*Photo from Pinnacle*
As teams approach their 81st game of the season, let's take a look at every American League team and how they did in the first half of the season.
AL East:
New York Yankees(49-28, first in division)
*Photo from SNY*
The Yankees didn't sign huge names in free agency, they just added to their depth, which has kept them afloat through their crazy injury spell this season, most recently adding Cameron Maybin to that list. DJ Lemahieu is having his best season since he won the batting title in 2015, Adam Ottavino is dominating in the bullpen, and they are in first place.
Tampa Bay Rays(45-33, second in division)
*Photo from the Tampa Bay Times*
The Rays gave Charlie Morton a 2 year, $30 million deal this winter to shore up their rotation, and it's payed off. He has a 2.31 ERA. Combine that with dominant Blake Snell, a surging Tyler Glasnow, and Austin Meadows and Tommy Pham leading the offense, and the Rays are right in the thick of playoff contention. Not bad for a team with so few fans.
Boston Red Sox(42-37, 3rd in division)
*Photo from NJ.com*
This group had a terrible April. Then, everything started to come together, and they are right back in the thick of it. Chris Sale has looked worlds better than he did in April, Xander Bogaerts continues to prove he's an all star despite being snubbed, and Christian Vazquez is having a resurgence in the hitting game, with 9 homers this year, a career high. They could use another solid arm in the bullpen, and the rotation needs to pick it up more to give them a chance of repeating.
Toronto Blue Jays(29-49, 4th in division)
*Photo from CBS Sports*
The Blue Jays don't look too good. Vladimir Guerrero Jr has yet to live up to hype as the elite prospect that he was. Marcus Stroman is having a career year, but he is almost certain that he will be traded. At least Cavan Biggio is here?
Baltimore Orioles(22-56, last in division)
*Photo from Camden Chat*
If I could sum up the Orioles in one word, it would be yikes. The rebuild is in full swing now. John Means and Trey Mancini seem to be the only players worth anything here. There isn't much here now, but in a few years, once top pick Adley Rutschman gets to the show, things could start to turn around. But, for now, they have at least two or three more years of hardcore losing.
AL Central:
Minnesota Twins(50-27, first in division)
*Photo from the Washington Post*
The Twins grabbed Michael Pineda, Nelson Cruz, Blake Parker, Jonathan Schoop, and Marwin Gonzalez this winter, and that combined with their young corps re-emerging as some of the best has them at the top of the AL Central by a sizeable margin. Of course, we can't forget about the dominant rotation, led by Jake Odorizzi and Jose Berrios. They also lead the league in homers. The Twins are certainly a force to be reckoned with this season.
Cleveland Indians(42-35, second in division)
*Photo from Cleveland.com*
The Indians have struggled immensely this season. Oscar Mercado and Jordan Luplow are keeping the team afloat, and Carlos Santana has been solid, but Francisco Lindor hasn't done anything special, Jason Kipnis looks off, and Jose Ramirez hasn't been good either. Their pitching is a mix of injured and ineffective players, and it doesn't appear likely that they will catch the Twins.
Chicago White Sox(36-39, 3rd in division)
*Photo from NBC Sports*
Lucas Giolito has seemingly completed the ascension from worst to first in the pitching staff. Michael Kopech isn't here, the team hasn't been too good, and they are still a few years from contention. However, Eloy Jimenez continues to look better, giving the Southside some legitimate hope for the future.
Detroit Tigers(26-47, 4th in division)
*Photo from The Increase*
Nicholas Castellanos has been pretty disappointing this season, as he was projected to have a big return come trade deadline time. The Tigers as a team are also pretty terrible. However, Matthew Boyd and Spencer Turnbull look solid at the top of the rotation, even with Michael Fulmer out. This team just needs to sell a few more pieces and the blowup will be complete and they can finally start to rebuild.
Kansas City Royals(27-51, last in division)
*Photo from Call to the Pen*
The Royals lead the league in stolen bases. Problem is, that's not how teams win games anymore. This team is bad, and will have it's third straight losing season unless they can somehow right the ship and pull off a comeback that is as improbable as 28-3 in the super bowl. Whit Merrifield and Adalberto Mondesi continue to be solid top of the order pieces, Hunter Dozier has had a breakout year, and Alex Gordon is looking good again.
AL West:
Houston Astros(49-30, first in division)
*Photo from Yahoo! Sports*
The Astros have done nothing but crush baseballs this season. Despite Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, and George Springer being out for parts of time, Alex Bregman continues to mash, and Michael Brantley is also mashing. They have maybe the most complete lineup when everyone is healthy too. Oh, Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole continue to baffle hitters too.
Texas Rangers(42-36, second in division)
*Photo from Beyond the Box Score*
Raise your hand if you had the Rangers in playoff contention this season. No one? Ok. The Rangers have been sneaky good this season. Hunter Pence and Logan Forsythe have been solid at the plate, and Joey Gallo has been amazing as well. Oh, Nomar Mazara hit a 505 foot homer the other day too. Lance Lynn has been a solid pitcher, as have Adrian Sampson and Ariel Jurado. Is it foolish to think they're legit? Maybe. But they have surprised a ton of people, myself included.
Oakland Athletics(41-38, 3rd in division)
*Photo from Call to the Pen*
The A's have been pretty inconsistent this season. Their lineup has been ok. Ramon Laureano is raking at the plate and having a gold glove season on the field, Matt Chapman and Matt Olson look to be franchise players, and Marcus Semien is having a breakout year. However, Frankie Montas has been the only reliable pitcher this year, and he's serving an 80 game PED suspension. Expect this team to be around .500 all year.
Los Angeles Angels(39-40, 4th in division)
*Photo from Baseball Prospectus*
Everyone is saying that this team is wasting the incredible talents of Mike Trout. I also believe this, but the Angels are trying to help him at least. Tommy LaStella is an all star, Shohei Ohtani has been a good hitter, Justin Upton is back, and there's always Albert Pujols. The pitching continues to disappoint Angels fans. Don't worry, Ohtani can pitch again next year.
Seattle Mariners(35-47, last in division)
*Photo from NBC Chicago*
I miss the days when the Mariners were 13-2 to start the year. Ever since that point it's been a terrible downward spiral. So bad that they are trying to sell everyone. They've already dealt Jay Bruce and Edwin Encarnacion, and I feel Dan Vogelbach, their best hitter, will be next. He's the only thing going right for them now. If they keep at this pace, they'll lose 96 games this year. They are bad.
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