Daniel's Huge American League Midseason Report Card

Baltimore Orioles/Boston Red Sox
Chicago White Sox/Cleveland Indians
Detroit Tigers/Kansas City Royals
Los Angeles Angels/Minnesota Twins
New York Yankees/Oakland Athletics
Seattle Mariners/Tampa Bay Rays
Texas Rangers/Toronto Blue Jays

For direct access to a team, click the link of a team to take you straight there in this article.

This is my midseason report card on the American League. It includes complete break downs of each team, while assigning them overall grades, and grades for each component (defense, offense, starting pitching, bullpen, management).

I also show you how the teams have progressed through the power rankings and whether or not they're likely to make the playoffs.

Baltimore Orioles
Record: 36-47
Grade: D

Season In Review (Grades)

Management: C+
Give Dave Trembley some credit. His O's are playing in the division of death. The O's started off the season scorching, but have fallen off since then. Trembley has a very young team in rebuilding mode and has to make due with a weak pitching staff. It's strange that the little things that have gone wrong have been caused by the vets.

Defense: C+
There have been flashes of brilliance, but there's also been subpar defensive play. The team has committed a collective 52 errors, with the most (13) coming from veterans Melvin Mora and Brian Roberts. Aubrey Huff has been adequate at first and Robert Andino has flashed some serious leather. Adam Jones is a great fielder, while Nick Markakis has a rocket arm.

Starting Pitching: F
The team has thrown an MLB-low 27 quality starts. The starting pitching staff also has the second worst ERA (5.43) and batting average against (.285) in the American League. The O's cut Adam Eaton early in the season and have now placed Koji Uehara, who has been consistent but not great, on the disabled list. The "ace" Jeremy Guthrie leads the league in losses (with eight) and has an awful 5.20 ERA. Rich Hill (3-2, 7.43 ERA) and Jason Berken (1-5, 6.25 ERA) have been too inconsistent. Brad Bergesen (5-3, 3.59 ERA) has been outstanding and is a leading candidate for Rookie of the Year.

Bullpen: C-
The bullpen hasn't fared much better. They're the third worst in the American League, with a 4.69 ERA, .278 batting average against, and 11 blown saves. Danys Baez (2 BS, 4.50 ERA), Brian Bass (4.71 ERA), and Chris Ray (9.28 ERA, DL) have been unreliable. Jim Johnson (13 H, 3.00 ERA) and Matt Albers (3.93 ERA) have been consisent. George Sherrill (18 Saves, 2.43 ERA) has been playing All-Star worthy baseball, too.

Offense: B
The Orioles have a better than average offense, but it's not good enough to overwhelm the terrible pitching. They have All-Star Adam Jones, a .300+ hitter and Nick Markakis, a 50+ RBI hitter. Aubrey Huff and Luke Scott have provided lots of protection, driving in lots of runs. Rookies Matt Wieters and Nolan Reimold have improved lots and provided good rookies numbers. Melvin Mora's numbers are down lots, and the bench (Felix Pie, Gregg, Ty Wigginton) is not a strong suit.

Team Thoughts

Baltimore's most valuable player has been Adam Jones. Jones has been a consistent five-tool player throughout the first half of the season. He's batting .305 with 12 home runs, 46 RBI, six stolen bases, and a .858 OPS. Jones is also batting .342 with runners on base and .333 with runners in scoring position and two outs.

Baltimore's least valuable player has been Jeremy Guthrie. Guthrie was supposed to be the ace of the pitching staff, but he's just played so awful. He leads baseball in losses and less of his starts have been of the quality variety. He has an awful 5.20 ERA and 1.40 WHIP. It looks like the O's need a new ace.

Baltimore's best moment came on June 30. Going into the bottom of the seventh inning against the Red Sox, the Orioles were down 10-1. Getting offense from virtually everybody on the team, the Orioles scored five in the seventh and five in the eighth, to take the lead (11-10), the game, and save away from Jonathan Papelbon.

Baltimore's worst moment came on July 1. After their miraculous comeback, the Red Sox pulled off one of their own. Going into the ninth inning, the Orioles were up 5-1. After a Youkilis homer got Boston within two runs, Sherrill recorded two outs. However, the next three men got on base and then tied the game. The Orioles would lose in the 11th inning.

Power Rankings

Baltimore's highest ranking was 6.
Baltimore's lowest ranking was 29.
Baltimore's average ranking is 22.54.

Playoff Potential

The Orioles will not make the playoffs. They have absolutely no chance. Their pitching staff is too awful. They're also last place in the hardest division in baseball and 12.5 games out of the Wild Card.

Boston Red Sox
Record: 49-33
Grade: A

Season In Review (Grades)

Management: A
What bad can you say about Terry Francona? He has been forced to deal with a plethora of problems (Big Papi struggling, Lowell on the DL, lack of a shortstop), but he has adjusted his team accordingly. Francona has the Red Sox as the top team in the American League, but more importanly, 8-0 against their main rivals.

Defense: B+
The Red Sox are one of the best defensive teams in the game. They've only committed 45 errors as a team. Kevin Youkilis is looking for another gold glove, as is Dustin Pedroia. Nick Green has had his problems at shortstop as has Mike Lowell at third. The outfield has been great with Jason Bay making sweet plays, Ellsbury still having only committed one error in his career, and Drew does what he has to. Jason Varitek has given up too many stolen bases.

Starting Pitching: C+
Believe it or not, but Boston has one of the weaker rotations in the American League. The starting rotation has an ERA of 4.54 and a WHIP of 1.41. However, the 45 quality starts and five complete games are impressive. After slow starts, Josh Beckett (9-3, 3.67 ERA) and Jon Lester (7-6, 4.16 ERA) have looked like their normal, good selves. All-Star Tim Wakefield (10-3, 4.30 ERA) was a godsend when those two starters were struggling, keeping the Red Sox in the games he pitched. Brady Penny (6-3, 4.67 ERA) has not been as good as people say and John Smoltz (0-2, 6.60 ERA) has struggled mightily. Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-5, 8.23 ERA) went on the DL.

Bullpen: A
Boston has the best bullpen in all of baseball. The bullpen has a 3.18 ERA and 1.29 WHIP. Takashi Saito (3.64 ERA), Hideki Okajima (3.25 ERA, 1.06 WHIP), Manny Delcarmen (1.97 ERA), and Ramon Ramirez (8 H, 2.19 ERA, 1.09 WHIP) have all been great relievers. Justin Masterson (4.12 ERA) has had his problems. Jonathan Papelbon (20 saves, 1.75 ERA) continues to be one of he best closers in the game.

