Oakland Athletics (First Place, 2000)

The Athletics lineup is built around the organizational standards of power and patience. In order for a player to be named minor league player of the month, he must average at least one walk per every 10 plate appearances. This stress upon patience puts many runners on base, and the team then plays for the three-run home run.

Leading the offense is Jason Giambi. Giambi was handed the reins at first base when Mark McGwire was traded in 1997, and he has matured to the point of being the 2000 AL MVP. Around Giambi the A's have put together a modern day murderers' row. Miguel Tejada-arguably the third best shortstop in the AL, behind only Alex Rodriguez and Nomar Garciaparra-has only gotten better over his major league career. At third base Eric Chavez, another slugger, will only get better. The biggest move the A's made in the offseason was obtaining Johnny Damon from the Royals. They had to give up Ben Grieve-the 1998 AL Rookie of the Year-but Damon is one of the best top-of-the-lineup hitters in the game.

While the A's hit with the best of teams, their pitching staff is nearly as formidable. Tim Hudson compiled a 20-6 record in his first full season in the major leagues last year, establishing himself as one of the best pitchers in the AL. Lefty Barry Zito shined in his first major league time last year, and Mark Mulder, another lefty, should add valuable innings for the A's.

The only thing holding the A's back is the market they play in. In Oakland they receive very little fan support, and when their young stars come up for big paydays in the future, they may not be able to afford them.

Seattle Mariners (Second Place, 2000)

The Mariners just can't seem to win. With another offseason over, the Mariners have lost their third star player in as many years. Randy Johnson, Ken Griffey, Jr. and Alex Rodriguez have all left, and the Mariners are obviously worse off because of it.

Filling the hole left by A-Rod in the lineup is impossible. Edgar Martinez continues his late charge for the Hall of Fame. As primarily a DH for the last decade, Martinez has made himself into one of the best hitters in either league. John Olerud and Jay Buhner will surround Martinez in the lineup, and players with such dissimilar hitting styles may be difficult to find. One interesting player to watch this year is right fielder Ichiro Suzuki. Suzuki won seven straight batting titles in Japan, and he is the first position player to make the jump across the Pacific.

The Mariners do have a strong pitching staff. Freddy Garcia, Aaron Sele, and Jamie Moyer are the top three starters and they provide a strong base for the staff. In the bullpen the Mariners have Jeff Nelson-who as a Yankee has been almost unhittable for the last three years-as a setup man, and Kazuhiro Sasaki, who turned heads in his rookie season last year, as their closer.

Ultimately, the Mariners will be searching for offense. As their team stands right now, they don't have the offensive firepower to slug it out with the A's and Rangers.

Anaheim Angels (Third Place, 2000)

While the Rangers and A's made major moves to upgrade their teams, the Angels stood still-effectively taking a step backwards.

Darin Erstad is the leader of the Angels and he provides a spark wherever he plays. In the past he has played first base and left field, and it is uncertain where he will play this season. The Angels have lost their first baseman Mo Vaughn for most of the year, and Erstad may be asked to move back into the infield.

Troy Glaus was the most important part of the Angels lineup last year, and it appears he will be the centerpiece again this year. In a breakout season he led the AL in home runs with 47, and he has been touted as the best third baseman since Mike Schmidt.

Youngster Ramon Ortiz, who beat Pedro Martinez twice last season, is the most exciting pitcher on the Anaheim staff, but I don't think that he is ready to put together a full season at an elite level.

With the development of a strong pitching staff the Angels could compete, but until that point they will not.

Texas Rangers (Fourth Place, 2000)

Don't expect the Rangers to finish last again this season.

Alex Rodriguez's new 10-year, $252 million contract is the biggest in the history of baseball, and surprisingly he might be worth it. Rodriguez has Hall of Fame written all over him at 25 years old, and by adding him to their lineup the Rangers upgraded their team.

Around A-Rod, the Rangers have one of the best lineups in baseball. Pudge Rodriguez is the best all-around catcher in the game. Andres Galarraga and Rafael Palmeiro are both legitimate major league hitters and they will split time at first base and DH; Ken Caminiti, the NL MVP in 1996, was added in the off-season, and when healthy he adds another veteran bat to the lineup.

But not everything is perfect for the Rangers. Rick Helling and Kenny Rogers are solid pitchers at the top of the rotation, but after these two there is a drastic drop. With the loss of John Wetteland, the Rangers have no established closer, and their bullpen is in shambles.

The Rangers won't finish 20 games out of first place this year, but they won't win first place either.