AL Preview: Those Darn Yankees

As the March madness odds rages on the sports betting community is giving a casual glance at Major League Baseball and the AL preview of the pennant odds. The Phillies are a strong favorite to win the NL pennant in 2010 at +250, but the New York Yankees are an even stronger favorite to win the AL pennant at +160.

The price per head odds on the Yankees are so strong that not even the departure of Johnny Damon shifted anything. The Yankees have one of the strongest starting rotations in all of baseball anchored by C.C. Sabathia, and they have one of the best closers in the game in Mariano Rivera. You have to go a long way down the Yankee bullpen to find any weaknesses.

At the plate the Yankees’ only weakness is at DH where Nick Johnson currently sits. Look for the Yankees to pick up a big name to fill in that DH position before the season ends. Damon’s ability to get on base will not even be missed as the Yankees have a solid offensive lineup from top to bottom.

The Boston Red Sox are next up at +350 from the odds makers and some severe inconsistencies. When you look at the odds on NCAA basketball you will notice that the consistent teams are usually the favored teams. The Red Sox have a few glaring holes in their line up that will keep them from winning the AL pennant in 2010. David Ortiz is a shell of his former self and poses almost no threat at DH anymore. With Jason Bay gone there is no power in the line up to give Ortiz the chance to flex his muscles anyways.

The Sox had all kinds of problems with their pitching last year including closer Jonathan Papelbon and the oft-injured Daisuke “Dice-K” Matsuzaka. Red Sox Nation knows there are problems when a rotation that includes Josh Beckett and Jon Lester can be tagged as inconsistent. The real problem is with a bullpen that could not hold down leads and a closer that could not finish games.

Last year’s AL West champion Los Angeles Angels are +900 in the AL pennant race, and there is a good chance they will repeat in the West in 2010. But the Yankee pitching mowed down the Angel batters in the playoffs last season, and nowhere was the Angels lack of power depth more obvious than in their 10-1 loss to the Yankees in game 4 of the ALCS. The Angels will lean a lot on Torii Hunter for their power, and with John Lackey out of the starting rotation the Angels will not have enough to get past the Yankees.

The Texas Rangers are +1000 to win the AL pennant and while the Rangers will not win the pennant in 2010, they are still a team that baseball fans should keep a close eye on. The Rangers are young on the mound with a rotation that is still developing, and they have some much needed power at DH with Vlad Guerrro now on board.

Pick: New York Yankees