Climbing the Ladder with the American League 4/13/2008
by Matt Sisson
The Ups and Downs of the Early Season…
Baseball’s second week of the season has come to an end. It’s during this time in the season that people generally begin to overreact. Mostly because their team is in either first (Oakland) or last place (Detroit) and shouldn’t be. Players who shouldn’t be leading the league in batting average, home runs, or RBIs are, but as the season rolls on, they tend to regress back to normalcy. Don’t worry…hitters will hit and pitchers will pitch. There’s a long season ahead of us out there and a lot more baseball to be played.
The Week That Was April 6 – April 12, 2008
American League East
| A.L. East | W | L | PCT. | GB | L10 | STRK |
| Baltimore | 7 | 4 | .636 | – | 7-3 | W1 |
| Toronto | 6 | 5 | .545 | 1.0 | 6-4 | W2 |
| Boston | 6 | 6 | .500 | 1.5 | 5-5 | W1 |
| New York |
6 | 6 | .500 | 1.5 | 5-5 | L1 |
| Tampa Bay | 5 | 6 | .455 | 2.0 | 4-6 | L1 |
| Baltimore Orioles | ||
| 2008 | ||
| Wins | Losses | |
| Games | 7 | 4 |
| Runs Scored | 41 | 12 |
| Runs Allowed | 23 | 24 |
| Batting Average | .282 | .201 |
| On Base Percentage | .356 | .284 |
| Slugging Percentage | .495 | .294 |
| Home Runs | 1 | 1 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 10 | 4 |
| ERA | 3.29 | 6.00 |
For the second week in a row, the Baltimore Orioles finish the week in first place. It will be interesting to see how the Orioles will perform against the tougher schedule they face in the upcoming week. The team will be hosting Toronto, Chicago, and New York. Baltimore ranks a surprising 9th in the majors with 47 runs allowed, and 10th in home runs allowed with 14. It is expected those number will increase exponentially with their less than stellar starting pitching facing tougher lineups. The Orioles can not be expected to carry over the success they had in the beginning of the season into week three. Look for a tough home stand to knock the O’s down in the standings.
| Toronto Blue Jays | ||
| 2008 | ||
| Wins | Losses | |
| Games | 6 | 5 |
| Runs Scored | 40 | 17 |
| Runs Allowed | 17 | 24 |
| Batting Average | .303 | .227 |
| On Base Percentage | .395 | .310 |
| Slugging Percentage | .436 | .323 |
| Home Runs | 5 | 3 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 7 | 1 |
| ERA | 2.83 | 4.50 |
An interesting fact about the Toronto Blue Jays is that despite ranking higher in runs scored (57) and runs allowed (41) than the Baltimore Orioles (53,47), the team remains in second place. Toronto has experienced a great deal of success in the beginning of the season and much of that success can be attributed to the teams strong starting pitching. Toronto leads the majors in stolen bases with 13 and ranks 6th in walks. Toronto’s offense manufactures runs and has also used the long ball to get the job done, smacking 8 round trippers, which ranks them 11th. Toronto will finish its road trip in Baltimore then return home to host the Rangers and the Tigers. Toronto should finish next week in first place.
| Boston Red Sox | ||
| 2008 | ||
| Wins | Losses | |
| Games | 6 | 6 |
| Runs Scored | 34 | 13 |
| Runs Allowed | 15 | 39 |
| Batting Average | .323 | .196 |
| On Base Percentage | .399 | .254 |
| Slugging Percentage | .458 | .347 |
| Home Runs | 4 | 6 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 4 | 8 |
| ERA | 2.29 | 6.66 |
Boston finished a tough week against Toronto, Detroit, and New York, going 3-3. Next week’s schedule doesn’t look to get any easier with a Sunday game against the Yankees, followed by trips to Cleveland and New York. The Sox will return home for a weekend series against the Texas Rangers next Friday. Boston remains in the middle of the pack in both runs scored (47) and runs allowed (54), ranking the team 12th in both categories. Despite giving up more runs than the team has scored, the Sox have posted a 6-6 record and rank 3rd in the AL East. There is lots of room for improvement for this team’s offense and bullpen, but it may be awhile before they start firing on all cylinders. The tradition of starting the season hot hasn’t carried over to 2008.