Offense: A
The Red Sox offense is stellar, and must be to compete in their division. They're top-three in almost every offensive category. They have the potential-MVP in Jason Bay, who leads the league in RBI. There's also .300+ hitter Jacoby Ellsbury, the OBP (.417) leader Kevin Youkilis, and Mike Lowell, who was an RBI machine before going down. David Ortiz has struggled, and JD Drew's and Dustin Pedroia's numbers are down and Jason Varitek stinks. They have a deep, reliable bench in Baldelli, Kotsay, and Kottaras, but help is needed at shorstop.

Team Thoughts

Boston's most valuable player has been Jason Bay. He has been exceptional since coming to fill in for Manny Ramirez. Bay has provided a reliable glove in left field. He also leads the American League with 70 RBI. His 19 home runs and 50 walks are not too shabby either. He's also batting .333 with runners in scoring position.

Boston's least valuable player has been David Ortiz. Yes, he has heated up recently, but he still has been unreliable. Batting .221 with nine home runs and 38 RBI is not impressive, for a "premiere" designated hitter. He has double the amount of strikeouts as walks and is batting .242 with runners in scoring position.

Boston's best moment came on June 11. Going into the bottom of the eighth inning, the Red Sox were down 3-1. However, they scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth with a spark from JD Drew. The rally was impressive, but what more impressive is that it capped of an 8-0 record against their rival Yankees.

Boston's worst moment came on June 30. Going into the bottom of the seventh inning against the Red Sox, the Red Sox were up 10-1. The bullpen acted very uncharacteristically and the Orioles scored ten runs in the late innings to take the lead and the game.

Power Rankings

Boston's highest ranking was 2.
Boston's lowest ranking was 24.
Boston's average ranking is 6.15.

Playoff Potential

The Red Sox will likely make the playoffs. Either through the division crown, or the Wild Card. Their pitching (bullpen especially) is too dominant and they have the offense to compete.

Chicago White Sox
Record: 42-40
Grade: C+

Season In Review (Grades)

Management: B-
Ozzie Guillen has had to deal with the loss of his team's best player, Carlos Quentin. Guillen rolled the dice on letting Scott Podsednik take over Quentin's spot in left field, and it worked out great. Other great decisions were the demotion of Jose Contreras to the minors and the call-up of Gordon Beckham.

Defense: D-
The White Sox are one of the worst fielding teams in the American League. Paul Konerko and Jermaine Dye have been great in their positions defensively. Also, the players rotated in center and left have been good. However, Alexei Ramirez has already committed ten errors. Also, rookies Chris Getz and Gordon Beckham have combined for 11 errors, in limited play. AJ Pierzynski can't catch anybody stealing.

Starting Pitching: A-
The White Sox have the second best starting rotation (4.07 ERA) in the American League. They've also hurled 42 quality starts and have a 1.29 WHIP. All-Star Mark Buehrle (8-2, 3.09 ERA) has been dominant. John Danks (7-6, 3.76 ERA) and Gavin Floyd (6-6, 4.33 ERA) started off slow, but have found their form. Jose Contreras (3-7, 4.84 ERA) was garbage, demoted, and has been dominant since returning. Something has to be done with the fifth spot as Clayton Richard (3-2, 4.88 ERA) is inconsistent. We'll see what happens when Bartolo Colon comes off the DL or if Kenny Williams will make some moves at the trade deadline.

Bullpen: B+
The bullpen started off the season great, but has cooled down since. They have a collective 3.84 ERA. Octavio Dotel (10 H, 3.34 ERA), Matt Thorton (12 H, 2.76 ERA), Scott Linebrink (2.05 ERA), and DJ Carrasco (3.18) have all been reliable and consistent. Jimmy Gobble (7.50 ERA) has been awful, but not used in big situations. Bobby Jenks has been his reliable self (19 saves, 3.14 ERA).

Offense: C-
The offense hasn't been as strong as usual. Paul Konerko and Jermaine Dye continue to produce, each with 50+ RBI. There's two .300+ batters in Scott Podsednik (the godsend of the team) and AJ Pierzynski. Alexei Ramirez started off slow, but has got his average up and is producing while Gordon Beckham is starting to find his stroke. There's no offense coming from the center field position (Brian Anderson), while Jim Thome can get on base, but not hit for average. The bench is not strong at all in Jayson Nix, Josh Fields, Ramon Castro, and DeWayne Wise.

Team Thoughts

Chicago's most valuable player has been Scott Podsednik. When Carlos Quentin when down, the season was over. However, Pods came over after being cut by Colorado. All he has done is been one of the best leadoff hitters in the AL and come up in clutch situations all the time.

Chicago's least valuable player has been Josh Fields. Fields was relegated to the bench due to his poor play. Fields only batted .230 with 26 RBI and was among the league leaders in strikeouts, before being benched. He also only batted .219 with runners in scoring position.

Chicago's best moment came on June 27. The White Sox were playing their cross-town rivals, the Cubs. After blowing the lead three times, the game was tied going into the bottom of the ninth. However, with two outs and runners on, Gordon Beckham hit a deep single to drive in a run and win the game.

Chicago's worst moment came on May 21. After beating up on the Twins in the two previous games, the White Sox decided not to show up to this game. Not only did Jake Peavy reject a trade on this day, the White Sox gave up 20 runs on 20 hits to the Twins, while only managing to score one run. It was an embarrassing blowout.

Power Rankings

Chicago's highest ranking was 9.
Chicago's lowest ranking was 24.
Chicago's average ranking is 17.08.

Playoff Potential

The White Sox could make the playoffs, and I may be underrating their potential here. They will be getting back Carlos Quentin, and the pitching's there. It's really a question of defense and clutch hitting.

Cleveland Indians
Record: 33-50
Grade: D-

Season In Review (Grades)

Management: D-
What can Eric Wedge do? His pitching staff is too depleted. He's getting blamed too much for something he can't control. We know he's a great manager who has been successful in the past, and he got a vote of confidence that his job will be secure for the rest of the year. Wedge is trying to do what he can, as he has used 76 different lineups in the first 81 games, but nothing's working.

Defense: B+
Cleveland is one of the better defensive teams in the American League, having only committed 46 errors. Every position has been consistent, except shortstop and third which has accounted for half the errors (23). However, eight of those belong to Mark DeRosa, who is now gone. The outfield has been great, while Victor Martinez has only caught 5-of-40 stealing.

Staring Pitching: F
You have Cliff Lee... and then there's everybody else. The Indians have the worst rotation in the American League (5.48 ERA, .294 batting average against, 1.56 WHIP). Cliff Lee (4-8, 3.45 ERA) has been mostly consistent, and his record is deceptive. Carl Pavano (7-7, 5.36 ERA) has had good moments and bad moments, but more of the latter. David Huff (4-3, 6.06 ERA), Jeremy Sowers (1-6, 6.27 ERA), and Tomo Ohka (0-2, 6.35) have all been unreliable garbage. They've had problems as Fausto Carmona is in the minors and Anthony Reyes is on the disabled list. Aaron Laffey is coming back soon, but will he be put in the bullpen?

