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The American League West Sucks - Today's Baseball Notes

by Jason Vernon
2006-04-20

Western War
The American League West teams are currently mired in a battle of attrition for the top stop in their division. With records of 7-8, 7-8, 7-9 and 6-9 the four clubs are running in quicksand as none of them can gain traction. With the exception of the Texas Rangers (6-9) the division appears to be up for grabs this year. The new entrant into the divisional winner sweepstakes are the Seattle Mariners, a team that wasn't expected to do much this season. The fact that the Mariners are holding tight with a lineup in which Ichiro Suzuki, Raul Ibanez and Richie Sexson haven't heated up yet is a good sign. And Adrian Beltre can't get any worse than he is currently hitting so his bat should improve as May rolls around. On the pitching side Jamie Moyer and Joel Piniero are off to nice starts. Two starters throwing well with an offensive that starts clicking could mean the Mariners hang around in the West for a long time this season.

Counsell as "Stopgap"
Craig Counsell has played in twelve of the Diamondbacks fifteen games at shortstop this year and has proved an excellent stopgap before 1st round shortstop Stephen Drew makes it to the major leagues. Counsell has actually been more than a stopgap. His .340/.421/.460 line has been more than anyone in the Diamondback organization could've ever asked for at the start of the season. Counsell's playing way above his established career level of production so he should fall back to earth soon enough but it has made it easier for the Diamondbacks to leave Drew in the minors to continue to refine his game.

Shortstops Galore
The minor leagues are currently brimming with top tier talent at shortstop. Three of the four following shortstops should be making an impact with their respective major league clubs in the current year. And the impact will be most felt on the offensive side of the ball.

B.J. Upton returns to Triple-A Durham for a second straight season and in his first fourteen games has put up a .273/.344/.418 line with eight steals in ten attempts. His fielding has been atrocious again, though, and the Devil Rays should do the inevitable and put him in centerfield to get his bat in the lineup at the major league level.

Stephen Drew is currently at Triple-A with the Tucson Sidewinders and while he has struck out fourteen times in fifty-five at-bats he's produced four homers and a .473 slugging average.

The Angels have two premium shortstops in the minors this year with Brandon Wood at Double-A Arkansas and Erick Aybar at Triple-A Salt Lake. Both players are off to great starts in all facets of their games and at least one should make the majors on a full-time basis this season - most likely Aybar. A move to third base is possible to get his bat to the majors since sweet-fielding Orlando Cabrera is blocking his way. One more year of minor league seasoning would probably do the younger Wood some good. Even with his great stats his twenty strikeouts in fifty-three at-bats are a concern. A move up to Triple-A when Aybar moves to the majors would be a perfect situation for the Angel organization.