The baseball season is just about a quarter of the way over. While the Indians have only managed to get in 37 games thus far, there is more than one team that has already passed 40, and several others have at least 40, and so we can rightly say that the season is about 25% of the way over.
The Indians held onto the best record in the American League over the weekend, although they only ended up playing one game. This week features a slew of two-game series between Monday and Thursday.
Let's take a look at where things stand as we enter the second half of May and the second quarter of the 2011 season.
American League Central -
Cleveland Indians 24-13 .649 0 Games Behind -- The Indians only got one of their three scheduled games against Seattle in over the weekend. This week begins with a two-game set in Kansas City against the Royals, followed by two more against the White Sox in Chicago.
Detroit Tigers 22-18 .550 3.5 Games Behind -- The Tigers are on a roll, having won seven in a row. Over the weekend Detroit took two from the Royals but were rained out yesterday at home. This week starts off with two in Detroit against Toronto, before the Tigers go to Boston for two vs. the Red Sox.
Kansas City Royals 20-19 .513 5 Games Behind -- The Royals lost the first two of a three-game set against the Tigers before being rained out yesterday. On Monday Kansas City hosts Cleveland for the first of two games, before the Royals welcome Texas for another pair, against the Rangers.
Chicago White Sox 17-24 .415 9 Games Behind -- The White Sox went into Oakland over the weekend and took 2-of-3 from the A's, but still languish far in the Indians' rear-view mirror. This week begins for Chicago with a pair at home against Texas, and then Cleveland comes to the Windy City for two more.
Minnesota Twins 12-26 .316 12.5 Games Behind -- The Twins are free-falling, having dropped eight in a row after having been swept at home by Toronto over the weekend. Now Minnesota tries to right their ship beginning Monday as they head to Seattle for two, followed by two more in Oakland.
American League East -
Tampa Bay Rays 23-17 .575 0 Games Behind -- The Rays have barged into first place in the East, but did drop the last two of three games at home against Baltimore over the weekend. Tampa Bay opens a big two-game set with the Yankees in Florida on Monday, then on Wednesday head to Toronto for two against the Blue Jays
New York Yankees 20-18 .526 2 Games Behind -- The Yankees are in a funk, having just been swept by Boston in three games at Yankee Stadium and losers of five straight. Now New York goes to Tampa Bay for two with the first-place Rays beginning on Monday, followed by two more in Baltimore starting on Wednesday.
Boston Red Sox 20-20 .500 3 Games Behind -- The Red Sox have reached .500 for the first time this season and did it in the most impressive fashion possible, sweeping three games in New York. Now Boston returns home for two vs. the Orioles, before hosting Detroit for two beginning on Wednesday.
Toronto Blue Jays 20-20 .500 3 Games Behind -- The Blue Jays duplicated the Red Sox' feat, sweeping Minnesota over the weekend to reach .500. Toronto plays on Monday and Tuesday in Detroit, then return to Canada to host the Rays for two games starting Wednesday.
Baltimore Orioles 19-20 .487 3.5 Games Behind -- The Orioles round out the tightly-packed East, having won two of three against the Rays on the road. Baltimore plays in Boston on Monday and Tuesday before hosting the Yankees the next two days.
American League West -
Los Angeles Angels 22-19 .537 0 Games Behind -- The Angels are barely holding on to the top spot in the West after dropping 2-of-3 in Texas over the weekend, Los Angeles' road trip continues now with two games in Oakland and two more further up the coast in Seattle.
Texas Rangers 21-19 .525 .5 Games Behind -- The Rangers crept closer to first place by taking two out of three at home against the Angels. Now Texas goes on the road for two in Chicago against the White Sox, followed by two more in Kansas City.
Oakland Athletics 20-20 .500 1.5 Games Behind -- The A's had a chance to perhaps claim first in the West over the weekend, but dropped 2-of-3 to the White Sox at home. Oakland now has another chance to move up when they entertain the Angels for two games beginning on Monday, with the Twins coming into town for two more games beginning on Wednesday.
Seattle Mariners 16-23 .410 5 Games Behind -- The Mariners are the only team not in the mix at the top of the tightly-contested West. Seattle dropped their only game of the weekend on Friday in Cleveland, and this week returns home to take on Minnesota for two, with the Angels following the Twins into town for two more.
Meanwhile, the National League Central has seen the Cincinnati Reds (23-17) take over first place, followed by the St.Louis Cardinals (22-19) after a Reds' sweep of St. Louis over the weekend. In third in the Central are the Milwaukee Brewers (19-21), followed by the Pittsburgh Pirates (18-22) and the Chicago Cubs (17-21) in a virtual tie for fourth. Last in the Central are the Houston Astros (15-25).
The National League East has the Philadelphia Phillies (25-14) on top, followed by the Florida Marlins (23-16). The Atlanta Braves (23-19) check in at third in the East, and then there is a tie for fourth between the New York Mets and the Washington Nationals, both of whom start the week with a record of 19-21.
Finally, in the National League West, the defending world champion San Francisco Giants (22-17) are leading the pack, followed by the Colorado Rockies (20-18), who have been slipping mightily. Third in the West goes to the Los Angeles Dodgers (19-22), followed closely by the Arizona Diamondbacks (17-22) and the San Diego Padres (17-23).
And there, once again, is your look at the current standings in Big League baseball. Be sure to check back again on Friday for an update that will reflect a lot of results from two-game sets in the American League.