Bullpen: F
The bullpen is second worst in the American League with a 4.98 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, and 13 blown saves. The Tribe got Chris Perez (5.33 ERA) from the Cardinals and he hasn't looked sharp. Neither have Joe Smith (4.00 ERA) or Rafael Perez (8.88 ERA, 2.17 WHIP). Winston Abreu might have some promise, as does Tony Sipp (2.92 ERA). Kerry Wood has not been a reliable closer (4 blown saves, 5.08 ERA).

Offense: B-
The offense actually hasn't been that bad, but it hasn't been able to overcome the deficiencies of the pitching staff. They have Victor Martinez and Shin-Soo Choo, who are both batting .300+ and have 50+ RBI. There's also the .300+ reliable bat of Asdrubal Cabrera. Grady Sizemore hasn't been able to overcome his injuries yet and Travis Hafner isn't driving in enough runs. Ryan Garko and Jhonny Peralta haven't had good years at all. They also have a very weak bench in Jamey Carroll and Kelly Shoppach.

Team Thoughts

Cleveland's most valuable player has been Shin-Soo Choo. Not only does he have a .406 on-base percentage, he's also batting .301 with 12 home runs and 53 RBI. He also has a rocket arm and is clutch. Choo is batting .333 with runners in scoring position and .327 with runners in scoring position and two outs.

Cleveland's least valuable player has been Jhonny Peralta. His numbers are down all across the board. He's only batting .254 with five home runs and 35 RBI. He's also only batting .268 when there's runners in scoring position. Even his strikeouts numbers are up, in reduced playing time.

Cleveland's best moment came on May 25. The Indians were facing the Rays, and they were down 10-4 going into the bottom of the ninth. However, the Tribe batted around the order and scored seven runs, capped off by a Victor Martinez walkoff, to take the game 11-10.

Cleveland's worst moment came on June 20. Kerry Wood blew a save the game before and the Indians came from behind to take the lead in the thirteenth. Kerry Wood came in to secure the victory, but gave up the tying run on a single and the winning run on a blown pitch. It was Cleveland's fifth straight loss.

Power Rankings

Cleveland's highest ranking was 24.
Cleveland's lowest ranking was 30.
Cleveland's average ranking is 27.69.

Playoff Potential

I don't want to completely discount the Indians out, yet. They likely won't make the playoffs, but they do play in a weak division and they finished as the strongest team in baseball last year.

Detroit Tigers
Record: 44-38
Grade: A-

Season In Review (Grades)

Management: A-
Jim Leyland took a team that nobody expected to do anything and transformed it into a playoff-bound team. He's gotten consistent play when he's needed to and has the pitching staff in control. He was faced with tough decisions (like benching Magglio Ordonez), but he did what was best for the team. He could well be on his way to another Manager of the Year trophy.

Defense: A-
The Tigers play exceptional defense. They have only committed 40 errors as a group. Brandon Inge has committed one-fifth of the team's errors, but he has saved a lot more runs. Placido Polanco is the best defensive second baseman in the game. The shortstops have had their share of problems (12 errors). The outfield has been great and Gerald Laird has a 40 caught stealing percentage.

Starting Pitching: B+
The Tigers have the fourh best (4.26 ERA, 1.39 WHIP) starting rotation in the American League. Their two All-Stars Justin Verlander (8-4, 3.54 ERA) and Edwin Jackson (6-4, 2.59 ERA) have been consistently dominating, and dubbed the best one-two pitching punch in the American League. Rick Porcello (8-6, 4.14 ERA) has been mostly consistent, but starting to struggle as a rookie. Armando Galarraga (5-7, 5.03 ERA) hasn't been good. It looked like Alfredo Figaro was going to be good, but he was optioned after his second start. Now, they're trying out Luke French, as Dontrelle Willis and Jeremy Bonderman are on the disabled list.

Bullpen: C
The bullpen hasn't been a strong suit (4.41 ERA), leading the American League with 15 blown saves. Joel Zumaya (5 blown saves, 4.25 ERA) and Zach Miner (4.78 ERA) have not been reliable. Brandon Lyon (3.92 ERA) and Bobby Seay (3.20 ERA, 0.99 WHIP) have been consistenly good. Freddy Dolsi looks like he has promise while Fernando Rodney (4.25 ERA) is nail-biting at the end of games, but has yet to blow a save.

Offense: C+
The Tigers have a lot of good offensive players, but not a lot of offensive production. There's Miguel Cabrera, who ranks among the best in the triple crown categories. They also have Brandon Inge and Curtis Granderson to drive in runs, although they won't hit for average. Magglio Ordonez has been struggling all year and Gerald Laird isn't a good offensive weapon. There's also not much production from Adam Everett or Marcus Thames, either. Ryan Raburn is starting to start more, and he's been good. The bench of Dusty Ryan, Josh Anderson, and Ramon Santiago is just average.

Team Thoughts

Detroit's most valuable player has been Edwin Jackson. He has brought consistent, strong pitching to a rotation that would be screwed without him. Out of his 17 starts, 13 were quality. His sub-3.00 ERA and 1.09 WHIP are also spectacular and he pitches deep into games.

Detroit's least valuable player has been Magglio Ordonez. He was once the best player in the game. Now, he's batting .264 with 4 home runs and 28 RBI. His production has dropped off and his playing time has been reduced because of it. He doesn't deserve the money he's getting.

Detroit's best moment came on June 23. The Tigers were hosting the Cubs, and were losing 4-3 going into the bottom of the ninth inning. In the bottom of the ninth, there was one out and Ryan Raburn came in to pinch hit. He hit a walkoff two-run homer to secure the rally.

Detroit's worst moment came on May 13. The Tigers didn't just blow the lead once or twice. They blew it three times, and it was against the Twins. Going into the 13th inning, the Tigers had the lead 10-9. Then Joe Crede took care of that, with a two-out, two-strike grand slam to give the Twins the victory.

Power Rankings

Detroit's highest ranking was 3.
Detroit's lowest ranking was 15.
Detroit's average ranking is 8.38.

Playoff Potential

Detroit looked like they were going to run away with the division earlier. A key question will be what to do with the tail-end of their rotation. They have two dominant starters and a great rookie. But there's two other slots you have to worry about.

