Climbing the Ladder with the American League 4/6/2008

Baseball’s back in the USA!

A week ago today, Major League Baseball had its United States kick-off in Washington D.C. and it was the “official” beginning to the 2008 season. The week that followed provided joy and excitement to the many fans lucky enough to attend their teams opening day. It was an eventful week, full of the unexpected, as fans were dazzled by great pitching performances, clutch hitting and spectacular plays in the field. This past week served as a reminder of what makes the game we love so special. Baseball is back!

The Week That Was March 30 – April 5, 2008

American League East

Baltimore Orioles: 3-1 –
A surprising result from last week’s games is the fact that the standings seem to be reversed from what most would think. Baltimore, who was the overall consensus to finish last in the East, won three straight after losing their home opener and is tied for first in the division. Starting pitching has been shaky for the O’s, accounting for two of the four decisions while lasting, on average, just 4.2 innings per start. Look for the team to be unable to carry this week’s success into week two of the season. The O’s should enjoy their time in the sun because clouds will be rolling in soon.

Tampa Bay Rays: 3-1 –
There’s finally a reason to watch baseball in Tampa Bay. The Rays are tied for first in the AL East and have outscored their opponents 31-18 in their first four games. James Shields and Edwin Jackson gave up a combined 3 ER in 13 innings, while Matt Garza and Andy Sonnanstein were unimpressive in their debuts. It’s tough to say what the future will hold for the Tampa Bay starters, but with Kazmir coming back soon (so they say) it can only get better. The Rays offense has been impressive through the first week of the season, ranking them 3 ^rd in the majors in runs scored, stolen bases, and homeruns. The success of the team lies in its balance of good hitting and good pitching.

Toronto Blue Jays: 3-2 -0.5
Toronto’s pitching continues to be the team’s strength in 2008. Impressive is the fact that roughly one earned run separates their performances in wins and losses. Through the first week of the season, the team’s offense has been performing much better than it did during the 2007 season, scoring 25 runs and putting them only a half game out of first place. After dropping two of three to the Yankees, the Blue Jays bounced back by taking the first two from a tired Red Sox team on Friday and Saturday. Despite their early success, Toronto will need to maintain its strong pitching to compete in the division.

Boston Red Sox:3-3 -1
After playing their first two games nearly two weeks ago in Japan, the Boston Red Sox returned to the United States to play three exhibition games in Los Angeles against the Dodgers at the Coliseum. They then finished their series with Oakland and traveled to Toronto to play a well rested Blue Jays team. Losing 3 hours due to the time difference from traveling from Oakland to Toronto looked to show its effects on Saturday as they were crushed 10-2. After finishing their game today, the team travels home for their home opener on Tuesday in which they will receive their 2007 World Series rings and hoist their second World Series banner in the 21 ^st century. There are many factors that can be attributed to the teams slow start but look for the Sox to turn things around once they return to the friendly confines of Fenway Park.

New York Yankees: 2-3 -1.5
Pitching looks to be an issue for the Yankees from the get go. The team’s ERA is a full five runs higher in losses than in wins and the staff has allowed 5 homeruns in losing affairs compared to 0 in their wins. As the season progresses and the staff settles into their roles, the Yankees starting five should improve. The Yankees are 14 ^th in runs scored and 28 ^th in runs allowed in the majors and it seems that the team is off to a slow start.

American League Central

Chicago White Sox: 3-2 –
The Chicago White Sox started off hot, battling through series against the Cleveland Indians and the Detroit Tigers. The team has been impressive in the homerun department, ranking second in the majors with 8. Despite being atop the standings in the AL Central, starting pitching has been a major concern for the White Sox. Mark Buehrle, Javier Vazquez and Jose Contreras all have ERA’s over 7.00 after the first week of play. The teams ability to put the ball over the fence has kept them in games but its unlikely that Chicago will be able to maintain its homerun pace. Look for them to regress back to the mean as the season goes on.

