Sizing up the AL East-3B

Alright, it's time for the 3B edition of Sizing up the AL East:

Yankees-Alex Rodriguez

Currently the best 3rd baseman in the game. One of a kind hitter that I'm glad I got to see play. He hits for power, average, has good speed, and even a good glove. Having the year he had while people called it a down year, I think, is a testament to his talent. It looks like he has streaks of a great year followed by a "dissapointing" year. Well, last year was dissapointing, and the Yankees just introduced Texiera, the man who will be protecting A-Rod in the lineup. Expect a monster season from A-Rod. He gets a 9.

Red Sox-Mike Lowell

Lowell had a bad season last year, especially after his excellent 2007 season. It didn't help that he got limited batting time behind the plate because of his 2 DL stints. He won't repeat 2007, and Lowell is not getting any younger. But he is a pretty good player. Not great, but you can rely on him to get 20HR, 90 RBI and have a .280 BA. He also has a plus glove, but he gets a 6.

Devil Rays-Evan Longoria

Wow. This guy rocketed into the big leagues, and looked like a fish in water. If he had played a full season, he, most likely, would have gotten 35HR and 100RBI. In his first major league season! His BA was a bit low, but I expect that will go up in his second year. It isn't unlikely that he'll pull a Pedroia, and win ROY and MVP back to back, because all the scouting reports while he was in the Minors were true. Excellent slugging percentage, HR, RBI numbers. Looks a little like A-Rod, but since he's a bit unproven and only one season into his career, he gets an 8.

Yankees:9pts       Red Sox:6pts       Devil Rays:8pts

So here come the standings:

NYY: 30pts

BOS: 27pts

Rays:24pts

Coming up: C