Kansas City Royals
Record: 36-46
Grade: D

Season In Review (Grades)

Management: C-
Trey Hillman does not have a load of talent to work with. Like the Indians, injuries and the players' play have put cramps on the team. The bulk of the blame does not land on Hillman. This team started off fast, and became the Cindarellas of the American League. Now, everybody has jumped off the Kansas City bandwagon.

Defense: D-
The Royals are the second worst fielding team in the American League. They have committed 60 errors as a club. The bulk of them has come from Alberto Callaspo with ten and the four different shortstops that have combined for 13. Third base has been iffy, and the outfield could really use Coco Crisp's glove. Miguel Olivo has been adequate, catching 34 percent of runners.

Starting Pitching: A-
The Royals have a nice, young pitching staff. No rotation has thrown more complete games (eight). Also, they have a 4.13 ERA and 1.33 WHIP. Zack Greinke (10-4, 2.00 ERA) has been the Cy Young of the first half, with 14-of-17 starts being quality. Brian Bannister (6-6, 3.87 ERA) has also been effective. Gil Meche (4-8, 4.14 ERA) and Luke Hochevar (4-3, 5.08) need to be more consistent, because they are talented. The Royals are trying to see if Bruce Chen will be effective, while Kyle Davies and Sidney Ponson try to figure out their control problems in triple-A.

Bullpen: D+
Kansas City has problems in the bullpen. Neither their 4.53 ERA nor 12 blown saves is going to get the job done. Joakim Soria (13 saves, 1.66 ERA) struggled briefly due to injury, but has come back strong. Kyle Farnsworth went on the disabled list. None of the middle relievers have really been effective: Juan Cruz (4.46 ERA), (4.50 ERA, 1.69 WHIP), Jamey Wright (4.23 ERA), Robinson Tejeda (4.50 ERA, 1.75 WHIP), or John Bale (6.39 ERA, 1.66 WHIP).

Offense: D-
The Royals have one of the weakest offenses in baseball. No American League team has scored less runs than them and they don't hit often. Coco Crisp won't be back and Mike Aviles sophomore slumped his way onto the disabled list. Mike Jacobs and Jose Guillen have underperformed by not driving in enough runs. David DeJesus leads the team in RBI, but doesn't get on base much. They do have a .300+ hitter in Alberto Callaspo. Also, the Silent Assassin Wilie Bloomquist is effective and clutch. They also have a weak bench in Tony Pena and Luis Hernandez.

Team Thoughts

Kansas City's most valuable player has been Zack Greinke. There's no question about it. In his 17 starts, he's kept his team in the game 14 times. He also has five complete games (including two shutouts). His WHIP is a minuscule 1.05 and he also has ten wins. Without Greinke, this team would be the Nationals.

Kansas City's least valuable player has been Mike Jacobs. Jacobs is a strikeout machine that is only batting .225 with 28 RBI. His on-base percentage is a meager .303. What's worse is he is only batting .200 when there are runners in scoring position. He has failed to come up in the clutch many times.

Kansas City's best moment came on June 24. In Houston, the Royals were down 2-1 going into the ninth inning. David DeJesus would single in the tying run to force extra innings. Miguel Olivo then cranked a home run on the first pitch in the 11th inning to give the Royals the lead and the game.

Kansas City's worst moment came on May 25. They were playing the Tigers and they go blown out, 13-1. The Royals team allowed 19 hits and two unearned runs to cross the plate. Starter Gil Meche only lasted 2 1/3 innings and the bullpen didn't pitch much better.

Power Rankings

Kansas City's highest ranking was 6.
Kansas City's lowest ranking was 28.
Kansas City's average ranking is 17.62.

Playoff Potential

I'm not counting out Kansas City yet, either. They play in such a weak division and are only eight games back. With their pitching, if the offense gets on a roll, they could make some noise.

Los Angeles Angels
Record: 46-35
Grade: B+

Season In Review (Grades)

Management: A
Can you expect anything else from Mike Scioscia? The Angels started off poorly, once being five games under .500. They had to deal with a very crippled starting pitching staff and injuries to perhaps their future Hall of Famer, Vladimir Guerrero. Not to mention the pain this team had to go through when Nick Adenhart was killed. The Angels have been resilient.

Defense: B+
The Angels are one of the better defensive teams in the league, having only committed 42 errors as a team. The bulk of the errors have come from Chone Figgins and Erick Aybar, but they have saved a lot more runs than they have cost the Angels. They also have a gold glove center fielder in Torii Hunter and great play from Bobby Abreu and Juan Rivera. Jeff Napoli (24 percent) doesn't catch enough thefts.

Starting Pitching: D+
The team's starting rotation (4.51 ERA) has been severely injured and mitigated by the loss of Adehart. Jered Weaver (9-3, 3.15 ERA) has been phenomenal and was snubbed for the All-Star game. John Lackey (3-3, 4.70 ERA) is trying to get back into his usual groove. Matt Palmer (7-1, 4.86 ERA) has been effective, but not great. Joe Saunders (8-5, 4.44 ERA) has been too inconsistent, especially compared to last year's great performances. Off of the disabled list, Ervin Santana (1-4, 7.43 ERA, 1.90 WHIP) has been awful. Kelvim Escobar has been placed back on the disabled list, which is another blow to this pitching staff.

Bullpen: F
The Angels have the worst bullpen in the American League (5.06 ERA, 11 blown saves, 1.52 WHIP). Scott Shields and Jose Arredondo going down with injury didn't help things. Justin Speier (4.31 ERA), Jason Bulger (4.37 ERA), Rich Thompson (4.40 ERA), and Kevin Jepsen (9.39 ERA, 2.15 WHIP) have all given up too many runs. Darren Oliver (8 H, 2.72 ERA) has been great and Brian Fuentes (24 saves, 3.38 ERA) leads the league in saves.

Offense: B+
The Angels have an effective offense, and in fact lead the American League in batting average (.281). Torii Hunter is putting up MVP numbers in all categories. Chone Figgins and Juan Rivera are .300+ batters putting up All-Star caliber numbers. Bobby Abreu has been great (.300+ average) while Vladimir Guerrero is finally starting to get his groove back. There's also even a .300+ batter in Maicer Izturis. Erick Aybar has also been consistent. Their bench isn't great (Gary Matthews, Howie Kendrick, Robb Qunilan, and Jeff Mathis).

Team Thoughts

Los Angeles's most valuable player has been Torii Hunter. He also might be MVP of the American League. Hunter is batting .307 with 17 home runs and 65 RBI. He also has 13 stolen bases and 37 extra base hits. He plays gold glove defense and comes up big when it matters.

Los Angeles's least valuable player has been Howie Kendrick. He was demoted and then promoted again. Kendrick is batting .227 with 22 RBI. His on-base percentage is an awful .275. With runners in scoring position, Howie is only batting .226. He might be going back to the minors soon.

