AL East Teams Offer Mixed Bag After Crazy First Week of Baseball

by Tony Lee on Sun, Apr 10, 2011 at 6:05AM

The general consensus through the Red Sox' miserable start is that not all of it is real. The team, even if it is not all that it is cracked up to be, is better than 1-7. Some of that will normalize in time.

The same can be said for every other team in baseball. Several teams with losing records will finish with losing records, but many others will come alive, and vice versa. It's sometimes an exercise in futility to not overreact to the early highs and lows.

That said, there are always scenarios in the first week of the season that offer up indications of things to come. Some early slumps can last all season long. The same can be said for some hot streaks. The challenge at this stage of the year is to recognize what is real and what is not, and to react accordingly.

With that in mind, let's take a run through the rest of the American League East and make note of one item for each squad that could have a lasting effect, and one that is just a mirage.

Baltimore
The Orioles' quick start has turned some heads across baseball.

New York
The Yankees continue to slug, but they also continue to have starting pitching questions.

Tampa Bay
The Rays had a tumultuous first week marred by a surprise retirement and a five-game losing streak.

Toronto
Adam Lind is hitting again, and the Jays' bullpen has been lights out so far.