by Dave Cameron - June 18, 2012
We have one more week left of interleague play in the 2012 season, but to be honest, we don’t need to wait for the rest of the games to play out to realize that the American League is once again putting their dominance on full display. The AL and NL have squared off in 168 of the 252 scheduled games so far, and the whippersnappers in the American League have pounded their senior circuit brethren. The current totals: 96 wins for the AL, 72 for the NL, good for a .571 winning percentage. It isn’t just a few close games going the AL’s way either, as they’ve outscored the NL 776 to 659.
With 84 games left in interleague action, the National League would have to win 54 of them to avoid a ninth consecutive losing record against the American League. Even if the NL manages a split in the remaining games, the AL would finish with 138 wins, matching their best interleague mark since 2009, and the third best mark either league has managed since interleague play began. It’s not quite as bad as it was in 2006, when the AL went 154-98, but it’s clear that the American League is still the superior league.
A popular theory for their continuing dominance is the strength of the American League East, and particularly, the presence of the Yankees and Red Sox. Having the highest revenue team in the sport gives the AL an advantage, and the competition between Boston and New York has established a standard in that division Tampa Bay, Toronto, and Baltimore have to strive for as well. The AL East is perhaps the best example in sports of the “rising tide lifts all boats” phenomenon, as the Rays, Blue Jays, and Orioles are all forced to put together better rosters to compete against the Yankees and Red Sox, and that strength shows up when they play everyone else.
However, it’s not just the AL East destroying the NL East this year. Yes, the Yankees are 10-2 in interleague play (which includes the entirety of their current nine game winning streak) and the Orioles are 9-3, but the other three AL East squads have all gone 6-6 against the NL so far. Even if we eliminate those five teams from the discussion, that leaves the AL West and Central as a combined 59-49 (a .546 winning percentage) against the NL. Being home to the Red Sox and Yankees certainly helps, but it’s not the whole story....
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/interleague-play-is-not-over-but-results-conclusive/I just hope the AL wins the stupid All Star Game so the Rangers will have home field advantage in the World Series.
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