Contrary to preseason predictions, the AL East is not one of the top divisions in baseball; at least not by overall records. The Baltimore Orioles lead the way with a 55-44 record and the New York Yankees (51-48) and Toronto Blue Jays (52-49) sit four games back.
Don’t forget the surging Boston Red Sox (47-53) and Tampa Bay Rays (48-53), who are still within striking distance as the second half of the season proceeds. Rest assured, this division is far from over. Each team has a shot at the division title, and possibly the only way to reach the playoffs.
1. Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles have been in first place since they passed the Blue Jays on July 4 and are building their lead. With Adam Jones leading the way, batting 56-for-177 (.316) with 13 home runs and 34 RBIs since June 1. He’s emerged as the leader of this team, although Nelson Cruz ranks second in the league in home runs and third in RBIs.
The Orioles are currently in the middle of one of the toughest stretches a team can have; a 10-game road trip against the Oakland Athletics, Los Angeles Angels and Seattle Mariners. So far, the team is 3-2 through the road trip, with back-to-back wins over the Angels.
With the trade deadline approaching, the Orioles are looking for starting pitching, even though their staff has improved since early in the season. They currently rank 18th in team ERA, and another starter entering the fold could boost that number even more.
2. New York Yankees
The Yankees are defying modern baseball logic, managing a winning record while being outscored for 30 runs over the course of the season. Despite signing players like Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran in the offseason, the Yankees have scored the second-least runs in the AL, ahead of the Houston Astros.
Desperate for some offense, the Yankees traded a young third baseman batting .254 on the season in Yangervis Solarte for a veteran batting just .230 in 2014 in Chase Headley. It seems like a shot in the dark for the Yankees, but at four games back, they felt they could still compete for a division title.
With CC Sabathia out for the season and Masahiro Tanaka out for a few more weeks, it will be tough to make a late-season run.
3. Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays jumped out to the hot start, leading by over five games in early June. However, a 14-25 span since June 4 has put the Blue Jays confidence at a season-low. It doesn’t help that Edwin Encarnacion has been out since July 5, creating a hole in the lineup the size of 26 home runs and 70 RBIs.
Adding to the slump is Jose Bautista, who was one of baseball’s hottest players in late June. He’s batting .222 in July and hasn’t hit a home run since July 3. This type of offensive lull puts more pressure on the pitching staff, led by Mark Buehrle.
After registering a sub-3.00 ERA in the first three months of the season, Buehrle’s ERA in July in 5.29. He hasn’t gotten a win since June 1 and has lost four of seven games.
4. Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays were the worst team in baseball at one point this season, looking to trade their ace, David Price, and begin building for the future. However, a 19-8 run since June 18 has changed all of that. The team stands eight games out of first place, and with the streak that they’re on, it seems reachable.
The most baffling part of this is that the Rays are doing all of this without Wil Myers, their star youngster. His replacement, Kevin Kiermaier, is batting .311 with eight home runs to give the offense a much-needed boost.
However, the 13th-ranked pitching needs to pitch to its potential or this run will be for naught. David Price (3.06 ERA) and Chris Archer (3.31 ERA) are doing their part, but more needs to be done of the back-half of the rotation and bullpen.
5. Boston Red Sox
And here we have the defending World Series champs, winning eight of 10 games just to stay 8.5 games out of first place. The former No. 1 Red Sox offense of 2013 is now ranked 18th in the league, with a .249 team batting average.
Yes, the Red Sox have a pitching staff that features Jon Lester, John Lackey and Koji Uehara, but it still ranks just 13th in baseball. This combination of average pitching and a weak offense has contributed to the 47-53 record.
Still, the Red Sox are in contention for a playoff spot, despite the disastrous season so far. They’ll need to make a move to an offensive threat, but will they sacrifice they future to do so? The Red Sox have to do decide if they want to make a run or play for next year.