AL Mid-Season Report
Similar to what the Giants have done in the NL, the Oakland A's are dominating the AL this season. Their offense is ranked 1st in the league thanks to the superior play of
"Shoeless Joe" Jackson (.400, 13 HR, 60 RBI), who is hitting .400 at the halfway point.
Frank Baker (.299, 24 HR, 74 RBI) is right behind him driving in runs. Oddly enough, the A's defense is ranked 7th in the league and their starters' ERA has suffered, ranked 5th. However, the team's pitching staff ranks 2nd overall in fewest runs allowed thanks partly to the performance of dominating closer
Harry Krause (1-0, 24 Sv, 0.70 ERA).
The White Sox have slipped from last year due to the fact that their pitching staff went from the best in the league to ranking 7th. We all know their staff is much better than this, so if they start to perform at a high level right away, they may have a chance to catch Oakland. Their pitching woes are primarily due to an 8th ranked defense and a 7th ranked starting rotation. The bullpen is ranked 2nd and still doing a fine job, led by closer
Harry Suter (3-2, 20 Sv, 1.38 ERA).
The defending World Champion Red Sox have suddenly forgotten how to hit the ball. They are ranked 6th in the AL in team batting average with only
Tris Speaker (.321, 12 HR, 47 RBI) performing at his expected level. Thankfully, their pitching staff is still dominant and ranked 1st in the league. If their offense gets straightened out, they can make this an interesting race as well.
The Yankees are 4th in offense and 3rd in pitching. There really is no offensive standout at this point, but starting pitcher
George McConnell (10-5, 2.07 ERA) is having a great season. In Detroit,
Ty Cobb (.326, 17 HR, 59 RBI, 22 SB) leads the 2nd ranked offense in the AL. The Tigers even have the best bullpen in the league this season. However, the starting rotation is still struggling and ranked 6th.
Standings
Batting Leaders
Pitching Leaders
