For the 3rd time in four years, Pujols was the best in the MLB while Lincecum had the best Reina Value. How did all 1,296 major leaguers perform in relation to their contract?
Roughly two days after CC Sabathia agreed to terms on a monstrous contract, A.J. Burnett swooped in and received a huge payday from the recession-proof Yankees.
The Angels and Red Sox will score a lot of runs, while the absence of a dominant starter for the White Sox could be the difference.
RealGM Search
The first week of the 2008 Major League Baseball season is in the book,s and this is our opportunity to take a look back and identify that which was good, bad, and downright ugly in the American League. With Baltimore leading the way in the East, the Tigers laying low in the Central basement, and the icon of the sport Derek Jeter on the shelf with a strained quad, it’s been a wild first week that’s already made AL fans across the nation salivating for more and more baseball.
Let’s stop wasting time and get inside the numbers for the first week in the American League.
American League
The Good
Baltimore Orioles
A team that many prognosticators, myself included, predicted to finish under 60 wins is already 10% there. They started off with a tough 6-2 loss at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays but have been on a tear ever since. A dominating four-game sweep of the much improved Seattle Mariners proves that this start might not just be a flash in the pan. Stay tuned as the O’s continue their six-game winning streak in Texas and Tampa later this week. Luke Scott and Aubrey Huff have been off the charts over this opening week.
Brian Bannister, Kansas City Royals
The surprising 5-2 start for the Kansas City Royals can be attributed to the vicious stuff displayed thus far by their 27-year old righty out of USC. He’s 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA and 10 strikeouts while silencing the potent lineups of the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees.
Joe Crede, Chicago White Sox
Josh Fields? Stay in Triple-A! Coming into the season after an injury-plagued 2007, Joe Crede has been on a tear since returning to the ChiSox lineup. He is tearing the cover off the ball with a .393 average, 2 HRs, and is 2nd in the league with 10 RBI's. His solid defense has fans remembering their rugged third basemen and forgetting about all the hoopla around prospect Josh Fields.
The Bad
Seattle Mariners
The Mariners were expecting to be a playoff team this year but have not been able to deliver thus far this season. They dropped 5 of their first 7 games, and the pitching staff has been surrendering 5 runs per game to the (projected) two worst teams in the league, the Texas Rangers, and Baltimore Orioles.
Joe Borowski, Cleveland Indians
The shaky closer of the Cleveland Indians is not off to an impressive start. In his first 3 appearances, he is already saddled with a loss and a blown save to go along with his nasty 2 HR's allowed, 5 ER's in only 2 1/3 innings, and 19.29 ERA.
B.J. Upton, Tampa Bay Rays
The youthful slugger of the Tampa Bay Rays has gotten off to a slow start after a very impressive 2007. He’s batting a mere .217 with no homers and only 4 RBI's. The Rays are counting on the talented centerfielder to surpass the 24 homers and 82 RBI's he put up last year in only 129 games as a 22-year old.
The Ugly Detroit Tigers
It has to be them, right? They pulled off the biggest trade of the off-season and landed the ultra-talented Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis as a throw-in. So far, they have fans in the Motor City in panic mode as they continue to refuse to win games, now sitting at 0-7.
Ian Kennedy, New York Yankees
With the Yankee rotation clearly relying on the potential of rookie Ian Kennedy and fellow youngster Phil Hughes, Kennedy was downright awful in his first start. He lasted 2 1/3 innings, gave up 6 earned runs, walked 4, and left Yankee fans wondering whether or not to trust him and his 23.14 ERA. With Joba Chamberlain being the only thing that can get the ball to Mariano Rivera in the ninth, the Yanks can’t afford to vacate a rotation spot by sending Kennedy back down to the minors.
David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox
Big Papi has been swinging his bat like he’s back in Minnesota, forgetting that all it takes is a mere check swing to put one out around the Pesky Pole.
Agree? Disagree? Did I forget to mention something? Please let me know! Jason M. Williams can be reached at Jason.Williams@RealGM.com for questions or comments.
