Last season, the average designated hitter batted .266/.341/.430 with 20 home runs. That figure is dragged down by absurdly low production at the position from three-fourths of the AL West. A more appropriate reflection of what the Yankees might want to look for from the position can be found in what ...

With New York’s loss to Tampa Bay and Boston’s win over Baltimore, the American League wild card race will last at least one more day. The Yankees, who have nothing direct on the line in the final game of the season, will not see either team in the first round of the playoffs, as a team cannot ...

The Rays need to make up a game with just three left to play to force a one-game playoff with the Red Sox for the Wild Card. (AP) The Yankees gave Boston every opportunity to win Sunday night’s nightcap, and it still took the Sox 14 innings and Scott Proctor to do it. Don’t expect the Yankees, ...

The Rays' hopes of eclipsing the Red Sox for the Wild Card will depend heavily on how they fare against the Yankees over the season's final ten days. (AP) The Yankees have played at a .593 winning percentage or better for each of the last four months and, with ten games left in the season, they ...

Desmond Jennings has been a big upgrade for the Rays, but his promotion may have come too late to help them this season. (AP) The Rays enter this weekend’s three-game series in the Bronx 8 1/2 games behind the Yankees in the Wild Card race and a half-game behind the Angels, who just left the Bronx ...

James Shields hung his head over a single unearned run the last time these two teams met, but he'll get a rematch with CC Sabathia on Thursday. (AP) Since sweeping the lowly Astros in late June, the Rays have won just one of five series, going 6-9 over that stretch and falling seven games behind ...

A more-or-less for fun position-by-position contrast between the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays. I’ve treated each position as one player, so the stats are for aggregate production, not that of the individual players who have manned them, so for example in left field you get Brett Gardner + Andruw Jones, ...

The Yankees and Rays will wrap up the first-half of the 2011 season with the outstanding pitching matchup of CC Sabathia versus James Shields (above) on Sunday. (AP) The stakes in this series are clear. Derek Jeter needs three hits to get to 3,000 at home before the All-Star break and the Yankees’ ...

James Shields, who will start Tuesday night, has come roaring back this season after being undone by a high batting average on balls in play in 2010. (AP) So, remember all that stuff I was saying about 0-5 teams in my Red Sox preview on Friday? It doesn’t seem to be bothering the defending division ...

Derek Jeter's battle to rebuild his swing is just one thing the Yankees have to be anxious about thus far. (AP) Penned by yours truly, the first in-season AL Prospectus Hit List of 2011 is up at Baseball Prospectus today. The Hit List, for those who need a reminder, is an objectively-based power ...

Tropicana Field limits the Rays due to the dome's dreariness and the region's geography, but it won't force them to be contracted. (AP) It’s been a rough start to the season for the Rays, who have not only lost their first five games but will be without the services of Evan Longoria ...

The Rays fell to 0-5 this afternoon after losing a well-pitched matchup between rookie Jeremy Hellickson, who struck out ten in 5 2/3 innings in his season debut, and the Angels’ Dan Haren. Tonight, the Red Sox look to avoid matching that record when Daisuke Matsuzaka takes on Mitch Talbot and ...