MLB Midterm Report card

Top 10 teams at the break of the 2008 MLB Season.

Rank 1 : Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Last year at this time the Rays were 36-56, this year they are 55-39 and 1/2 games behind World Champions Boston Red Sox. A good and young pitching staff in Kazmir, Matt Garza and James Sheilds and solid hitting from Pena, Navarro and Upton has kept them within touching distance of Red Sox all through the first half, and if they are to make their first post-season appearance all of them will have to either keep doing what they did in the first half or get better.
Positives : Pitching
Issues : Offense ?


Rank 2 : Boston Red Sox

Reigning World Champions Red Sox ended the first half 1/2 game ahead of the Rays and 6 clear of rivals Yankees. A not-so-consistent bullpen might be a spot of bother for the Red Sox, but with the return of "Big Papi" David Ortiz, the already ballistic offense could only get better. Expect some trades at the deadline and some moves in the bullpen. Being a Red Sox fan myself (I was not biased in rating them though :D), I hope that whoever they get, doesn't turn out to be another Eric Gagne. ;)
Positives : Likes of Drew stepping up in the absence of big hitter Ortiz, Best home-record, Great farm system that produced talents like Ellsbury, Pedroia and Masterson, who by the way may be moved to the bullpen.
Issues : Bullpen. Oki needs to find his magic. Paps needs to be more frugal.



Rank 3: Chicago Cubs

100th time's the charm ??? A team that has more than once impressed during the regular season during its 99 year drought, has not been anything but top notch in a tough NL Central division, but Cardinals and Brewers could provide a tough run till the end for the post-season spot.
Positives : Good balance in offense and pitching
Issues : health of Soriano and Zambrano. The Goat :D

Oh, btw, Cubs, this year are my pick to win the NL pennant and play the Red Sox in the World Series, which incidentally the Red Sox will win (again, no bias :D) in 6 games.

Rank 4 : Los Angeles Angels

Could this be the year for the Angels' fans. Last year they were swept by the Red Sox in the ALDS and with the ranks of Ervin Santana and Joe Saunders in their rotation, one would doubt if any other team from AL West can actually challenge the Angels for their post-season berth. But not all's well with the Angels, although the pitching has been emmaculate at most ocassions, the offense has been held to a 0.25 average. And yeah, one of the best closers in the game, K-Rod of the Angels said to the media that he will be looking for other prospects when the season ends. ("They had me for 6 years and couldn't get anything done" - K-Rod).
Positives : Best record in AL at the half, great pitching
Issues : Hitting has been abysmal



Rank 5 : Chicago White Sox

54-40 is a whole lot better than 41-51 at this point that the White Sox had last year. Although, I don't really see them as a post-season contender with the Tigers only expected to get better in the second half.
Positives : 1st place in a tough division that had the likes of Tigers in it.
Issues : Consistency



Rank 6 : Minnesota Twins

So after having traded Johan Santana to the Mets, it was assumed that the Twins were in all likelihood gonna rebuild their team this year and not be so much of a title contender. All of which has been proven wrong with the Twins making a real hard push in the AL Central.
Positives : Young pitching staff doing well.
Issues : No more inter-league games left :D(they went 14-4).



Rank 7 : Philadelphia Phillies

So, I have an uncle in Philly, who's been there for close to 20 years now. And he tells me, if there is one thing that the Philly is famous for, its not the Philly Cheese steak or the Hershey's factory, but its local teams ability to choke at the most opportune moments. (Honestly, I thought the Flyers could pull one thru the Penguins). Anyways, the Phillies ended the first half in 1st place ahead of the favorite Mets in the NL-East. Can they hold off the Mets in the second half ?
Positives : first-place ?
Issues : Pitching looks rusty and fragile.



Rank 8: St. Louis Cardinals

Winners of the 2006 World Series and one of the few teams to actually have beaten the Red Sox in a 3-game series at Fenway this first half (other being Angels, I think), Cardinals are a sure World Series contender from a tough NL Central. Its gonna come down to a 3-way tussle between Cubs, Brewers and Cards for the National league Central post-season qualifiers.
Positives : Good pitching from Piniero and Lohse. Great defense.
Issues : TODO :D



Rank 9 : New York Yankees

Ok, am gonna try hard to keep this short. Last year at this point they were 48-44 and 7.5 games behind Red Sox, this year they are 50-45 and 6 games behind Red Sox. So, you kinda see that not much has changed. Joe Girardi's first year as a manager hasn't really gotten off to a great start for the Yankees and with the Rays surging, Yankees could find a tough fight in the AL East to get to a post-season berth. Either ways for a team with the payroll equivalent to the economy of Sudan, Ghana, Uganda and Ethopia, anything less than a World Series would be a compromise (not like they are any threat for the World Series). My prediction, this one's gonna be year number 8 for the Yankees without any silverware. (fingers, toes crossed)
Positives : Having Orioles and Jays behind them in AL-East standings
Issues : not nuf space to put this in


Rank 10 : Milwaukee Brewers

Ending the first half 5 games behind division leader Cubs wasn't probably how they wanted to see themselves at the break, but its still keeps them within touching distance of the post-season. I see a 3-way tussle between Cubs, Cards and Brewers for 2 spots that are gonna come out of NL-Central for the National League playoffs.
Positives : Ryan Braun, home bullies, have a lot of home games comin up in the 2nd half.
Issues : sub-standard first halves for Richie Weeks and Bill hall.