Midseason Report Card For Each American League Team
We are a little over halfway through the MLB season, the all-star break is upon us, and the trade deadline is less than a month away. At this point in the season, we can tell how most teams will fare and how they will be approaching the end of the season. Some teams have been impressive through the first half of the season and other teams have struggled up to this point. Today, I will be giving a midseason report card for each of the 15 teams in the American League. First, I will analyze how each team has played up to this point and then give each team a grade based on their play through the first half of the season. Hopefully, you will enjoy this article and without further ado, I’ll get started.
Note: All team records are through Jul 5, 2021.
AL East
Baltimore Orioles: 28–57
Frankly, nobody expected the Baltimore Orioles to be competing in the AL East this season. After sweeping the Boston Red Sox to begin the season, the Orioles haven’t had much to boast about and are one of only two teams in the MLB who have yet to reach 30 wins. Starting pitching has been the key issue for the Orioles as their team ERA currently sits at 5.53. John Means is the only starting pitcher with an ERA below 5.00 so that goes to show how bad the rotation has been. Offensively, the Orioles rank around the middle of the pack in just about every category. Cedric Mullins is having a breakout season in his first year of regular playing time while the return of Trey Mancini has also helped. Most of Baltimore’s top prospects are still at AA or lower so it figures to be a couple more years before the Orioles are serious playoff contenders. The Baltimore Orioles haven’t been any better than expected but the future looks to be bright.
Grade: D-
Boston Red Sox: 54–32
The return of Alex Cora as manager has paid huge dividends for the Boston Red Sox so far as they are currently tied for the most wins in all of baseball. The Red Sox were projected to finish around the bottom of a crowded AL East but have been on a tear to begin the season. The offense, led by Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers, has been one of the best in the league. They rank Top 5 in the league in batting average, on-base percentage, and OPS which shows how good they have been. While the offense has been stellar, the pitching staff has been mediocre at best. Red Sox pitchers have allowed the third most hits in the league only behind the Arizona Diamondbacks and Baltimore Orioles, both of which have yet to reach 30 wins. Chris Sale should provide a boost to the rotation once he arrives back from the IL after the all-star break. With that being said, the Red Sox have been one of the best teams in baseball, and considering nobody really expected it, I’ve been impressed by their play early on.
Grade: A+
New York Yankees: 42–41
Without a doubt, this has been a disappointing season for the New York Yankees. After being projected to finish first in the AL East, the Yankees currently sit in fourth place and are 8.5 games back from the first place Boston Red Sox. The Yankees rank in the middle of the pack on pitching and offense which is not going to be good enough to get them into the postseason. The Yankees lost their last three series before winning the first two games against the Seattle Mariners. As of late, the Yankees have had a tough time hanging onto a lead when they get one. Dating back to May 23, Aroldis Chapman has blown four of his last ten save opportunities which back-to-back tough outings against the Los Angeles Angels and New York Mets. At this moment, it’s hard to know how the New York Yankees will approach the trade deadline as they sit just 3.5 games out of the Wild Card. With some of their injuries, the Yankees might try to bolster their bullpen and starting rotation while coaching changes might also be a possibility. The New York Yankees are in one of the tougher divisions in baseball but have largely disappointed up to this point in the season.
Grade: C-
Tampa Bay Rays: 49–36
After losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2020 World Series, the Tampa Bay Rays look like serious championship contenders once again. They currently sit at 49–36 which is good for 2.5 games back from the Boston Red Sox. The Rays have been one of the top pitching teams this year which is due in large part to their depth at that position. The bullpen has been one of the best in baseball and they have a lot of options for their rotation with both veterans and young pitchers. Tyler Glasnow is optimistic that he’ll be able to return at the end of the season which would be right when the Rays will be pushing for the World Series. One cause for concern is the offense which has struggled at times. They certainly have some star power but not everybody has been able to get it going early on. So far, the Tampa Bay Rays have been one of the better teams in the American League but I expect them to make some moves at the trade deadline to bolster their lineup.
Grade: B+
Toronto Blue Jays: 43–40
Led by American League MVP candidate Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the Toronto Blue Jays have played to expectations so far. The offense has been stellar while the pitching staff hasn’t been far behind. When you look at the Blue Jays lineup, you will quickly notice that it’s one of the best in the league as one through nine are all capable of doing damage. To make matters worse for opponents, the Blue Jays recently acquired outfielder Corey Dickerson who has been a big bat in the lineup throughout his career. The starting rotation has been inconsistent and the bullpen has converted 15 saves in 25 attempts. Toronto was expecting top prospect Nate Pearson to contribute largely to the rotation but he has been hurt for most of the season and has only made one appearance for the Blue Jays this season. On the other hand, Alek Manoah has been a bright spot for them as well as reliever Jordan Romano. The Toronto Blue Jays have a mixture of both veteran arms and young prospects in their pitching staff which has resulted in inconsistency. If the Blue Jays can be more consistent pitching wise, this team looks like serious World Series contenders.
