Update: I wrote this post right after the game was delayed following the top of the sixth inning, unaware that Bud Selig had already determined the game would be played in its entirety, regardless of the current rulebook. With his power, he decided it was in the best interest for the integrity of the game. After meeting with each team, he made the decision on Saturday. However, he simply changed the rules on the fly, and even the announcers on Fox were unaware of this decision. Thinking ahead, changing the rule seems like a no-brainer.

Major League Baseball is an industry that is slow to adapt change.

In fact, it was practically shocking when Commissioner Bud Selig decided to allow the use of instant replay on home run calls earlier this season.

Yet again, though, change is necessary—as we learned in Game 5 of the World Series.

If the Tampa Bay Rays had not tied the game up at 2-all in the sixth inning tonight, the Philadelphia Phillies may already be celebrating their first championship since 1980. Since the game was official, the Phillies would have won the shortened game if the game had been called due to the weather.

With the rain coming down in bunches, this was a likely scenario—a potential Phillies’ celebration after only 18 outs.

This, of course, would have a bad thing for everyone involved. The Rays, who certainly have not played well all series, would have felt cheated, as would their fans.

On the flip side, if they had scored again in that frame to take a 3-2 lead, and then shut the Phillies down in the bottom half to take the game (and eventually the series), the city of Philadelphia might have actually burned to the ground.

As a torrential downpour turned the playing conditions into almost a joke, though, Carlos Pena knocked in the speedy B.J. Upton with a line drive single to left field. Pena, who delivered a double earlier in the game, was 0-for-the-series coming into the night. He delivered when it counted, helping to prevent a potential disaster of colossal proportions for the sport.

Which must have provided a huge sigh of relief for Commissioner Bud Selig and the MLB.

The game is suspended until tomorrow now, and will pick up with the Phillies coming to bat in the bottom half of the sixth inning.

If the Rays had not scored, however, odds are the game would have continued.

This is why, in my opinion, Major League Baseball should adjust the rulebook. During the regular season, the score should stand if the game is called early due to inclement weather. But when it comes to the postseason, all games should be played in their entirety, a full nine innings, even if that means the game has to be suspended until another day.

This way, the game could have been suspended earlier tonight—as Upton, or any other player could have been seriously injured while running on the base paths or out in the field—even before the Rays had tied it up.

It is not exactly asking for a lot. Heck, I am not calling for robots to call balls and strikes, even though this would perhaps be more effective than the current system in place (just ask a one Mr. Scott Kazmir, who was squeezed all night.)

Selig and MLB barely escaped a potential public relations disaster tonight, the equivalent of a mediocre pitcher getting out of a no-outs, bases-loaded jam with Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell coming up.

Things truly could have gotten ugly.

If the game was called and the Phillies won in five, the Commissioner would have never heard the end of it, sports talk radio hosts from St. Petersburg to Orlando would have played the “What if?” game for weeks and the term “asterik” might have entered the conversation.

Plus, the Phillies have outplayed their opponent to this point, thanks to surprisingly solid outings from Jamie Moyer and Joe Blanton in the previous two games in Philadelphia. Would they want to win like that? Hey, if the game was called after a delay, that could have been the first time in history that the winning team did not get to celebrate their title on the field, after making the final out or producing a walk-off base hit.

How weird would that have been?

Thinking ahead for the future, Selig should never allow a situation like this to happen again. Instead, he needs to prevent the first three hypothetical runners from getting on base, changing the rule before the start of the 2009 season.

To reach Tyler Hissey, send an email to TylerHissey@gmail.com.

The oddsmakers in Las Vegas have it right: the Tampa Bay Rays are the easy favorite to win the World Series.

The Philadelphia Phillies have several outstanding stars, including ace left-hander Cole Hamels, former MVPs Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins and perhaps the premier infielder in the game, Chase Utley.

The Rays have a more complete roster, however, without any glaring weaknesses 1-through-25, and a better starting rotation.

Anything can happen in a short series, as the St. Louis Cardinals reminded us a few years back, but Tampa Bay is the superior team when looking at each club objectively.

The Rays’ success was dismissed as a fluke by several “experts” throughout the year. Time and time again, though, the talented group continued to silence its critics, outlasting the game’s financial superpowers to win the majors’ most competitive division. Winning the American League East, of course, is no small feat. The Rays, relying on excellent run prevention to punch a ticket to the eight-team October tournament, proved that they were for real over the full 162-game season.

After winning the East, the lack-of-experience columns began resurfacing before the start of the Division Series. Yet again, though, B.J. Upton, James Shields and company put that talk to rest, defeating a veteran-heavy Chicago White Sox team in four games. In an epic American League Championship Series, Tampa Bay then flashed its offensive muscle in a tremendous seven-game set with the defending World Series Champion Boston Red Sox.

The path to the Fall Classic, therefore, has been considerably more difficult for Tampa Bay than Philadelphia, which cruised through a Milwaukee Brewers team mostly led by one stud pitcher and the 84-win Los Angeles Dodgers.

Not to mention, the American League, which has truly emerged as the superior league in the past five years, is a considerably more competitive environment to play in.

All of these factors could play a role in the outcome of the upcoming tilt between two organizations known for their losing ways.

The Rays’ home field advantage will also come into play, especially in the year of the home team. They finished the regular season with the majors’ premier record at home, playing like All-Stars in the friendly confines of Tropicana Field.

Hamels can help negate this, to a degree, by tossing a gem in the opener. But the Cowbell effect will is a legitimate factor, as Tampa Bay is practically perfect when playing in front of a crowd of 30,000-plus.

Here is a breakdown how each team measures up in every facet of the game.

Rotations:

Hamels is the best starting pitcher on either team. He gives the Phillies the advantage in the pitching matchup for Game 1. The 24-year-old left-hander has been absolutely brilliant in the postseason, emerging as a legitimate big-game pitcher and postseason ace. In three starts, including two during his MVP performance in the NLCS, he has limited opposing hitters to a .173 batting average while posting a 1.23 ERA in 22.0 innings pitched. The October success is nothing out of left field for him, however, as he finished the regular season ranked first in the National League in WHIP (1.08), second in innings pitched (227.1) and sixth in complete games (2), ERA (3.09) and strikeouts (196). In 33 starts overall, he limited opponents to an anemic line of .227/.271/.384 while walking only 53. To put it bluntly, he is a stud.

Hamels, without question, is the X factor for Philadelphia. He needs to shut down the Rays’ offense on multiple occasions if the Phillies wish to have any real shot of winning the series. Tampa Bay has a lineup featuring several key offensive players who have struggled against southpaws—from Carl Crawford to Akinori Iwamura—and this will work to Hamels’ advantage. While the Rays are coming off a solid ALCS in which they put up several runs off of star lefty Jon Lester on two different occasions, he has to find a way to exploit this weakness.

The Rays will also turn to a lefty in the opener, sending out Scott Kazmir. Kazmir has not been efficient with his pitches over much of the past three months, but pitched surprisingly well in Game 5 of the ALCS at Fenway Park last week. When he has command over his fastball and can work ahead of hitters, he is as dominant as they come and is tough to beat. Also, keep in mind that, although this has been labeled as a down year by his standards, he still finished as the Rays’ leader in ERA and is the most successful pitcher in the history of the franchise, at 24 years old.

Kazmir has had a difficult time getting out of the first inning recently, however, and is unlikely to work deep into the game. Kazmir, too, will benefit from facing a Phillies’ lineup that features several left-handed sluggers—including Howard, who batted only .224/.294/.451 against southpaws.

