Well, it's the end of May, and two months of the season are in the books. It's time for some ups and downs talk, starting in the AL.
AL East:
Ups: To the New York Yankees. Despite the nagging injuries, inconsistent starting pitching and the A-Roid Era, the Bronx Bombers have managed to stay .5 game out of first place behind Boston. I shutter to think what this team will be able to do when guys like Wang, Posada, Chamberlain, A-Rod and even Burnett get back to top form. This win streak now is, I feel, what every New Yorker expects to see from a team as loaded as the Yankees, and they have nothing but good things ahead.
Downs: Tampa Bay Rays. Where's the underdog magic from last year? They have speed coming out of their ears, young hitting but where I think they lack, is pitching. They're in fourth place in the AL East, with guys like Garza, Kazmir and Sonnanstine not really showing the versatility and consistency they showed last year. I know it's early, but if the Rays don't find the magic quick, it might be back to the cellar in the division.
AL Central:
Ups: Kansas City. It's been a while since you could say the Royals where even remotely considered a contender. But as Bob Uecker says, "they've managed to win a few, and are threatening to come out of the cellar." Zack Greinke and Gil Meche have been masterful, Alex Gordon and Mark Teahan are two very underrated players, and the Royals find themselves in the hunt for that Central division crown. I hope they win, and add some royal interest in the postseason.
Downs: Cleveland Indians. I don't think I've ever seen a team with so much talent perform so poorly. Grady Sizemore, Victor Martinez, Travis Hafner, then Cliff Lee, Fausto Carmona and Kerry Wood. I feel that this team every year just doesn't perform the way they should. The Central is a very winnable division, and with that talent, Cleveland should, like they did two years ago (with C.C. Sabathia) run away with the division. But, I guess, Cleveland just remains as that mistake on the lake.
AL West
Ups: Texas Rangers. Finally, the Rangers have been able to utilize that powerful offense by getting some decent pitching the land themselves atop the AL West. Kevin Millwood, Brendan McCarthy and and Vicente Padilla have all have relatively good starts to the year, with Kinsler, Young and Blalock carrying the load. Josh Hamilton isn't even 100% percent yet. I'm a Texan by birth, and I like to see the Rangers at the top for once.
Downs: Seattle Mariners. And I thought resigning Griffey, Jr. would be a decent move. Yeah. I feel like every year, Ichiro is the only positive thing emanating from Safeco Field, even though this club could be competitive. Adrian Beltre continues to be a waste of money, as the offense seems rather weak. Seattle's pitching isn't too bad, with Felix Hernandez, Erik Bedard, and Jarrod Wasburn anchoring a decent rotation, but the loss of J.J. Putz puts their bullpen in a bit of a tailspin, leaving Griffey wondering what happened to the Seattle that was good when he was there?
NL To follow soon!!
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I think the AL Central could be the most interesting division in baseball, mainly because nobody is really stepping up to take control of the division. I really believe the Royals have some young talent and the ability to make a move, but they have to take the same step that the Rays did last year, which is believing they really can win, and win in the post-season. I'll be watching the Indians-Yankees finale tonight...a 3-1 series win is a huge difference than that of a 2-2 tie when you win the first two of the set for the Yanks...We will see.
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