The 'weak' AL Central

[Lake Shore Drive]

Remember how often our division has been described as the weakest in MLB? Well lookie here at the collective +/- wins for each division to date:

AL East: +3
AL Cent: +12
AL West: -12

NL East: -3
NL Cent: -12
NL West: +12

So our division is tied with the NL West for best combined won/lost records so far. Now one could say that our Central is taking advantage of this disparity by beating up on the corresponding NL Central, but they were considered to have one of the strongest divisions in the game, with only the Pirates being a weak link. And while we're tied with the Indians and both teams only a half game out of 1st, technically we're in 3rd place due to existing tiebreaker rules. But plop our record in the other 5 divisions and we'd either be tied for 1st or standing alone in 2nd. Booyah.

Bottom line: The 'weak' AL Central is not looking very weak this season.

 

[Mingo]

It's funny - like in the movie Major Leagues - it is slowly dawning on me that the Sox are performing at championship contender level.

As a baseball fan - I am particularly happy with the fielding. Abreu is easily having his finest season in the field ever - Moncada fields well enough to challenge for a gold glove, Anderson is in a groove where he makes the easy and the difficult plays without lapses and Mendick has done a yeoman's job out in the field. Robert roams around like a Gazelle making every catch look easy - Engle is a top defensive player. Eloy is an adventure still, but he has a good arm, can hit the cutoff man and knows which base to throw to.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

It's funny - like in the movie Major Leagues - it is slowly dawning on me that the Sox are performing at championship contender level.

As a baseball fan - I am particularly happy with the fielding. Abreu is easily having his finest season in the field ever - Moncada fields well enough to challenge for a gold glove, Anderson is in a groove where he makes the easy and the difficult plays without lapses and Mendick has done a yeoman's job out in the field. Robert roams around like a Gazelle making every catch look easy - Engle is a top defensive player. Eloy is an adventure still, but he has a good arm, can hit the cutoff man and knows which base to throw to.

Pretty accurate description overall. I've been on the bandwagon regarding Abreu's underrated defensive talent for a few years now. No, he'll never win a GG, nor be associated with the game's elite 1b defensive players. But his fielding has improved a good deal over the years to the point that I'm quite comfortable with him manning the position there.

 

[Mingo]

I keep saying this, but Abreu has never looked this in shape before.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

I keep saying this, but Abreu has never looked this in shape before.

Agreed. The man is looking fit and in great shape overall. He certainly hasn't lost any power!!!

 

[podsox]

it’s kind of hard to compare strength of divisions with how the schedule works this yr.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

it’s kind of hard to compare strength of divisions with how the schedule works this yr.

Agreed, especially when the vast majority of your schedule lies within your own division and the remaining balance is in just one opposite league division. But still, just about every analyst and pundit labeled the AL Central as baseball's weakest division. Now they weren't labeling the NL Central as the strongest, but they did say it was a good, competitive division. I'm willing to bet that if you asked these same folks at the start of the season which of the two divisions would hold the better record at this point most, if not all would have picked the NL's side.

 

[richig07]

it’s kind of hard to compare strength of divisions with how the schedule works this yr.

True. But in certain instances, like AL Central vs NL Central (especially seeing as we play each other). The quality of play is just different. The Cubs are playing like sh*t and are literally running away with that division because nobody else is even at .500. Cardinals, Reds, and Brewers are total letdowns. STL/MIL are just plain hard to watch offensively. Reds continue to be paper champions that never put it together.

Pittsburgh is literally a AAAA team.

If the White Sox were in that division - this season would be a freakin' booze cruise. We all know it.

 

[richig07]

I keep saying this, but Abreu has never looked this in shape before.

He does look a bit leaner. Now that you mention it. He looks good.

 

[Jiddy]

Reds are letdowns? I, for one, am shocked.