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AL TEAM SURPRISE: Frankly, at this point there are not too many surprises in the AL. The top of the lot would probably have to be the Texas Rangers, who thanks in part to a very weak NL schedule, have managed to maintain a solid grip on first place out there. A team 3.90 ERA is almost unheard of for the Rangers, but mark [...]

UPDATE: June 29, 2010. Interleague play is over. Once again, the AL dominated (134-118), which they have done for 6 out of the last 7 years. As regards the contenders, some notes first, especially in light of the uneven level of difficulty in the interleague schedule:

* BOSTON: Probably had the best result for a team with a difficult schedule (5 of their 6 series were against teams over [...]

The Red Sox seemed out of it a month ago, and yet here they are. Certainly this most competitive division; even with the Orioles at at an MLB-worst 19-43, the AL EAST is 23 games over .500.

AL EAST: As predicted, this is a red-hot race. The three pre-season favorites are all within 5 games, and Toronto[...] The two surprises in my book: [...]

Red Sox 6 Tampa Bay 1. Buchholz with another strong outing, striking out eight in 6 innings. TB starter Wade Davis struggled a bit. Ortiz and Youkilis each homered while Pedroia and Beltre notched 3 hits apiece.

Red Sox 2 Tampa Bay 0. A one-hitter: Lester with the win. Delcarman and Bard [...]

Movement from my previous rankings, April 27, are noted in parenthesis (+ denotes a move up, – denotes a move down, otherwise no change)

* TIER ONE – Superior teams: New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays.
* TIER TWO – Excellent teams: Minnesota Twins, Philadelphia Phillies..

With April in the books and May only a few days old, let’s take a look at the first month of MLB 2010, including first off, an assessment of the standings.
AL East. It will be a two-team race, but contrary to what many of us at SBT predicted, the Boston Red Sox are not one of the two.* Nor is it likely that they will be.
This is a Tampa Bay Rays/New York Yankees..

Week Three has drawn to a close. Here’s my take on surprises, disappointments, and/or notable events.

1. The San Diego Padres lost yesterday (Sunday), but they went 6-1 for the week and 8 of their last 10 to stay on top of the NL West. Are we seeing the breakout for Chase Headley? And how about the week former Giant outfielder Will Venable had (.450 OBP, .750 SLG)?

Week Two of the 2010 MLB Season is over and done with.

What are the biggest surprises thus far? Here’s my list:

1. The haplessness of the Boston Red Sox. Admittedly, they have faced three quality teams to open the season (New York, Minnesota, and Tampa Bay), but a combined 2-7 against those teams suggests …