AL Central vs. AL East- which has higher quality baseball?

Question

Which division?

Anyone else agree with me that the AL East has become a joke with the yankees and red sox?

Answer 1

From top to bottom the AL central is by far the better division. Boston is very good - before the end of the year New York will be very good again. After that it's mediocre in the division.

The AL Central has last year's pennant winner in the Tiger's. The Indians look incredible, the Twins are very good, the White Sox are started to roll and their pitching is coming back to 2005 levels. The worst team in the Central is KC who still compares favorably with the Devil Rays...

Bottom line - Central is head and shoulders above the East right now.

Answer 2

The AL central has far more of a competative balance right now. Consider that in the AL east, Boston has about a 10 game lead on their division, they are 6-2 vs. the Yankees who are so far having a season that's far more comparable to the Orioles and the Blue Jays than the Red Sox in terms of wins.

Meanwhile in the central there are 4 teams that could win that division with Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, and Minnesota. You have a young upstart Indians ballclub that has a lot to prove and plays as such. You have a Detroit team that used to be a losing franchise until they went to the world series, and this year they no longer overlooked by any opposing teams' fans.

Minnesota is a very solid ballclub that runs its' offense well. They should also have about 20 wins alone coming from Johan Santana. Chicago is the only team that might be reeling somewhat in this situation, but I don't think they are finished.

In the east the Orioles have beefed up their pitching, but it seems they lack a consistant slugger at this point which can take an average to good offense, and make them great. See Manny and David Ortiz for example, as well as Arod.

Toronto is under the same situation as Baltimore, and Tampa Bay is kind of on the opposite of things. A very balanced offense that makes a lot of contact, and therefore hits a lot of homeruns, but the pitching gives up just as many.

So I definately give the edge to central, even as an Orioles fan.

Answer 3

AL Central has 4 potentially good teams while the AL East has 2 and at best 3 quality teams . With the Yankees slow start and only Boston taking advantage of the situation spells it out why the AL Central has better competition and the quality as a division.

Answer 4

While the east may have two of the top 5 or 6 teams in the AL the central have the other 3 or 4 making it a deeper, more competitive division.

Answer 5

ok look. as of rite now yes the central has a higher quality of baseball. but lets go back about 4 years when your division winner was barely over .500. the bottom 4 of the central were the bottom 4 of the AL. up until maybe a few years ago when the entire division somehow turned it around, you were the laughing stock of the AL and the major league. enjoy it now because knowing the teams in the central--it wont last long

Answer 6

The AL East has one team that can contend for the playoffs, the Boston Red Sox. Cue "Taps" for the rest of that division, including the Yankees.

The AL Central had four playoff contenders-Tigers, Indians, Twin and White Sox.

Answer 7

Yeah, the AL Central is probably the best division in baseball. All they need to do is put it together in the postseason. The Twins make it every year and do nothing. The Tigers choked last year to a team that shouldn't have been there in the first place, and the Indians need a deeper pitching rotation. Other than that, they AL Central is pretty damn good.

Answer 8

The Central all the way. The East is a one team division right now.

Answer 9

A.L. Central by far.
But here is the deal--everyone questions Cleveland and says the need a deeper pitching staff?????? They have the best in the Central!!!! Carmona,CC Sabathia and Paul Byrd are a combined 16-3!!! The Era's are in the 2's and mid 3's!!!! The you have Westbrook and Lee...Lee wins 14-16 games every year. Then they have Adam Miller waiting in the wings. The kid Bobby Cox said in spring training has the best stuff he has seen in 15 years---and he pities the A.L. when he gets up. Now the Twins are the team I disagree with being contenders-the pitching is atrocious. Whitesox will hit--they have excellent pitching. Tigers are nose to nose with Cleveland--Clevelands 3 pitchers in the starting staff give them the edge.Look at some of these stars in the A.L. Central though:
Thome -Konerko-Dye- Buerhle
Morneau-Mauer-Santana
Sheffield-Verlander-Rodriguez-Ordonez-Robertson
Sizemore-Hafner-Martinez-Peralta-Sabathia-Carmona
Sweeney-Pena and alot of talneted young kids in the KC future.
And somebody mentioned that the Twins and Detroit choked in the playoffs--well what about Chicago in 2005? Detroit and Cleveland are flirting with 30 wins in the strongest division in baseball. That says alot.

Answer 10

The AL Central is the more competitive with four of the five teams in good contition this season. Basically in the AL East only Boston is showing anything.