CC Sabathia is the clear workhorse of the Yankees pitching staff, falling just short of another 20-win season in 2011 with a record of 19-8 and a 3.00 earned run average. New York also got surprising production last season out of catcher Russell Martin, who hit 18 homers with an OPS of .732 and made the All-Star Game for the first time since 2008.
The Red Sox have the luxury of choosing between two pitchers that fit the description of an "ace." Jon Lester may be just as good, but Josh Beckett has been the leader of this pitching staff for several years and had another solid season in 2011 with a record of 13-7 and a 2.87 ERA. Jarrod Saltalamacchia took over full-time catching duties in 2011 and had a productive season at the plate. Saltalamacchia hit 16 home runs, drove in 56 runs and had a .737 OPS.
David Price had a down year by his standards in 2011, posting a record of just 12-13 with a 3.49 ERA. However, there's no reason to expect anything other than a bounce-back year from the 26-year old lefty who finished second in Cy Young Award voting just two years ago. His battery partner, Jose Molina, has bounced around the majors for several years now, but appears to have the starting job going into spring training.
The Rays will be the third AL East team that Molina has caught for after spending some time with the Yankees and Blue Jays in past seasons. He caught 55 games for the Jays in 2011 with a career-high .757 OPS.
The Blue Jays' battery consists of two young players that had impressive breakout seasons in 2011. Ricky Romero had his second straight solid season with a 15-11 record and 2.92 ERA in his third year at the major league level. Behind the dish, J.P. Arencibia hit 23 home runs and drove in 78 runs. Both Romero and Arencibia have plenty of upside in the upcoming 2012 campaign.
While the Orioles don't have a ton of things to optimistic about, their top battery offers some encouraging promise. Zach Britton and Matt Wieters were two highly touted prospects when they entered the league and it's far too early to say that they won't reach their full potential. Britton struggled in his 2011 rookie season and produced a record of 11-11 and a 4.61 ERA, and enters the spring with shoulder troubles. However, he's just 24 years old and has too much talent to not become a reliable big league starter.
Wieters came into the league with tremendous hype surrounding him. The hype has died down, but he's merely beginning to come into his own. Wieters made his first All-Star Game in 2011 and won the Gold Glove award at catcher in the American League. Wieters had 22 home runs and an OPS of .778 and at just 25 years old, could be on the verge of stardom in 2012.
