The Orioles didn't have a great run differential in 2012, but they still made the playoffs with a 93-69 record in large part thanks to an excellent bullpen and homer-happy offense. Can they repeat the magic in 2013?
The Tampa Bay Rays can be offensively challenged at times, especially when Evan Longoria isn't in the lineup. Can they score enough runs in 2013 to support their excellent pitching staff? Or will they flail their way to another third place finish in the brutal AL East?
The Toronto Blue Jays made a series of offseason moves that have them sitting atop an AL East that is crumbling around them. Can they make good on the promise of a special 2013 season, or will they be just another high-priced also-ran in the AL playoff picture?
The Red Sox made a few key offseason acquisitions to strengthen the incredibly raw team that finished the 2012 season, but make no mistake: they're trying to build a contender from the ground up.
It's easy to point at the Oakland Athletics' 94 wins last year and think "overachievers," but the numbers suggest that they weren't too far off. Add in a couple upgrades at key positions and you have the makings of a contender.
The injury bug and free agency have wreaked havoc on the Rangers' pitching staff this offseason, but they are still a playoff caliber team with a bright future ahead.
The Los Angeles Angels were the media darlings to win it all in 2012. Now that the pressure has shifted elsewhere -- namely, Toronto -- the Angels can go about dominating the AL West in 2013 like they were supposed to last season.
The Seattle Mariners have a great farm system and a good group of young players, but is there enough talent here to compete with the rest of the AL West?
The Houston Astros are in rebuilding mode as they transition to the American League, a combination that could result in a long 2013 season for Astros fans.
The Nationals led the MLB in wins last season, but still aggressively pursued upgrades to their roster this offseason in hopes of being even better in 2013.
The Atlanta Braves made a couple of high-profile offseason moves to improve their team, but will they be enough to overtake the Washington Nationals in the National League East?
The injury-plagued Phillies finished with a .500 record in 2012. If they can stay healthy in 2013 (and they will need to), they could challenge for a playoff spot in the National League East.
The New York Mets might not be very good this season, but their future looks bright with a few good young players gaining experience at the big league level along with plenty of talent in the higher levels of the minor leagues.
The Miami Marlins might not contend for the division, but they might be dangerous enough to threaten the Tigers' playoff chances in a late September interleague series in Miami.
Pittsburgh Pirates GM Neal Huntington has quietly built the Pirates into a dark horse contender with home grown talent and a couple of shrewd acquisitions for veteran pitchers. While this may not be enough to get them over the hump this season, the Pirates' window will be opening soon.
Before we get into team-by-team previews of the Tigers' opponents this year, let's take a quick look at the other teams in the National League vying to be World Series runners-up in 2013.
