After a week, Oakland and Anaheim look solid

Only a week of baseball has been played so far in the American League, but even that short period reveals some important tidbits that may loom large over the course of the season.

The first thing that jumps out is the Seattle Mariners' rough 1-5 start. Inside the AL predicted the M's would have difficulties, but they're not this bad. The problem for Seattle is that they're in the wrong division. The Mariners would be the favorite in the AL Central, but in the AL West, they'll probably finish third.

Meanwhile, the Oakland Athletics and Anaheim Angels have both had relatively strong starts. The Oakland big three looks just as dominant as ever. Tim Hudson has already had two solid outings, and Barry Zito and Mark Mulder also looked excellent in their initial appearances.

Jermaine Dye has played well so far for Oakland, which helps to answer some questions about the A's outfield. Following his disastrous 2003 season, Dye has come back to bat .333 with two home runs thus far.

In Anaheim, the upgraded offense has been living up to preseason expectations. Outfielder Vladimir Guerrero brought his hot-hitting with him from the Montreal Expos. Third baseman Troy Glaus looks healthy with his .381 average and three early home runs. Second baseman Adam Kennedy and outfielder Garret Anderson have been their usual consistent selves.

The pitching for Anaheim has been more of a mixed bag. New acquisitions Bartolo Colon and Kelvim Escobar have been good so far, but the Angels are going to need better performances from Ramon Ortiz and Jarrod Washburn at the back of their rotation.

In the Central, the Detroit Tigers have gotten off to a hot start (5-1) but don't be fooled; they are not the 2003 Kansas City Royals. The Tigers have received an injection of energy from newly acquired catcher Ivan Rodriguez, and first baseman Carlos Pena is finally starting to display some of the potential he showed in the Oakland and Texas Ranger farm systems. Unfortunately for Detroit, however, its pitching is just not good enough. Jeremy Bonderman has potential, but he's still very raw at 21.

The Central is certainly a wide open division. The Minnesota Twins have won the division the last couple of years with pitching and defense, and this year they will need that and then some to three-peat. After all, this is a team with Jose Offerman as its designated hitter. Most teams would pay not to have him on their team; instead he's a starter for the Twins.

The Royals have a lot of young talent to surround Mike Sweeney and Juan Gonzalez. The Cleveland Indians could be the sleeper in the division with a large stock of young talent, and if the rookies like catcher Victor Martinez develop in time, the Tribe could beat out the rest of the division.

With the way Pedro Martinez and Curt Schilling look so far, it's hard to believe that the loser of the Eastern division won't win the wild card. If the Boston Red Sox can't overtake the New York Yankees, who will buy whatever they need at the trade deadline, then the Sox should be able to pin their hopes on the wild card because of their consistent pitching staff. Keith Foulke has been solid as advertised, and he has stabilized the bullpen situation that has been a perennial disaster for Boston in the past.

While the Toronto Blue Jays most likely won't compete for the playoffs, they should improve as the season goes on. Much like the Mariners, they are a good team stuck in an excellent division. They have a solid nucleus of young players in first baseman Carlos Delgado solid young pitcher Roy Halladay. Toronto also has a number of impressive pitching prospects waiting in the wings in its farm system.