After Hamels, there is a considerable drop off for Philadelphia. Brett Myers, who reemerged as a weapon after a demotion to the minors this summer, will pitch Game 2. Returning to the rotation after serving as the Phils’ closer in 2007, Myers had a rollercoaster season that saw him return to his old form after a few weeks at Lehigh Valley. He has allowed seven earned runs in 12.0 innings this October, but has won each of his decisions. He is a big question mark heading into the week.

Big Game James Shields may have not lived up to his nickname in Game Six of the ALCS, but he has been the Rays’ most effective pitcher to this point. Shields, who has plus fastball command and an excellent change-up, posted a 3.56 ERA (122 park-adjusted ERA+) and stellar 160-to-40 K/W ratio in a team-best 215.0 innings pitched during the year. Unlike Kazmir, Joe Maddon can count on him to work deep into the game. Shields is 1-2 with a 3.72 ERA in three postseason appearances, striking out 13 in 19.1 innings pitched.

Joe Blanton and Jamie Moyer are not exactly studs at the back of the Phillies’ rotation, which clearly gives Tampa Bay the edge when looking at each staff as a whole.

Blanton has been decent but unspectacular since coming over in a mid-season trade with the Oakland Athletics. Having to pitch in hitter-friendly Citizen’s Bank Park has certainly not done him any favors.

Moyer, on the other hand, had a fine regular season, establishing himself as the Julio Franco of pitching as he inches near his 50th birthday. He has been lit up in the postseason, however, which is a legitimate concern.

It might be in the Phillies’ best interest to start Hamels in Games 1, 4 and 7, if necessary, because the gap in ability between him and the aforementioned pair is stark.

It is a different story for Tampa Bay.

Matt Garza, coming off a dominant, big-game performance in the ALCS finale, has a mid-90s fastball and can shut down any offense on any given night—just ask Lester and the Red Sox. While he has become a household name in Boston after his fine showing to this point in October, Garza had a fine year overall. In fact, Rays Vice President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman now looks like a genius for dealing former number one overall pick Delmon Young to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for Garza and all-field, no-hit shortstop Jason Bartlett last December.

Andy Sonnanstine, the likely Game 4 starter, is more than just a freakishly amazing ping pong player: the kid can pitch, too. Sonnanstine does not have an overpowering fastball, but has tremendous command and knows how to pitch. Some scouts even refer to him as Greg Maddux Lite. His ability to limit walks and keep runners off base is perhaps the biggest reason for his surprising success. As a mid-round pick out of Kent State back in 2004, Sonnanstine repeatedly had to prove himself by putting up tremendous numbers in the minors—which he did at every level along the way. He is prone to surrendering home runs, but he is a tough competitor who is very effective when he hits his spots.

In regards to rotation, the Rays have the clear-cut advantage—though the Phillies have the better, truer ace. If Hamels should falter, however, this series could end rather quickly.

Bullpen:

The Phillies are 86-0 in games in which they hold the lead entering the ninth inning. When Howard and the gang provide the Philadelphia relief corps with a lead entering the late innings, in fact, the fans can start heading for the exits. This is why it will be crucial for the Rays to score early and often, gaining and keeping the lead before the seventh inning.

The bullpen success starts with Brad Lidge, who has been perfect in 46 save chances, including the postseason. Lidge, the NL Comeback Player of the Year, has undoubtedly regained his status as an elite closer. Pat Gillick, in fact, deserves a lot of credit for dealing Michael Bourne and his nightmare on-base skills (or lack thereof) in exchange for the stud closer, whose value was fairly low at the time of the player swap, this past winter.

Lidge truly has been dominant, posting a 1.95 ERA and 92-to-35 K/W ratio while surrendering only two long balls in 69.1 innings pitched over 72 regular season appearances. He has continued to get it done in the playoffs, too, as he has picked up five saves in as many chances while allowing only one run in 7.1 innings. The hangover from the Albert Pujols bomb is officially over, it seems.

Chad Durbin (2.90 ERA), Ryan Madson (.3.43 ERA) and J.C. Romero (3.02 ERA) have done a solid job bridging the gap to Lidge. The group, however, is prone to allowing hitters to reach base via the walk—not a good combination considering the Rays’ patient approach at the plate.

Overall, though, Philadelphia has a slight edge when it comes to relief pitching.

The Tampa Bay bullpen is not exactly a weakness, though. In fact, even without injured and ineffective closer Troy Percival taking the ball down the stretch, the Rays’ relief corps had one of the lowest ERAs in the majors.

Poor ALCS performance aside, Grant Balfour, the mad Australian with the mid-90s heater, has been tremendous. After nearly making the roster out of spring training, Balfour dominated at Triple-A Durham before getting called up to the show. He then flourished upon his promotion, posting a 1.54 ERA, unbelievable 82-to-24 K/W ratio and 0.89 WHIP. Although he only finished with four saves, he was the Rays’ most valuable reliever in high-leverage situations down the stretch—the relief ace who Bill James dreamed of back in the day. His 7.94 postseason ERA may leave some skeptical, but his performance is primarily the result of a small sample size. Assuming the Lidge-Pujols effect does not apply to him, Maddon can certainly count on him to continue to retire hitters in the World Series.

J.P. Howell, equally effective against lefties and righties, was great, too, helping to improve a Tampa Bay bullpen which allowed the most runs of any bullpen in the past fifty years just a season earlier. Dan Wheeler, despite a lack of tremendous stuff, has pitched a lot of key innings for this club as well.

Maddon unleashed his secret weapon in Game 7, calling on ace-in-training David Price to face J.D. Drew and the Boston Red Sox in the eighth inning. Price delivered, showing tremendous poise and stuff in the final 1.1 innings to earn his first major league save. The number one overall pick in the 2007 draft out of Vanderbilt, he had a tremendous debut professional campaign. The flame throwing, lanky southpaw finished 12-1 with a 2.30 ERA and 109-to-32 K/W ratio in 19 starts across three levels in the minors on his way to earning USA Today Minor League Player of the Year honors.

Price has a plus fastball—as the nation saw on Sunday night—a slider that sits in the high-80s and a developing change-up, in addition to solid command and excellent make-up. Essentially, he is a scout’s dream. Do not be surprised to see him play a major role in the Fall Classic, especially since the Phillies’ lineup features so many left-handed hitters.

If Price, the top prospect in the game entering the year, has anything to do with it, the Rays actually might have the edge in bullpen as well. It is unlikely that there will be a carryover effect from the epic collapse in Game Five at Fenway Park for the group as a whole.

Offense:

The Phillies’ lineup is very top-heavy. Utley, Howard and Rollins are three of the majors’ most dynamic offensive players, and have yet to fully break out in the postseason. An unlikely cast of characters and the supporting cast—from Matt Stairs, whose game-winning home run in the NLCS was the biggest hit of the Phillies’ season, to Shane Victorino—has helped carry the offense so far.

The aforementioned trio—in addition to slugger Pat Burrell—have to pick it up if the Phillies are to win the series.

Howard had a great second half and finished as the NL leader in homers and RBIs, but this has overshadowed his poor start and low on-base percentage. Although his name is being thrown around in the MVP conversation, it is hard to overlook that he does not rank in the Top 10 in his league in either OPS or VORP. The high RBI total, it seems, is more of a result of having Rollins and several high-OBP hitters setting the table in front of him. He has not been a factor in the playoffs, either, and has been shut down by left-handed pitching all year. A streaky hitter, he needs to pick it up this week—which might be a challenge against the talented Rays’ pitching staff.

Utley, then, is the more likely candidate to change the outcome of the series with his bat. He is practically as underrated as his counterpart on the right side of the infield is overrated, and was actually the more valuable offensive player for his team over the full 162 games. He hit .292/.380/.535 to finish as the team leader with a 62.3 VORP while playing tremendous defense at the keystone.

