Before the season started, many would have said the answer to this question would be the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, but to the surprise of many; the Oakland A’s are off to the hottest start in 2013. The Boston Red Sox are also off to a somewhat surprising start as they lead the East, and the Detroit Tigers, as expected, lead the central.
First, lets talk about the Red Sox, who have an AL-best record of 12-4 and sit atop the AL East. After signing many big free agent names, such as outfielder Shane Victorino, outfielder/designated hitter Jonny Gomes, shortstop Stephen Drew, and catcher/designated hitter Mike Napoli, they were expected to have great success this season. But after their brutal 2012 season, it was questionable. Victorino has had a good start this year as he is batting .311 with seven RBI. Napoli had a lot of success with the Texas Rangers before signing a contract with Boston and has been a big contributor for the Sox thus far. He is batting .254 with two homeruns and 17 RBI. Gomes is only batting .200 with zero homeruns and zero RBI in 12 games. Gomes is a homerun threat at the plate and will improve his numbers when he gets on a hot streak. Drew has only played in eight games with the Sox because he was on the disabled list with a concussion to start the season. In those eight games, Drew is batting .115 with one RBI.
The Sox activated designated hitter David Ortiz from the disabled list on Saturday. In his emotional return to Fenway, he went 2-4 with an RBI.
The Sox pitching has also been good, as Jon Lester is 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA. They did lose John Lackey as he was placed on the disabled list due to a strained right bicep. His numbers weren’t great, but they’ll need him as the season progresses. Clay Buchholz has been phenomenal for Boston this season with his 4-0 record and 0.90 ERA.
The Red Sox went out, improved their team, and so far it’s paying off, as their success and record has led them to be one of the best teams right now in the AL.
The defending American League Champion Detroit Tigers have a 9-8 record and lead the AL Central. The Tigers are expected to win their division and so far they are on track to do just that. They are getting contributions from all of their usual players. Ace Justin Verlander, is pitching like an All Star with 2-2 record and a 2.13 ERA. Third baseman and Triple Crown king, Miguel Cabrera is batting .347 with two homeruns and 18 RBI. First baseman Prince Fielder is also off to a good start, batting .328 with four homeruns and 19 RBI. Outfielder Austin Jackson is also getting on base a lot for Detroit with his .316 batting average. Shortstop Jhonny Peralta is batting .303 with one homerun and seven RBI. New acquisition, outfielder Torii Hunter is batting .400 with one homerun and nine RBI, proving to be a great addition to the team to boost an already impressive lineup. The Tigers pitching staff and hitters are doing what they have been expected to do and as a result they are one of the best teams in the AL right now.
The A’s have the second best record in the AL at 12-6 and are in first place in the West. They have been off to a red hot start, despite a lack of performance by some players. The starting pitching hasn’t been what it was expected to be, but that hasn’t been a problem for the A’s; as they have one of the best bullpens in the league with a lot of depth. Ace Brett Anderson is 1-3 and was off to a good start until he got hit in the hand and wrist in his second start of the season. The injuries keep coming for Anderson, who sprained his ankle against the Rays on Friday night. He only pitched one inning and now has a 5.95 ERA.
Jarrod Parker, who was the A’s number one starter in the ALDS last season, has started the year with very poor numbers and performance. The right hander is 0-3 with a 7.50 ERA. Parker had a terrific start Saturday night, which lowered his ERA as he only gave up one run. Granted, it is early in the season, but the A’s need Parker to turn things around as the season progresses, as he is a big part of their pitching staff. Bartolo Colon is pitching well for the A’s, as he is 2-0 with a 3.32 ERA. Another one of the A’s young pitchers is Tom Milone who has won all three of his starts and has an ERA of 3.86.
The A’s have been able to win ballgames despite the slow starts of their Gold Glove right fielder Josh Reddick and left fielder Yoenis Cespedes. Reddick is batting .102 with one homerun and seven RBI. The A’s can always count on Reddick for his amazing plays in the outfield, but for them to have continued success as the season goes on, they’ll need Reddick to swing the bat better. Cespedes is currently on the disabled list due to a sprained muscle in his left hand. The outfielder was batting .200 with three homeruns and seven RBI before heading to the DL. Seth Smith and Chris Young have been able to take over for Cespedes, and have done a good job thus far, especially Smith, who is batting .391.
Center fielder Coco Crisp has been the ignitor for the A’s so far this year. He’s batting .323 with five homeruns and nine RBI, proving he is the leader of this club. First baseman Brandon Moss has also been clutch for Oakland with his .308 average, two homeruns, and 14 RBI. However, the best hitter for the A’s right now has to be shortstop Jed Lowrie who has been killing the ball this season. Lowrie is batting .394 and has three homeruns and 14 RBI. Such play was not expected from Lowrie, but it highly appreciated by A’s fans as Hiroyuki Nakajima remains on the disabled list. Second baseman, Eric Sogard, has also been consistent for the A’s posting a .298 average. Sogard doesn’t have any homeruns and only has two RBI, but has proven he can take over for Scott Sizemore who is unfortunately out for the year after re-tearing his ACL in his left knee.
Just to give you an idea as to where the A’s were at this time last season, they didn’t get their 12th win until May 1st; this year they recorded their 12th win on April 17th. Quite the turnaround as the A’s continue to prove their magical 2012 season was only the beginning of great things to come in Oakland. The A’s will only continue to improve this season along with their pitching and hitting.
The Red Sox, Tigers, and A’s are all off to a great start this season, but as of now, the A’s are the best team in the American League despite not having big name players with big contracts. The Tigers have a team salary of $148, 414, 500, the Red Sox have a salary of $140, 657, 500, then there’s the A’s who have a salary of $60, 372, 500. The A’s have been able to compete and contend with their salary and have a lot of depth which will continue to help them as the season goes on, making them the best team in the AL right now.