Well, after the first week of the season, the Orioles, Royals, White Sox, Marlins, and Cardinals either are in first place or hold a share of first place in their respective divisions, but that isn't even the biggest story of the season so far. It's the lowly Detroit Tigers, the only team without a win in baseball.
Since 1903, only 2 teams have made the playoffs after starting 0-5, and none of them went onto the World Series. The Detroit Tigers will look to change that history, but they're not off to a good start.
Their high powered offense is near the bottom of the league in average, slugging, total bases, runs batted in, and runs. Their pitching is near the bottom in ERA, and has allowed the 5th most walks, and only one starter has gone beyond 6 innings, giving their bullpen a lot of work. The offense has looked overly aggressive at the plate, trying to hard and not getting results, while the pitching has looked lost. Their early season woes could be just that, or the Tigers could have been grossly overrated as a team.
As the weather heats up, so will the bats though, as Curtis Granderson will be joining the lineup again soon, and the likes of Magglio Ordonez, Gary Sheffield, and Miguel Cabrera (who will be 25 in a short while...25....he's only 25!!!) will not be held down for long, but the pitching will remain a constant concern until proven elsewise. Justin Verlander will turn it around, but Kenny Rogers is another year older, Nate Robertson has proven ineffective, Dontrelle Willis has been figured out and can't hit the broadside of a barn, and Jeremy Bonderman is a half a season pitcher. Can this rotation and bullpen really keep the Tigers competitive in the AL Central? If they pitch like they have been right now, they'll be fighting for last place, but I don't expect that, but their value has dropped significantly. The Indians are once again the clear-cut favorites to take the Central after week 1, despite a 3-3 record. Why? Well, just read on.
1. Boston Red Sox-Previous Rank 1: I will get a lot of heat for keeping them here, but considering the circumstances, 3-4 isn't bad at all. They got swept by Toronto, but the Blue Jays have always played them strong, and they are just now getting their ace pitcher back. With the travel from Japan to Oakland to Toronto, a nice homestand should be all the Red Sox need to get their season going. Remember, they opened the season at .500 last year after playing the Royals and Rangers, getting their bling on Tuesday will raise their spirits.
2. Toronto Blue Jays-Previous Rank 11: Yes, I have the Blue Jays ranked 2nd because they look that good right now. Roy Halladay, A.J. Burnett, Shaun Marcum, and Dustin McGowan are the best front 4 in baseball. Yea, I said it, they're the best front 4 in baseball. The offense is goo