Burrell (.260/.367/.507), Rollins (.277/.349/.437), Victorino (.293/.352/.447) and even Jayson Werth (.273/.363/.498) are all solid offensive contributors as well. The bottom half of the lineup, however, is not exactly intimidating.

Stairs, who makes no bones about his swing-for-the-fences approach, will likely serve as a capable DH, a rarity for NL teams in the recent past. Greg Dobbs, an excellent bat off the bench, may make his mark on history as well.

The Phillies steal bases with tremendous efficiency, but are an offense that primarily relies on the long ball. There is no question that they have more star power, but the Rays’ lineup is better overall.

Tampa Bay, which has always been a patient bunch of hitters, has been otherworldly offensively at times this postseason, bringing back memories of Murderer’s Row during the ALCS. This is surprising to some, given their struggles at times to put up runs during the summer. They have posted a line of .268/.335/.508, for an .843 team OPS, with 22 home runs in 11 playoff games. The power is unlikely to hold up, although the Philadelphia staff is prone to giving up homers—especially at Citizen’s Bank Park.

Upton has been a big reason for the recent surge. The star center fielder hit only nine home runs in 500-plus at-bats during the year, as a shoulder injury prevented him from turning on the ball with authority. He seems to be at full strength now, however, and has already left the yard seven times in only 48 at-bats in October. He is now hitting .304/.365/.826, with a 1.191 OPS for the month. If he can continue to produce, the Rays might have found their own version of Mr. October.

Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena are also solid weapons in the middle of the lineup. Longoria is the shoe-in for AL Rookie of the Year, despite missing nearly a month. The sweet-swinging third baseman finished his debut season with a line of .272/.343/.531, and has also hit six bombs during the playoffs.

Pena was a monster in 2007, forcing the Rays to sign him to a three-year, $24-million contract. Injuries prevented him from replicating his similar 46-homer, 1.000-plus OPS production, as he got off to a poor start in the first half. The Rays’ vocal leader helped carry an injury-plagued offense to the finish line with a solid run down the stretch, though, again finishing with more the 30 homers and 100 RBIs. Look for him to take his walks and add value in the series.

The supporting cast—from guys like Willy Aybar to even double-digit home run bench man Ben Zobrist—has provided several key hits as well. Tampa Bay is truly a sum of its parts.

It is unlikely that the power surge will continue. The Rays got to this point through excellent run prevention, and, if they can continue to mash (16 home runs in the ALCS), they could run away with the series.

Defense:

Each team has an excellent defense.

The Rays converted a higher percentage of balls put into play into outs than any other team in baseball, ranking first in the majors in defensive efficiency.

The poor defense seemed to leave with the name Devil for the franchise, as Tampa Bay finished last season ranked 30th in the same metric. The days of Brendan Harris and Josh Wilson taking up innings at such a key position are over, though, and this is arguably one of the ultimate reasons for the Rays’ turnaround.

The excellent defense goes hand-in-hand with the Rays’ improved pitching staff as well. Every pitcher mentioned above reaped the benefits of pitching in front of such a capable defensive unit. Friedman realized this when he decided to part ways with the former top prospect Young, as he received a capable defender at shortstop in Bartlett and a legitimate number three starter in Garza.

Bartlett, with his tremendous range, has been a key to the defensive turnaround in St. Petersburg. He is not exactly a stud offensively (.690 OPS), but is the one player who Maddon has labeled irreplaceable and was even voted as the Team MVP by the Tampa Bay chapter of the BBWAA for his contributions with the glove.

Akinori Iwamura has made a flawless transition to second base. Iwamura, in fact, is as smooth around the bag, when it comes to turning the double play, as nearly every second sacker in the AL.

Pena and Longoria, who may end up winning a Gold Glove, are each solid defenders on the corners.

Carl Crawford certainly had a down year offensively, but his defense in left field was tremendous. Crawford and Upton together turned several potential gap hits into outs, using their excellent speed to rob hitters of base hits.

When Fernando Perez is in right field, the Rays have perhaps the fastest outfield in big-league history. Even when Gabe Gross is in right, though, the outfield corps is the strongest defensively in the game today.

The excellent defense was a major reason for the Rays’ remarkable improvement in run prevention. In ’07, a year in which the then-Devil Rays finished 65-96 and in the cellar of the AL East, the club had a -165 run differential, allowing 939 runs. This year, the Rays only allowed only 671 runs, as the young pitchers established themselves and the defense shined behind them.

Philadelphia, which finished 10th in defensive efficiency, has a strong team defense as well.

Utley is an exceptional defender at second base, one of the premier fielders at the position in the league. The other half of the double-play combination, Rollins, is an excellent defensive shortstop.

Victorino is an even better defender in center field than Upton, which is saying a lot.

The two major weaknesses defensively for the Phils are Burrell in left field and Howard at first base.

Still, the Rays have the edge in team defense.

Summary:

The Rays are a better team. Winning the AL East over a full season may be more impressive than getting hot over a few weeks and winning a title. That is how strong that division is.

Philadelphia has a chance to win the series if they can get big performances from their stars. The roster is top heavy in each facet listed above. They have three stud offensive players, a solid ace in Hamels and a lights-out closer in Lidge. If this group produces, they could easily win this thing.

If the Rays can get to Hamels, however, another World Series sweep may be inevitable.

Rays in six.

To reach Tyler Hissey, send an email to TylerHissey@gmail.com.

Grant Paulsen (right)

Grant Paulsen, who has been an accredited member of the national media since he was a teenager, has already made his mark in the broadcasting industry although he has yet to graduate from college and is not old enough to legally drink in this country. Paulsen, 20, is perhaps the Jay Bruce of sports journalism, having covered the Little League World Series and Super Bowl for ABC Sports on several occasions. He has also appeared on the David Letterman show six times. A student at George Mason University in Virginia, he is currently the host of Minors and Majors, a two-hour weekly show focusing on Major League Baseball and its minor league prospects on XM Radio.

Grant recently offered his opinions about the latest news and notes around the league in an interview with Tyler Hissey for Scout.com.

TH: Grant, thanks for finding the time to answer some questions about all that is going on in the Major League Baseball season. Let’s get to it.

The Los Angeles Angels are one of the best run-prevention clubs in the game, with an excellent defense and pitching staff. The Angels also have a strong bullpen led by K-Rod, who is on pace to set the single-season saves record. The offensive situation, on the other hand, has been a cause for concern, and the addition of switch-hitting slugger Mark Teixeira will undoubtedly help add another impact bat to protect Vladimir Guerrero. Does the trade make Los Angeles the favorite to win the AL?

Grant: Adding Mark Teixeira was monumental for the Angels. They desperately needed a bat - and preferably a big one - and they got it when they traded for him. Their deep pitching staff, ranked eighth in all of baseball, gives them a chance to win each night, and they are a top-10 team defensively as well. The only area in which they needed to upgrade was at the plate, and in getting Teixeira they were able to add power to a lineup that has hit 49 fewer home-runs than teams like the Marlins and Phillies have this season.

Even if Teixeira proves to be only a late-season rental, which I think could very well be the case, I won't disagree for a moment with what the Angels decided to do. He is a career .285 hitter who can hit his club 35-homers a season and play a terrific first base. With a team like Los Angeles for the long-haul I could see Tex becoming an annual MVP candidate in the American League. They gave up Casey Kotchman, who is a nice enough major leaguer, and a decent relief pitching prospect in hard-throwing righty Stephen Marek. But they got a guy back who makes them the number-one contender for the title (if I can use a wrestling term). That's what the Angels are now. They are the top contender in the AL, and I would be surprised if they aren't in the ALCS.

