Ask your average baseball fan who will win the AL Wild Card, and he'll say the Tamp Bay Rays. I understand why. After 13 years of playoff appearances, the Yankees bore me too. But count them out at your own risk.
Sure baseball's most expensive team has been treading water for two-and-a-half months. They've also replaced the AL's best catcher since May with a .553 OPS. The game's best player has been on the shelf for a couple of weeks and the Hall of Fame shortstop and All Star second-sacker have been scuffling.
The Yankees are long in the tooth on both sides of the ball. Partly as a consequence, they are a lousy defensive club that needs two green lights to get across the street. Their 33 stolen bases rank second in the Majors behind Jacoby Ellsbury.
Moreover, their rotation is a little tattered and their relievers are iffy despite the best closer in history. Assuming Wang isn't seriously hurt, he, Mussina, Chamberlain and Pettitte comprise a reasonable front four. If Rasner keeps up the good work, that's a viable mound staff, particularly considering the offensive potential.
Joba's shift to the rotation leaves Kyle Farnsworth and his 100 miles an hour of knucklehead as the centerpiece of the relief corps. Yankee trainers had better keep this year's Joe as stocked as last year's Joe in Rolaids.
The Yankees have less margin for error this year, but unless things come terribly undone, they have a monster lineup and sufficient pitching to tear up the league for long enough to grab the Wild Card. The Rays would be a better story, but don't let it get in the way of the facts.
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