They acquired Lance Berkman, Austin Kearns and Kerry Wood, but nothing has improved. Berkman just is not hitting and Kearns is a part timer. Wood has showed some progress and it could help the Yankees down the stretch.

The Yankees are waiting on a healthy Andy Pettitte, and reliability from A.J. Burnett. Alex Rodriguez has been quiet, but hopefully he can get hot soon. Derek Jeter at 36 is not having a Jeter type year. His offensive numbers are the lowest in his career. From Sept. 13 on, the Yankees play the Rays seven times and the Red Sox six times. Curtis Granderson has been a disappointment, but there’s still time for him to salvage his sub-par season.

The Yankees have a few things going for them. Mark Teixeira is getting hot, but he needs to have more multiple hit games to raise his .258 batting average. Nick Swisher is the Yankees Co-MVP so far and has carried the bombers up to this point. Swisher is batting .297 with 22 home runs and 66 RBI. Robertson Cano is the other Co-MVP who leads the Yankees in batting (.328) and has 21 home runs and 71 RBIs.

The Yankees will need the Rays to trip in order to stay on top of the AL East, but that’s a tall order considering how well the Rays have been playing. They were 4 games back of the Yankees at one point, but the Rays erased that quickly.

If the Yankees could have signed Cliff Lee, things would be much better in the Bronx.

Congrats Alex Rodriguez on your 600th Home Run!

The Toronto Blue Jays are playing well and are (22-16) and have won three games in a row. The team is led by Vernon Wells who leads in Batting Average, Homeruns and Runs Batted In (304/10/29). As a team they’re only batting .241 which is ranked 25^th in the league, but they seem to know how to win games regardless.

The pitching led by Ricky Romero (4 wins) and Shaun Marcum (2.78 ERA) are it getting the job done, but again, the team ERA is ranked 18^th with a 4.29 team ERA.

The Blue Jays have a relatively easy schedule for the rest of the month. They will face the Twins, Mariners, Diamond Backs, Dodgers, Orioles and the Rays.

The big surprise is Alex Gonzalez (.257/10 HR/28 RBI) who is having a better than expected season according to manager Cito Gaston.

“I hate to call it a surprise, because I expect the best out of everybody. But I think he’s surprised a lot of people, because I think more people think about…”

If the Blue Jays can stay close, they could give both the Yankees and Rays a run for their money.

The Yankees and Rays look like the next biggest rivalry in the AL East, sorry Red Sox fans, but there’s a new race.

The Yankees lost their first series this year against the Angels this past weekend. The Yankees are (12-6) and the Rays are (14-5) and now have a 1 ½ game lead over the Yankees with a game in hand.

It’s obvious that both teams are firing on all cylinders. The Rays are in turbo mode and are looking great early in this 2010 baseball season.

The Tampa Bay Rays pitching is solid and ranked 6^th overall with a team ERA of 3.21. The Yankees are ranked 10^th with a team ERA of 3.72.

The Yankees offense is better and deeper. The Yankees are ranked 11^th in AVG, 2nd in OBP, 6th in SLG and 3^rd in OPS. The Rays are ranked 14 in AVG, T10 in OBP, T10 in SLG and 11^th in OPS.

Both these teams are close on both sides of the ball and it is only April.

“Specifically, it needs to blow up the AL East, which threatens to disintegrate into the Yankees, Red Sox and three baseball versions of the Washington Generals.”

“The Yankees and Red Sox will remain financial super-powers for the foreseeable future. Even scarier, both teams have become so efficient, they eliminated any intellectual edge that certain low-revenue teams had gained.” Posted by Ken Rosenthal.

Yankees and Red Sox could forge easier paths to the postseason if they did not play each other so often. Hey Ken, this is what makes this rivalry so exciting and it’s what baseball needs you moron! Why not put the Red Sox in the central and the Tigers in the east while you’re at it and just disconnect all that is good in baseball.

Ken’s Radical Realignment

AL Atlantic
Mets
Yankees
Blue Jays
Orioles
Nationals

Ken, you’re pathetic! I can’t believe they pay you to write this stuff.

Read the article here.

It’s not the hatred that you read from time to time, but it’s the passion the fans have for their teams. It is fun to read the smack talk, it rejuvenates the sport of baseball. Yes, both teams have cash and yes both teams have cocky fans and you know why? Because we have the buying power and our owners have a passion for winning. There are many other team owners that just pocket their money and don’t care about the fans or winning.

I have been a Yankees fan since 1967, but guess who my favorite player is of all time? I know, you’re thinking Thurman Munson or maybe Don Mattingly (who should be in the HOF!). My favorite player of all time is Yaz – Yes, Carl Yastrzemski. I loved his swing and how he approached the game, a true professional.

The 2010 baseball season should pave way to smack talk between these two cities and that’s what makes baseball more exciting!

The Yankees and Red Sox made improvements this winter, but who will win the AL East and the biggest prize, the World Series. I am routing for my Yanks, but the Red Sox will be pulling at our coat tails all year, unless injuries come into play for either team. There are a couple of unknowns this year for both teams, but that will soon change.

Let the games begin!!!

The Yankees will be testing Brett Gardner in LF and may acquire a veteran left fielder, while the Red Sox need a LF of their own and some relief pitching.

The Yankees are younger and the Red Sox aged a little with Cameron, but who will make it to the top of the east and capture the AL East crown?

My bet is the World Series Champs, but nothing is guaranteed in baseball, regardless of how much a team spends. Theo Epstein has made some what of a splash this winter and so has Cashman.

In my opinion, I believe both teams are still not done acquiring players. The Yankees have Jermaine Dye on the radar and the Red Sox lost out on Jason Bay who apparently has agreed with the Mets.

Both teams make baseball exciting regardless of the bad blood between fans. If it wasn’t for the Yankees and the Red Sox, baseball would be like the heavyweight division in boxing.

Who do you think will capture the AL East?