The 2010 Major League Baseball regular season is over a quarter of the way complete and after the first nine weeks of action some teams have made an early statement they hope to carry right through this summer while some others are already digging themselves an early hole they may not be able to climb out of.
All 14 American League teams still have the dream of making it all the way to this year’s World Series, but in reality there are only a handful of teams that actually have a chance. Here is a look at my top four teams in the AL after the first week of June and their current odds to win the Pennant and the World Series.
Tampa Bay Rays Odds to win the AL Pennant 3-1 World Series 11-2
Tampa Bay has slowed a bit from their torrid pace but at 37-20 they still have the best record in baseball and a two game lead over the Yankees in the AL East. They have gone 5-5 in their last 10 games and 3-2 in their last five. Their .257 team batting average is ranked ninth in the AL but they are ranked third in runs scored with 296. They still lead the AL in pitching with a team ERA of 3.32, over a half a run better than the next best team.
New York Yankees Odds to win the AL Pennant 8-5 World Series 5-2
After winning seven of their last 10, New York has the Rays dead in their sights and are poised to reclaim the lead in the East. They are 35-22 overall with a 19-7 record at home and a 16-15 record on the road. Hitting the ball and scoring runs has not been a problem for this team as they lead the AL with a team average of .281 and are tied for the lead with Boston for runs scored with 314. Their pitching has been almost as solid as they are ranked third in the AL with a team ERA of 3.81.
Minnesota Twins Odds to win the AL Pennant 8-1 World Series 14-1
Minnesota continues to be one of the most solid all around teams in the AL. They are 33-24, 3 ½ games ahead of Detroit in the AL Central after going 6-4 in their last 10 games while the Tigers have lost six out of their last 10. Statistically the Twins are ranked 6th in the AL in hitting with a team batting average of .267 and seventh in runs scored with 267. Their entire pitching staff has gotten the job done so far and with a team ERA of just 3.78 they are ranked second in the AL.
Los Angeles Angels Odds to win the AL Pennant 15-1 World Series 30-1
After a shaky start, Los Angeles is starting to play like everyone expected the defending two time AL West division champion to. They have won eight out of their last 10 and have an overall record of 31-28, a half game in back of Texas, who actually has one less win at 30-26. With a team batting average of .257 they are still in the middle of the road in the AL but have shown signs of continuous improvement. Their team ERA of 4.49 ranks them 10th in the league, but the Angels have shown the ability to win games, putting them back in the divisional race.
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