It’s not all about the Red Sox, you know. Let’s check out the standings around the major leagues and what’s going on with each team. Records are prior to the completion of all May 29 games.
AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST
Boston 30-18 Defense is the name of the game for the BoSox, who have an above average offense and pitching staff to go along with the best D in the game, which will almost always assure you first place.
New York (A) 29-20 The injury bug, which critics have cried about for years now, are surfacing along with a disturbing lack of pitching and positional player depth.
Toronto 27-22 An up and coming team with good all-around abilities, they’re a team to be feared and are only a few pieces away from truly becoming a team to be feared. (Not apprehensive about – feared.)
Baltimore 23-28 Showing improvement, they’d be over .500 if it wasn’t for their 1-8 series showing against Boston. If they can luck into a premier free agent or two next year, they could make a push for the Wild Card. For this year, it’s all about getting over .500.
Tampa Bay 21-30 Team is still showing their losing ways, but make no mistake about it – they’re a different team, and the only direction they’re going in from hereinout is up.
AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL
Detroit 35-16 This team keeps finding ways to win, and it looks like they’re for real. A tailoff can be expected over the course of the season, but their hot start almost guarantees they’ll be in it to the end. They lead the major leagues in pitching ERA, and the impending BOS/DET matchup should be very interesting.
Chicago (A) 33-17 The defending World Champions are back at it again with Javier Vazquez and Jim Thome added to the team, making them even more dangerous. A real possibility to repeat as champions, they are right now the one AL opponent no one wants to face.
Cleveland 24-26 The Indians weren’t supposed to be in this situation, but it’s hardly surprising, when they traded Coco Crisp and filled the Kevin Millwood/Scott Elarton holes with Paul Byrd and Jason Johnson. They’ll win, but they’ll do it next year with the White Sox and Tigers all jockeying for supremacy. By the way, when are they calling up Jeremy Guthrie – 3-0, 34 IP in AAA in 6 games started with a 0.53 ERA?
Minnesota 23-26 Rebounding from a horrendous start, maybe they won’t be the sellers at the trade deadline everyone expected to, even though it may be in their best interest to go through a small retool now that the Tigers, Indians, and White Sox look like they’ll be hanging around for a while.
Kansas City 11-37 An inept team with inept management and an inept owner, it’s going to take years for this club to be turned around. It starts with the right GM … will they make the right choice this time?
AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST
Texas 26-24 You can’t say they’re comfortably in first, but they’re in first with second place four games under .500. This race is by no means over, but the Rangers are in a good position and are finally starting to address their pitching woes.
Oakland 23-27 Not a very good start for the Athletics, but one thing we’ve learned over the last few years is that Oakland loves the All-Star Break, because that means it’s time for their major push.
Seattle 22-30 20th in the majors in runs scored, if Seattle’s offensive comes around, they have a real shot at finishing the season above .500. For now, they’ll scuffle near the bottom of the division in wins and at the top in hot trade rumors for Ichiro.
Los Angeles (A) 21-29 It just goes to show that you do need some offense, as the powerful Angels are now in the cellar, trying to find pieces in the offense that can actually it. This is the most unsettled division in the majors, and every single team in this division has the potential to finish the season in first.
NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST
New York (N) 30-19 The vaunted Mets may have their holes, but Omar Minaya has built an exciting team. Sure, the salary is high, but their top commodity is making the league minimum in David Wright, and they refuse to deal the minor league prospects they know can make a tremendous impact.
Atlanta 27-24 A slow start puts them in this position, but you still can’t count the Braves out of anything, and they could shock the world in finishing first in the NL East yet again.
Philadelphia 25-24 Pat Gillick has gone on record saying the Phillies won’t do anything without a pitching ace … will he “Stand Pat” at the deadline or get the ace to get the Phillies into the playoffs? Gillick can turn this team around, but the impatient Phillies fans want results now.
Washington 21-30 Alfonso Soriano is tremendously helping his trading stock, and the Nationals are one Jim Bowden firing away from eventually becoming respectable. Job number one: Restocking a bare farm system.
Florida 15-33 With former Sox Hanley Ramirez leading the way, their record is not reflective of their talent – they’ll get better, and soon. The Marlins aren’t going away, they’re just readjusting to get that third World Series title.
NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL
St. Louis 33-18 Led by monster Albert Pujols (25 home-runs now), the Cardinals are back on top of the division, and look to glide the rest of the way despite losing ace Chris Carpenter for 15 days. In September, our attention may be on them if Pujols keeps bashing home-runs at this rate.
Cincinatti 28-23 Bronson Arroyo’s hot start led the Reds to this record. Leading the NL in offense last year, the Reds needed to improve their pitching. Under new GM Wayne Krivsky, the Reds may not finish the season in second, but their GM seems to know what to do to make them win.
Milwaukee 26-24 A young team rising to the top based on the mind of GM Doug Melvin (former Sox asst. GM) and Rickie Weeks, Prince Fielder, and Ben Sheets, they should be around for years to come. This small-market club may score one for small-market clubs everywhere with a World Series win in the next five years.
Houston 26-26 A .500 record won’t do it for Roger Clemens, especially not with the Cardinals still the premier team, and the Reds and Brewers showing tremendous promise. The window for the Astros may have closed, and they need to figure out what to do, fast.
Chicago 19-31 The NL version of the Royals (yes, I know there are two teams worse than the Cubs in terms of record in the NL) it seems as if their GM and their manager don’t know what baseball is. Their World Series drought won’t go away any time soon.
Pittsburgh 16-34 Everyone thought the Pirates would finish above .500. What happened? It looks like the club as a whole is experiencing a sophomore slump, and the fans in Pittsburgh are either past the point of caring or are currently leaving the team in droves. If nothing changes, this may be one lost cause.
NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST
Arizona 29-20 The Diamondbacks, led by a youth infusion, look to contend for years to come based on the staggering amount of positional prospects they have. GM’ed by former Sox asst. GM Josh Byrnes, you know this team’s going to be dangerous for quite a while.
Los Angeles (N) 29-22 It’s debatable whether or not the Dodgers should have fired GM Paul DePodesta, but the fans aren’t complaining about the new GM Ned Colletti, not after the start the Dodgers have.
San Francisco 26-24 Now that Barry Bonds has passed Babe Ruth, perhaps they can get back to business – winning ballgames. This is a team that can potentially pull out a division win, a last gasp for Barry Bonds.
San Diego 26-24 Questionable off-season moves have landed the 2005 division winners in this position. I’m not too high on their ability to pull it out, although they may. Just like the AL West, this division is completely up for grabs.
Colorado 26-24 Finally, the Rockies are winning. The humidor seems to have brought Coors Field back to reality, so the Rockies can build a team that can win anywhere. Replete with young prospects (as is every other team in this division), glory may return to Colorado.
