It is the end of April and teams have played 20 to 22 games so far. The standings looks quite different from what most people expected. Sure, it is early, but some teams have really surprised, some good, some bad. Jonathan Leshanski and Daniel Paulling debate which current division leader has to be considered the most unexpected.

Blue Jays Atop East Tops the List
By Jonathan Leshanski

In a division with the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays the Toronto Blue Jays were an afterthought to pretty much everyone.  After all in a loaded division the Jays looked like fodder for everyone else to fatten up their record on.

Their pitching after Roy Halladay seemed more than a little suspect.  Their offense seemed very middle of the road.  Basically it seemed like the Jays team we’ve all come to expect over the last decade.  Decent, capable of playing a good game, but incapable of delivering more than that.

Especially after seeing what happened when the Jays went out and spent money.  It was just a few years ago that they went free agent crazy and brought in guys like A.J. Burnett and B.J. Ryan and took the win now attitude.  They didn’t.

Let’s face it.  In baseball’s toughest division the Jays had to be considered lightweights.   Right now they are making the most of what they’ve got -- showing surprising talent, much of it home grown, and taking advantage of the struggles of the Yankees and Rays.
I don’t think they can make it last, but it would be something to see.

Mariners are Biggest Surprise
By Daniel Paulling

Ichiro and the Mariners have stormed out of the gates.

Photo by Mark Sobba, used under creative commons license.

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