State of the League

About 125 games into the season, the playoff picture is starting to shape up in some divisions, while others are far from being decided. Let's take a gander at some of the highlights (and lowlights) of the league.

In the AL North, the Philadelphia Starz clearly have things under control, with a 17 game lead over their nearest rival. With four batters having 20-plus home runs so far this year, and two pitchers with sub-4.00 ERA's and 14 or more wins, the Starz are not only the cream of the crop in the North, but possibly the AL's favorite to go to the World Series.

The AL East is easily the most entertaining division so far, with all four teams separated by only 8 games. Pawtucket (64-61) leads the way, sitting just 3 games ahead of Norfolk, and 8 games ahead of both Boston and Trenton. All four squads have been hovering around a .500 record all season long, and each is right around .500 for their past 10 games. Unless one team gets really hot, or someone has a flurry of injuries, the playoff spot from this division might not be decided until the final few days of the regular season. Norfolk, Boston and Trenton are all further out of the wild card spot than they are out of the division lead.

The AL South is also close, but only a two team fight. New Orleans sits at the top of the division, but has only been playing .500 ball in the last 10 games. Wichita, however, has not been able to capitalize on this recent slide, as they are also a .500 team over the past 10 games. If one team can go on a run while the other is flat, that might seal up this division. Both squads also have stellar AAA rosters right now, which could mean trouble for the rest of the division.

Out in the West, Portland is starting to run away with the division, currently holding an 11 game lead and a 7 game win streak. Despite sitting 11 and 13 games back, respectively, Fresno and Colorado are second and third in the hunt for a wildcard spot.

Almost everything in the National League is a bit more concrete right now.

In the North, Minnesota has a whopping 18 game lead right now, despite only playing .500 ball in the last 10 games. Rochester has a slight chance in the wildcard hunt, but the rest of the division is already looking to Season Two.

The only close race is in the East, where New York and Washington are fighting for the top slot. Earlier in the week, Washington held first place, but after a recent 3-7 record, they have let NY climb ahead of them with their 8-2 record over the last 10 games. If Washington can right the ship, this race could go all the way into the final week of the season.

In the NL South, Charlotte has been dominant, holding a 16 game lead and a 7 game win streak. Almost unbeatable at home with a 41-19 record, they also play exceptionally well on the road, currently sitting on a 40-25 away record.

Out in the West, Salem is the cream of the crop so far, sitting on a 11 game lead right now, despite only playing .500 baseball recently, and somehow having a better away record than home record. The same can be said for Omaha, who has a 41-24 away record, and is the current leader for the wildcard spot.