Los Angeles's best moment came on May 14. The Angels were up 4-3 to the Red Sox going into the eighth inning. The Red Sox then tied the game. The Red Sox would proceed to win in the twelfth off a Jeff Mathis single. The impressive thing was they didn't let David Ortiz deliver, when he had three opportunities with the bases loaded.

Los Angeles's worst moment came on May 30. The Angels were beating the Mariners 3-0 going into the ninth inning. Brian Fuentes came in to save the game, but gave up a two-out, three-run home run to Jose Lopez. The Mariners would win on a walkoff sac fly in the tenth.

Power Rankings

Los Angeles's highest ranking was 4.
Los Angeles's lowest ranking was 28.
Los Angeles's average ranking is 13.62.

Playoff Potential

The Angels have a strong chance to make the playoffs. It depends a lot on how the play against the Rangers and the Mariners. The Wild Card will likely be from the AL East, so the division is their best hope.

Minnesota Twins
Record: 43-40
Grade: B

Season In Review (Grades)

Management: B
The Twins have been playing well, but not up to their potential. They went from being the piranhas, to being a team that depends on the three left-handed batters in the lineup. Despite that, they're still playing over .500 ball and are still in the thick of things for the AL Central crown. Gardenhire can manage the game well.

Defense: A
The Twins are the second best fielding team in the American League, having only committed a combined 32 errors. Justin Morneau is underrated at first base, and Joe Crede has a great glove and has reduced his errors by a lot. The bulk of the errors (ten) have come from the shortstop position. Mauer is effective, catching 32 percent stealing.

Starting Pitching: B-
No American League starting rotation has thrown more quality starts (46) than the Twins rotation. However, their batting average against is .270 and their ERA is 4.44. Nick Blackburn (7-4, 2.94 ERA) continues his underrated pitching. Out of 17 starts, 13 of them were quality. Glen Perkins (4-4, 4.38 ERA). has been good and consistent as of late. Kevin Slowey (10-3, 4.86 ERA) has lots of wins, but is way too inconsistent. It won't help that he's on the disabled list. The inconsistency part also applies to Scott Baker (6-6, 4.99 ERA) and Francisco Liriano (4-8, 5.49 ERA). Anthony Swarzak has been called back up, and has looked promising before.

Bullpen: A-
The Twins have a reliable and consistent bullpen (3.76 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 8 blown saves). Matt Guerrier (16 H, 2.58 ERA), Jose Mijares (11 H, 2.16 ERA), and RA Dickey (2.96 ERA) have all been effective. Bobby Keppel and Brian Duensing also look very promising. This bullpen also has the best closer in the game, Joe Nathan (22 saves, 1.35 ERA, 0.75 WHIP).

Offense: C+
Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, and Jason Kubel are basically the crux of this average offense. Justin Morneau is having another MVP-type season, batting .300+ with an 1.000+ OPS and 60+ RBI. Same applies to Joe Mauer, who is chasing .400. Jason Kubel has also been fantastic, batting .300+ with 42 RBI. Michael Cuddyer has also been a run producer, to a lesser extent. Denard Span has been effective, but more production is needed from Delmon Young and Joe Crede. The bench (Carlos Gomez, Matt Tolbert, Brian Buscher, Mike Redmond) is very weak.

Team Thoughts

Minnesota's most valuable player has been Justin Morneau. He's qualified to be leading every category on the team with a .323 batting average, 69 RBI, 21 home runs, and a 1.000 OPS. He also has a great glove and is batting with runners in scoring position.

Minnesota's least valuable player has been Delmon Young. They should regret the trade they made for him. Young is batting .269 but has a .296 on-base percentage. He only has 25 RBI while his K:BB ratio is an awful 57/6.

Minnesota's best moment came on May 1. It wasn't that they beat Kansas City 7-5. It was that Joe Mauer returned and that got the team over .500. Joe Mauer homered in his first at-bat and sent a signal to the baseball world. Mauer power is here and he's chasing history.

Minnesota's worst moment came on May 17. The Twins had lost the previous two nights on walkoff hits by the Yankees. Would it happen a third night in a row for the sweep? Yes. Johnny Damon hit a home run in the bottom of the tenth and it was the third straight time the Twins couldn't sustain a lead.

Power Rankings

Minnesota's highest ranking was 13.
Minnesota's lowest ranking was 22.
Minnesota's average ranking is 16.54.

Playoff Potential

The Twins are in a tight AL Central race with the Tigers and lurking White Sox. I think the Twins will win the race with their pitching, M&M Boys, and management, but I'm giving them a 7/10 on the playoff meter now.

New York Yankees
Record: 48-34
Grade: B+

Season In Review (Grades)

Management: B-
Joe Girardi hasn't made the best moves, but the team has still been successful under him. There are sometimes where I question why some people are playing or why the bullpen in managed in an eerie way, but it's led to a 12 games over .500 record, so I am impressed.

Defense: B+
The Yankees have only committed a collective 42 errors. Mark Teixeira has been playing gold glove defense at first. Robinson Cano has made significant strides at second and Derek Jeter has been impressive at shortstop. The bulk (12) of the errors come from third base and the outfield looks confused at times. Jorge Posada only catches 31 percent of thefts.

Starting Pitching: B-
The starting pitching staff has a 4.63 ERA and has only hurled 36 quality starts. CC Sabathia (7-5, 3.85 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 2 CG) has been inconsistent and effective at times. AJ Burnett (7-4, 3.83 ERA) started off the season cold, but has been on-fire lately. Andy Pettitte (8-4, 4.53 ERA) and Joba Chamberlain (4-2, 4.04 ERA) have both been too inconsistent. A key question is about the fifth starting spot on the rotation because Chien-Ming Wang (1-6, 9.64 ERA, 2.00+ WHIP) went on the disabled list. Are trades at the deadline looming?

Bullpen: B+
The bullpen has been impressive. They only have a 4.03 ERA and .227 batting average against. Brian Bruney (7 H, 4.11 ERA) started off great, but hasn't looked the same since coming off the disabled list. Phil Coke (7 H, 2.97 ERA) and Alfredo Aceves (2.03 ERA, 0.93 WHIP) have been extremely reliable, while Jonathan Albaladejo (5.40 ERA) has been iffy. Phil Hughes has been great in the bullpen (1.23 ERA). They also have the best closer of all time with 21 saves and a 2.60 ERA.

