AL East

It's often said that baseball, with its 162-game schedule, is "a sprint, not a marathon." You have to put together a full body of work, so records on May 1 are often ignored.

Every year, a handful of teams that weren't expected to contend begin the season with a blazing start. The media furor begins, and somebody's crowned the next Cinderella story of baseball.

After missing out on signing free-agent Cliff Lee and the retirement of veteran left-hander Andy Pettitte, the Yankees focused on improving their pitching in the later innings.

So far, so good.

After aces CC Sabathia and Justin Verlander battled to a 3-3 tie through six innings, the bullpens entered for both sides.

It's here! It's finally here! The day all baseball fans begin counting down towards once pitchers and catchers report in February: Opening Day! Hope springs eternal for all 30 teams and their fans.

Maybe this will be the year the Twins finally get over the hump and win a playoff series. This may be the year we see the first $300 million player in Albert Pujols and maybe this will be the year that somebody knocks Roy Halladay off as the best pitcher in the game today platform.

All 30 teams set out with the same goal, but in the end, only one team can achieve it.

Which begs the question; which team will it be?

The revamped Red Sox or the pitching-rich Phillies? Or will the Yankees pounce from the weeds to win a 28th Title? Will the Rangers avenge their loss in the Series last year, or will the Giants repeat?

How it all plays out is anyone's guess. I've taken a shot in the dark and tried to forecast what happens this October.

Before I get to my predictions for the postseason, I'll fill you in to how I see the pennant race playing out.

The expectations for the Toronto Blue Jays have not been this high since the mid-90’s.

With a team that finished 85-77 and in fourth place in a difficult AL East in 2010, which ended up being about 15 wins better than what was supposed to happen, the leap to the next level in 2011 is a dream that fans in Toronto are hoping becomes a reality.

BALTIMORE ORIOLES 

Last year: 66-96, 5th place in AL East 

Manager: Buck Showalter 

PROJECTED LINEUP: 

C- Matt Wieters (S)

1B- Derrek Lee (R)

2B- Brian Roberts (S) 

3B- Mark Reynolds (R)

SS- JJ Hardy (R)

LF- Luke Scott (L) 

CF- Adam Jones (R) 

RF- Nick Markakis (L)

DH- Vladimir Guerrero (R)

Here's the situation: Jake Fox of the Baltimore Orioles came to the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning with his team up by 10 in a spring training game on Monday.

The Orioles' catcher, who had not made the team at the time, had the audacity to swing at a 3-0 pitch with runners on second and third and no outs.

At the young age of 25, David Price has already started in an All-Star game, pitched in the World Series and finished runner-up in the 2010 Cy Young voting. 

Baltimore Orioles (2010 record: 66-96)

Two words: Buck Showalter.

His hiring meant instant credibility for a moribund franchise. He brought energy, intensity, knowledge and savvy to the baseball diamond and the clubhouse…and he directed the team to a 34-23 finish after his arrival in Charm City—the second-best record in the AL during that 57-game stretch.

After 13 consecutive losing seasons, there is hope once again around Camden Yards.

Mark Teixeira is a notorious slow starter. His lifetime batting average in March and April is .235. He’s a .294 hitter in the other months. He hits a home run every 27 at-bats in March and April. He homers every 15.8 at-bats in the other months. His early batting averages the past two years have been dreadful.

2010:  .136, two HRs