AL PREVIEW

Teams in order of predicted order; records from 2016

West Division

1. Houston (84-78, 3rd) Manager: A.J. Hinch, fifth season, third with Astros (259-277) The skinny: A disappointment last season, Astros added C Brian McCann, DH Carlos Beltran and RF Josh Reddick to accompany MVP candidate SS Carlos Correa, batting champ 2B Jose Altuve and on-base whiz CF George Springer. … We’ll see if it’s enough to warrant that Sports Illustrated cover story from 2014 (“Your 2017 World Series Champs”) . ... Rotation needs to pick it up, starting with comeback season by LH Dallas Keuchel, who posted 4.55 ERA.

2. Texas (95-67, 1st) Manager: Jeff Banister, third season (183-141) The skinny: Winning the West a third straight year is a lot to ask of a team that went 36-11 in one-run games. … Helps to have a full season of C Jonathan Lucroy, who arrived at trade deadline, but the loss of OF Ian Desmond and 1B Mitch Moreland, coming off a down year, might be noticeable. Good thing RH Yu Darvish and LH Cole Hamels head rotation.

3. Seattle (86-76, 2nd) Manager: Scott Servais, second season (86-76) The skinny: It’s baseball’s busiest team (18 players on the 40-man roster weren’t in the organization last year), but there’s no conga line of new stars. Biggest newcomer: SS Jean Segura, coming off a career year. Foundation remains RH Felix Hernandez, 2B Robinson Cano, DH Nelson Cruz and 3B Kyle Seager, a good start. … For longest postseason drought in majors to end (no playoffs since 2001, zero World Series appearances), the Mariners need a rotation lift beyond King Felix. Are you listening, Hisashi Iwakuma, James Paxton, Drew Smyly and Yovani Gallardo?

4. A’s (69-93, 5th) Manager: Bob Melvin, 14th season, seventh with A’s (955-955) The skinny: All about whether the rotation, without RH Sonny Gray for now, can succeed over the long haul. All eyes on RHs Kendall Graveman and Jharel Cotton and LH Sean Manaea. … Goal is to continue developing young hitters, but three jobs were filled with veteran newcomers: OFs Rajai Davis and Matt Joyce and 3B Trevor Plouffe. We’ll see where that leaves Ryon Healy, a pleasant surprise at 3B in second half last season.

5. Los Angeles (74-88, 4th) Manager: Mike Scioscia, 18th season (1,490-1,264) The skinny: Perhaps one of these years Mike Trout, baseball’s premier player, will know what October baseball is like. Angels have appeared in three playoff games on his watch (all losses). Trade Trout? Ridiculous, right? Right?. … Albert Pujols is 37, had foot surgery in December and is midway into a 10-year contract. Odds are not in his or Angels’ favor.

Central Division

1. Cleveland (94-67, 1st) Manager: Terry Francona, 17th season, fifth with Indians (1,3811,210) The skinny: AL champs signed DH/1B Edwin Encarnacion for $65 million over three years, a big surprise, and hope to complete unfinished business, winning the World Series. They reached Game 7 last year without rotation RHs Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar, and OF Mike Brantley. They’re all healthy. … Watch how Francona uses his fascinating LH Andrew Miller/RH Cody Miller combo in bullpen.

2. Detroit (86-75, 2nd) Manager: Brad Ausmus, fourth season (250-234) The skinny: Tigers are running out of chances. The nucleus is not getting younger. RH Justin Verlander, 1B Miguel Cabrera, DH Victor Martinez and 2B Ian Kinsler are mainstays, but a slow start could trigger major trade talk. … Pretty soon, the Tigers need to engage in a youth movement; it’ll help with RH Michael Fulmer, last year’s Rookie of Year, aboard.

