Early Season AL Analysis

While it is difficult to predict a season in the first eighteen games or so, the major players and trends are beginning to emerge. The four divisions in the American League are broken down here in order of their current standings, and do not denote any future predictions. Feel free to comment, although realize I'm a newbie and doing this just because I'm a dork. This mostly denotes who have been the main performers for each team, and any trends that seem particularly obvious.

AL East

Pawtucket Piranhas

The Piranhas have come out strong, particularly in the friendly confines of McCoy Stadium. The big bat of designated hitter Charlie Griffith has led the offense, hitting .382 with 4 HRs, while Enrique Tavarez has been a pleasant surprise leading off, with an OBP of .434 and 9 SBs. The pitching has been good enough to win thus far, with Randy Charleston emerging as the strongest starter thus far, and the lights-out play of closer Josh Douglas has given the Piranhas the extra edge to grab the early lead in the AL East, converting all five of his save opportunities thus far without surrendering a run. However, the Piranhas’ pitching staff as a whole has not overpowered, relying on some excellent play in the field thus far with the second best team defense in the AL. If they can continue to support their pitching staff with good glovework, Pawtucket has to remain the favorite in the East.

Baltimore Crab Cakes

The newly relocated Baltimore franchise has come out of the gate in solid fashion. Albert Yount has come out of the gate in spectacular fashion, dominating the competition to race out to a 4-0 record and a 2.35 ERA. Sandy Robinson and Marv McKinley have provided a great one-two punch in the Crab Cakes order, combining for 14 HR and 39 RBI so far. The Crab Cakes are going to need a second consistent option emerge in the rotation to support Yount if they are to contend in the AL.

Boston Clydesdales

The Clydesdales have come out swinging away, and it has kept them afloat through the first two weeks. Second baseman Richard Kirkland has started the season hitting .366 with 10 HR, converting a ridiculous 1.241 OPS, leading the majors in that category. The long ball has made up for some inconsistent hitting out of the offense so far, and it’ll be interesting to see if the offense can gain some consistency. The pitching staff has been all over the place early this season. Journeyman Charles White has gone 3-0 in his first chance to shine at the major league level, but the rest of the staff has had trouble, allowing opposing teams to hit .300. If Boston can find some arms to keep scores down, the teams’ power could easily emerge out of the East.

Louisville Sluggers

The fourth team in the early mixed bag of the East is Louisville. First baseman Fred Drabek, a Rule 5 draft pick from Pittsburgh, has led the offense so far with a .343 average and six homers, including a fourteen-game hitting streak already this season. The rest of the offense has been solid, but the pitching staff is an example of extremes. On one end is veteran pitcher Chad Anderson, who is 3-0 with a 2.96 ERA and 19 Ks in four starts. However, expected staff ace Gregg Huff has been rocked so far, going 0-3 with an appalling 11.29 ERA. Louisville is going to have to find some consistency out of its staff to compete this year, but if Huff can get his stuff turned around, Louisville will be able to compete.

AL North

Chicago Ravens

The three-time defending divison champs are on top once again early, and have to be considered the favorite to run the streak to four. Solid all-around play has denoted the early season Ravens, led by rookie center fielder Darren Wilkerson has led the offense out of the gate with a .386 average, while Fritz O’Brien has launched eight homers thus far. The pitching staff has produced well, with a surprising start from young Dominican left-hander Julian Gonzales mowing down the competition with a 3-0 start, with a 1.15 ERA and 25 Ks. The staff has a whole has been consistent, with most pitchers performing solid enough to stake an early lead to the Ravens. If this kind of balanced production continues, the Ravens should roll to another AL North title.

Portland Wet Streaks

If a team is going to be able to step up to Chicago, it’s going to have to be Portland. The Streaks have come out of the gate hitting well as a team, with a .286 team average and 33 HRs. Young catcher Bob Minor has an eighteen-game hitting streak, and is hitting .380 thus far to lead the consistent Portland offense. The pitching staff has been adequate, but has really not gotten the production they need, with none of the starters really emerging as a go-to guy on the mound. One starter to watch is Neifi Nunez. The nineteen-year old Mexican can deal smoke, and if he can emerge as a major starter, Portland can begin to close the gap on the Ravens.

Madison Muskies

The franchise that never unpacks has arrived in Madison, and continues to be a rebuilding project. The offense has looked very good so far, even away from the launching pad of Bessire Ballpark, led by nine homers by designated hitter Frank Ross. The pitching has been completely pathetic thus far, and was further crushed by the loss of pitchers Fred Sparks and Luis Rivera to injuries and a dearth of pitching talent throughout the farm system. The defense has been feast or famine, suffering the worst fielding percentage in the AL, but leading the league in double plays. The Muskies will be entertaining this year, particularly at home where the runs will come fast and furious, but are still a couple of years from contention.

Detroit Renegades

Detroit has stumbled a bit out of the gate, but has a consistent offense that could do them well down the stretch. Veteran second baseman Alex Gonzalez has knocked in 15 RBI thus far to lead a balanced attack, with several batters hitting above .270. The pitching staff has been better than the results would show, but struggles in the bullpen have resulted in a 3-6 record in one-run games, which leaves the Renegades’ record much lower than their play should warrant. A search for a consistent closer continues at Comerica Park, but if the bullpen settles down, the play of the starters has been solid enough to make Detroit a team to keep an eye on.

