MLB: Where Things Stand

Posted on | June 15, 2009 | No Comments

After a weekend full of entertaining interleague games, things will slow down dramatically on Monday. In fact, only 4 teams will be in action. So, now is a great time to look at the standings in each league and try to predict which teams will be at the top when the season ends. Today we’ll start with the American League and tomorrow we’ll move on to the National League.

In the American League we have Boston leading the East, Detroit leading the Central, and Texas leading the West. The largest lead is Detroit with 3 games. Boston is up 2 and Texas is up 2.5. Right now the Yankees are ahead in the Wild Card standings by 3 games.

I think Boston and New York are both in the playoffs. One will win the East and the other will take the Wild Card. The Yankees are the most talented but they seem very fragile too – like fine china. But they’ll still make the playoffs.

In the AL Central, the Detroit Tigers have been winning with pitching. They top 3 starters have been dominant. The fact that this team is only 5 games over .500 is amazing (or perhaps disgusting). But it’s because Detroit’s hitting has been horrible and their other 2 pitchers have been bad too. I think the Tigers win this division but they need to get better pitching at the bottom of their rotation and they need to start hitting or they need to add a bat with a trade.

The Texas Rangers are a good team. They are. But I just don’t see them winning the West. I think Anaheim, a team that gained 2 games over the weekend, will catch them and pass them.

A team to keep an eye on is the Tampa Bay Rays. They’ve suddenly won 5 straight games. And don’t look now but they are just 3 games in back of the Yankees.

Related posts:

1. MLB: Where Things Stand
2. MLB: Looking at the Way Things Are in the AL Right Now
3. MLB: Things are Tightening Up
4. MLB: Cliff Lee is Cy Young Bound and the Yankees Last Stand
5. Will the real Sweden please stand up?

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