Grade: B
AL Central
Chicago White Sox: 49–35
Tony La Russa’s return as manager has resulted in the Chicago White Sox finding themselves atop the AL Central. This division has been rather weak this season but the White Sox have dealt with a handful of problems throughout the season. First of all, Nick Madrigal, Luis Robert, and Eloy Jimenez are all on the 60-Day IL. Yasmani Grandal was also recently placed on the 10-Day IL which means that the White Sox could be active at the trade deadline. It also seemed as if the White Sox had some issues within their clubhouse when Tony La Russa voiced displeasure with Yermin Mercedes after he hit a home run off of a 3–0 pitch in a blowout win against the Minnesota Twins. This issue seems to be resolved but this goes to show that Chicago hasn’t had an easy way to go. The White Sox have one of the best rotations in the MLB and their lineup is also dangerous when everyone is healthy. When everybody gets healthy for the White Sox, they could be a serious threat in the American League during the postseason.
Grade: A
Cleveland Indians: 42–40
While the Cleveland Indians are still in the hunt for a Wild Card spot or even to win their division, they rank in the bottom ten in the league in both team ERA and team batting average. Just the other day the Indians were no-hit for the third time this season. Shane Bieber and Aaron Civale have been the best starting pitchers for the Indians and both are currently on the IL. The bullpen has been one of the best in baseball but many times the game has been out of their control. The Indians offense ranks 28th in batting average, 29th in on-base percentage, and 24th in OPS. Those are not offensive numbers that you would expect to see from a team that has a chance at making the playoffs. Cleveland currently sits at a tricky spot as the trade deadline approaches. One would assume that they would be going after a big bat but they also might be selling at the deadline. In order to make a playoff push, the Indians are going to have to add some bats to this struggling lineup.
Grade: C+
Detroit Tigers: 39–46
It is surprising to say that the Detroit Tigers have not t been all that bad this season. Their currently third in their division and still have an outside chance of an American League Wild Card spot. The Tigers are just about where you would expect them to be as far as team statistics and that would be near the bottom of the league. But, that hasn’t stopped them from being better than advertised. As in recent years, the Tigers' weakness has been on the mound as their team ERA currently stands at 5.15. It also has not helped anything that Matthew Boyd, Spencer Turnbull, and Julio Teheran are all on the IL which has resulted in some bad outings for the Tigers. Detroit has been better hitting wise as Jonathan Schoop has been on a tear as of late. Robbie Grossman is also looking like a solid pickup for the Tigers and former number one overall pick Spencer Torkelson looks to be a key piece in the Tigers rebuild. The Detroit Tigers are far from a playoff team but have been better than what I, and most fans, expected out of them this season.
Grade: B-
Kansas City Royals: 35–49
Early on, it looked as if the Kansas City Royals might be one of the better teams in a weak AL Central division. They lost only one series during the month of April and, at one time, had the most wins in the MLB. Since then, however, the wheels seem to have fallen off of the bus. At the beginning of May, the Royals lost eleven straight games and haven’t been able to get it back together since then. They have one of the better lineups in the league but have struggled on the mound. Danny Duffy is the only starting pitcher with an ERA below 4.50 and he also missed close to a month with a stint on the injured list. Young pitchers such as Brad Keller and Brady Singer have failed to make strides this season after showing promise last season. Outfielder Andrew Benintendi recently returned from the IL while shortstop Adalberto Mondesi is set to return in the near future. Both of these guys were having solid seasons before their injuries so a return to the lineup will definitely help Kansas City. Mike Matheny has done just about as good as what he could do this year with his current roster. Obviously, young pitchers have failed to produce which has resulted in a disappointing season for KC so far.
Grade: D+
Minnesota Twins: 35–48
It is disappointing to see that the Minnesota Twins have a top 10 offense just to know that their pitching has been absolutely terrible. They have a 4.99 team ERA and an opponent batting average of .262, both of which are fourth to last in the MLB. The Twins were projected to win 91 games and finish first in the AL Central. Obviously, that hasn’t been the case. Both the starting rotation and bullpen have been a wreck as there hasn’t been any sort of consistency out of the two. Alex Colome was expected to be the lockdown closer but has struggled all season. Likewise, Kenta Maeda seems to have taken a step back this year after being one of the better pitchers in baseball last season. Looking ahead, it’s unclear what the Twins front office will do at the deadline. On one hand, they could sell because they have some relievers that contending teams might be interested in. On the other hand, they could stay put and let this season pan out and then reload with some more talent next offseason. I’m going to choose the former as I think that the Twins will be getting a lot of calls on guys like Taylor Rogers and Michael Pineda. This has been a terrible season for the Minnesota Twins and there’s no other way to put it.
