MLB: Looking at the AL

Posted on | July 20, 2009 | 2 Comments

Well, it’s time for our weekly look at the top teams in each league. Even though there were only a few games played last week (because of the All Star Game), there was still a lot that happened over the weekend.

First of all, the New York Yankees won 3 close games against the Detroit Tigers. All the Yankees fans are probably thinking that their pitching is finally getting dominant. Well, they should wait and see what happens over the next couple of weeks. Shutting down the Tigers’ hitters on the road has been too easy for just about every pitcher.

So, right now the Yankees are just a game behind the Red Sox. Now the Yanks play the Baltimore Orioles and the Red Sox are playing the Rangers in Texas. So, it’s very possible that the Yankees could be in first place before the end of the week.

Meanwhile, in the AL Central I think the Detroit Tigers are beginning to slip and slide away. Their hitting is atrocious. 5 runs in the new Yankee Stadium? Are you kidding me? Look for the Twins to overtake the Tigers very soon. (Yes, I am changing my pick here. The Tigers might start hitting but I doubt it. And sooner or later their young pitchers are going to get sick of pitching gems only to lose 2-1. Then they’ll slip and the Tigers will be in a world of hurt.)

Over in the AL West, the Anaheim Angels have opened up a 3 game lead over the Rangers. I think the Rangers will play better against the Red Sox, but don’t expect them to get close to the Angels for the rest of the season.

So, I like the Yankees in the East, the Twins in the Central, and the Angels in the West. Then I like the Red Sox for the Wild Card. So the only change is the Twins over the Tigers in the Central.

In the next blog I’ll look at the National League.

Related posts:

1. MLB: Looking at the American League
2. MLB: Looking at the Divisions
3. MLB: Yanks Are Running Away and AL Standings
4. MLB: Teams Stepping Up
5. MLB: The Start of Something Big in the AL!

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