Why You Should Worry (And It's Not Because Of The Yanks)

Dan:

Yeah, we're on a three-game losing streak and are now tied with the Yanks. Push the panic button, right?

Right. But not because of that.

The Yankees are going to the playoffs, people. Despite a dismal start to their year, despite having A-Rod miss more than a month and then be terrible for another month, despite injuries to Wang and hot and cold performances by Burnett and Sabathia, and despite dropping ALL eight of their games to your Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees still find themselves tied for first place here in late-July. Even if they don't make a blockbuster move come the trade deadline (which they very well might), they should still be plenty good enough the rest of the way to make the playoffs, and probably win the division.

And I don't have a problem with that.

The Red Sox are built for a strong run come October. But they need to get there first. The way things look, two teams from the AL East are bound for October, and it's pretty much a given this year that one of those teams will probably be the Yankees.

Unfortunately, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (you'll always be the Devil Rays to me) are coming on strong. Despite having a disastrous beginning to the season, the Rays have clawed their way back into contention and now sit a mere 4-and-a-half games back of the Sox and Yanks. That's a gap that can be made up in mid-September, forgot about late-July. They've had players like Navarro and Upton injured and struggling in the first half. And they've had pitchers struggle. Struggles that likely won't continue so poorly throughout the second half.

Meanwhile, even though the Sox may still lay claim to being the best team in the American League (which also means in baseball), they are starting to show signs of cracking. You can't help but worry that they could end up in October like they were last year, banged-up and out of gas.

Lowell has already taken a trip to the DL. How confident are you his hip won't send him back there again? Wakefield won 11 games in the first half. There is no chance of him continuing that kind of success. Brad Penny has a history of terrible second-halves. And while John Smoltz has showed signs of brilliance, he's also showed signs of being a guy who isn't the same anymore. Varitek also had a great first-half. But it's not realistic to think he won't wear-down unless they get him more help come the trade deadline. We might not see anything worthwhile from Matsuzaka the rest of the year. And if you think Papi is fully back to being Papi again and all is right with the world and he won't breakdown, well, I'm not convinced.

Forget the Yankees, I'm scared those young Devil Rays might be coming to get us.