AL South

Jackson Nine

What can be said about Jackson that already hasn’t been? Last year’s playoff disappointment has led to a Furious Nine coming out of the gate with wild abandon. The explosive Jackson offense has been led thus far by Pablo Acosta, whose .382 average has led the team thus far. The scary part has been the effectiveness of the offense despite a slow start by defending AL MVP Wayne Hill, who could heat up at any time. The pitching staff has been especially effective, led by 3-0 starts by Pedro Molina and Todd Mateo. The staff is protected by the best defense in the AL. All together, the Nine are going to be a force to be reckoned with all season, and have to be considered the favorite in the AL.

Kansas City Royal Flush

Kansas City has drawn to an inside straight with Jackson in their division. The team has talent, but it will have to perform at a high level to be able to run with the Nine. The offense has been dead last thus far in many offensive categories. Any spark has to start with rookie second baseman David Mendez, who leads the team in homers but is batting a paltry .224, particularly with all-star shortstop Harry Segui out with a sprained MCL for a couple weeks. The team needs to hit to be able to keep pace, and to protect a solid pitching staff. In particular, the lack of offense has squandered some excellent starts by young fireballer Dernell Sierra, and the excellent play of closer Luis Rodriquez, who is perfect in save situations. The Flush have the young talent to make some noise, but are probably a few pieces away from contention in the South.

Richmond Colonials

The Colonials finished over .500 last year, and have the capability to do it again. The offense has provided plenty of power, with the duo of Clay Donatello and rookie Pat Baldwin combining for thirteen homers thus far to lead the dinger parade. Batting average has been a concern with only one batter over .300 on the season thus far. Much like the Flush, the Colonials pitching staff has played well enough to win, particularly staff ace Oscar McMillan, who has had good numbers thus far but only managed a 1-2 record. The Colonials have the pitching to be effective, but have to get more consistent from the plate to support the staff.

New Orleans Canes

The young Canes are an interesting team to watch. The majority of their roster is under 27 years of age, and they show sparks of potential. This is a fast team, and leads the AL in stolen bases, led by second baseman Torey Rodgers with ten. The other bright spot on the offense has been the play of 23 year old Cole Davis, who has build on a solid last season with a .313 average with five homers thus far. However, the young offense has the worst average in the league thus far. The pitching staff has had its ups and downs. Pedro Rosado has been rocked in all three starts thus far, and as a whole none of the pitchers have emerged as a bona-fide ace. This is going to be a year of testing for the Canes, attempting to determine which of the youth movement will be here for the long run.

AL West

Honolulu Tsunamis

If there is a team that looks like they may be able to the Nine this year, it’s the defending AL Champions out on Oahu. This is the rare team that has the pitching to battle with anyone. Led this season by a strong top three of Matthew Sweeney, Vince Duran, and Marlon Post, the Tsunamis staff has the best ERA in the AL. Couple that with a four-for-four performance thus far by veteran closer Ryan Rodriguez, and you have a staff that can hurl with the best of them. So far, the offense has been able to produce, led by rookie right-fielder Trevor Holmes, who has followed up a masterful season at AAA last year with a .300 average with eight homers early this season. Add six homers each by all-star Jeff Valentin and Rudy Ramsey, and they have the bats to contend as well.

Helena Urbanites

Behind the scenes, the quiet squad from Montana has produced a very solid ball club, and one to watch for this season. It all starts with staff ace Tom Matheson. The six-time All-Star has come out hotter than ever, with a 4-0 record and a phenomenal 1.16 ERA and 31 Ks. Along with Enrique Espinoza, the Urbanites have a one-two punch as good as anyone in the majors. With that kind of production from the top of the staff, the bats only need to produce some to get wins, and so far they have been up to the task. Former number-one overall pick Victor Diaz has led the offense with a .300 average, six homers, and 25 RBI. The offense has a few rough spots, but if they can get production from the lineup, this team could sneak up on people.

Boise Boozehounds

Meanwhile, just to the west, the Boozehounds have built another solid team. Led by all-star first baseman Leonardo Montgomery, who has come out of the gate on fire with a .386 average and six home runs, Boise can rake, and this helps defend a middle-of-the-pack pitching staff. Fortunately, the staff thus far has been able to rely on Iowa native Corky Stevenson. The three-time All-Star has continued to impress, going 3-0 with a 2.51 ERA, including a masterful complete-game shutout of Helena in the rivalry game. This has covered for a weak start by Jeremy Lidle early this season. If Lidle comes around, the Boozehounds staff can matchup well, and Boise cannot be counted out.

Anaheim Waves

Anaheim is another interesting team in a fascinating AL West. The bats have been solid early this season, led by designated hitter Enrique Arrojo, who is hitting .357 this season. A few of the every starters have not met expectations yet, particularly perennial Silver Slugger winner Chad Green, who needs to produce from the shortstop position for Anaheim to keep pace in this division. With the pitching in this division, Anaheim’s staff has to keep pace. Most of the starters have ERAs above 4, although the starters have allowed low opposing batting averages, and have not been the beneficiary of timely hitting. With a bit of luck and more consistency from the primary players, Anaheim is in a position to finish above .500 for the third year in a row.

We shall see how the season shakes out in the American League as the inevitable slumps and injuries take their savage toll on the teams. Coming soon: the National League.