TH: The Braves certainly went for it all last year, giving up a promising package of prospects—including Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz, Matt Harrison and Jarrod Saltalamacchia—to make a run. However, they finished further out of the division than they were at the time of the acquisition, even though Teixeira put up some monster numbers down the stretch. In Kotchman and Marek, GM Frank Wren got about as much as he could have at this point, certainly more than the club would have received had it waited for the compensation picks. Still, it seems, they were burned in the long run. Do you agree? Will teams use this as a lesson before making similar deals at the deadline?

Grant: I think that teams might. I've always felt like GMs should ask themselves only one question before giving up multiple prospects who could eventually help their club for just one veteran major leaguer. If he (the guy they are trading for) comes over and plays like an MVP, can we win the World Series? If the answer is yes, then I am okay with those trades. If the answer is no, then I don't like the idea. Especially if a team is just renting a guy like the Braves were with Teixeira last year, and like the Brewers are this year with CC Sabathia. I didn't like the Teixeira deal last year, and I wasn't a huge fan of the Sabathia deal. If he pitches them into the playoffs, though, I will be okay with the fact that they parted with future All-Star Matt LaPorta.

TH: On an off note, what are the odds that some Angles fans make another Teixeira tribute video on YouTube?

Grant: I feel like another video is coming soon. From the same guys who brought us Mark Teixeira I, comes a second and even more epic offering! Haha. Perhaps the release date will be set for some time in late October.

TH: As of this writing, David Price is 9-0 combined between the Single-A Vero Beach and Double-A Montgomery. Do you see Price making an impact this season? If so, do you think he will turn into this year's version of Joba Chamberlain, coming out of the bullpen, or will he crack the Tampa Bay rotation should Edwin Jackson or Andy Sonnanstine falter?

David Price (AP)

Grant: Price is a stud. The guy is going to be 23 later on this month and he could have been getting big league hitters out as of halfway through his final college season at Vanderbilt a year ago. He popped at 99 in his first outing as a pro during spring training this season, and his breaking pitches are already big-league ready. He's going to be a star front-line arm for many years to come, and I could see him and Scott Kazmir being the game's top one-two punch in baseball in a couple years.

With that all said, I think that he will be used in the bullpen down the stretch this season. That will be the best way for Tampa Bay to get his feet wet against major league hitters. He also had a minor arm injury earlier this spring, which could make the Rays want to pitch him out of the pen as a way of keeping his innings count down a little more efficiently, all while still trying to get production out of his electric arm.

If he is used out of the pen, I could see him performing a lot like Joba Chamberlain did last season. His 2007 efforts were something of a once-in-a-decade time promotion, but if anybody could duplicate that type of start to a career, I think Price is that guy. I could see Price repeating that type of dominance down the stretch. He could fortify an already much-improved bullpen and be a big lift for Tampa Bay down the stretch. Unfortunately for the Rays, though, he isn't going to help them hit any better, which is the only phase of the game that they aren't very consistent with.

TH: I recently wrote a contenders piece for the American League. Which four teams from the league do you see making it to the postseason and why?

Mark Teixeira (AP)

Grant: At this moment I have the Angels, Red Sox, and White Sox winning the West, East, and Central, respectively. I rank them in that order because that is the order of my confidence in each of those teams to capture a division crown.

The Angels, with the acquisition of Teixeira and the re-emergence of Ervin Santana as a front-line arm, are my pick to represent the AL in the World Series.

I think Boston is better today than it was a week or two ago as well, though. Jason Bay will give them everything Manny Ramirez did offensively, more defensively, and he'll do it all without creating any problems or causing any headaches for his new coaching staff. I think that Jed Lowrie is an upgrade for them at shortstop as well, and I could see him becoming Boston's Dustin Pedroia of this year in the next couple of months.

The other kind of Sox get terrific pitching and have more power bats than they know what to do with. I just don't know how much I trust some of the unproven arms in that rotation (John Danks and Gavin Floyd among them) down the stretch. Getting Ken Griffey Jr. should provide them with a nice boost, though.

My wild card pick right now is the Rays. They have a deep enough rotation to win any series they play in, they play great defense and they can manufacture enough runs - as the AL leaders in thefts - to mask their anemic team batting average.

TH: Personally, going by their poor run prevention (inexperienced pitching staff and bad infield defense), I do not see the Florida Marlins making the playoffs out of the NL East. They have a negative run differential after all, and, though the Arizona Diamondbacks made it to the playoffs after scoring fewer runs than their opponents last fall, I just do not think it is in the cards for the Fish. Do you agree? If so, who do you think will come out the East?

Grant: I agree with you on the Marlins. The peripherals just don't add up to them being a playoff participant (but don't tell the 2007 Diamondbacks that). The best thing about the Marlins is that they aren't supposed to win right now. They are loaded for the future, thanks largely to the Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis trade this offseason, and they were able to hang on to most of their top prospects at the trade deadline. I'm a Gaby Sanchez guy, but he projects more as a backend-arm than an ace, and he was the only major subtraction from their future core. I think they could keep playing on the plus side of .500, but I don’t' see them doing much more than that the rest of the way. Then again, I didn't see them competing at all this year, so what do I know?

TH: There has certainly been a lot of attention centering around the Milwaukee Brewers’ acquisition of CC Sabathia, though the Brett Favre drama has taken away some of its thunder. Sabathia has energized that clubhouse, adds a legitimate ace alongside Ben Sheets at the top of the staff and is now the best-hitting pitcher in the league with Micah Owings’ demotion to the minors. With that being said, do you think the Brewers will make the postseason for the first time since the Robin Yount era?

Grant: The Brewers are my current pick to win the National League's wild card. Sabathia is one of those guys who can go seven-innings and give his team a chance to win on a bad night. That's the mark of a true ace, and he's proven to be just that over the years. He might be baseball's best pitcher if he ever played an entire season in the NL. The big fella would just be dominant. And Ned Yost will not have to pull him out of games for a pinch hitter, because he's proven that he can wield the wood.

Milwaukee is a better team than St. Louis and Florida, and they are better than any of the clubs in the NL West. With that said, they'll be contending with either Philadelphia or New York (whoever doesn't win the East) for the wild-card spot, at least in my insignificant and probably inaccurate projection. I think they stack up well with either of those two teams. The bottom line is that they had better get to the playoffs. If they don't, then I really don't like the trade at all. If they do I wouldn't be shocked at all if they got to the World Series, considering that they would have Sheets and Sabathia to throw at teams back-to-back. But they have to get there first, and in order to do that they need to start playing better defense (they are 11th in the NL in fielding percentage).

TH: Before we end the interview, give us the names of a few prospects to look for when rosters expand in September.

Grant: Dave Price is the main guy to look out for. He could very well change the American League East landscape, not just this season but over the next several years.

In addition to him, the guy I am most excited about seeing is Andrew McCutchen in Pittsburgh. He's going to get a chance at some point in August, or maybe September, to roam the outfield at PNC Park. He's got more tools than Tim Allen and he's been making his way up through the ranks in a "Jay Bruce" kind of way since the two were drafted real close to each other out of high school back in 2005. I can't wait to see what he does in his first dose of action with the Pirates. He's an electrifying talent who can contribute in a plethora of different ways and baseball fans in the Steel City are in for a treat.

Cameron Maybin is another guy I want to get another look at. I liked what I saw from him in Detroit last season, but I didn't get enough of him. Maybin getting sent to Double-A this year was like dangling candy in front of me and telling me I couldn't have it.

Matt LaPorta and Travis Snider could both also get late-season calls in Cleveland and in Toronto, respectively. I'd be giddy to get a first-glimpse of either of those two slugging outfielders in 2008. Both project as lineup-altering boppers and each should one day find their way onto an All-Star team.

