AL East: Are the Rays for Real?
A year ago, Boston, Detroit, and Los Angeles were leading their divisions while Cleveland had the best record among the rest. The Red Sox and the Angels went on to win division titles, the Indians blew past the Tigers in the second half to capture the Central, and New York went to the whip and earned the wild card spot. Boston had the best record in baseball at the All-Star break and won the 2007 World Series by beating the Angels, Indians, and the Colorado Rockies in the postseason.
Tampa Bay owns the best win-loss mark this season. Can the Rays pull a repeat of what the Red Sox accomplished in 2007? By winning seven in a row and 11 of 12, the upstart Rays have now opened up a five-game lead in the East and are now the hottest – if not the best – team in baseball. A 200:1 shot to win it all before the season began, Tampa Bay's odds have dropped to about 11:1 behind only the Red Sox, Cubs and Angels.
In just one year, the Rays have gone from worst to first in the AL. Get this, Tampa Bay's run differential has improved by almost 200 runs or nearly 2.5 per game. It's taken time – a long time – to build this franchise but the average age of the major league team, the strength of the minor league system, and lots of flexibility in payroll suggest the turnaround is for real.
Spring Training picks: 1.Red Sox 2.Yankees 3.Blue Jays 4.Rays 5. Orioles
Current Standing: 1.Rays 2.Red Sox 3.Yankees 4. Orioles 5. Blue Jays
AL Central: Surprise, Surprise
The two Chicago teams are leading their leagues in run differentials. A Windy City World Series may not be what 28 other cities would like to see but would be pretty good for baseball (or so says this lifelong New Yorker). I'm not as surprised by the Cubs as I am by the White Sox I figured them for third in the AL Central. But what do I know? I didn't see it in 2005 either.
Minnesota caught me off guard as well. I picked them for fourth. With a five-game winning streak and an overall record of 50-38, the Twins are only one back of the White Sox. In what appeared to be a rebuilding year, Minnesota finds itself in the thick of things after the July 4th weekend. To think that the Twins would be contending without Johan Santana and Francisco Liriano means the pitching staff is performing at or better than most expectations.
Cleveland has lost eight games in a row and management appears to have called it a season with the reported trade of C.C. Sabathia to the Milwaukee Brewers for 2007 first rounder Matt LaPorta, a former college home run champ at Florida, and three other minor league prospects. The Tribe's run differential is only minus six but when you are behind the Kansas City Royals in the standings and 14 games back of the division leader, it's time to reassess your club's chances. It's hard to fault Cleveland for trading Sabathia, who turned down a four-year, $72 million contract during the spring. Good luck to Milwaukee and/or the team that gives C.C. a five-year, $100 million deal.
Spring Training picks: 1.Indians 2.Tigers 3.White Sox 4.Twins 5. Royals
Current Standing: 1.White Sox 2.Twins 3.Tigers 4. Royals 5. Indians
AL West: Same Old
Six games in front of Oakland, the Angels have the biggest lead of any division leader and probably