AL preview: Everybody's chasing the defending-champion Astros, star-studded Yankees

The Yankees led the American League in homers (241) and finished second in runs per game (5.30) last season. They have added another slugger, picking up Giancarlo Stanton from Miami. He led the majors in homers last season with 59, seven more than new teammate Aaron Judge.

For Boone, the club revolves around another player. He wants catcher Gary Sanchez to take a central role.

Sanchez, at 25, is part of the Yankees' anticipated next Core Four along with first baseman Greg Bird, infielder Gleyber Torres and right-hander Luis Severino. Boone considers it vital to cultivate a relationship with Sanchez.

"Catcher is such an important position," Boone said. "It has a chance to impact like no other position with things that don't necessarily show up in the stat column."

Sanchez had 33 homers last season, giving him 53 in his first 177 major league games. The Yankees believe Bird will soon join the 30-homers club. His left-handed swing is ideal for Yankee Stadium.

Sanchez's defense needs improvement. He costs his pitchers strikes with a rough receiving style. The Yankees had 53 wild pitches with Sanchez in the game. He also led major-league catchers in errors with 13.

"What's exciting about our team is the young talent that's there, the passion these guys play with," Boone said. "These are real high-character guys, guys that are going to impact our clubhouse in a positive way."

Torres, acquired from the Chicago Cubs in the Aroldis Chapman deal, has the biggest upside of the core group. He is an excellent fielder who makes good contact and has the potential to produce big power numbers.

Boston won the division last season. It seems as if the Red Sox are now chasing the Yankees.

"We're going to try to beat the Yankees, no matter what they do," Boston general manager Dave Dombrowski told the Boston Herald. "It's a challenge, a good challenge."

THE FORECAST

1. NEW YORK YANKEES — The power is obvious, but do not forget this club allowed only 4.07 runs per game last season, second-lowest total in the league. The lineup is loaded with strikeouts, which can produce some team-wide slumps.

2. BOSTON RED SOX — Hard to believe the Red Sox won 93 games and the division last season with an un-Boston type offense. They ranked last in the league for homers and next-to-last in slugging percentage. J.D. Martinez, who had 45 homers last season, will be counted on to fill the power void.

3. TORONTO BLUE JAYS — If starters J.A. Happ and Aaron Sanchez bounce back to their 2016 form, the Jays can compete for a wild-card spot. If they do not, it will be a long summer in Ontario. The Jays should start looking for a new shortstop. Troy Tulowitzki looks to be finished at age 33.

4. BALTIMORE ORIOLES — Shortstop Manny Machado should be the player around whom the Orioles build. Instead, Machado has one foot out the door as the Orioles look to trade him before he reaches free agency. Right-hander Dylan Bundy is a fly-ball pitcher whose home park penalizes that style.

5. TAMPA BAY RAYS — The trade of third baseman Evan Longoria, the club's best player, signaled another teardown is underway. The Rays are speeding toward a losing record for the fourth time in the last five seasons. How long until they trade No. 1 starter Chris Archer?

AL CENTRAL

The Cleveland Indians are living proof good things can happen when a club identifies a core and stays with it.

This will be Terry Francona's sixth season as Cleveland's manager. The Indians have had five consecutive winning seasons, reaching 102 wins last year. They have been to the playoffs three times and took the Chicago Cubs the distance in the 2016 World Series.

There has been a churn of the roster. There always is.

But many of the key elements from Francona's first season remain: ace right-hander Corey Kluber, second baseman Jason Kipnis and outfielder Michael Brantley.

The Indians also seamlessly worked in young talent such as gifted 24-year-old shortstop Francisco Lindor, 25-year-old third baseman Jose Ramirez and 25-year-old center fielder Bradley Zimmer. The Kluber group eventually will give way to the Lindor-Ramirez led core.

"We've had that core," Francona said. "I think it's an advantage."

The Indians have dominated the Central, where Minnesota is the only other team that seems interested in winning. Cleveland went 50-26 in the Central last season. In the last two years combined, the Indians are 99-53 in the division and 97-74 against all other teams.

"Your goal is you respect who's out in front of you," Minnesota manager Paul Molitor said. "We've seen Cleveland the last couple of years. ... You have to try to find a way to chase them down."

Molitor added Cleveland will have a different look this season. The Indians lost first baseman Carlos Santana and set-up reliever Bryan Shaw, two key pieces for the last few seasons.

The Indians added Yonder Alonso to take Santana's spot. Replacing Shaw will be more difficult. He led the bullpen with 76 2/3 innings and had 29 saves and holds in 32 chances.

