The AL East hasn't looked near as scary as we figured, as a group they are 19-26, but it is early. Some of the teams have started far slower than anyone would have guessed. Let's take a look at how things are going in order of the standings.
1. Baltimore Orioles, 6-3: Runs scored 3.9 per game. Runs allowed 3.6.Won there first 4 games, since then they are 2-3.
They have been winning with pitching, they have only allowed 3.6 runs per game. Three of their starting pitchers have had a good first couple of starts: Jeremy Guthrie (1-1, 0.64), Zach Britton (2-0, 0.66) and Chris Tillman (0-0, 3.38). The bullpen hasn't been as great but Kevin Gregg has a save and a 0 ERA, but 4 hits and 2 walks in 3 innings makes it sound like the Gregg we saw last year. Jeremy Accardo has a win, but 3 hits, 2 walk, 1 k in 2.2 aren't numbers that inspire confidence.
Offensively they haven't been as good, scoring 3.9 runs a game, but with the good pitching it has been enough. Vladdy is hitting .270/.270/.378, Roberts .189/.211/.432, Jones .212/.229/.394 and Lee .219/.324/.344.
I don't think the pitching can keep that up but the bats should improve some too, maybe they are better than I thought they were, but I don't think they are better than we are.
2t. Blue Jays, 5-4: Runs scored per game: 4.9. Runs allowed 3.3. You know how it has been going. You do have to like that we have been been scoring so many more runs than we've allowed.
2t. Yankees, 5-4: Runs scored 5.6. Runs allowed 5.2.
I think we all knew this was going to happen, they can score a lot of runs but they allow a lot of runs too. C.C. Sabathia has been great, but doesn't have a win in 3 starts (0-1, 1.45), A.J. Burnett has been good (2-0, 4.09). The other two starters have been awful, Ivan Nova (1-0, 6.10) and Hughes (0-1, 16.50). Don't know what is going on with Hughes but they really need him to pitch like he did last year. Big free agent signing Rafael Soriano has been hit hard but Mariano Rivera has been as amazing as always.
The offense has been great except for Jeter (.206/.300/..235), Swisher (.219/.289/.250), Gardner (.167/.265/.267) and Posada (.138/.194/.448). Those guys have track records, so you figure at least most of them will bounce back. Cano (.324/.342/.595), Rodriguez (.321/.441/.714) and Martin (.300/.344/.633) have been terrific. Teixeira hasn't hit much .182, but 4 of his 6 hits have been homers.
4. Red Sox, 2-7: Runs scored 3.7. Runs allowed 5.9.
Maybe the most fun of this season was watching the Sox get off to an 0-6 start, but then they won 2 of 3 against the Yankees. Talk about mixed emotions. I can't cheer for the Yankees but I would have loved to see the Sox start out 0-9.
Beckett (1-1, 2.08) and Lester (0-0, 3.65) have been pretty good and Papelbon has been good in relief (save, 7 k in 3 innings), other than that the pitching staff been pretty terrible. Buchholz (0-2, 7.20), Lackey (1-1,15.58) and Bard (0-2, 12.27) will have to be better.
On offense, Gonzalez (.286/.375/.429) and Pedoria (.400/.447/.571) have been good. Crawford (.132/.175/.132), Youkilis (.148/.395/.222), Ellsbury (.156/.229/.281) and Saltalamacchia (.182/.250/.227) will have to hit better.
5. Rays, 1-8: Runs scored 2.2. Runs allowed 4.9.
No one other than B.J. Upton (.290/.371/.548) is hitting at all. Longoria is hurt and Manny is gone. They should be hitting some better but I'm not sure if they have enough offense to get back to .500, never mind get into the race.
Their pitchers hasn't been awful, for the most part, but not good enough to make up for the bats. The starters are 0-8, though it is pretty tough to win when your team isn't scoring any runs.
So has your opinion of how the AL East will finish up changed after the first few games?