No One Should Win The AL West

A week ago, we explained in scabrous detail the multiplicity of shortcomings of the American League by focusing on the Central division and blaming it at least indirectly on the Pope’s inability to close. But like most short-term trend stories in baseball, it quickly proved to be in error. Defector regrets not just the misidentification but also hiring the nitwit who made the observation. Steps, we assure you, will be taken.

In fact, it is not the AL Central that was dragging down the class but the AL West, where mediocrity is a possibly unreachable goal rather than a curse and some aggressively mediocre team will win the division. Having committed to this bit so deep into the season, the winner of the division will do well to avoid finishing below .500; there is nothing to do but embrace the AL West of it all.

A week ago, when we mocked the AL Central, we failed to take into account Cleveland’s upcoming series with West Sacramento, which of course the Guardians swept because that’s what a baseball team does when the A’s come to town. (If you have to go to them, you just win two out of three and feel like you let a golden opportunity pass.) The Guards now lead the division with a gaudy 82-76 record and cannot finish below .500, a familiar late-season push that has elevated them to bland and dull rather than charmingly embarrassing. A suiting division champ, in other words.