| New York Yankees | ||
| 2008 | ||
| Wins | Losses | |
| Games | 6 | 6 |
| Runs Scored | 24 | 14 |
| Runs Allowed | 7 | 37 |
| Batting Average | .293 | .214 |
| On Base Percentage | .353 | .265 |
| Slugging Percentage | .481 | .301 |
| Home Runs | 7 | 2 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 2 | 7 |
| ERA | 1.17 | 6.00 |
Parity seems to be a common theme amongst the American League so far this season. The mighty Yankees haven’t been an exception. The team played every day last week finishing with a 4-3 record. It appears the Yankees will be in for a tough stretch of baseball to close out the month, with only 2 home games in the next 15. The Yankees have been playing at less than 100% due to injuries to Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada. So far this season, their opening day starters have only accounted for 84% of their regular season starting lineup. Just like last year, injuries have been a factor in the teams slow start.
| Tampa Bay Rays | ||
| 2008 | ||
| Wins | Losses | |
| Games | 5 | 6 |
| Runs Scored | 42 | 15 |
| Runs Allowed | 14 | 33 |
| Batting Average | .324 | .181 |
| On Base Percentage | .398 | .267 |
| Slugging Percentage | .505 | .316 |
| Home Runs | 8 | 6 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 1 | 7 |
| ERA | 2.20 | 5.65 |
Despite being in last place in the American League East, the Tampa Bay Rays are only 2 games out of first place. The Rays have scored an impressive 57 runs in their first 11 games and are on pace to score 839. This team can hit and has shown its power by putting up 14 home runs, ranking the team 6th in the majors. The Rays home run leader, Carlos Pena, has accounted for 6 of the 14 home runs and is looking to continue his long ball success in 2008. Tampa’s speed remains to be one of it’s strengths. The Ray’s have already swiped 12 bags, ranking them 2nd behind the Toronto Blue Jays. The Rays are in a perfect position to move up in the standings if they can play well while the rest of the division is off to a slow start. With the first three games of this week against divisional rivals, Tampa could move from worst to first in no time.
American League Central
| A.L. Central | W | L | PCT. | GB | L10 | STRK |
| Chicago | 6 | 4 | .600 | – | 6-4 | W1 |
| Kansas City | 6 | 5 | .545 | 0.5 | 5-5 | L3 |
| Minnesota | 6 | 5 | .545 | 0.5 | 5-5 | W3 |
| Cleveland | 4 | 7 | .364 | 2.5 | 3-7 | L3 |
| Detroit | 2 | 9 | .182 | 4.5 | 2-8 | L1 |
| Chicago White Sox | ||
| 2008 | ||
| Wins | Losses | |
| Games | 6 | 4 |
| Runs Scored | 42 | 17 |
| Runs Allowed | 15 | 34 |
| Batting Average | .257 | .240 |
| On Base Percentage | .362 | .322 |
| Slugging Percentage | .455 | .445 |
| Home Runs | 8 | 7 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 1 | 3 |
| ERA | 2.17 | 9.00 |
So far in 2008, the Chicago White Sox have scored 59 runs, the third most in all of baseball. Chicago has used its power to drive in runners that seem to always be on base. The White Sox rank 4th in OPS and 6th in walks, which has led to their hot start to the season. Despite putting up a ton of runs, they have also allowed nearly the same amount. The team ranks 10th with 49 runs allowed and Chicago’s pitching has been the team’s biggest weakness. The starting five hosts two players with ERA’s over 8; Mark Buehrle and John Danks. Gavin Floyd is the only starter with an ERA under 2.50. Chicago’s time as division leader shouldn’t last much longer with the tough schedule coming up. The team finishes its series with the Tigers on Sunday, then hosts Oakland, followed by road games in Baltimore and Tampa.
| Kansas City Royals | ||
| 2008 | ||
| Wins | Losses | |
| Games | 6 | 5 |
| Runs Scored | 25 | 8 |
| Runs Allowed | 8 | 23 |
| Batting Average | .276 | .233 |
| On Base Percentage | .340 | .254 |
| Slugging Percentage | .404 | .275 |
| Home Runs | 4 | 0 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 4 | 6 |
| ERA | 1.29 | 4.81 |
Kansas City began the season making headlines by sweeping the mighty Detroit Tigers. The team carried its success into week 2, starting the week off with three straight wins only to lose the next three. Despite scoring only 33 runs in the teams first 11 games, the Royals have won 5 of those contests. Much of the Royals success so far has been due to its spectacular starting pitching. The Royals rank 1st in the majors in runs allowed, with 31, and have three pitchers in their starting rotation with ERAs under 2.10. The teams 2007 rule 5 pick, Joakim Soria, has 4 saves already this season and has only surrendered 2 hits in 5 innings pitched. It will be tough to say that the Royal’s can continue their stingy pace in runs allowed, but the team has been a great story so far this season.
