As of right now, the Minnesota Twins are 5-2, atop the A.L. Central. They’ve only played Detroit and Kansas City, but wins are wins. Check out the Twins top four starters:
Brad Radke 2-0, 2.35 ERA
Eric Milton 1-0, 3.75 ERA
Mark Redman 0-1, 3.86 ERA
Joe Mays 2-0, 1.80 ERA
Sure, as everyone is quick to point out, its only April. But we’re not talking about marginal pitchers who are off to a hot start. These are young and talented pitchers who could be putting it all together much sooner than anyone expected. As bad as the Twins have been in recent years, its easy to look at the White Sox, the Indians, and the offensive-minded Royals to find the contenders in the Central division. However, don’t forget: it was the Twins who went from worst to first in 1991. With some hungry youth filling out the roster, this team could be last year’s Oakland A’s. Hot prospect Torii Hunter and All-Star Matt Lawton haven’t even starting hitting yet. The keys will be how they fare against top teams (Indians, Yankees, White Sox), their hitting progress, and how they handle adversity when they face it.
In other surprises, the Yankees are leading the AL East. They must not have read the reports that the Red Sox are much improved and that the Yankee lineup is too old.
The Astros are also in first place. Jose Lima and Wade Miller have done an excellent job. Billy Wagner appeared to have return to form after being injured almost all of last season. Without a doubt, last season was an aberration for the Astros, so look for them to be more competitive as this season progresses. It all hinges on their pitching.
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