This week's edition of "Inside the AL" sheds light on the surprising early performance of two teams: the Chicago White Sox (surprisingly good) and the New York Yankees (surprisingly awful).
Let's start with the White Sox. This team wasn't expected to be a cellar dweller, but no one expected them to have the best record in the American League at this point (not that it means much this early in the season). Still, the Chisox have been impressive, mostly due to their superior pitching and the bat of first baseman Paul Konerko (1.015 OPS and leading the majors in home-runs).
The funny thing about the White Sox's success is that no one on the offensive side is really playing over their heads. Konerko will likely slow somewhat, but he is still an exceptional hitter. Outfielder Carl Everett's numbers will also likely decrease. But it is surprising that Chicago has gotten so far with a mediocre offense (they rank 11th in the league in runs).
Of course, this shows how strong Chicago's pitching has been. The Sox are tied for the fewest runs allowed in the league. So far everyone on the mound has stepped up. Starters Mark Buehrle, Orlando Hernandez, Freddy Garcia, and Jon Garland have been great and even Jose Contreras has managed to keep his ERA under 4.00! But there are some warning signs. First of all, Hernandez's constant injuries could prove problematic. Buehrle, Garcia and Garland all have talent, but each of them is overperforming somewhat at the moment and will likely fall back to average as the season progresses.
The bullpen has been Chicago's savior. Dustin Hermanson, Cliff Politte and Damaso Marte have all been lights-out on the mound. But again the problem of over-performance is a factor at this point in the season. Of the three, Marte has the best chance of keeping up the strong performances, but Hermanson and Politte have mediocre track records.
Two more elements need to be taken into account when examining the White Sox. The first is manager Ozzie Guillen. Guillen is very energetic and, by some accounts, a likeable guy, but he's not a particularly good manager and his sanity is questionable. There are plenty of examples, but just consider this quote: After Texas Rangers manager Buck Showalter criticized Guillen's knowledge of the rules in a game from the 2004 season, Guillen responded, "There are so many different things he might be jealous [of] ... I was a better player than him, I've got more money than him and I'm better looking than him." Enough said.
The White Sox have also been extremely lucky so far this season. They have only scored five more runs than they have given up in 2005, yet they have six more wins than losses. The luck will turn, and the White Sox will start to lose steam. Though the team will likely cool down, it's not out of the realm of possibility that they could be a contender for the division (though certainly not a favorite).
Meanwhile, who would've expected the Yankees to be sharing the cellar with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at this point in the season? The Yanks certainly have been awful, but have faith - they will pick up the pace very soon. Don't be surprised to see New York rip off 10 straight wins to get back in the front of the pack.
Despite the fact that the Yanks will likely turn it around, New Yorkers should be legitimately concerned that starter Jaret Wright has been so terrible. As was mentioned ad nauseum in previous articles, the signing of Wright was a head-scratcher. Is Wright having problems with the pressure? Is he, like so many other pitchers leaving Atlanta, seemingly unable to function without pitching coach Leo Mazzone? Who knows, but the Yankees will need to figure out an answer. If they can't, they'll be looking at another expensive mistake and have a hole in the rotation that no one is readily available to fill.
Despite Wright's struggles, the Yankees should soon hit their stride. The New York lineup is too strong to be quiet for long. Assuming they stay healthy, the Yankees are going to score many, many runs over the course of the season. The bullpen should also emerge from its uncharacteristic funk in the near future. They've had a rough few weeks, but once things start clicking for New York, watch out.