TH: Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule, Grant. Keep up the excellent work on XM Radio.

For more info on Grant and his work on XM radio, click here.

David Price (AP)

David Price took another step closer to reaching Tropicana Field on Saturday night.

Price, making his eighth Double-A start, stole the show from his teammates in the Montgomery Biscuits’ lopsided win over the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx.

Yet Again.

With a jump to the Tampa Bay Rays likely to happen before month's end, the former number one overall pick made perhaps his last home start for the Biscuits count, striking out 10 while scattering four hits in seven excellent innings of work. He allowed only one run, which came on a solo shot off the bat of Greg Halman in the sixth inning, throwing only 83 pitches without walking a batter.

The homer and a hit batsmen were the only blemishes of an otherwise great night for Price, who was given a big offensive cushion by his teammates and improved to a perfect 6-0 during his time in the Southern League.

The victory capped off an interesting week for the soon-to-be 23-year-old left-hander, who was recently the centerpiece of a feature story in the latest issue of Sports Illustrated. The weekly magazine even brought some new information to light on the Vanderbilt product who has a mid-90s heater, excellent command and the pitching sense of a crafty major league veteran.

With all that has been written about the kid, though, this information proved to be quite a surprise.

Price, who has the chance to make millions and millions of dollars during his career, nearly quit baseball during his freshman year.

The reason for his doubts—even though he was a standout two-sport star in high school and one of the most talented prep pitchers in the nation while at Blackman High School in Tennessee—is even more of a shocker.

Of all things, he nearly gave up on pitching and a top-notch education experience to work in the fast-food industry, selling fries and shakes at a Golden Arch location near his hometown. Lucky for everyone (excluding SEC hitters) and his especially his bank account—his signing bonus and future major league earnings would make McDonald's CEO Jim Skinner jealous—Vandy's head coach, Tim Corbin, talked some sense into the then-freshman. After all, he has already been drafted back in high school, was still a rarity as a 6-foot-6 lefty who threw in the 90s and had a bright future ahead of him.

Oh, the Tampa Bay organization benefited from the decision as well. After Price got over his rough intersquad outing that prompted the potential career change and came to his senses, he turned into the best collegiate pitcher in the nation, guiding the program to its best single-season finish in program history as a junior in 2007. That was just one of many accomplishments that he compiled on his resume during his time in Nashville.

Price led the nation in strikeouts during his final hurrah in the SEC, pitched for Team USA and won about every amateur baseball award imaginable—from the Golden Spikes trophy to the SEC Pitcher of the Year—during one of the best pitching careers in the history of Division I college baseball. As a junior, in fact, he turned in arguably the most impressive single-season performance in NCAA history, going 11-1 with a 2.63 ERA while breaking his own school record with 194 strikeouts. In doing so, he became perhaps the most famous baseball-related alum to step foot on the Vandy campus as a student, surpassing ESPN baseball scribe Buster Olney and Cleveland Indians starter and fellow southpaw Jeremy Sowers.

The biggest moment of his amateur days, though, came in June of ’07, when Tampa Bay selected Price with the top pick in the First-Year draft, its easiest choice of the day. He then took home a lucrative signing bonus before the August 15 deadline, emerging as one of the top pitching prospects in the minors without throwing a pitch. With the nice bonus, he also gained enough money to support his shoe fetish, an opportunity that would have certainly eluded him if Corbin did not get through to him and he was flipping burgers instead of making minor league hitting prospects look like Little Leaguers.

Price has gone on to exceed all expectations during his first professional season in 2008. Considering all of the hype, this is no small feat.

Although a minor arm injury set him back a few weeks in spring training, he began the year with a ####, touching 99 on the gun while impressing Alex Rodriguez, his teammates and the rest of those watching him mow down the New York Yankees during a Grapefruit League game on the YES Network. Even Michael Kay took notice.

Price then spent the next several weeks at the Rays' training complex in St. Petersburg, where he had the opportunity to face A-Rod again, drawing praise from the Future Hall of Famer during an extended spring training game.

When he was healthy enough to make his long-anticipated debut, Price made the move to the Florida State League, where he set the circuit on fire with his performance for the Vero Beach Devil Rays. In six starts there, he went 4-0 with a 1.82 ERA and a 37-to-7 K/W ratio in 34.2 innings pitched.

Price made it perfectly clear with his success that he was ready for the next step, forcing the organization to promote him to Montgomery. Although the competition has improved, someone forgot to give him the memo.

The flamethrowing Price has made the transition to facing advanced hitters with ease, hardly missing a beat. Following his latest session of dominance, he is now 6-0 for the Biscuits, with his ERA sitting at 2.08. He has also posted a 48-to-12 K/W ratio, surrendering less than a hit per inning in eight effective starts.

So, if you are scoring at home, the kid is 10-0 between the two stops.

Look out, American League.

Tampa Bay Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman, who did not incur the cost of any prospects for any brief rentals at the trade deadline, has a decision to make. Although he has an eye towards the future and an excellent vision for sustained success—and thus will want to handle Price accordingly—he has a chance to upgrade his pitching staff, whether in the bullpen or starting rotation, by calling up the stud prospect.

Either way, Price will be pitching in a Tampa Bay uniform soon enough.

With his performance, command and overpowering stuff, the Joba Chamberlain comparisons were inevitably bound to happen. They are now surfacing around St. Petersburg and the rest of the league in full force, getting thrown around more frequently than the ridiculous jokes about a certain rookie third baseman and an actress who shares the same last name.

Like Chamberlain did for the Yankees down the stretch in his run as an unstoppable link to closer Mariano Rivera, however, Price has a real chance to factor in the AL East race—perhaps more so than other additions in the division made before the deadline, including Xavier Nady and Ivan Rodriguez.

And, according to Friedman, a few tune-up starts at Triple-A Durham might not be necessary for Price, leaving room for a jump from Double-A straight to the majors to the delight of many Tampa Bay fans who were disappointed by the Rays' (justified) unwillingness to overpay and get ripped off by the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for nine months of Jason Bay.

Regardless of what happens in the immediate future, though, Price is going to be a very good pitcher for a very long time, with a chance to become the ace of the majors’ best starting rotation in the next decade.

The 2008 Rays are viewed by many as a great story that will likely fade. However, the winning party—with the best prospect in the game ready to make his debut and with a team-controlled pitching core consisting of Scott Kazmir, Matt Garza, James Shields, Wade Davis and several others— is just getting started at the Trop.

And the landscape in AL East division will likely never be the same again.

On Monday at 2:00, Tyler Hissey will host a live chat, similar to the trade deadline live blog on Thursday. Feel free to stop by and ask a question. Click here to access the chat.

To contact Tyler Hissey, send an email to TylerHissey@gmail.com.

It goes without saying. Stud pitching prospect David Price is off limits.

The Tampa Bay Rays have made it perfectly clear that Price, who is dominating in his first professional season, will not be available in any deals at the trade deadline. Andrew Friedman and his staff are great at finding value, buying low and selling high. Friedman has a tremendous vision of locking up the team's talented young players for the long term, as they did with players such as Evan Longoria and James Shields.

The only way a small-market team can sustain its success in a division with the game's financial superpowers is to build from within, attempting to hold onto as many productive young players as possible. With Price, the Rays have one of the best pitching prospects in the minors well into the next decade, which will perhaps provide the team with the premier pitching staff in the game. If Price lives up to expectations, he will anchor a staff alongside incumbent ace Scott Kazmir, Matt Garza and Shields for a number of years.

David Price (AP)

Dealing away a pitcher like Price would be inconsistent with the Rays' excellent vision for building a sustainable franchise.

