Posted: 24 July 2012 at 13:11 | IP Logged

What a difference a couple months make as the MLB playoff picture slowly starts to take shape

Eight weeks ago, the Pittsburgh Pirates appeared on their way to their 20th straight cheap soccer jerseys   sub-.500 season; now they're dreaming of a deep playoff run. Seven weeks ago, the Detroit Tigers were playing so poorly that some critics were now they're poised to defend their AL Central crown. Three weeks ago, the Oakland A's seemed destined for another seasoncheap soccer jerseys   of irrelevance; now they're baseball's Cardiac Kids, pulling off more miraculous wins than anyone.

Eight days and baseball'cheap jerseys for sale   s balance of power is shifting. It's Week 16 of The 30.

Many of the stats and facts below are courtesy of the indispensable

1. New York Yankees, 57-38 (459 RS, 383 RA) (last week: 1)

Their Oakland nightmare notwithstanding,¹ the Yankees are probably going to coast to their cheap jerseys free shipping  third AL East title in four years even if they run out Clay Bellinger every day in left field. But here's the thing: Over the past month, the guy playing left field against right-handers could only wish to be as productive as Clay Bellinger. On May 21, Raul Ibanez was hitting .273/.336/.582, providing a huge power boost to an already potent lineup. Since then: .271/.271/.349, with the usual abysmal defense you'd expect from someone who was cheap jerseys online already a years ago, and is now past his 40th birthday. With Brett Gardner likely out for the year, Nick Swisher battling a quad/hip flexor injury, and the Ibanez-as-killer-cheap-signing meme dead now that Raul's just a tick above replacement level for the season, the Yankees arecheap jerseys wholesale

 rumored to be on multiple outfield options. Given that the Yankees have aspirations beyond another division title, you can't blame them.