The Red Sox Will Win the AL East

There it is, my prediction, in a headline and everything for posterity and no deniability. I made a good faith effort to talk myself out of it using shallow, anecdotal analysis. But now that's my story.

To recap:

Part I: A solid staff that wants to win.
Part II: No fielders for the ages, but no liabilities.
Part III: This team is loaded. There are bench players who would bat third on some teams.
Part IV: Valentine won't blow it.

I will not pick the playoffs, yet. I'd rather see how the season shakes out. Detroit, for example, is not going to get 25 wins out of Verlander again. In other words I'm far too likely to be wrong.

But on this, I am correct. Want one more factor working in favor of the Sox winning the division? They don't even have to.