The Rays' offense has been a disappointment--Carl Crawford should platoon against lefties and has is among the least productive offensive left fielders in the game this season--and could certainly use another bat, but only at the right price. Make no bones about it, the Rays can compete for a title in 2008, currently sitting as the favorite to hold off the New York Yankees in the American League Wild Card race.

So a few minor tweaks here or there at the before July 31 could really help this team.

Tampa Bay has relied on excellent starting pitching and defense, and has a nucleus right now to make a run at this thing. While there are some concerns with the inexperienced starting rotation, the health status of closer Troy Percival and the Rays' struggling offense, this is an organization with the ability to compete not only now, but for the next several years as well.

Which makes it so important not to get myopic in hoping for a major blockbuster player swap at the trade deadline. As Jayson Stark points out in this excellent column, trades at the deadline--even when the player makes a tremendous impact, see Teixeira, Mark in '07--hardly ever help push a team to a World Series title. Trade talk makes for great debate, but on most instances does not live up to the hype.

Matt Holliday, for instance, is undoubtedly a premier bat in this league. Holliday, the runner-up in the NL MVP voting last season, is this year's version of Mark Teixeira, though. He will be under team control through 2009, so he is not a three-month rental player. Still, he is a Scott Boras client who is going to demand big dollars when he hits the free agent market.

Fans will get a preview this winter with Teixeira, who had a monster second half for the Braves after he was acquired at the deadline in the biggest deal of the season last summer. The Braves, however, were 2.5 games out in the National League East when they acquired the switch-hitting slugger. They then finished six games back, despite a monster performance from their new acquisition. Granted, comparing the '07 Braves and this year's Rays team is misguided; the cliche apples to oranges saying applies, in fact.

Holliday, whose home-road splits tell us a lot, will add around three wins for the team that acquires him, according to Baseball Prospectus. He would undoubtedly be a great addition in the Rays' lineup, which has struggled to hit for any power, and would bring in two compensation picks when he bolted for free agency in '09. However, he is definitely not worth the cost of a prospect like Price, who could make a huge impact down the stretch in his own right when he gets called up in September.

Ditto for Brian Fuentes, who lost his closer's role last year to Manny Corpas. There is a perception among fans that he will make a huge difference, but will he, really? Also, the Rockies are reportedly asking for Jeremy Hellickson or Wade Davis to be included in a package. That asking price, of course, does not pass the laugh test.

A 25-man roster can always improve, but do not expect any major changes for the Rays, who are currently in first place in the American League East.

This story truly is a non-issue, because Price is not going anywhere, obviously. But after hearing several callers talk about giving up Price in a Holliday-type deal today on my appearance on Happy Hour With JP, I was promoted to respond in the latest episode of the RaysDigest podcast below.

The dog days of summer are fast approaching in the 2008 Major League Baseball season.

With only 60 games left on the docket, around half of the majors’ 30 teams are in striking distance in their respective division. Granted, this total includes nearly every club from the National League West, where the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers are tied for the division lead despite sub-.500 records.

So, which teams are legitimate contenders? In the first edition of a two-part series, here are my contender and pretender picks in the American League.

American League East:

In 2008, the division has three contenders, all of which would be running away with the thing if placed in the NL East.

Boston Red Sox: Contenders—

The Red Sox had a tough weekend, watching their division lead disappear after struggling to do anything offensively against the Los Angeles Angels. To make matters worse, the “Manny Being Manny” antics have taken on a whole new meaning.

Regardless, Boston is still the favorite to take the division crown. Even without the presence of David Ortiz, the Red Sox have scored runs in bunches, having posted the third-highest runs total (503) in the majors through July 21. The club also ranks second in batting average (.280), on-base percentage (.355), slugging percentage (.448) and OPS (.804), trailing only the Texas Rangers by small margins in nearly every category.

When Ortiz returns and if Jason Varitek, sitting below replacement-level right now, can regain anywhere near his normal level of production, look out.

J.D. Drew, who was named the Most Valuable Player at the All-Star game in New York, has been invaluable since Ortiz went on the disabled list. Drew has posted a slash stats line of .294/.406/.557 with 17 homers and 55 RBIs while sitting among AL leaders with a .963 OPS.

Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis were deserving of their All-Star selections as well.

However, there is some concern about Ramirez, who allegedly struck out on purpose in an at-bat against Mariano Rivera in New York a few weeks back. This was reportedly a reaction to the six-figure fine that he received for pushing a longtime club employee after his unusual, last-minute request for tickets. Henry’s patience is wearing thin with the slugger for accusing the organization of being dishonest in contract negotiations as well.

All things considered, it might be in the organization’s best interest to wash its hands of Ramirez after the season, as he enters the decline stages of his career. With stricter testing policies for performance-enhancing drugs, players are not aging as well as they did back at the turn of the century. This makes it unlikely that he will sustain his consistent .950-OPS level of production as he inches closer to age 40.

Boston needs Ramirez now, though. So the chance that he becomes a distraction while losing his focus as a hitter is a real cause for concern. Off-field-issues aside, he has been productive yet again through this month, hitting .297/.397/.531 with 19 home runs and 62 RBIs to help pick up the slack while the lineup was without Ortiz.

Boston is also one of the strongest teams in the league when it comes to run prevention, with a strong starting rotation and the sixth-highest defensive efficiency rating in the majors. Clearly, then, it is not a surprise that the club has the largest run differential, +77, in the American League.

There are some concerns with in the bullpen, as the link to closer Jonathan Papelbon has not had its ups and downs. But with such a deep pitching staff—Daisuke Matsuzaka, 10-1 with a 2.65 ERA and 77-to-16 K/W ratio leads the way, though he has not been efficient enough with his pitches—and potent offense, the Red Sox are not only contenders, they are in position to make a deep run in October.

New York Yankees: Contenders—

It is never a wise move to bet against the Yankees.

New York has won seven of its last 10 games to move within five games of first-place Tampa Bay. Considering where the Yankees were in May—as they were in ’07 as well—this is no small feat.

Brian Cashman and the club gambled on a pair of youngsters to carry the Yankees’ starting rotation, right-handers Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy. The experiment has not gone according to plan, however.

Hughes, who is still projected to turn into a potential front-end starter, turned in six relatively ineffective starts before going on the disabled list with a strained oblique and cracked rib.

Kennedy’s struggles, on the other hand, have prompted questions about whether or not he was as promising as the organization let on. Drafted out of the University of Southern California in ’06, he has posted excellent statistics in his professional career, but his fringe stuff leaves little room for error when his command is off.

To make matters worse, ace Chien Ming-Wang is out until September after injuring himself running the bases in Interleague Play. Wang, the majors’ winnignest pitcher the previous two seasons, has used his heavy sinker to induce ground ball outs at the top of the New York staff. The loss of the right-hander, who was 8-2 with a 4.07 ERA before hitting the DL, created a hole, which prompted New York to offer a contract to Sidney Ponson.

Luckily, Mike Mussina has been a pleasant surprise, going 12-6 with a 3.49 ERA in his first 20 starts. Mussina was perhaps snubbed from the All-Star game, but will he be able to maintain his performance or will he regress back to the mean?

Joba Chamberlain has provided a boost as well, moving from the eighth-inning role to return to his original status as a starter. As excellent of a setup-man as Chamberlain was, he adds more value in his new role, especially considering the alternatives. He will help hold down the fort until Wang returns should Mussina and Ponson falter.

Then there is Mariano Rivera, who is enjoying one of the finest seasons of his career. Rivera has yet to blow a save in 24 chances, posting 1.22 ERA, K/9 of 10.76 and 0.68 WHIP. When the Yankees have a lead entering the ninth inning, the game is essentially over.