Grade: F
AL West
Houston Astros: 52–33
It seems as if the Houston Astros came out this season with a chip on their shoulders after being hated upon dating back to their sign stealing scandal. They have been STELLAR on both sides of the ball which has resulted in their 52–33 record and first place spot in the AL West. Even though George Springer left Houston for Toronto in the offseason, Myles Straw has done a nice job of filling in for him. The Astros have great balance throughout their lineup with table setting guys near the front and power hitters throughout. It’s also been nice to see Lance McCullers Jr. finally getting to play regularly after the different injuries that he’s suffered. Young pitchers such as Framber Valdez, Luis Garcia, and Christian Javier have added depth to the rotation and bullpen while Justin Verlander has been out. Verlander is set to return at some point during the season which will make this Astros team even more dangerous down the stretch.
Grade: A+
Los Angeles Angels: 42–42
The Los Angeles Angels are must watch baseball right now simply because of the show that Shohei Ohtani has put on. Ohtani has 32 home runs and we haven’t even reached the all-star break yet. Based on the record, the Angels have been a mediocre team strictly because of their pitching. They have one of the best offenses in the league and most of this has been done without Mike Trout who is set to return after the all-star break. Angels pitching has been pathetic which is sad to see because this is an exciting team to watch. They have a 4.97 ERA as a whole and have blown 15 saves while also walking the fourth most batters in the league. If the Angels plan on making the playoffs, they’re going to have to make some moves at the deadline to acquire some pitching. Los Angeles was projected to win 87 games which means that they are currently on track for around that number. It’s actually kind of surprising that the Angels are where they are based on how bad their pitching has been this season.
Grade: B
Oakland Athletics: 49–37
The Oakland Athletics got off to a rough start to begin the season as they started 1–7. But, they would bounce back shortly afterward and won 13 consecutive games. The lineup has been down a little bit this year compared to in years past but that would be expected when one of your best offensive players in Marcus Semien left during free agency. Matt Olson has led the offense so far as he’s smacked 21 home runs and has 57 RBIs on the season. The Athletics also have a really underrated rotation that consists of Chris Bassitt, Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas, James Kaprielian, and Cole Irvin. Lou Trivino has also anchored down the bullpen in save situations with Trevor Rosenthal set to miss the rest of the season after he underwent surgery on his hip. Oakland currently sits 4.5 games back of the first place Houston Astros but has a firm grip on the last Wild Card spot in the American League. At the trade deadline, I could see the A’s going after a bullpen arm or a big bat but this team looks destined for a deep run during the postseason.
Grade: A-
Seattle Mariners: 45–40
One of the worst teams in recent years in the Seattle Mariners currently find themselves just 3.5 games back of the second Wild Card spot in the American League. It’s kind of surprising in more ways than one to see them battling for a postseason spot especially since they have the worst offense in the league. Their team batting average is .217 and they also have the lowest on-base percentage in the league. Their pitching has been around average as their team ERA sits at 4.44. Rookie starting pitcher Logan Gilbert has really picked it up as of late and just yesterday he threw seven innings of one hit ball against the New York Yankees. Kendall Graveman has been phenomenal out of the bullpen and has an ERA just below 1.00. You would have to think that at some point the Mariners are going to fall apart because of their sub-par offense. Well, that hasn’t happened quite yet so I guess Seattle will take whatever they can.
Grade: B+
Texas Rangers: 33–52
The Texas Rangers have been one of the worst teams in the MLB this season and it’s not hard to figure out why. They rank in the bottom half of the league in both hitting and pitching which isn’t going to win you many games normally. Besides Kyle Gibson, the rest of the rotation has struggled for the most part. Gibson only has one loss on the season and holds an ERA of 2.29. When you look at the Rangers lineup, you’ll notice some big bats but that only goes for a handful of players. Both Joey Gallo and Adolis Garcia have 20 plus home runs which have been a bright spot for this club. Nate Lowe has also had a solid season at the plate but has cooled off in recent games. It seems as if each year we hear the rumors about Joey Gallo being traded at the deadline. Well, that hasn’t happened once and I expect that the Rangers will hang onto him once again. He won’t become a free agent until 2023 which might be enough time for some of the young prospects in the Rangers organization to develop into big league talent. This hasn’t been the year for the Texas Rangers but nobody really expected much out of them anyway.
Grade: D
