One Month Down, Five to Go

We are now officially into the second month of Major League Baseball's 2006 season. It's been an interesting campaign so far on numerous levels but, of course, where else could we possibly began other than with the surprises of the season?

Don't hold your breath, Detroit, but your Tigers have the second-best record in the American League. With some quality pitching and a nice record away from home, Detroit has formed a formidable opponent for the Chicago White Sox bid to repeat as division champs. I know, I know, tell you something you don't know. OK. I will. Magglio Ordonez and Ivan Rodriguez are topping the roster with a combined batting average of .316. But look deeper into stats than just batting averages and home runs, because these guys have walked just 12 times in 231 at-bats.

Look for Chris Shelton, Carlos Guillen, Curtis Granderson and Brandon Inge to really be the difference makers in this lineup. They are the ones who can take pitches, work counts and get on base for Mags and Pudge. If those four players can get on consistently, Detroit will stick around for a few more months, but if they fall off, the Tigers will need some help come July and August.

The Rockies are 20-13 and appear to be contenders for a weak NL West. Start with Cory Sullivan, Garrett Atkins and Brad Hawpe. These guys get on base, so with Matt Holliday swinging freely and Todd Helton back in the lineup, the Rockies have at least five guys that can get on and get in. They'd really like Clint Barmes' bat to come around, along with Luis Gonzalez, to complete the lineup.

Where the Rockies scare me is their pitching. Cook, Francis and Jennings have done reasonably well so far this season, considering their home field and the dark history behind Rockies' pitchers. I don't like how many hits Cook gives up and I certainly don't like the walks that Francis hands out. These guys need to limit the amount of men they put on base, because eventually, the opponents will start bringing those runners in. The Rockies can't overpower their opponents every night; it's really tough to win a lot of games that way. Don't trust the Rockies just yet.

I'm not gonna lie, the mid-week series in New York this week will set the tone for the rest of the season in the AL East. The Blue Jays will constantly stick around, but never crack the barrier between third and second place. I think the Red Sox made a powerful statement with their come-from-behind win at Fenway on May 1. But never count the Yankees out, you should know that by now. This week will be fun with great matchups:

Beckett-Johnson on Tuesday
Schilling-Mussina on Wednesday
Wakefield-Chacon on Thursday

How is that for a trio of good matchups? I'd say pretty great. Anyway, I think the Red Sox will take two of three. Even though it's in the Bronx, I like the Sox mojo early in the season. Call me biased, those are my two cents.