By Pete Sabatini
After 53 games and nearly two full months, it’s about time to take another look at how the divisions are shaping up. To get things started we’ll check in with baseball’s most feared, and hyped – the American League East.
Last time we discussed how the division was shaping up the Blue Jays were nearly unstoppable, the Red Sox were nagging the top spot, the Yanks were playing .500 baseball, the Orioles were running out of steam from a quick start, and the Rays were folding under the pressure of expectations – not entirely the rundown you’d expect out of this division, no matter how overexposed it may be. But now, just four weeks later, things in the east are starting to look a little more familiar.
New York Yankees (29-21)
http://www.examiner.com/x-650-New-York-Yankees-Examiner
To say the Yankees have recovered is an understatement – they have caught fire and are staying hot. Not to say that the Bombers are firing on all cyclinders, but more impressively, they’re putting together wins without all of their stars. The enigma that has become Chien-Ming Wang (http://www.hardballcooperative.com/?p=610) continues to baffle as he makes the occasional appearance out of the bullpen while Phil Hughes racks up wins at a clip that make re-demoting him difficult. Jorge Posada has just rejoined the team after a long early season battle with aging catcher syndrome that is likely to continue. Brian Bruney and Damaso Marte, key pieces to an already weak bullpen are both on the DL, and the starting right fielder, Xavier Nady, has just started swinging a bat again.
In the meantime, the Yankees have won 16 of their last 22 due to an improving set of big name starters and an offense second in the league in average, home runs, RBI, and runs scored. Did I mention that these last 22 games that have gone so well are also Alex Rodriguez’s first games of the year with the Yankees? It’s no coincidence that the league’s best hitter returns and the team surges above .500 but the slugger’s return also signaled the end of slow starts for both Mark Teixeira and CC Sabathia who are now performing closer to expectations and bank accounts.
As flawed as the Yankees have been in the bullpen and with all the injuries they have faced, they are still on pace to win 97 games.
What to look for: Does A.J. Burnett start earning his pay and can Posada, Pettitte, and Rivera stay off the DL?
Boston Red Sox (29-22)
Since the start of the season, the Red Sox have made it their business to breath right down the necks of any team at the top of the division. Sometimes it’s the draft car you need to be most worried about down the stretch. Though they’ve recently become the only team to lose to the Blue Jays in 10 days, there is too much talent on this team and way too much pitching depth for them not to be contenders all year.
It’s hard to recognize David Ortiz by the back of his baseball card so far this year. The big guy has just one homerun in 173 at bats and nurses a measly .185 batting average. Despite the power outage from their perennial cleanup man Boston has gotten it done with solid pitching (leading the league in K’s but middle of the pack in ERA) and phenomenal starts from their newest generation of superstars Kevin Youkilis (.366, 9 HR), defending MVP and clever video game commercial star Dustin Pedroia (.326, 39 R), and the third baseman some had called finished before the end of April, Mike Lowell who is sporting a .308 and 8 home runs of his own. Oh, and don’t forget that Jacoby Ellsbury has stolen 21 bases already. With numbers like those the loss of Ortiz doesn’t sting quite so much, but add a rejuvenated Papi and this team will bring the pain.
Not much to worry about from the pitching staff, the bullpen is rock solid and there are enough quality starters to keep cycling through to compete for the pennant.
What to look for: Is Ortiz finished and can Lowell keep contributing?
Toronto Blue Jays (29-24)
No, the Blue Jays are not for real. If Roy Halladay could pitch every other day and Aaron Hill could play second base and all three outfield spots simultaneously then there would be something serious to talk about. Instead, what you’re left with is a cobbled together rotation that will not recover from losing Dustin McGowan and Shaun Marcum likely for the season and a lineup that desperately needs Vernon Wells and Alex Rios to live up to their potential so Marco Scutaro doesn’t have to outperform his. And don’t forget that overpaid closer B.J. Ryan forgot how to throw hard.
As John Mazerolle at New Bunswick’s very cleverly satirized here, “We believe that as the season wears on, you’ll find that the pitching staff is merely a construct that arises and behaves determinalistically based on our preconceived notions of what we call ‘pitching.’” Exhibit A – nine game road losing streak in the middle of May.
The Jays are falling back to earth and fast.
What to look for: Who will give the Jays innings beyond Halladay and will the Jays try to move Wells or Rios to clear contracts?
Tampa Bay Rays (25-28)
Are they having a World Series hangover or just going through a rough patch? Having Chad Bradford, Scott Kazmir, Troy Percival, and Brian Shouse on the DL sure isn’t helping, but guys like Andy Sonnanstine with his 7.66 ERA and Kazmir with his 7.69 before going on the DL were the core to 2008’s success that is letting them down now. A bright spot for Rays fans, young David Price is back from the minors to show if he can keep the magic going that he showed during some World Series heroics.
Despite having five guys with over .300 batting averages BJ Upton and Gabe Gross are dragging down what needs to be an explosive offense. With Jason Bartlett and Pat Burrell coming off the DL in June, you can’t count the Rays out by any means, but they sure have a lot to prove before they can be called contenders again.
What to look for: How long does it take for guys coming off the DL to make an impact and when does Andy Sonnanstine find his mojo?
Baltimore Orioles (23-28)
http://www.examiner.com/x-436-Baltimore-Orioles-Examiner
Matt Wieters’ mere presence has given the residents of Birdland a reason to cheer again, but all the Wieters in the world aren’t going to help the O’s pitching woes. Behind perennial ace Jeremy Guthrie the O’s have been cycling through a cadre of unproven young arms like Brad Bergesen, Rich Hill, Jason Berken, and Alfredo Simon (now out for the year) and past their prime hangers-on like Adam Eaton and Mark Hendrickson. Their number two, Koji Uehara, has yet to show how much life is in his arm after a taxing start to his career in Japan.
The Orioles’ lineup can hurt you, there’s no doubt about that. Though Nick Markakis has cooled considerably after a blazing start to the season, Aubrey Huff, Brian Roberts, and Melvin Mora are big league hitters and will continue to put up big league numbers. But those aren’t the three guys that make the Orioles interesting. The O’s aren’t going to come close to contending this year, but with guys like Adam Jones, Wieters, and Nolan Reimold making names for themselves and Luke Scott, a Baltimore fan favorite, lighting up Camden Yards, Baltimore finally has something to cheer for again. Andy MacPhail is making good on his rebuilding promise quicker than expected and 2011 could be a very interesting year for the Orioles.
What to look for: Which young pitchers will prove they belong and when will Matt Wieters start being a difference-maker or just a hype-generator?
