Baseball Update: AL Central

The Baseball Update is a look at the happenings around Major League Baseball.

If you can pick the winner of the AL Central, then you should go play the lottery. Because picking a winner in this division is like picking the correct numbers in the lottery.

This week the Tigers lead the division. Next week, who knows. Kansas City has finally come back to reality by getting swept by the Anaheim Angels. Detroit on the other hand swept the pathetic Indians. Who knows with this division, the Twins could lead it by next week.

Falling back to Earth: The Royals were swept by the Angels over the weekend, including a 1-0 loss with Zach Greinke on the mound. They were robbed a victory by Torii Hunter on Sunday, but they were exposed over the weekend. Their biggest problem has been their lineup. They have a .259 team average. The loss of Alex Gordan has dampened this teams chances. They sorely miss his production. Mike Jacobs leads the team with only 19 RBI's, which hasn't been enough. This team reminds me of the Giants. They have great pitching and a poor hitting lineup.

Rising: The Detroit Tigers have been a team on the rise. They have won three straight and 6 out of the last 10 games. The credit of the resurgence goes to the Tigers pitching staff. Verlander struck out 11 batters in his last game. Also the emergence of Edwin Jackson has really helped this team. Jackson has gone 2-2 with a 2.60 ERA with 35 strikeouts. Also Rick Porcello has looked good in his rookie year. Porcello has gone 3-3 with a 4.28 ERA. That's about all you can ask for in a player who is only 20. With there pitching staff looking good and the bats coming around the AL Central might be Detroit's to lose. Oh yeah, Guitar Hero Joel Zumaya is BACK!


Notes:
How long does Eric Wedge get to keep his job? My prediction about him being the first manager to be fired this year has been destroyed.

Has Jim Leyland earned a contract extension? And how long do you expect him to coach?

The Twins bullpen continues to implode.

The Royals have to do some shuffling with their pitching staff.

The White Sox need some bullpen help.