Lou Merloni and John Tomase take a look at the standing in the AL East, and how the Red Sox can emerge with some very tough competition.
We're officially halfway through the 2022 season as the Boston Red Sox completed Game 81 of the campaign on Tuesday night.
Since starting the year 10-19, the Red Sox have clawed their way back into the postseason conversation with a 35-17 record since May 9. While first place in the American League East may be out of reach with the New York Yankees up 13 games in the division, Boston currently sits atop the AL Wild Card standings.
Tomase: Red Sox superlatives (and demerits) at season's halfway point
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Right behind the Red Sox are their AL East rivals, the Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays. The Cleveland Guardians and Seattle Mariners would just miss the cut if the season ended today, but both teams have the talent to make a push over these last few months. Don't count out the underperforming Chicago White Sox just yet, either.
Let's take a closer look at the state of the American League with our updated power rankings:
15. Oakland Athletics (28-55)
The Oakland A's are who we thought they were. They're in the midst of a rebuild after selling off nearly all of their key players during the offseason. Their MLB-worst record shows it, as does their poor attendance at Oakland Coliseum.
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Keep an eye on the A's around the Aug. 2 trade deadline as they'll almost certainly part ways with more talent, specifically pitchers Frankie Montas and Paul Blackburn.
14. Kansas City Royals (29-50)
Kansas City is another team primed to sell at the trade deadline as it hasn't done much of anything well this season. As of Wednesday, it has allowed more runs (411) than any other American League team and scored fewer runs (309) than all AL clubs except the A's. Former Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi is a name to monitor in trade talks over the next month.
13. Detroit Tigers (34-47)
It's been a disappointing year for the Tigers, who were hyped up before the season as a sleeper candidate in the American League Central. Ex-Red Sox southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez, signed to a five-year deal worth $77 million in the offseason, struggled in his starts before leaving the team due to personal reasons. The club hasn't been able to get in touch with him since.
E-Rod isn't the only offseason acquisition that hasn't panned out for Detroit. Shortstop Javier Baez is hitting just .209 with seven homers and a .602 OPS. Those struggles are part of the reason why the Tigers have scored the fewest runs in MLB so far this season (251).
12. Los Angeles Angels (37-45)
The last couple of months have been a nightmare for the Angels. They've gone 14-32 since May 15 and had no choice but to fire their manager, Joe Maddon, during a 14-game losing streak. Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani deserve so much better.
11. Baltimore Orioles (38-44)
Don't let the losing record fool you. These are not your usual cellar-dwelling Orioles.
The O's have been on a roll over the last couple of months. They've gone 20-0-3 in series since May 5 and posted a solid 29-28 record in that span. On Tuesday night, they became the first team in MLB history to win despite allowing game-tying or go-ahead homers in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings. This is a resilient bunch and if stars Cedric Mullins and Trey Mancini heat up, a Wild Card spot isn't out of the question with the expanded postseason.
10. Texas Rangers (37-42)
The Rangers went all-in on offense this past offseason by signing sluggers Corey Seager and Marcus Semien for a combined $500 million. Neither player has quite lived up to their hefty contracts, but this lineup has provided some glimpses of its serious power potential over the last month or so. Texas still lacks the pitching to be considered a serious contender, but this franchise appears to be on the right track.
9. Chicago White Sox (38-41)
If we were to rank the most disappointing teams of 2022, the White Sox might top the list. They were considered locks to win the AL Central but have not come close to living up to those expectations. As of Wednesday, they trail both the Twins and Guardians in the division.
Fortunately for them, there's plenty of time for them to turn things around and at the very least, compete for a Wild Card spot. Considering the talent up and down the roster, we should anticipate a second-half comeback.
8. Seattle Mariners (41-42)
The win/loss record doesn't usually tell the whole story, but it does in this case for Seattle. This is an average club with a chance to sneak into the expanded postseason, but they don't do anything exceptionally well. That said, AL Rookie of the Year candidate Julio Rodriguez makes the Mariners worth watching on his own.
7. Cleveland Guardians (40-40)
The Guardians are hanging around in the AL Central and Wild Card races, but the offense has flamed out since its hot start to the year. Even though Jose Ramirez is in the midst of one of his best seasons, this club doesn't appear to have the firepower to remain in the mix down the stretch. The pitching staff, led by former Cy Young award winner Shane Bieber, likely will have to carry them the rest of the way.
6. Tampa Bay Rays (44-37)
If the Rays find their way into the postseason, it'll be due to their pitching. Shane McClanahan likely would win the AL Cy Young award if the season ended today, and their pitching staff has allowed the fourth-fewest runs (314) in the majors. Expect Tampa to be a thorn in the Red Sox' side for the rest of the year.
5. Toronto Blue Jays (44-38)
The Blue Jays have greatly underperformed relative to their preseason expectations. Many had them pegged as World Series favorites heading into the campaign. The loaded offense has mostly held up its end of the bargain, but Toronto will need to improve its bullpen in order to make a run in the second half.
4. Minnesota Twins (47-37)
The Twins have bounced back after a dismal 2021 campaign and lead the AL Central halfway through this season. Although the lineup hasn't produced much power outside of MVP candidate Byron Buxton, the pitching staff has performed far better than most expected entering the year. There probably will be some regression, so the division race could get quite interesting in the final stretch.
3. Boston Red Sox (45-36)
It wasn't long ago we considered this a lost season for the Red Sox. Many presumed they'd be sellers at the trade deadline with homegrown shortstop Xander Bogaerts as the top candidate to be shipped out of town.
All they've done since that slow start is prove the naysayers wrong, posting a 20-6 record in June and taking the top spot in the Wild Card standings. They accomplished that feat despite missing key pitchers Nathan Eovaldi and Garrett Whitlock due to injuries. They should return from the IL soon along with Chris Sale, Rich Hill, James Paxton, Josh Taylor and Kiké Hernandez.
Sox fans will hope those reinforcements can propel Boston into another unexpected postseason run. If Nick Pivetta and Michael Wacha continue their stellar seasons and Rafael Devers adds to his MVP case, there's no reason to believe the Red Sox can't make it happen.
2. Houston Astros (53-27)
The Astros have been the class of the American League over the last few seasons and it doesn't look like that's going to change this year, even with Carlos Correa gone. They're currently the hottest team in MLB with nine wins in their last 10 games. Let's take a moment of appreciation for Justin Verlander, who at the age of 39 is 10-3 with a 2.03 ERA and 0.83 WHIP through 15 starts.
1. New York Yankees (58-23)
The Yankees have been the best team in baseball this season and it hasn't been all that close. They boast the best record and run differential in the league (+159) and have the leading AL MVP candidate in slugger Aaron Judge. They should run away with the AL East, but will they finally get over the postseason hump?