Offense: A
The Yankees have a dominant offense. They lead the American League in runs, home runs, total bases, RBI, slugging, and on-base percentage. They have Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano, each batting .300+ with 35+ RBI. Johnny Damon and Nick Swisher have also driven in a lot of runs. Mark Teixeira is putting up MVP numbers and Alex Rodriguez (43 RBI) and Hideki Matsui (38 RBI) are finally starting to heat up. Jorge Posada has also looked good. The bench is pretty deep with Brett Gardner, Francisco Cervelli, and the recent acqusition of Eric Hinske.

Team Thoughts

New York's most valuable player has been Mark Teixeira. His glove has completely altered the way the Yankees can play defense. His bat has been great, batting .273 with 20 home runs, 61 RBI, and a .928 OPS. Alex Rodriguez's return made Mark Teixeira come alive and earn his paycheck,

New York's least valuable player has been Chien-Ming Wang, who is now on the disabled list. This was a guy that they needed to depend on, based on past success. However, he had a 9.64 ERA and 2.02 WHIP. Opponents were batting .365 against him and he never got past 5 1/3 innings pitched on the year.

New York's best moment came on May 15. This game included Brett Gardner hitting a home run for a sick child in a hospital. However, the Yankees were also down 4-2 going into the bottom of the ninth.  They rallied against the best closer in the game and won on a Melky Cabrera walk-off single. The Yankees would win the next two games on walk-offs.

New York's worst moment came on April 18. After getting embarrassed during the opening of new Yankee Stadium, the Yankees had to do something worse. Against the Indians, they gave up 14 runs in the second inning. They got blown out 22-4, and gave up 25 hits. Every Indians starter got a hit and scored a run.

Power Rankings

New York's highest ranking was 2.
New York's lowest ranking was 22.
New York's average ranking is 9.54.

Playoff Potential

The Yankees will likely make the playoffs. They need to fix the end of their starting rotation, and they'll be set. They'll either win the Wild Card or division outright. Steinbrenner guaranteed it, duh.

Oakland Athletics
Record: 35-46
Grade: D-

Season In Review (Grades)

Management: F
Bob Geren made a decision to play a bunch of washed-up veterans on offense. That list includes Jason Giambi, Nomar Garciaparra, Orlando Cabrera, and so on. Eric Chavez went down with injury, surprise. The young pitching staff has performed well, but having the worst offense it the American League is not getting the job done.

Defense: D
Oakland has committed 57 errors as a team already, which is the fourth most in the American League. The bulk (12) of the errors have come from Orlando Cabrera at shortstop. Bobby Crosby and Adam Kennedy have also contributed (13 combined) a lot to the total, despite their limited playing time. The outfield has mostly been good and Kurt Suzuki doesn't catch enough (25 percent) thefts.

Starting Pitching: C
Now this is a young starting pitching staff filled with lots of rookies. The rotation has a 4.46 ERA, .276 batting average against, and 1.41 WHIP. Dallas Braden (6-7, 3.13 ERA) has been extremely effective as has Vin Mazzaro (3-4, 3.59 ERA). Their records aren't indicative of their pitching. The inconsistent pitchers include Trevor Cahill (5-7, 4.55 ERA), Brett Anderson (5-7, 4.86 ERA), and Gio Gonzalez (1-2, 6.17 ERA), who was just placed as a starter. Josh Outman (4-1, 3.38 ERA) looked to be superb, but underwent Tommy John surgery.

Bullpen: C+
The bullpen has only blown seven saves on the season. It has a 4.04 ERA and opponents only bat .245 against it. Brad Ziegler (3.22 ERA) and Michael Wuertz (9 H, 2.77 ERA) have been reliable. Santiago Casilla (6.52 ERA) and Russ Springer (5.16 ERA) have been inconsistent. All-Star Andrew Bailey (9 saves, 2.03 ERA) has been a great rookie closer.

Offense: F
The A's have the worst offense in the American League. No team gets less hits or home runs. Also, no team has a worse batting average or OPS. The addition of Matt Holliday hasn't really beefed up the offense. Jason Giambi and Jack Cust drive in runs, but they cannot do anything else a baseball player can. Adam Kennedy has been a nice surprise and Kurt Suzuki has been playing consistently well. They also just acquired Scott Hairston from the Padres. The bench (Landon Powell, Bobby Crosby, Rajai Davis, and Travis Buck) isn't good or deep.

Team Thoughts

Oakland's most valuable player has been Matt Holliday. It's just that everybody else is worse. Holliday is the only player who can drive in runs (43) while getting on base a lot (.374). He also has nine stolen bases and has an adequate glove in the outfield.

Oakland's least valuable player has been Jason Giambi. Sure, he has 40 RBI. But a .198 batting average is unacceptable for any hitter. He doesn't even make up for hit with his on-base percentage (.336). Giambi is batting .227 with runners in scoring position.

Oakland's best moment came on April 14. The A's were playing the Red Sox and the game was tied 5-5. Extra innings were forced and in the bottom of the twelfth inning, Travis Buck hit a walkoff infield single to beat the Red Sox at home 6-5.

Oakland's worst moment came on May 30. The A's were playing at Texas against Brandon McCarthy. The A's got on the board early in the first, leading 1-0. That's all they would get. McCarthy shut them down and the Rangers blew the A's out 14-1, only allowing five A's hits.

Power Rankings

Oakland's highest ranking was 19.
Oakland's lowest ranking was 29.
Oakland's average ranking is 24.62.

Playoff Potential

The Athletics won't make the playoffs. Their offense is too horrible and their pitching staff is too young and inexperienced. Also, the other three teams in the AL West are just flat out better.

Seattle Mariners
Record: 43-39
Grade: B

Season In Review (Grades)

Management: A
Don Wakamatsu is making a strong case for AL Manager of the Year. Wakamatsu is from the "Socratic" school of managers who try to see how knowledgable their players are. This is how he gets the players to improve... and it's worked. The Mariners are in the thick of the AL West playoff race and their pitching has been so dominant.

Defense: F
No team in the American League makes more errors (61) than the Mariners. Jose Lopez, Yuniesky Beancourt, and Jose Lopez all have eight or more errors. Russell Branyan has also contribued six errors to the total. These errors have led to 37 unearned runs.

Starting Pitching: A
There's no doubt about the Seattle Mariners having the best starting pitching staff in the Amerian League (3.86 ERA, 41 quality starts, .249 batting average against, 1.26 WHIP). All-Star Felix Hernandez (8-3, 2.62 ERA) has been dominant all year. Jarrod Washburn (5-6, 3.08) has been effective and underrated. Brandon Morrow (0-0, 3.97 ERA) has been a decent starter. Jason Vargas (3-3, 4.14) and Garrett Olson (3-2, 4.58 ERA) need to be more consistent. Erik Bedard (5-2, 2.47 ERA) was extremely good before landing on the disabled list.