| Minnesota Twins | ||
| 2008 | ||
| Wins | Losses | |
| Games | 6 | 5 |
| Runs Scored | 32 | 10 |
| Runs Allowed | 14 | 25 |
| Batting Average | .283 | .238 |
| On Base Percentage | .343 | .280 |
| Slugging Percentage | .412 | .327 |
| Home Runs | 4 | 2 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 3 | 6 |
| ERA | 2.17 | 4.70 |
Despite a slow start to the season for the Twin’s offense, the team remains tied for second, only a half game out of first place. The Twins have combined for only 6 homeruns, and they are split evenly between Justin Morneau and Jason Kubel, with 3 a piece. The offensive woes should continue as the season progresses and with the loss of Michael Cuddyer, things can only improve if Joe Mauer and Delmon Young begin to heat up. Minnesota has only scored 42 runs so far this season, but their pitching has kept them in games. The team has only surrendered 39 runs, 4th in the majors, and it isn’t likely Livan Hernandez and Boof Bonser will have continued success throughout the season.
| Cleveland Indians | ||
| 2008 | ||
| Wins | Losses | |
| Games | 4 | 7 |
| Runs Scored | 23 | 24 |
| Runs Allowed | 14 | 45 |
| Batting Average | .270 | .224 |
| On Base Percentage | .386 | .280 |
| Slugging Percentage | .398 | .362 |
| Home Runs | 3 | 6 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 5 | 10 |
| ERA | 3.25 | 6.22 |
Many people picked the Cleveland Indians to reach the World Series in 2008 and from the looks of things after the first two weeks of the season, the team has a lot of work to do. The Indians are 4-7 and have been giving up a tremendous amount of runs. C.C. Sabathia and Paul Byrd are two of the biggest reasons for their early troubles. In 3 games so far this season, Sabathia has only pitched 14 innings and has surrendered 18 earned runs while walking 9. Byrd has combined for 7.1 innings in two starts, yielding 9 earned runs. The team’s closer, Joe Borowski, also remains an issue, posting a 13.50 ERA in 3.1 innings. Now it’s unlikely that these pitchers (excluding Borowski) will be this bad for the entire season, but fans must be wondering when their team is going to turn it around for them.
| Detroit Tigers | ||
| 2008 | ||
| Wins | Losses | |
| Games | 2 | 9 |
| Runs Scored | 12 | 21 |
| Runs Allowed | 4 | 63 |
| Batting Average | .295 | .226 |
| On Base Percentage | .404 | .312 |
| Slugging Percentage | .450 | .320 |
| Home Runs | 2 | 5 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 0 | 8 |
| ERA | 1.50 | 6.33 |
I don’t know if there has ever been a more disappointing start to a season by a team that has so much potential. It’s almost embarrassing that a team can be so bad with so much talent. The Detroit Tigers have done nothing this season to make anyone think that they are as good as they appear to be on paper. The Tigers rank 19th in runs scored with 33 and 21st in runs allowed with 67. Only Carlos Guillen and Brandon Inge have batting averages over .250 and rank 24th overall in the category. I think the general consensus around baseball is that this team will eventually turn its season around. I think the biggest question out there is when. Will it be too late? I guess the good thing for the Tigers is that despite being 2-9, they remain only 4.5 games out of first place. Things are bad in Detroit…but not as bad as they could be.