New York pitchers, though, have not exactly received a boost from their defense behind them. In fact, the Yankees rank 24th in the majors in defensive efficiency, as the arms have made more of an impact in the run prevention equation in the Bronx.

Offensively, the Yankees—despite a lack of production from Robinson Cano and replacement-level center fielder Melky Cabrera—have plenty of firepower. The early-season struggles were more of a result than injuries to players like Alex Rodriguez than anything else.

When healthy, Rodriguez has been a force, hitting 20 homers with a .975 OPS despite a plethora of off-the-field distractions. Jason Giambi helped carry the lineup when A-Rod and a few of his teammates were on the shelf. Giambi, in fact, nearly missed making the All-Star game, recovering from a poor first month to solidify the middle of the New York batting order.

Although Cano needs to improve his approach, the sweet-swinging second baseman always turns it on in the second half. Look for him to pick it up—his .676 OPS is among the lowest marks at his position in the league—down the stretch.

Derek Jeter is a polarizing player, as many analysts think that his defense at shortstop is a major crutch to his team. Jeter has not been himself at the plate, either, so far, frequently grounding into rally-killing double plays. Also, his .282/.347/.392 line is not up to par by Jeter standards, but it would not be a surprise to see him improve the rest of the way as well.

It does not help that left fielder Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada, sent to the disabled list on Monday, are out indefinitely.

If the double-play duo can get it going, coinciding with a return of Johnny Damon and a potential deal for another impact bat—Richie Sexson, though he may help against lefties, is not going to cut it—at the deadline, the Yankees’ postseason run may not be in jeopardy after all, most likely via the Wild Card.

Tampa Bay Rays: Contenders—

The Tampa Bay Rays’ success has been one of the surprise stories in Major League Baseball. Tampa Bay, which has never won more than 70 games in a single season, is currently leading the division, at 57-40.

Regardless of their pre-break slide, the Rays are still a legitimate contender, backed by their excellent defense.

While the club has made its fair share of errors in the month of July, it still ranks second in the majors in defensive efficiency rating—the rate at which balls put into play are converted into outs. One of the most underrated aspects of its turnaround, Tampa Bay has made marked improvements defensively as a team.

Every Tampa Bay pitcher—from ace Kazmir, the winning pitcher in the All-Star game, to reliever J.P. Howell—has reaped the benefits.

The pitching staff has seen a major upgrade as well.

Matt Garza, Kazmir and Shields are a tough group to face in short series. Shields, however, is the eldest starting pitcher in the Rays’ rotation, at 26 years old. This has caused some writers to pull out the inexperience card, which is definitely a legitimate factor. Perhaps most concerning, though, the majority of Tampa Bay starters are rapidly approaching upon career-high totals in innings pitched. Whether or not the youngsters’ arms can hold up is a huge question mark for Tampa Bay.

If any of young pitchers in the Tampa Bay rotation should falter or go down with an injury, the club does have internal reinforcements down on the farm. Jeff Niemann, who made his major league debut in April, is an option. Not to mention, the potential is there for Tampa Bay to call up David Price, the top pitching prospect in the minors. Price, now in Double-A, has been dominant in his first professional season, going 8-0 with a 1.92 ERA and 62-to-17 K/W ratio in 11 combined starts between Single-A Vero Beach and Double-A Montgomery. Selected by Tampa Bay with the number one overall pick out of Vanderbilt University in the '07 draft, the southpaw will perhaps turn into this year's version of Joba Chamberlain.

The Rays’ relief corps has been more effective as well. This rings especially true when compared to the '07 group, featuring the likes of Shawn Camp and Brian Stokes, which posted the highest bullpen ERA in the past half century.

Offensively, though, Tampa Bay finds itself in the middle of the pack, as it headed into the All-Star break sitting 10th in the majors in on-base percentage (.336), 13th in OPS (.745) and 15th in runs scored, batting average (.260) and slugging percentage (.409).

This is why the Rays have staying power down the stretch, as many players should post improved individual statistics in the second half. Tampa Bay, though, needs its position player stars, from Carl Crawford to Carlos Pena, to improve the rest of the way.

Tampa Bay is much better at home than on the road, with a 19-25 record away from Tropicana Field. The club will need to prove that it can win on the road, especially in places like Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium.

Regardless, the Rays have enough talent already, assuming the pitching can hold up, to make a run. Boston is still the favorite in the division, but Tampa Bay has a deep enough roster to stay in the Wild Card hunt.

To read more about the Rays’ chances, click here.

American League Central:

Before the season, the Central figured to be among the deepest divisions in the majors. The Detroit Tigers made a major upgrade to their roster, adding an impact hitter, Miguel Cabrera, and Dontrelle Willis in a blockbuster deal with the Florida Marlins. Detroit also added Edgar Renteria, shipping prospect Jair Jurrjens to the Atlanta Braves for the veteran shortstop to become the early-season favorite to win the American League.

The Tigers’ poor start in April, however, opened up the division for the Chicago White Sox and the surprise Minnesota Twins.

Chicago White Sox: Contenders—

Chicago, at 58-40, has a .5 game lead over Minnesota. Unlike the Twins, however, the White Sox have staying power as the clear-cut favorite in the division.

Chicago has posted a +78 run differential. On the other hand, Minnesota—which will not be able to maintain its current level of production with runners in scoring position—has a run differential of +33.

Joe Crede is enjoying a nice comeback, Jermaine Dye (.927 OPS) deserved to be an All-Star, Carlos Quentin (.913 OPS, 71 RBIs) has been an MVP candidate and Jim Thome has rebounded nicely after a rough start. Second baseman Alexei Ramirez has been one of the better rookies in the league as well.

The pitching has been the story in the Chicago, though. While John Danks and Gavin Floyd may regress in the second half, the pair has been excellent so far, combining to go 13-4. A top prospect, Danks appears to be emerging into a legitimate starter in this league, having posted the fifth-lowest ERA among qualifying pitchers in the AL.

Overall, the White Sox’s pitching staff has combined to post an opponents’ line of .251/.313/.391, as Mark Buerhle and others are also consistently getting hitters out. Even with Jose Contreras—who hid an injury and is now on the 15-day disabled list—on the shelf, it truly appears as if each team from Chicago, 12th in the game in defensive efficiency, will end the season in first place in the Central division.

Detroit Tigers: Pretenders—

A lot has gone wrong in Detroit. After sending Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller to Florida in the blockbuster this winter, Detroit has not seen any immediate short-term gains.

Cabrera’s days as a third baseman are over, as he was a major weakness on the left side of the Detroit infield before moving across the diamond to first base. Offensively, he is struggling through a down year as well, with a decent but not great line of .281/.348/.485 and .833 OPS.

Willis, who has struggled mightily with his control and command, is working out his issues in the minors. His performance has declined steadily in each of his final seasons down in Miami, and moving to the American League—even with a better defense behind him—was not expected to be easy. Still, no one predicted control to be this major of an issue for Willis, who posted a terrible 5-to-21 K/W ratio in 11.1 innings pitched before getting demoted.

The other high-profile acquisition, Renteria, has lost a step at shortstop and is no longer a stolen base threat. Making matters worse, he has disappointed at the plate, batting .256 with a putrid .307 on-base percentage and .635 OPS. His power is gone as well, evident by his .325 slugging percentage and low home run total, five.

Not to mention, veteran Gary Sheffield is hovering around replacement-level production right now, with only six homers in 209 at-bats.

With a healthy Magglio Ordonez, though, the club still has the firepower and personnel offensively—especially if the aforementioned hitters pick it up in the second half—to score runs down the stretch. Plus, at 49-49, they are only 6.5 games back.

