AL East

The Toronto Blue Jays minor league system may not be as strong as it was a year ago, but they still have some premier talent developing throughout the farm system.

In order to acquire a wealth of major league talent for the 2013 season, the Blue Jays were forced to part with some of their more promising prospects such as Travis d’Arnaud, Jake Marisnick, Noah Syndergaard and Justin Nicolino.

The New York Yankees do many things that opposing fan bases dislike. From spending outlandish amounts of money on payroll to traveling with road crowds that overwhelm home field advantages to winning on a consistent and grand scale.

If there's one attribute that all fans would like their team to copy from New York, it would have little to do with perception or attendance or past success.

The New York Yankees have surprised everyone with their ability to sit atop the AL East division in spite of significant injuries.  As of this article, the club is tied with the Texas Rangers for the best record in the American League, and has yet to have contributions from Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez or Curtis Granderson.

Somehow they are finding a way to win.

The New York Yankees faced very different prospects than they are normally used to when the 2013 season began, but in the face of adversity, this year's version of the Bronx Bombers has passed this special test with flying colors.

The Boston Red Sox may have lost eight of their last 10 games, but with a 22-16 record, thety only trail the New York Yankees by two games and the Baltimore Orioles by one game in the AL East.

General manager Brian Cashman spent the offseason (and parts of spring training) picking up aging veterans presumably on the tail ends of their respective careers to fill the holes left by the injured stars of the team.

The idea of Alex Rodriguez not being expected to have a big impact on a team for a season is hard to fathom. But after his performance in the 2012 postseason and necessary surgery on his left hip, the expectations for Rodriguez in the 2013 season were slim to none.

On a day where doctors clearing Alex Rodriguez for baseball activities dominated the Yankee headlines, the revelation of Michael Pineda's throwing session (via Hardball Talk) could turn out to be the news item baseball fans in New York remember most moving forward.

SCORE UPDATE:   Red Sox 0 -  7 Rangers, Final

W: Holland: 2-2

L: Doubront: 3-1

HR: None

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Boston Red Sox right-hander Clay Buchholz is the early favorite for the American League Cy Young Award. He's won each of his first six starts, racking up a major league-best 1.01 ERA along the way.

And he's doing it all because he's a no-good cheater.