3. Kansas City (81-81, 3rd) Manager: Ned Yost, 14th season, eighth with Royals (1,006-1,052) The skinny: Went from winning World Series in 2015 to posting a .500 record in 2016 to cutting payroll in 2017. If decline continues, expect a fire sale. Trade of closer Wade Davis to the Cubs could be the first of many major moves. … Eligible for free agency next winter: 1B Eric Hosmer, CF Lorenzo Cain, 3B Mike Moustakas and SS Alcides Escobar.

4. Minnesota (59-103, 5th) Manager: Paul Molitor, third season (142-182) The skinny: Majors’ worst team can go only up, right? It’s a benefit to play in a division in which there’s no clear-cut secondplace team. For what it’s worth, the Twins were a winning team two short years ago. … Joe Mauer, who turns 34 in April, hit a career-low .261 in a career-low 103 games. Former superstar C officially is pedestrian 1B.

5. Chicago (78-84, 4th) Manager: Rick Renteria, second season, first with White Sox (73-89) The skinny: After the North Siders won the World Series, the South Siders gave up and traded for a bunch of impressive prospects, sending LH Chris Sale to Boston and OF Adam Eaton to Washington. Suddenly, there’s a future. … The crown jewel is INF Yoan Moncada, maybe the game’s top prospect, who’ll soon be a force in the majors.

East Division

1. Boston (93-69, 1st) Manager: John Farrell, seventh season, fifth with Red Sox (493479) The skinny: The skinny on 3B Pablo Sandoval? Not a laughing matter. Panda seems in good shape and focused on a successful comeback. … With LH Chris Sale joining reigning Cy Young winner RH Rick Porcello and LH David Price, who’s opening on the DL, it’s the majors’ most dynamic rotation. Another newcomer, 1B Mitch Moreland, doesn’t hit like the retired David Ortiz, but plays defense well.

2. New York (84-78, 4th) Manager: Joe Girardi, 11th season, 10th with Yankees (897723) The skinny: New Yankees have arrived, and it’s not a dismal future if C Gary Sanchez (20 homers, 53 games) is any indication. No longer are the Yankees a bunch of old-timers. Just these two: DH Matt Holliday, 37, and CC Sabathia, 36. LH Sabathia is in the final year of his contract, and RH Masahiro Tanaka can opt out after the season. …LH Aroldis Chapman is back to anchor the bullpen after the Cubs borrowed him to win the World Series.

3. Toronto (89-73, T 2nd)

Manager: John Gibbons, 10th season (644-614; did not manage 2009-12)

The skinny: Losing DH Edwin Encarnacion is a blow even if the new DH is Kendrys Morales. RF Jose Bautista was re-signed late in winter, but he’s 36 and coming off a down year. Still standing strong: 3B Josh Donaldson and SS Troy Tulowitzki. … The rotation had the league’s lowest ERA. Marcus Stroman, who pitched beautifully in the WBC title game, lines up at No. 3 — behind RH Marco Estrada and LH J.A. Happ and ahead of LH Francisco Lirano and reigning ERA champ RH Aaron Sanchez.

4. Baltimore (89-73, T 2nd) Manager: Buck Showalter, 19th season, eighth with Orioles (1,429-1,315) The skinny: Enough with the criticism of Showalter for not pitching RH closer Zach Britton in the wild-card loss to Toronto. Buck had a heck of a year, winning 89 games despite a rotation with the league’s thirdworst ERA. That rotation hasn’t improved. … 3B Manny Machado is a top-5 must-see player, tremendously gifted on all fronts, though he somehow went from 20 steals in 2015 to zero last year.

5. Tampa Bay (68-94, 5th) Manager: Kevin Cash, third season (148-176) The skinny: How long will this down cycle continue? At least another year. These aren’t your Joe Maddon Rays. … 3B Evan Longoria remains the resident star. CF Kevin Kiermaier is a two-time Gold Glover . ... RH Chris Archer had a down year after earning a 2015 All-Star berth. SS Matt Duffy continues to have left heel problems and remains shelved.