With Jeremy Bonderman out for the year, do they have the pitching to make a run?

Armando Gallaraga has been effective while several of his staff mates have struggled, going 7-4 with a 3.41 ERA and 68-to-37 K/W ratio in 100.1 innings pitched over 16 starts. Gallaraga has been a nice surprise, and is the perhaps the one offseason acquisition—Detroit received him from Texas in exchange for a minor league outfielder shortly before pitchers and catchers reported to spring training—that has exceeded expectations.

Ace Justin Verlander nearly threw his second career no-hitter in his first outing, then struggled through the first two months. He has won six games in his last eight outings, though, and will need to carry over his recent success for the Tigers to play any meaningful games come September.

Regardless, the rest of the pitching staff appears to be too thin in Detroit, which also sits in the middle of the pack in defensive efficiency.

Nate Robertson has a 5.69 ERA and 1.54 WHIP.

Kenny Rogers is 43 years old with 4.62 ERA.

The Tigers’ bullpen has not exactly been stellar, either, as closer Todd Jones has 18 saves but a 4.78 ERA.

The group hopes to receive a boost from Joel Zumaya, who reportedly may move into a starter’s role for the Tigers in the near future.

A postseason invitation seems unlikely, even if the alleged veteran stars actually start living up to their names.

Minnesota Twins: Pretenders—The Twins’ winning streak before the break pushed the team into contention. The odds of Minnesota—21-7 in its last 28 games—maintaining its success, however, are fairly low.

Ron Gardenhire has certainly done a great job of getting his players to play hard.

Even without Pat Neshek, the club still has a decent bullpen, with a lights-out closer in Joe Nathan.

Also, a return to the majors seems inevitable for 2006 sensation Francisco Liriano, who is 8-2 with a 3.34 ERA in 17 starts at Triple-A Rochester.

Regardless, the Minnesota rotation, in the middle of the pack in the majors in starters’ ERA (4.47), is less than stellar. The staff, consisting of Scott Baker (3.26 ERA, 76-to-15 K/W ratio), Nick Blackburn, Glen Perkins, young Kevin Slowey and innings eater Livan Hernandez (10 wins, 5.29 ERA), does not have the makings of a postseason-caliber starting rotation.

Perkins, a local product of the University of Minnesota, has added a boost, going 7-2 with a 3.84 ERA. Regression seems likely for the 25-year-old left-hander, though.

Slowey has been a top prospect in the Twins’ organization ever since he was selected in the second round of the 2005 First-Year draft out of Winthrop University. A control specialist who has drawn comparison to former Minnesota ace Brad Radke, he has excellent command for a 24-year-old. Still, he has only 27 career appearances under his belt.

While Liriano, who missed all of the 2007 season, has a chance to help the Twins in their push for the playoffs, he is still always an injury risk as well.

Even with one of the better bullpens in the AL, the club also ranks 28th in opponents’ batting average (.277) against in the majors while allowing opposing hitters to post a .758 OPS. To put this into perspective, outfielder Delmon Young, expected to make a major impact after coming over from Tampa Bay, has a lower mark, with a .745 OPS.

The team defense is shaky as well, with the Twins currently ranking 22nd in defensive efficiency.

Then how are they doing it?

The answer is simple: offense, as Minnesota is fifth in the majors with 484 runs scored.

With Joe Mauer and former MVP Justin Morneau, the team has two of the better young hitters in the division.

Mauer started the All-Star game after a strong first half, and has a chance to win another batting title; he currently is among league leaders with a .324 batting average and .419 on-base percentage. While he has only hit six homers, Mauer is also one of the best defensive players at a crucial position.

Justin Morneau (Associated Press)

Morneau, the Home Run Derby Champ, has a line of .322/.391/.519, for a .909 OPS.

Carlos Gomez and Young have been disappointments, though, because of their poor plate discipline. Gardenhire would be wise to move Gomez, one of the New York Mets’ top prospects when he was shipped to Minnesota in the Johan Santana deal, out of the leadoff spot. He is an exciting player to watch and fits the description of a prototypical leadoff hitter, but his .285 on-base percentage is the lowest total in the majors among leadoff men.

Without question, the Twins’ offense has really been exceptional when it counts, hitting .313/.385/.460, for an .845 OPS, with runners in scoring position. It is unlikely, obviously, that the club can sustain its knack for collecting big hits in big spots at this level.

Therefore, similar to the Florida Marlins, the Twins are a pretender, because they have relied on unsustainable run production to this point, and are likely to falter when the tremendous clutch hitting regresses back to the mean.

American League West:

Los Angeles Angels: Contenders—

The Angels, 60-38, are coming off a big weekend in which they swept the Red Sox while their biggest competition in the division, the Oakland Athletics, were swept themselves in New York.

The Angels’ lead in the division is now up to nine games over Oakland, which saw its talented general manager Billy Beane deal starters Joe Blanton and Rich Harden in the past month.

The path to the playoffs, then, seems clear for the Angels, who are among the majors’ best teams when it comes to run prevention. Los Angeles has built its roster the right way for playing in Angel stadium, relying on excellent pitching and defense.

The Angels ranks eighth in defensive efficiency, which goes hand-in-hand with the plus starting pitching.

Southpaw Joe Saunders, 12-5 with a 3.05 ERA, and Ervin Santana, 11-3 with a 3.34 ERA, were huge for the Angels when John Lackey was on the shelf. Lackey is back now, and has not missed a beat. He is 7-2 with a 2.58 ERA and 72-to-17 K/W ratio in 12 starts since returning. Jon Garland and Jered Weaver are solid at the back of the rotation as well.

For a team built on pitching and defense—thus likely to be involved in many low-scoring games—it certainly helps to have a capable closer like Francisco Rodriguez, who is on pace to shatter Bobby Thigpen’s single-season record for saves. While Rodriguez is not missing bats as frequently as he has in previous seasons, he has been unhittable at times, picking up 40 saves while posting a 2.25 ERA in 44.0 innings pitched. The 26-year-old right-hander from Venezuela is undoubtedly one of the strongest ninth-inning stoppers in the game.

Do the Angels have enough offense to make a realistic run once they reach the postseason?

Sitting 21st in the league with only 425 runs scored, the answer seems to be, no. The Angels’ inability to score runs is a direct result of a poor .319 on-base percentage, 25th in the league, and .712 OPS, 23rd in the league. Due to the anemic offense, it is no surprise that the A’s actually have a higher run differential, despite being so far back in the division. Perhaps this is why Mike Scioscia was prompted to bunt with one out during a game two weeks ago.

While their pitching gives them a strong chance in a short series, they need to add another bat to take the load off of Vladimir Guerrero, who is leading his team in nearly every offensive statistical category. After struggling out of the gate, Guerrero has rebounded to get his slash stats line up to .287/.347/.496. He also has 17 homers and 53 RBIs, providing production in the middle of a poor lineup.

Gary Matthews Jr. appears to have turned one good season and spectacular catch in Texas into a multi-year, multi-million dollar deal. He is providing his team replacement-level production, for a little under $10-million this season, giving Barry Zito a run for his money as the most overpaid player in California.

In Anaheim, he is not alone in the inability to help create runs, as only two players—Guerrero and Howie Kendrick—have an OPS above .800.

Regardless, Beane continues to sell high, and has conceded for 2008 so the Angels are the easy pick to win the West. The A’s, though, appear to be stocking enough talent to dominate the division for years to come, perhaps ending the Angels’ status as the premier team on the west coast. Oakland remains a pretender, even in the Wild Card for now, but Beane is stockpiling enough talent to realistically make dynastic run as we enter the next decade.

To contact Tyler Hissey, send an email to TylerHissey@gmail.com.