The top four American League teams in LOWEST total payroll would all make the playoffs ...

[Auggie]

if they were held today, May 23.

Three would be division winners: Cleveland, Tampa Bay, Sacramento.

Chicago White Sox would be the second-seeded wild card team, behind the Yankees.

Damned impressive, IMO.

https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/payroll/

Almost 1/3 through the season. Still early. Much could change.

[True Dough]

1. How do they do it, Auggie?

Tampa and Cleveland in particular? Yes, they develop talent. But if it were that easy, every team would do it. How can those two clubs consistently produce such above-average starting pitchers?

Just seeing "Sacramento" seems so odd.

[Diamond_Dog]

2. Cleveland has always developed good pitchers.

Then when they come to the end of their contract, they let them go!

Examples : Cliff Lee, C.C. Sabathia, Shane Bieber…..

[Auggie]

3. Batters too. Traded for prospects or cast-offs.

Did you catch yesterday’s game Diamond Dog? Williams matched Sanchez pitch for pitch. Team played good defense too. What a smart move by Vogt in the 9th, pinch-hitting Manzardo for Hoskins. Manzardo know Duran better.

[Diamond_Dog]

5. I watch every game, Auggie. And when I can't watch

I listen on the radio. Hubby and I were driving home from dining out last night at a place up on Lake Erie that was 1 hr. away. We got home in the 8th inning.

When Josey got thrown out at second, right before Manzardo’s at-bat, trying to stretch a single into a double, I was afraid our goose was gonna be cooked. O ye of little faith!

Sanchez and Williams were both brilliant. 8 innings, no runs, 4 hits for both, although Sanchez walked 2 to Williams’ 0 free passes, and Williams had 11 strikeouts to Sanchez’s 6.

I’m hoping the Guards can keep it up in early June …. when we play the Yanks 6 times in the first two weeks of the month. Judge is slumping ….. always a good thing…. lol

[True Dough]

4. It's the curse of small-market teams

They often get priced out when it comes to keeping top talent.

[Diamond_Dog]

6. Tampa Bay always amazes me, the talent they come up with.

[True Dough]

7. Yes,

and they usually find a manager who can make the most of it.

[Morbius]

8. Money buys depth.

Teams can and do develop talent but it takes depth to win over a long season. The White Sox, for example, have some exciting young talent and are doing better than most expected, but if any of their starters go down for a significant stretch, there goes their season.

Pitchers get hurt. It's a fact of the game. The Dodgers have nine or ten starters and the Yankees are similar. There's a reason these teams are routinely around in October.

If the Guardians, the Rays, the A's and the White Sox are all still contenders at the trade deadline, I'll eat my hat. So to speak.

[Auggie]

9. Trades build depth too

Cleveland has done an outstanding job keeping their minor league affiliates stocked with talent despite the frustration of trading away star free agents.