Bullpen: A
The Mariners have the second best bullpen in the American League (3.36 ERA, 25 saves, .243 batting average against). Mark Lowe (10 H, 3.49 ERA), Miguel Batista (7 H, 3.30 ERA), Sean White (9 H, 2.84 ERA), and Shawn Kelley (1.46 ERA) have been effective. Roy Corcoran (7.04 ERA) off the disabled list hasn't looked good. They also have an underrated closer in David Aardsma (17 saves, 1.41 ERA).

Offense: F
They have one of the weakest offenses in baseball. They don't score a lot and they don't get on base a lot. Ichiro is great, obviously, batting .360. They also have Russell Branyan batting well, and if he had any protection or anybody to drive in, he would be an All-Star. Franklin Gutierrez has also played consistently well. Ken Griffey hasn't played well, but he's the hometown hero. Kenji Johjima hasn't been great either. Jose Lopez can drive in runs (48) but needs to get more hits. Ronny Cedeno does not provide any sort of offensive production and we'll see if Chris Woodward can fill in for Adrian Beltre. The bench (Wladimir Balentien, Rob Johnson, Mike Sweeney) is also weak.

Team Thoughts

Seattle's most valuable player has been Ichiro Suzuki. He's batting .360 and he gets on base a lot (.393). He was the fastest player again this year to reach 100 hits and he has been a spark at the top of the Mariners' lineup. He also has 17 stolen bases and continues his great glove work.

Seattle's least valuable player has been Ken Griffey, Jr. Sure, it's a great story. But in all honesty, he's only batting .215 with 26 RBI. He has a low on-base percentage (.331) also. He's only batting .148 with runners in scoring position, also.

Seattle's best moment came on June 19. The Mariners were playing the Diamondbacks and were down 3-0 going into the bottom of the eighth. Russell Branyan hit a home run to put the M's on the board 3-1 and then Ken Griffey, Jr. hit a pinch hit, two-run homer to tie the game. The M's would win the game on an RBI triple from Rob Johnson.

Seattle's worst moment came on May 13. The Mariners didn't blow the lead just once, or twice, but thrice. Johjima, Balentien, and Branyan all gave the pitching staff leads that they couldn't hang on to. The Mariners were winning 5-4 going into the bottom of the eleventh, but lost on a walkoff two-RBI double by Hank Blalock.

Power Rankings

Seattle's highest ranking was 5.
Seattle's lowest ranking was 22.
Seattle's average ranking is 14.31.

Playoff Potential

The Mariners could make the playoffs. They have beasted on the Red Sox, proving they can beat the best. It's a question of whether or not they can compete in the AL West. Can their good pitching beat the good offenses of the Angels and Rangers?

Tampa Bay Rays
Record: 44-39
Grade: B

Season In Review (Grades)

Management: B+
Joe Maddon's being Joe Maddon. When Akinori Iwamura went down, Ben Zobrist filled in. When Maddon wants Willy Aybar in for more time, he gets it and he performs well. Maddon has carried over the success from last year and despite a slow start, the Rays are in the AL East and Wild Card race.

Defense: C
There have been flashes of brilliance here, the team has committed 53 errors as a group. Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria have committed eight errors a piece while Jason Bartlett has committed seven. Ben Zobrist and the outfield have been adequate at their positions while Dioner Navarro only catches 24 percent of thefts.

Starting Pitching: C
Tampa Bay's staring pitching hasn't been all that great. In fact, they've got the fourth worst ERA in the American League (4.67), a 1.42 WHIP, and a .266 batting average against. James Shields (6-6, 3.50 ERA) and Matt Garza (6-6, 3.70 ERA) have been effective and recently consistent. Jeff Niemann (7-4, 3.95 ERA) has been bounced around positions, but has been okay. David Price (2-3, 5.21 ERA) has stuck and been inconsistent and Scott Kazmir (4-5, 6.79 ERA) still cannot last long into games.

Bullpen: A-
The bullpen has been seriously upgraded. The bullpen is the third best in the American League (3.38 ERA, 21 saves, 1.25 WHIP, and .230 batting average against). Randy Choate (1.29 ERA), Chad Bradford (3.86 ERA), and Lance Cormier (2.87 ERA) have all been good. Joe Nelson (4.41 ERA) and Grant Balfour (4.19 ERA) have not been good. JP Howell (6 saves, 1.63 ERA) has been great adjusting to the closer's role.

Offense: A
Along with the Yankees and Red Sox, the Rays have one of the best offenses in all of baseball. They're top-three in almost every offensive category. They have Carl Crawford and Jason Bartlett batting .320+ with 35+ RBI. Don't forget this team leads the MLB in steals. Evan Longoria and Ben Zobrist have combined for 100 RBI. BJ Upton and Carlos Pena have struggled early, but still have driven in runs. Pat Burrell has been a signing bust and Dioner Navarro is nowhere to be found. They have a decent bench (Michel Hernandez, Willy Aybar, Gabe Kapler), too.

Team Thoughts

Tampa Bay's most valuable player has been Carl Crawford. He creates havoc on the basepaths, stealing 41 bases already. He's also batting .318 with eight home runs and 38 RBI. He also has a great glove and scores lots of runs.

Tampa Bay's least valuable player has been Dioner Navarro. This guy was an All-Star last year and has completely stunk this year. He's only batting .214 with five home runs and 24 RBI. His on-base percentage is a minuscule .244 and he only bats .179 with runners in scoring position.

Tampa Bay's best moment came on May 15. The Rays were playing the Indians and were down 7-0 early. They rallied and tied the game 7-7 in the bottom of the eighth inning. In the bottom of the ninth inning, with the game still tied, BJ Upton launched his first home run of the year and the Rays won on his walkoff homer.

Tampa Bay's worst moment came on May 25. The Rays were facing the Indians, and they were up 10-4 going into the bottom of the ninth. However, the Rays let the Indians bat around the order and they scored seven runs, capped off by a Victor Martinez walkoff, to take the game 11-10.

Power Rankings

Tampa Bay's highest ranking was 7.
Tampa Bay's lowest ranking was 22.
Tampa Bay's average ranking is 14.62.

Playoff Potential

The Rays can make the playoffs, but it won't be an easy task. They will have to fight off the Red Sox and Yankees. Is it viable? They did it last year. The difference is that people notice them now.

Texas Rangers
Record: 45-36
Grade: B+

Season In Review (Grades)

Management: A
I don't think many people expected the Rangers to be this good. They've had to adjust with Josh Hamilton going down on the disabled list. They're pitching staff has been better than expected in that ballpark and the offense continues to be one of the best. Ron Washington has this team under control and ready to compete.

