'Martian' not out of this world? One worrisome trend for every AL team

The New York Yankees are rolling, but not everything is swell in the Bronx. And, my goodness, things are irksome for the Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Angels and Chicago White Sox and their fans.

With the regular season roughly a quarter over, Yardbarker MLB writers identify a worrisome trend for every American League team. (Records and statistics are through Sunday, May 18.)

AL East 

BALTIMORE ORIOLES (15-30) | Pitching continues to be an abomination | An AL-worst 5.52 staff ERA isn’t a mess that can be remedied by firing manager Brandon Hyde, as the Orioles did May 17. Rather, pitching was a worry that Baltimore failed to address when it had a chance during the offseason, and the staff seems to be getting worse.

BOSTON RED SOX (23-25) | Starting rotation struggles beginning to surface | Right-hander Brayan Bello gave up seven earned runs in a May 18 loss to the Atlanta Braves, following a similar six-run implosion by fellow starter Lucas Giolito the previous day. Outside of ace left-hander Garrett Crochet, the Red Sox are thin on quality starters, which could leave their solid bullpen vulnerable as the season wears on.

NEW YORK YANKEES (27-19) | OF Jasson Dominguez may not be as advertised | When your nickname is "The Martian," your play better be out of this world. But it hasn’t been for Dominguez, whose pedestrian .763 OPS demonstrates there’s still room for growth. (Plus, he still struggles on defense.)

TAMPA BAY RAYS (21-25) | Sharp regression from RHP Shane Baz | Baz’s latest outing against the Miami Marlins was poor (five earned runs in six innings). The road back from injury recovery is never a straight line, but the 25-year-old’s past seven starts have resulted in a 6.75 ERA, which seems problematic for a pitcher with his talent. 

TORONTO BLUE JAYS (22-24) | RHP Jeff Hoffman has fallen off a cliff | Once a steadying force in the bullpen, Hoffman has a 19.80 ERA over his past seven appearances, throwing Toronto’s late-game strategy into flux. Perhaps the shoulder injury some teams were concerned about during the winter is starting to manifest itself. — Seth Carlson

AL West 

ATHLETICS (22-25) | Continued struggles at home | The A’s were one of the best stories in baseball until a recent slump dropped their record below .500. The big issue is the A’s are struggling in their temporary home (8-13 at Sutter Health Park).

HOUSTON ASTROS (24-22) | Age catching up with 2B Jose Altuve | Altuve has been one of the more consistent players in the majors, a spark plug for the Astros since his MLB debut in 2011. But his transition to left was a disaster, and Altuve, in his age-35 season, has his lowest OPS (.641) in any non-pandemic season.

LOS ANGELES ANGELS (20-25) | Terrible bullpen showing no signs of improvement | For the Angels to post their first winning record since 2015, the bullpen must step up. Instead, Angels relievers had combined for a 7.06 ERA entering play May 19, the worst in the majors.

SEATTLE MARINERS (26-19) | Lack of production from the bench | Utility man Dylan Moore is one of the biggest surprises of the season, but the rest of the bench is mediocre at best. Catcher/designated hitter Mitch Garver (one HR, .214 BA), the second-best bench player, is struggling.

TEXAS RANGERS (25-23) | Second baseman Marcus Semien has completely fallen off a cliff | Two years ago, Semien led the American League with 7.7 bWAR and finished third in the MVP vote. He has drastically tailed off since, posting a .174/.267/.234 batting line in 191 plate appearances with just three homers and one double this season. — David Hill

AL Central  

CHICAGO WHITE SOX (14-33) | Outfielder Luis Robert Jr. tanking trade value | The White Sox had hoped Robert would return to his All-Star form from 2023 and be a valuable trade chip. Despite leading the majors with 17 steals, he has produced a disappointing .184/.282/.309 batting line with five homers and four doubles in his 176 plate appearances. 

CLEVELAND GUARDIANS (25-21) | A black hole in right field | The Guardians have been trying to cobble together something resembling competence in right, with Jhonkensy Noel and Nolan Jones receiving the majority of the playing time. Both players have struggled, and the Guardians' .516 OPS in right heading into May 19 is better than only the Royals in the majors.

DETROIT TIGERS (31-16) | Is third baseman Jace Jung a Quad-A player? |  Jung received a second chance to establish himself at the major league level this season but had just five hits in 53 plate appearances before being sent back to Toledo. There is still time for the 24-year-old to establish himself at the major league level, but the resurgent Tigers may not have many more opportunities for Jung to prove himself.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS (26-22) | Age catching up to catcher Salvador Perez | A resurgent Perez was a key part in the unexpected playoff run last season. The wear and tear of his years behind the plate may be starting to catch up to the heart of the franchise, as the 35-year-old has just 12 hits and 17 strikeouts in 63 plate appearances in May.

MINNESOTA TWINS (26-21) | Shortstop Carlos Correa continues to struggle | The Twins rode a 13-game winning streak to roar back into the divisional race, but there are reasons for concern. Correa is in the midst of what would be the worst season of his career, posting a .236/.274/.331 batting line in 157 plate appearances.  — David Hill