Kansas City Royals: 3-2 –
Perhaps the biggest story of the first week of the season was the sweep Kansas City handed the Detroit Tigers in their opening series. Tremendous pitching by Zack Greinke, Brian Bannaster, and Joakim Soria added to the solid offensive week of Alex Gordon, Mark Grudzielanek, and Mark Teahen. The team inked 3 wins into the record book to start the season and can hope the confidence they gained in that first series will help them win in the weeks to come.

Minnesota Twins: 3-3 -0.5
The Minnesota Twins seemed to have officially moved on from the departure of Torri Hunter and Johan Santana, but their absence in the line up and rotation is evident in their 3-3 record. Catcher Joe Mauer and first baseman Justin Morneau have picked up where they left off last year, accounting for much of the teams offense production. The teams’ pitching has been neither impressive nor unimpressive and this looks to transcend in the season to come. The Twins rank in the lower half of the majors in runs scored and runs allowed, and it doesn’t look to be an area the team can improve upon as the season progresses.

Cleveland Indians: 2-3 -1
So far this season, CC Sabathia has started two games and has 0 wins to show for it. The 2007 Cy Young Award winner has been ineffective in both starts, posting a 6.75 ERA with 9K’s and 7BB’s. In spite of CC’s poor performance, Fausto Carmona and Jake Westbrook have impressed, yielding a combined 3 ER in 14.1 innings. Cleveland’s offense has been consistent and ranks in the top half of the Majors in runs scored (9 ^th ) despite ranking 25 ^th in batting average. Look for the Indians to heat up once CC hits his stride.

Detroit Tigers: 0-5 -3
Tigers fans have to be disappointed after losing the first five games of the season to the Royals and White Sox. Despite being crowned “the greatest offense in the majors” before the start of the season, the Tigers have combined for only three homeruns and rank 16 ^th in runs scored. The team also ranks 21 ^st in batting average and seems to be going through a collective slump. Tiger pitching has been as equally unimpressive and will need to improve if Detroit hopes to turn its season around. Although the team ranks 9 ^th in runs allowed, they have yet to win a game.

American League West

Los Angeles Angels: 4-2 –
The Angels used a combination of solid pitching and hitting to hoist themselves atop the AL West. Even though they lost Lackey and Escobar to injury before the start of the season, the Indians are off to a hot start and have filled the holes in their pitching with solid first week performances by Joe Saunders, Ervin Santana and Jon Garland. The Angels rank 5 ^th in the majors in homeruns and 2 ^nd in homeruns allowed. The key to continued success for the Angles will remain their pitching and will only improve once Lackey returns in May.

Oakland Athletics: 3-3 -1
The Oakland Athletics have the best starting pitching in the majors after the first week of the season, ranking 5 ^th in runs allowed and 6 ^th in homeruns allowed. Outstanding outings by Rich Harden and Dave Eveland have lead the A’s to a solid start in the 2008 season. Despite any real standouts, the Oakland offense ranks 9 ^th in the majors with 22 runs scored, and it appears that Oakland’s team success will be greater than the sum of its parts.

Seattle Mariners: 2-3 -1.5
Eric Bedard, Felix Hernandez, and Carlos Silva had a dominant first week of the season, combining for 2 ER over 19 innings, while Adrian Beltre and Jose Lopez accounted for much of the teams offense. The Mariners rank 13 ^th in runs scored and a solid 4 ^th in runs allowed with 15. The biggest concern for Seattle has to be the loss of closer J.J. Putz, who was placed on the 15 day DL with a rib injury. The injury does not seem to be serious and the team can expect Putz to be back during mid to late April.

Texas Rangers: 2-3 -1.5
Although the Texas Rangers rank in the top half of the major leagues in runs allowed and runs scored, they are at the bottom of the pack in the AL West. The team has had some good outings from Kason Gabbard, Vicente Padilla, and Kevin Millwood but the offense has been absent in half of the team’s games, ranking them 20 ^th in team batting average and 13 ^th in team OPS. Texas will have a hard time winning games if they do not produce runs on a consistent basis and will need their go-to-guys to carry the team.