The 2012 Major League Baseball season has given a lot of number crunchers and analysts ample material for debates. The American League Central and East are this week's discussion points. Major League Baseball Forum: Question No. 1: Is the American League Central really as bad as the numbers suggest? Question No. 2: Is the American League East really as good as the numbers suggest? If you are interested in betting on baseball this season, two of the most bewildering early-season developments have been the ways in which two divisions have unfolded. The American League Central and the American League East have taken shape in diametrically different directions. First, let's start with question number one: Is the American League Central the worst division in baseball? All five teams – the Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals, and Minnesota Twins – have negative run differentials. The White Sox have been dipping in and out of positive territory, but there have been times over the past 48 hours in which all five teams had allowed more runs than they had scored. Is this a misleading middle-of-May statistic, or does it indicate something real? The answer at this point is that it's real. Cleveland is doing well to lead the division with 21 wins, but the Tribe doesn't appear to be built for the long haul. The team's lineup is not particularly formidable, and the Indians don't have shutdown starters. It's an open question as to whether Cleveland will improve or falter as the season goes along. If that's the skinny on the first-place team, one can reasonably claim that the division is not very good. Detroit was, of course, the team expected to run away with this division, but the Tigers have been mystifyingly bad this season. Detroit started 9-3 but has then lost 16 of its last 25 games. Hitting with runners in scoring position has been a persistent problem for the Tigers, who improved their batting order in the offseason with the addition of first baseman Prince Fielder. Detroit has lost a lot of 2-1 and 3-1 games, but this past week, the Tigers have lost games by scores of 7-5 and 11-7. They are playing just well enough to lose on a fairly consistent basis. They hit well on nights when their pitching collapses, and they hit horribly on nights when their pitching is very strong. Detroit can still become a great team, but the Tigers need to show at least a little consistency before they are viewed in a different and more positive light. The White Sox are hanging in the race, but the Royals are a particularly mediocre team, while the 11-26 Twins (heading into Thursday, May 17) have been horrible. Yes, this division really is that bad. The team that for legions of sports betting experts is inspiring a lot of surprised reactions is the Baltimore Orioles, who are 23-14 through their first 37 games. Baltimore figured to be the last-place team in the American League East, but the Orioles are just half a game out of first in a division whose five teams all have positive run differentials, the exact opposite of the American League Central. Let's switch to question number two, then: When you look at sportsbooks to plot your next baseball betting play, should you view the A.L. East as a really good division? The answer: Yes, you should. If Baltimore can hang with the rest of the division, it's reasonable to say that the worst team in this division by season's end will have no fewer than 75 wins, with the fourth-place team having a winning record. That's exceptionally good. Toronto is a solid team, but the Blue Jays are "just another club" in the A.L. East. In the Central, they'd probably be in first place.
