bad news - the mets have now fallen 22 games in the dreaded loss column behind the phillies. with only 17 games remaining it doesn't look too promising. we're only 18 games out in the loss column for the wild card. not too promising of a scenario. but there's alway 2010 - only 7 months away.
let's start with the a.l. east. the red sox have cut the yankees lead from 9 games to 6.5 games. the red sox have won 6 in a row while the yankees have lost 3 out of their last 5 games. the rays recently lost 11 straight games to end their playoff hopes.
the yankees should cruise to the division title and win over 100 games. there are always questions entering the playoffs but the yankees are the strongest and most well rounded team in baseball.
there are question marks. which a.j. burnett will show up? can andy pettitte continue his 2009 resurgence? what role will joba play as a starter or reliever and can he be consistent and effective. the yankees at the bat have been unstoppable this year. 7 players have already hit 20 or more h'runs and derrick jeter should make 8 before seasons end. question - will good playoff pitching slow down yankee bats?
the a.l. central. there is not much competition for the tigers as the season enters it's final 2 weeks but the tigers just cannot breakaway from the pack. the twins are just 2 games over .500 but just trail the tigers by 4 games. the white sox, a game under .500 only trail by 5.5 games. a twins or sox hot streak can turn this division upside down. in any event the a.l. central winner will most likely play the yankees in the a.l.d.s. so an early playoff exit would be likely.
the a.l. west. the angels are finally pulling away from the stubborn texas rangers. the angels now lead by 6 games. it appears that texas has finally hit the wall after overachieving all season. the mariners have had a nice season, still playing better than .500 ball. considering they lost 101 games last year there was very little reason for optimism for 2009. the mets should keep that in mind - next year? you never know.
next post will analyze the national league playoff picture.
future topics will include - post season award predictions, red sox/yankees analysis, mets minor league prospects, opinions on citi field.
give me your suggestions and comments. i look forward to the rest of the season, the playoffs, and especially hot stove baseball.
danny
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i am digging your blog. i want to stop reading and i cannot. i grew up in the shadow of shea stadium in a time when the closest an asian got to major league baseball was laundering the players uniforms. now we have the likes of ichiro and hideki. i hope you will devote equal share of time to asian players and what they have brought to the game.
ReplyDeletethanks so much for the comment and for following. i will add your idea to my growing list of future blogs. after a little research i will be ready to write it.
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