THE FORECAST

1. CLEVELAND INDIANS — Kluber is 36-13 with a 2.71 ERA and 10.6 strikeouts per nine seasons for the last two regular seasons. Kluber and right-hander Carlos Carrasco give the Indians a 1-2 rotation punch that no one in the Central can come close to matching. Losing streaks will be rare for the Indians.

2. MINNESOTA TWINS — The Twins have the division's most dynamic player in 24-year-old center fielder Byron Buxton. If Buxton's offense catches up to his defense, he can win an MVP. Minnesota helped a thin rotation by picking up right-hander Jake Odorizzi in Tampa Bay's fire sale but is one arm short.

3. CHICAGO WHITE SOX — After five consecutive losing seasons, the White Sox are loaded with young talent obtained through tear-it-down deals. The next step is to develop the core of young added players, such as 22-year-old second baseman Yoan Moncada and 23-year-old right-hander Lucas Giolito.

4. KANSAS CITY ROYALS — The Royals had their run, winning two consecutive American League pennants and taking the World Series in 2015. They are in the rebuilding stage of the small-market cycle now. Middle infielder Adalberto Mondesi and designated hitter Jorge Soler are the verge of going from top prospects to busts.

5. DETROIT TIGERS — The Tigers lost 98 games last season. The total will rise as the club begins a rebuilding program that should have started several years ago. The process starts with the introduction of third baseman Jeimer Candelario to the lineup and slugging outfielder Christin Stewart likely to arrive around midseason.

AL WEST

Center fielder Mike Trout arrived in the majors in 2011 at age 19. He has won the American League Most Valuable Player award twice and finished second three times.

And his team, the Los Angeles Angels, has been to the playoffs only once in that span and did not win a game.

The Angels are guilty of not building a core around an ideal centerpiece player in Trout. They get another chance with Shohei Ohtani, the 23-year-old Japanese two-way standout.

With Ohtani, there is the air of a great experiment around the Angels.

Ohtani could be the first player since Babe Ruth, in 1918, to have 100 innings pitched and 200 at-bats in a season.

The Angels also are considering going to a six-man rotation to keep Ohtani on his schedule in Japan. There have been attempts at a six-man rotation over brief periods in the majors but never for a full season.

"I sure hope it's not an experiment," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "I don't know if we want to be experimenting with a championship run.

"We have a real good idea that Shohei's going to be able to do things that we're going ask him to do. Hopefully, it's going to lead us to a championship. He's going to be part of that."

To do that, the Angels need Ohtani the hitter as much as Ohtani the pitcher.

The Angels ranked 11th in the American League for runs per game last season at 4.38. They were also next-to-last in homers (186) and last for slugging percentage (.397) and OPS (.712).

That is why the Angels sweetened the deal by adding an extra year to the contract of left fielder Justin Upton, who had the opt-out option. He had seven homers in 27 games after being acquired from Detroit and has more than 25 homers in five consecutive seasons.

"There's a need for offense on our club, that's for sure," Scioscia said.

THE FORECAST

1. HOUSTON ASTROS — The Astros kept their core together and have a strong chance at becoming the first team to win consecutive World Series since the New York Yankees in 1999-2000. Houston did not retain players who accounted for only six at-bats and 1 2/3 innings pitched in the World Series.

2. LOS ANGELES ANGELS — The additions of second baseman Ian Kinsler and Zack Cozart, switching from shortstop to third, make a good defensive club even better. They combine with superb shortstop Andrelton Simmons, who had the best runs-saved score in the majors according to The Fielding Bible at 32, and Gold Glove-winning catcher Martin Maldonado.

3. TEXAS RANGERS — No matter how many starters they use, the Rangers face a rotation shortfall. The projected six-man rotation combined for 44 wins last season. Only three of the projected starters — Cole Hamels, Matt Moore and Martin Perez — worked 100 innings. The Rangers have not made it from start to finish with the same closer during manager Jeff Banister's three seasons.

4. SEATTLE MARINERS — The Mariners have the longest current streak without a playoff appearance at 16 seasons. There is no reason to see that changing this season. The constant roster churning by general manager Jerry DiPoto has kept the club from building continuity. A full season from left-hander James Paxton would help.

5. OAKLAND A's — The Athletics are headed to their fourth consecutive last-place finish. The franchise last did that in 1940-43, while in Philadelphia. Oakland is a terrible defensive team, particularly in the outfield and at shortstop. Those four spots were a -45 for runs saved last season according to The Fielding Bible, worst score in the majors.