Breakout Team: Cleveland Indians- This team used to be a staple atop the AL Central standings, but over the past couple of seasons, you'd be more likely to find them looking up at their divisional foes. Last year, they finished in 4th place and had the 6th worst record in all of baseball. This season has seen new hope for the Tribe. At 13-8, the Indians are alone in 1st and hold the 2nd best mark in the American League. I think this team is in it for the long haul. With a healthy Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner turning back the clock and raking, the offense has been clicking for the first time in years. The pitching staff is no joke either. Young hurlers Josh Tomlin and Justin Masterson have figured it out and have provided consistency at the top of the rotation. With Central foes Chicago and Minnesota both struggling, Cleveland is primed to make a strong run at the divisional title.
Bust Team: Atlanta Braves- Many pundits, including myself, picked the Braves to win the NL East. Few teams over the past twenty years have been as consistent as Atlanta, and this year looked to be no different. However, holes have started to show in the Braves roster. The first problem is they don't have the managing anchor of Bobby Cox to fill out the lineup card every day. Losing the three time NL manager of the year has put a bit of a damper around Atlanta and it seems to affecting the team more than originally thought. While the team does have a number of nice offensive pieces, there is a bit of an age problem. At most positions, players are either past their prime, or haven't hit their peak yet. While this will even out in a couple years, it doesn't bode well for this season. The rotation has also dissapointed. Ace Tommy Hanson hasn't pitched up to potential and the rest of the staff has underwhelmed. With the explosive Philadelphia Phillies already running away with things and the Florida Marlins overachieving, Atlanta could get buried in the divisional race.
Breakout Player: Alex Gordon- People were anointing Gordon as the next coming of George Brett almost immediately after he was drafted by the Kansas City Royals with the 2nd overall pick in the 2005 draft. Things didn't really go according to plan right off the bat. Gordon struggled mightily in his first few seasons in the bigs. He was labeled as a bust as forgotten by many. In his fourth year in the league though, Gordon looks like a prime breakout candidate. The post-hype sleeper is batting .356 with 14 RBI and has led to the Royals to a surprising 12-10 mark in the early going. While I don't think the Royals record will last, I do think Gordon is here to stay. The left fielder has always had the tools, but it looks like he's finally learned to use them on a consistent basis.
Bust Player: Carl Crawford- The man with the $141 million contract has earned his money so far. The Boston Red expected to get a speed demon of an outfielder who would hit for a great average along with some nice pop. After all, he had been almost a career .300 hitter with a 60 steal season to his name during his nine year stint in Tampa Bay. What they've gotten is a guy that can't hit the broad side of a barn, let alone the Green Monster in Fenway Park. With a dismal .171 batting average and just 1 homerun on the season, Crawford has gotten out to a slower start than even his biggest critics would have guessed. Manager Terry Francona has had to shift him all over the lineup card including the 8th spot in the order to try to help him breakout of his funk. While it's unfair to blame all of the Red Sox early struggles on Crawford, it's imperative that he gets it together, and soon, if he wants to avoid the bust tag.
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