American League West
| A.L. West |
W | L | PCT. | GB | L10 | STRK |
| Oakland | 8 | 4 | .667 | – | 7-3 | W5 |
| Los Angeles |
6 | 6 | .500 | 2.0 | 5-5 | L2 |
| Seattle | 6 | 6 | .500 | 2.0 | 5-5 | W2 |
| Texas | 5 | 6 | .455 | 2.5 | 5-5 | L2 |
| Oakland Athletics | ||
| 2008 | ||
| Wins | Losses | |
| Games | 8 | 4 |
| Runs Scored | 51 | 7 |
| Runs Allowed | 28 | 15 |
| Batting Average | .292 | .146 |
| On Base Percentage | .387 | .231 |
| Slugging Percentage | .429 | .235 |
| Home Runs | 3 | 3 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 7 | 3 |
| ERA | 3.00 | 3.65 |
Well, well, well…look who is laughing last after the first two weeks of the season. The Oakland Athletics have the best record in the American League and have won their last 5 games. The A’s rank 4th in the majors in runs scored with 58 and 7th in runs allowed with 43. There aren’t many who would have predicted that this team would start the season off as hot as they’ve been. Like the Boston Red Sox, Oakland traveled half way around the world to start the 2008 season in Japan. The difference in the two teams is the A’s do not look to be showing any signs of being warn down from the trip. Oakland’s schedule for the beginning of the season hasn’t been a cake walk either. The A’s have faced Boston, Toronto, and Cleveland since returning from Japan, and have only lost three times. With the inevitable loss of Rich Harden, it will be interesting to see how the team’s pitching staff responds while he heals on the DL.
| Los Angeles Angels | ||
| 2008 | ||
| Wins | Losses | |
| Games | 6 | 6 |
| Runs Scored | 32 | 23 |
| Runs Allowed | 15 | 44 |
| Batting Average | .287 | .298 |
| On Base Percentage | .352 | .331 |
| Slugging Percentage | .488 | .447 |
| Home Runs | 11 | 6 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 5 | 9 |
| ERA | 2.50 | 7.24 |
The Los Angeles Angels have started the season off doing something they could not in 2007: hit home runs. The team ranks 3rd in the majors with 17 and have scored 55 runs. Angels HR leader, Tori Hunter, seems to be making a huge difference so far in 2008. Hunter’s presence in the line up provides protection to those around him, and so far the team ranks 1st in batting average and 3rd in OPS. 2008 looks to be developing into a much improved offensive year for the Angels. The team is rebounding from the loss of Lackey and Escobar quite nicely. Ervin Santana and Joe Saunders have pitched well to start the season, and Jered Weaver has rebounded nicely after a shaky first start. The team will be greatly improved when Lackey returns and will likely improve upon its 15th best ranking in runs allowed.
| Seattle Mariners | ||
| 2008 | ||
| Wins | Losses | |
| Games | 6 | 6 |
| Runs Scored | 38 | 18 |
| Runs Allowed | 17 | 33 |
| Batting Average | .295 | .209 |
| On Base Percentage | .372 | .295 |
| Slugging Percentage | .495 | .352 |
| Home Runs | 8 | 7 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 7 | 7 |
| ERA | 2.33 | 5.62 |
King Felix and Eric Bedard have been large contributors to the Mariners impressive pitching start in 2008. Despite losing closer J.J. Putz, Seattle hasn’t missed a beat after Lowe’s hiccup in his first save situation. Four starter’s in the Mariners rotation have an ERA under 3.27 and the team has settled in to a 6-6 record, good enough for second place, tied with the Angels. Raul Ibanez has had a monster start to the season hitting 5 home runs, with 10 RBIs in 44 at bats. As good as Ibanez has been, the team’s catcher, Kenji Johjima, has been equally as bad, getting only 4 hits in 34 at bats. The Seattle bullpen has been its biggest weakness. Mariner middle relievers have had a tough go of it so far and should settle back into their roles once Putz returns from the DL.
| Texas Rangers | ||
| 2008 | ||
| Wins | Losses | |
| Games | 5 | 6 |
| Runs Scored | 34 | 11 |
| Runs Allowed | 19 | 31 |
| Batting Average | .297 | .195 |
| On Base Percentage | .376 | .276 |
| Slugging Percentage | .497 | .314 |
| Home Runs | 6 | 5 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 3 | 4 |
| ERA | 3.18 | 4.06 |
Well I should have guessed that the only guarantee this year would end up being that the Texas Rangers would have a bad start to the season. If the beginning of 2008 is any indicator of how the rest of the season will turn out, the Rangers will have a long season ahead of them. Texas ranks just 22nd in team batting average and has remained as unspectacular as expected. Outfielder Josh Hamilton is putting together a nice start to 2008, but despite his efforts, the Rangers rank in the middle of the pack in pretty much all categories.