Defense: B-
The Rangers have made so many good plays, but they've also committed 50 errors. Elvis Andrus, the rookie, has contributed the most (12) errors while Ian Kinsler and Michael Young have each committed six. The outfield has been pretty good, especially Nelson Cruz. Jarrod Saltalamacchia only catches 24 percent of thefts.

Starting Pitching: C
The Rangers rotation has a 4.52 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, and .262 batting average against. Kevin Millwood (8-6, 3.34 ERA) has been great all year. Vicente Padilla (6-4, 4.75 ERA) has been inconsistent, and the injury seems to be nagging him. Tommy Hunter (1-1, 3.18 ERA) looks promising while Scott Feldman (7-1, 3.91) has been under-the-radar good. Derek Holland (2-5, 6.18 ERA) hasn't been good so far. Matt Harrison was inconsistent and went on the disabled list and we will see if Dustin Nippert is able to do anything.

Bullpen: C+
The bullpen is average (4.11 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 23 saves), although no American League team has blown fewer saves (six). CJ Wilson (7 H, 2.57 ERA), Doug Mathis (2.16 ERA), and Jason Jennings (3.38 ERA) have all been effective. Jason Grilli (4.55 ERA) has been unreliable. Frank Francisco (14 saves, 2.10 ERA) has been great, but hopefully his injury won't derail his great season.

Offense: A
The Rangers have one of the most potent offenses in all of baseball. They're up there with the big three from the AL East in the home runs and slugging categories. They have Michael Young, whose batting .300+. They also have Ian Kinsler and Nelson Cruz, who have 50+ RBI. Josh Hamilton's return will inflate these offensive statistics even more. Marlon Byrd has been a great surprise. Elvis Andrus needs to be more consistent and Jarrod Saltalamacchia needs to start producing more. Hank Blalock can drive in runs, but needs to get on base more. They're bench is decent (Andruw Jones and Omar Vizquel).

Team Thoughts

Texas's most valuable player has been Nelson Cruz. He filled a big void when Hamilton went down. Cruz is batting .262 with 20 homers, 50 RBI, 13 stolen bases, and an .854 OPS. He also has a rocket arm and is one of those five-tool players.

Texas's least valuable player has been Chris Davis. He was demoted to make room for Josh Hamilton. He was batting .202 with 114 strikeouts, and on pace to break some strikeout records. He only had a .256 on-base percentage, and his occasional RBI wasn't worth his .215 average with runners in scoring position (including 37 strikeouts).

Texas's best moment came on April 15. The Rangers blew out the Orioles 19-6. However, what was more impressive was Ian Kinsler. He went 6-for-6, and batted for the cycle. The Rangers as a team belted 19 hits and every Ranger player got on base.

Texas's worst moment came on June 20. Derek Holland was dominant the entire game. The problem was the Rangers offense decided not to show up and support him. The game went to extra innings on a 1-1 tie, and the Rangers lost because the Giants scored on a wild pitch in the eleventh.

Power Rankings

Texas's highest ranking was 2.
Texas's lowest ranking was 23.
Texas's average ranking is 10.31.

Playoff Potential

The Rangers could make the playoffs. They've battled against the Angels well so far this year. I think that the Angels will take the division. Who knows? Could they sneak in as the Wild Card?

Toronto Blue Jays
Record: 43-41
Grade: B-

Season In Review (Grades)

Management: B
Did anybody think the Blue Jays would be in first place for a large portion of the season? No. Cito Gaston has been great for this franchise. The Jays early on competed with the best of the rest and were topping the pitching and offensive statistical charts. That's disappeared, and Gaston's wondering why.

Defense: A
There's not a better defensive team in the American League. They've only committed 30 errors, which is less than half of Seattle. Aaron Hill has committed most of the errors (six). Scott Rolen continues to be a defensive wiz and Marco Scutaro has been phenomenal at shortstop. Vernon Wells and the rest of the outfield continue to play great defense and Rod Barajas catches 33 percent of thefts.

Starting Pitching: B-
The starting rotation has a 4.39 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, and has hurled five complete games. The pitching staff has been depleted by injuries. Roy Halladay (10-2, 2.79 ERA) has continued to be his Cy self.  Ricky Romero (7-3, 2.96 ERA) has been a rookie sensation. Brian Tallet (5-6, 4.38 ERA) and Brett Cecil (2-1, 6.23 ERA) have been way too inconsistent. The Jays are also using yet another new rookie starting pitcher Marc Rzepczynski, and we'll see how that goes.

Bullpen: C-
The bullpen is iffy. It has a 4.12 ERA, .251 batting average against, and has blown 11 saves. BJ Ryan (6.53 ERA) has been absolutely horrendous. Jeremy Accardo (4.32 ERA), Jesse Carlson (4.89 ERA), Brandon League (5.08 ERA, 3 BS), and Shawn Camp (4.10 ERA) have been neither good nor consistent. Jason Frasor (2.40 ERA) has been okay, but Scott Downs will be a huge boost when he makes his return.

Offense: A-
The Jays have a better offense than most. No American League team has no more hits than them. Scott Rolen continues to beast with his .325+ batting average and Adam Lind has put up All-Star caliber numbers in the triple crown categories. Aaron Hill has been the best second baseman in the American League, while Marco Scutaro has been a consistent staple in the offense. There's not enough offense from Vernon Wells or Alex Rios. The bench (Raul Chavez, Jose Bautisa, John McDonald, Kevin Millar) is a little better than average.

Team Thoughts

Toronto's most valuable player has been Adam Lind. He's batting .310 with 18 home runs, 57 RBI, and a .944 OPS. He has come up with big RBI when it matters and has been the most consistent run producer on the team.

Toronto's least valuable player has been Vernon Wells. This is mostly because he has an insane paycheck that he does not deserve. Wells is only batting .257 with eight home runs, 37 RBI, and a .715 OPS. All of his numbers have dropped. He's also only batting .167 with runners in scoring position.

Toronto's best moment came on June 16. The Blue Jays were playing the Phillies and were down 3-2, going into the ninth inning. They tied the game in the top of the ninth, and then won the game in extra innings by scoring five more runs in the tenth, with production coming from almost everywhere.

Toronto's worst moment came on June 27. The Blue Jays were embarrassed by JA Happ. They not only gave up 10 runs to the Phillies offense, they also only got five hits as JA Happ threw a complete game shutout against the Jays.

Power Rankings

Toronto's highest ranking was 1.
Toronto's lowest ranking was 20.
Toronto's average ranking is 6.38.

Playoff Potential

The Blue Jays have made me a disbeliever again. I really don't think they can compete with the big three in their division. They're only 8-14 against the AL East, which is not going to cut it come playoff time.