The Red Sox early season woes and poor start were well documented and certainly many Yankee fans including the reining board “dullard\troll” were quick to say the Red Sox were a fake and would be dead by September.

Well, it hasn’t turned out that way now has it?

Since April 15 when the Red Sox were 2 wins and 10 losses they have a record of 60-27, which is 33 games over .500
Since April 15 when the Yankees were 6 wins and 5 losses they have a record of 53-35, which is only 19 games over .500  

In and of itself that stat really wouldn’t mean very much.  Over a 162 game season there is clearly an ebb and flow where a team gets hot and puts together a winning streak and also hit a wall and can have a long loosing streak i.e. Seattle Mariners – (more on them later)

But what I think is even more telling about the Red Sox growing dominance in the American League East are the following Stats.

The Red Sox lead the Majors (both AL & AL) in the following categories:

Runs with 541 -  28 more than the #2 team, the Yankees
Hits with 969 – 12 more than the #2 team, Texas (Yankees are 14th)
Doubles 213 – 10 more than the #2 team, Houston (Yankees are 22nd)
Average .279 – with the second place team Texas hitting at .274 (Yankees 9th at .260)
On Base % .354 – with the Yankees second at .342
Slugging % .457 – with Texas at #2 at .449 (Yankees 3rd)
OPS (combined OB% & Sluging%)  .810 with Texas at #2 at .781 (Yankees 3rd .778)

Of Course some will be quick to point out the Yankees lead the majors in HR at 131, 7 more than Texas and 10 more than the Red Sox.   But I would be just as quick to point out the Yankees moved in the right field seats in the new stadium, making it possible for my son to hit HR in Yankee Stadium where more left handed HR’s are hit than anywhere in baseball.  (How do you say inflated #’s)

Since the All Star Game (when most of Yankee All Stars went to the beach) the Yankees have had 6 wins and 5 losses, barely over .500.
During the same period the Red Sox have had 7 wins and 2 losses, 5 games over .500.  

And since the All Star game, or more correctly, since coming back from the Disabled List,  Carl Crawford is starting to look like the player the Red Sox thought he was.   Since returning he is hitting .375 or 15 for 24.

But what is even more impressive is this.
The Red Sox have three players in the top 11 in batting.  
The Yankees 0 in fact no one on the Yankees is even hitting above .300 (Cano is 15th  at .296)

The Red Sox have five players in the top 11 in On Base %.  
The Yankees 0, (Swisher is 12th)  

The Red Sox have three in the top 11 in Slugging,
The Yankees 1 (Granderson)

Finally the Red Sox have five players in the top 11 in OPS,  
The Yankees have 1 (Granderson)

So as we approach the trading deadline on August 1st ,  I think it’s officially time to panic in NY because the Yankees simply aren’t the force everyone thinks they are.   And now with Seattle coming into town totting a 15 game losing streak, and statistically speaking is sure to pull off a win or two pretty soon here, I’d be very worried if I were a Yankee fan that by August 1 they might not even be a contender in the Wild Card race.

Just Sayin…..


All statistics courtesy of MLB
http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/stats/sortable.jsp#sectionType=sp&playerType=QUALIFIER&statType=hitting&page_type=SortablePlayer&season=2011&season_type=ANY&sportCode='mlb'&league_code='AL'&split=&team_id=&active_sw=&game_type='R'&position=&sortOrder='desc'&sortColumn=avg&results=&page=1&perPage=50&timeframe=&extended=0&last_x_days=&ts=1311556662365&tab_level=child&click_text=Sortable+Player+hitting