The first half of the 2005 Major League Baseball season provided its share of excitement and intrigue, and the final months of the summer should supply plenty of drama as teams jockey for playoff positioning. Here's a recap of each division thus far, and an analysis of which teams will rise to the head of the pack.
AL East
Baseball's most glamorous division has not been lacking for drama this year, as Curt Schilling, Rafael Palmeiro, the Orioles' resurgence, the Yankees' rough start and even the dispute between Devil Rays executives and manager Lou Pinella have dominated headlines of sports pages.
However, despite promising starts from Baltimore and Toronto, the division crown will once again come down to a battle between two mortal enemies -- New York and Boston.
Baltimore is still hanging around the top of the standings, but even with Eric Bedard's return to the rotation, the Orioles lack the proven starters to neutralize the stacked lineups of their rivals. Sammy Sosa's post-juice production has dipped markedly, and young All-Star closer B.J. Ryan will have trouble dealing with the pressure of a playoff race, as his abysmal performance in a recent game versus the Yankees indicated.
New York has clawed its way back into the race behind the strength of its potent lineup and unflappable closer Mariano Rivera, but the disarray of their starting pitching situation -- as well as the lack of quality arms available -- may be too much for the Bronx Bombers to overcome. The solid pitching of Chien-Ming Wang has been a pleasant surprise.
Wang, Kevin Brown and Carl Pavano all must contribute upon their respective returns from the disabled list.
If recent addition Al Leiter can pitch as well as he did in his Yankee debut Sunday night, he'll provide a major boost.
The Red Sox boast a powerful offense and a solid core of starting pitchers, though Curt Schilling remains a major question mark after making a shaky return from the injured list. The Sox are one trade away from fixing their one glaring problem -- specifically, their lack of a closer. Billy Wagner, or a similarly proven reliever, may end up at Fenway before the season ends.
AL Central
The Chicago White Sox became the first club to reach 60 wins this year by opening up a double-digit game lead over Minnesota. Manager Ozzie Guillen has accumulated an excellent combination of players who can get on base and run well (Scott Podesnik, Aaron Rowand and Tadahito Iguchi) and hitters who can drive them in (Jermaine Dye, "Crazy" Carl Everett and Paul Konerko). The real stars for the Pale Hose, however, have been the starting pitchers. Mark Buehrle and Jon Garland have led the roster by posting career years.
The Twins still have a good shot at the wild card, though last year's Cy Young winner Johan Santana will have to regain his prior form in order for the Twins to make an impact in the playoff race.
Cleveland has also played well this year, though the Tribe is a year away from making a run to the postseason.
AL West
The Angels have quietly established a firm hold over their division, and could be a legitimate World Series contender. Vladimir Guerrero and Garrett Anderson lead an explosive offense, and the bullpen, anchored by Frankie Rodriguez, remains one of the team's strengths.
A resurgent Oakland will challenge the Halos in the coming weeks. The A's have already embarked on their perennial late-season rally, which included a recent sweep of the White Sox.
The A's will ride the young arms of Rich Harden, Danny Haren and Joe Blanton as far as they can. If the offense can supply enough runs, they still have a chance to sneak into the postseason.
The return of shortstop Bobby Crosby and the development of young hitters Nick Swisher and Don Johnson have keyed the A's recovery.
NL East
This may be the hardest division to evaluate in baseball, largely because the surprising Washington Nationals have occupied the top spot in the standings for much of the year. Despite a core of inexperienced players and a spotty offense, manager Frank Robinson and the feisty Nats seem to come out on top of every close contest.
In all likelihood, the Atlanta Braves will eventually bypass Washington and capture another division title. The Braves have stayed in the race despite relying on a number of unproven players. The returns of Tim Hudson and Chipper Jones, in particular, will make Atlanta too much for any other team in the East to handle.
NL Central
St. Louis has completely dominated the competition in the Central, and will continue to do so for the remainder of the year. The best all-around group of position players in baseball now has the backing of an outstanding pitching staff, led by New Hampshire's own Chris Carpenter, whose 14-4 record and 2.34 ERA make him a lead candidate for the NL Cy Young Award.
The Cubs and Astros have been among the most disappointing teams this summer, though especially in the case of Chicago, injuries have played a major role in their lack of success. Both teams need to catch fire to overcome whichever team finishes second in the East in order to garner the wild card.
The Astros' recent success may spark another late-season rally, while the return of Mark Prior and Kerry Wood for the Cubs could provide the spark to propel the North Siders back into the playoffs.
NL West
Easily the worst division in baseball, the NL West features four of the six teams with the worst records in the senior circuit.
The only team above .500, San Diego, should advance to the playoffs, though whichever squad emerges will most likely end up bowing out in the first round anyway.
Playoff Predictions
American League
East: Boston Red Sox
Central: Chicago White Sox
West: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Wild Card: New York Yankees
National League
East: Atlanta Braves
Central: St. Louis Cardinals
West: San Diego Padres
Wild Card: Washington Nationals
World Series
AL: New York Yankees
NL: St. Louis Cardinals
World Champions: St. Louis Cardinals
