As we enter the weekend leading up to the All-Star break, it’s time to fully break down what’s going down in the league and the big stories that have come out of this major rule-changing season. Let’s start with the American League.
The Good
The Tampa Bay Rays, with their miniscule payroll, continue to dominate the league and have the best record in the AL. They are simply a stacked lineup and a Cy Young candidate in Shane McClanahan who has a 2.53 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. It seems like they get production from every player in their lineup, and they are dominating in a division that currently has every single team over .500.
The Bad
Not only has it been a bad year for the Oakland Athletics off the field as they have a very public breakup with their city after announcing their move to Vegas, but the product on the field is even worse. They are sitting at 25-64 as of this writing, which is on pace to lose well over 115 games, and it doesn’t really seem like they are trying. Outside of a few young players that may hold promise just to be traded down the line, being an A’s fan is as rough as it gets now.
The Surprise
The Texas Rangers burst onto the scene and are in first place in the AL West. Corey Seager and Marcus Semien are performing at the level that the team was hoping they would when they were signed to huge contracts a year ago. Nathan Eovaldi has been the dominant version of himself in his new environment, and despite the loss of Jacob deGrom for the year, this team is firing on all cylinders in the best way possible.
The Disappointment
For what seems like the third year in a row, the Chicago White Sox are absolutely terrible, and they are continuing to waste great young talent with a well-below .500 record and a team that hardly feels like they want to be on the field. Between disappointing team additions and flailing stars, it’s a total mess in Chi town.
Best Offseason Move
I’ll go right back to Nathan Eovaldi in Texas who is currently ranked second on ESPN’s Cy Young predictor ESPN’s Cy Young predictor list. The former Sox ace has an ERA below 3 and a WHIP of 1.02. He is striking out batters and staying healthy, which is the most important thing.
Worst Offseason Move
The Jose Abreu acquisition looks terrible right now. The Astros signed Abreu to a three-year deal worth $58.5 million. He has returned that favor with a .240 batting average and just seven home runs. The ‘Stros are stuck in this contract for the foreseeable future and would likely reverse it if they could.
Prediction
The Rays are right there every single season and I think they will be again this year. My prediction is that the American League pennant will run through Tampa this season and if you want to make the World Series, you must get through the Rays.