in Oakland, and it 'aint gonna be this year.  The lineup is a patchwork-affair, headlined by newcomers Yoenis Cedpedes and Josh Reddick, and a bunch of guys that a probably past their prime (or never really had one) - Coco Crisp, Kurt Suzuki, etc.  Really, it's the same story as Seattle: when Bartolo Colon is your #2, even coming off a great year, you've got a suspect rotation.

Coming soon to a blog near you: A look at the AL Central.    

Brew Review 3/30 - Harp

If there's one thing in life as much as my fiancé Christina and sports radio, it's a cold beer on a Friday night.  For this week's Brew Review, I take a look at Harp Lager, one of my favorites right now.

The Stats:
Est. Calories: 127
ABV: 4.3 %

The JQ Review:

I'll just lead off by saying nothing beats a good Irish beer around St. Paddy's Day.  While Harp may not be the best Irish beer in the world (heck, I haven't tried them all yet!), it rates pretty high in my book.

If you're looking for something to compare it to, it's a tough call without digging into some micro-brews that I've tried.  It's got a little bit of bite that you would find in a pale ale, yet the smooth finish of a traditional lager.

I'd call it a "pale lager" for those very reasons.

When trying to describe Harp, I'd say it's got sort of a fresh, springy finish with just enough hints of hops to scare off those that don't like the bite.  But, unlike a traditional pale ale, it goes down smooth has a great finish.  It's light only in the sense that it won't fill you up like a dark amber ale or a wheat beer.

I'd highly recommend Harp to everyone - one of the better Irish lagers available.

THE JQ Rating: 8.5/10