Odds on Favorites in the AL East ... Place Your Betts

     With the recent acquisition of starting pitcher and ace of the staff David Price, the future of the Boston Red Sox does look bright, but Price won't be the only reason. There can be no doubt that David Ortiz, with his playful antics and clutch home runs helps. Another addition of the elite closer Craig Kimbrel shutting the door on the opposition will indeed add more wins in that column. Those three will help to establish the Red Sox as possibly the team to beat in the AL East. But the man that may lead this charge by making the most impact, is the heir to the throne of Red Sox nation: Mookie Betts.

     At just 23 years young, Betts is slotted to be the everyday outfielder. He has shown versatility in the infield and is on the verge of breaking loose. Last year Mookie batted .291, had 18 home runs, 77 RBI, 21 SB, and scored 92 runs. Betts racked up 174 hits on the year, 42 of which were doubles and eight were triples. It seemed the 2015 season was Betts' coming out party, with his minor league stats proving that there is much more left in the tank. Consistently batting over .300 while swiping as many as 38 bags, Betts has room to grow. Hitting for average, while also having power and speed makes him a formidable foe for the opposing pitchers.

      Mookie Betts was a 6.0 WAR player in 2015, putting him in the top 20 players in all of baseball. He shares that spotlight with names like former NL MVP Buster Posey and young stud Anthony Rizzo. Betts is in good company with these men, the top echelon in all of the game. Heads up Major League Baseball, Mookie Betts is here and he is putting  the AL East on notice.