Ranking the Divisions

There are six divisions in baseball, but each division is not the same. Some divisions will test you throughout the season, while other divisions seem to warrant no playoff the teams. Here is my thoughts on the best divisions in baseball in order:

1.) AL East
Any division in which the defending champs are not in first, and the Boston Red Sox are in fourth definitely proves that this is one heck of a division. The Tampa Bay Rays have the best record in baseball, and are showing teams that 2007 was far from a fluke. They continue to play good defense, pitch well, and the offense is coming. The Yankees are the Yankees, of course they are going to be good, and they are still producing, despite injuries. The Blue Jays are the surprise of the division, as they have blasted their way to just behind the Yankees. Most fans know Vernon Wells, but the rest of the lineup is producing, with Jose Bautista leading the way with 15 home runs. The young pitching staff is better than expected and guys like Ricky Romero and Shaun Marcum have been great. The Red Sox, despite their disappointing start, are always a threat, and the Orioles, well they stink.

2.) NL East
This division obviously features the Phillies, the 2-time defending NL Champions. The rest of the division is very tight, with all 4 teams within 4 games of Philadelphia. The Braves, Marlins, and Mets are all legitimate wildcard contenders, and now with the emergence of the Washington Nationals, there is no team to beat up on in the division any more. Top to bottom this might be the best division, but the AL East just has stronger teams in general.

3.) NL West
The NL West is a competitive division that sees the surprise Padres currently on top. The great thing about the NL West is that every year, it seems that most people wouldn't be surprised if any of the teams ending up winning the division. The Giants and the Dodgers have the best pitching, but San Diego has been unbelievable so far, and they are doing it with some anonymous pitchers like Mat Latos and Clayton Richard. The Rockies have the best pitcher in baseball right now in Ubaldo Jimenez, who has an ERA under one and the Diamondbacks should be better than there last place standing right now.

4.) AL Central
Once again the Twins are somehow in first place. They are now playing outdoors at Target Field, but the stars like Mauer and Morneau continue to produce. The Tigers are right behind the Twins as usual, but after Detroit there is a bit of a falloff. The White Sox have all sorts of issues and their manager continues to lose his head, while Cleveland is in rebuilding mode and Kansas City is terrible once again.

5.) AL West
In years past, the AL West has been much better, but this appears to be a down year for the division. With the Angels dominating the division over the decade, their struggle this year has left room for the other teams. The Athletics have had a perfect game from pitcher Dallas Braden, but it is hard to name more than 5 players on their roster. Seattle is tremendously under performing, but it may already be too late for them to turn it around. This leaves the door open for the talented Rangers who sit in first place, led by Nelson Cruz and rookie Elvis Andrus.

6.) NL Central
This division is just terrible. There are 6 teams in the division, but yet only 2 teams over .500. The Cardinals have been struggling to score, despite featuring the game's best player in Albert Pujols. The Reds have taken advantage and taken first place, led by Joey Votto, but it will be difficult for them to hold of St. Louis the rest of the season. The Astros have begun to shop their stars including Roy Oswalt, the Pirates are doing good by their expectations, which would be bad for most other teams. This leaves the Brewers who despite having the number one offense in the NL, they cant win due to poor starting pitching and Trevor Hoffman's struggles in the bullpen. Oh, and the Chicago Cubs, who will likely be in their last year under the management of Lou Piniella.