MLB: Early Season Match-Ups Might Predict Season

Posted on | April 13, 2009 | No Comments

Beginning on Monday there will be a few series leading off that just might give all of baseball a glimpse into how some teams might play this year. Primarily we’re looking at the New York Yankees taking on the Tampa Bay Rays, the Detroit Tigers taking on the Chicago White Sox, and the Toronto Blue Jays against the Minnesota Twins.

The Yankees and the Rays are supposed to be 2 of 3 teams that are battling it out for a playoff spot in the American League. But some people have some doubt about the Rays being able to keep-up with the Boston Red Sox. The Rays already won a division series against the Red Sox. If they can also win one against the Yanks then they’ll establish themselves as the early front runner for the division. Yet, none of the big 3 teams are at the top of the division right now. This brings us to the next big series.

Atop the American League East is the Toronto Blue Jays and they are followed by the Baltimore Orioles. The Blue Jays will take on a team that is always near the top of the AL Central. If the Jays can win this series then they might be in for a decent season.

Finally, the Detroit Tigers, a team that was supposed to win it all last year but failed miserably, has started to click in this young season. The Tigers just swept the Texas Rangers. But games against non-divisional opponents weren’t their problem last year. What sunk the Tigers last year was their abysmal record against division opponents. So this series against the White Sox is important for the Tigers. It’s also important for the White Sox since they sit at .500 and are just a half game behind the Detroit Tigers. The winner of this series will probably have an early lead in the AL Central.

Yes, it’s still very early. But it’s never too early to heap a little extra importance on a few series.

Related posts:

1. MLB: Ups and Down Highlight Early Baseball Season
2. MLB: Match-Ups to Watch
3. MLB: The AL Standings for Early July
4. MLB: Big Games in the AL East
5. MLB: Big Games on Tap in AL and NL East

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