AL East: Midseason Report

After breaking down all three National League divisions, it's time to switch over to those on the junior circuit, starting with the division featuring the surprise of the season and ESPN's lovers.

Maybe dropping the "Devil" from their name and changing team colors was just what the Tampa Bay Rays needed. The team with the best record in all of baseball is one that baseball fans never expected. A team that provided its fans with nothing but futility in its first decade is now turning heads everywhere, and not just in St. Pete.

People told Carl Crawford for years that he needed to get out if wanted to win anything. I'm sure he'll tell you now that it was worth the wait. He now has a teammate that will probably reach the franchise player's level of play.

His name is Evan Longoria.

When he was formally introduced to the major leagues at the start of the season, his name might have been a butt of ridicule due to the very similar name of a Desperate Housewife. With 16 home runs and 53 RBI, I think he will, and should, win AL Rookie of the Year. Fans rewarded him by making him the final man on the AL's All-Star roster.

Crawford, and teammates B.J. Upton and Jason Bartlett, have all stolen at least 18 bases. Once Bartlett comes off the DL, he should pick up right where he left off.

Despite not having any hitters in the top 50 in MLB batting average, the team is ranked 10th overall. The pitching staff more than follows suit, with the third-best ERA in all of baseball. Andy Sonnanstine is 10-4 and can now be considered one of the best young pitchers in the game. Matt Garza, James Shields, and Edwin Jackson all have ERA less than 4.00.

Don't doubt this team that is stacked with young talent. Practically every top team in the game has come into the Trop and left it shaking their heads.

Of course, there's also the defending world champion Boston Red Sox, who are stacked on both sides of the ball. They're tied with the Cubs for the best batting average in the game. Look between the lines and you won't be surprised a bit as to why that is.

Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia definitely made cases as to why they deserved to make up the starting right side of the infield for the AL in the All-Star Game. They have hit for averages of .319 and .313, respectively.

J.D. Drew didn't make the All-Star team, but is hovering around .300 as well and has 53 RBI. Talk about Manny being Manny all you want, but he has the numbers to back his behavior up, with 17 homers and 59 RBI.

Oh yeah, and Ramirez was voted to start the All-Star Game, too. Youkilis and Mike Lowell also have gone beyond the 50-RBI mark. And to think, they've done all this even with Big Papi out of action since early June.

The pitching staff, which leads the American League in strikeouts, has been equally impressive. Jon Lester's no-hitter on May 19 has been only part of the success. Lester has thrown one other shutout this year, and boasts an ERA 3.38. 

Josh Beckett and Daisuke Matsuzaka both have nine wins on the year and show no signs of letting up. Jonathan Papelbon is always a reliable closer to preserve victories for the Red Sox. Both commodities are why this team will continue to chase the Rays for the East lead throughout the second half.

What more can one say about the New York Yankees?

They've proven that a ridiculously high payroll doesn't guarantee the best results possible. Remember, they last won a World Series before dishing out the biggest contracts money can buy.

So far this year, on the hitter's front, only Johnny Damon, A-Rod, Bobby Abreu, and some former 'roider named Giambi have shown they're worth their contracts.

Damon and A-Rod are hitting over .310, Abreu has driven in 59 runs, and Giambi is still slugging the ball. A-Rod and Derek Jeter will be the po-tay-to to Boston's po-tah-to as they start for the AL on the left side of the infield this Tuesday.

As a team, the Yankees rank fifth in the AL in both batting average and RBI, but the sluggers aren't slugging as many homers, as nearly two-thirds of the rest of the MLB teams rank above them.

Veteran pitchers Mike Mussina and Andy Pettitte lead the rotation with W-L/ERA lines of 11-6/3.61 and 10-6/3.93, respectively. However, the pitching staff as a whole has been average at best.

Unless that gets on par with the offense, this'll be the first time since the three-round playoff format began in 1995 that the Yankees will miss the postseason. How fitting it would be for the final season at the House That Ruth Built.

The Baltimore Orioles continue to be the mediocre team they have been for the past decade. Designated hitter Aubrey Huff is leading the offense with 18 homers and 57 RBI. Brian Roberts continues to be a decent hitter for the club, batting .291.

The hitting as a whole can be rated as average at best, but the pitching leaves something to be desired. The staff has the second-fewest strikeouts in the majors.

Jeremy Guthrie and closer George Sherrill are really the only legitimate pitchers on a staff that has an ERA around 4.50. In Baltimore, it's another year, another losing cause.

All I can say about the Toronto Blue Jays is that they deserve last place. From cutting Reed Johnson and Frank Thomas to the GM insulting Adam Dunn, it seems like the front office can't do anything right this season.

More can be said about the impressive rotation.

A.J. Burnett has been producing though, with a 9-8 record and 118 strikeouts.  With CC Sabathia now in the National League, he is the new leader in the AL in the strikeout category. Roy Halladay has done even better with a 10-6 record and a 2.88 ERA. Shaun Marcum's ERA is even lower at 2.65.

You can have a great pitching staff, but in the end, the hitters have to produce. The Blue Jays are last in the American League in home runs and third-to-last in RBI.

Good hitting at the least has to match great pitching. It hasn't in Canada, and that's why the Blue Jays will be playing golf in October.

Prediction

Both the Rays and the Red Sox are good enough to make the playoffs this year.  Tampa will win its first division title, while Boston will finish a close second and be able to try and defend its title as the AL's Wild Card team.

On Deck: AL Central