AL East review: Surprises and disappointments in season's first two months

The first two months of the season are in the books, and the one certainty is that every team in the American League East has flaws.

The defending champion Orioles have been inconsistent. The Yankees have slowed after a hot start. The Red Sox have had rotation problems and can't score runs. The Blue Jays don't have as much pitching as they thought, but they can hit. And the Rays have all the pitching, except most of it is on the disabled list.

For your Memorial Day reading pleasure, here is a look at what's going on in the AL East:

Baltimore: The Orioles have been inconsistent in every aspect: the rotation, bullpen, defense, base running, run production and, of course, they've had to deal with injuries. The stats that sum up the Orioles' first two months: In April, they were among the AL leaders in run production, but way down in pitching. In May, they had one of the best ERAs in the league - despite slumps from Chris Tillman and Bud Norris - but then the offense fell off the table. ... The Orioles are still the best team in the division, and their depth is going to pay dividends in the second half. But J.J. Hardy is correct when he says that overall, the Orioles have to play better. ... The most pleasant surprise is Ubaldo Jimenez, known for inconsistency, but is as dependable as he was the final two months of 2013 when he pitched Cleveland into the postseason. But, a close second is DH Jimmy Paredes, 26, who has found a home with Orioles orange after bouncing around much like Steve Pearce before he became an Oriole. Paredes started in the Yankees organization in 2006, but has gone to the Astros, Marlins, Orioles, Royals and back to the Orioles. ... Tillman is struggling with walks and most pitching experts agree that he's not repeating his mechanics as well as he did last season, meaning he's giving up more walks than the Orioles are used to seeing. ... Three former Orioles - Andrew Miller (Yankees), Nick Markakis (Braves) and Nelson Cruz (Mariners) - are playing well with other teams, so is it too early to ask if any of those guys are missed? Certainly, Cruz's bat would have been dangerous in a lineup in a year that has Adam Jones on pace to be a contender for the AL MVP.

Boston: The Red Sox, who finished in the basement last season, have had rotation and scoring problems. They've been hard to strike out. Their walk totals are moving upward, but the players expected to hit haven't: Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz, newcomer Pablo Sandoval and Mike Napoli haven't exactly struck fear into opposing pitchers. The Red Sox were averaging .259 on balls in play while the league average is at .296. Does that suggest the Red Sox are hitting the ball, but right at defenders, and is it an indication that their luck will change? ... The rebuilt rotation is without Jon Lester (Cubs) and John Lackey (Cardinals). And while the rotation struggled for most of the first two months, there have been glimmers of hope in late May. Clay Buchholz has pitched like a No. 1. Joe Kelley and Wade Miley have shown improvement. Rick Porcello has gotten better, but he's nowhere close to being an $82.5 million pitcher. The fifth starter is knuckleballer Steven Wright, who has been pitching in place of Justin Masterson, who was pitching badly before he went on the disabled list.

New York: The Yankees' strength is the back of the bullpen, where failed starters Dellin Betances (fastball-curve) and Andrew Miller (fastball-slider) have been unhittable. ... But the Yankees' issues are those that come with age. Alex Rodriguez, 39, has been showing good power, but will he wear down in the second half as those approaching 40 usually do? The same question goes for Carlos Beltran and Mark Teixeira. ... The left side of the infield is a problem. Third baseman Chase Headley's defense is suspect and shortstop Didi Gregorius' bat isn't allowing Yankees fans to forget about Derek Jeter. ... Catcher Brian McCann didn't hit well in his first year with the Yankees and he struggled to hit .235 in the first two months. ... Pitcher Masahiro Tanaka is looking good in his rehabilitation as he tries to come back by avoiding elbow surgery. "He's looking as strong as he did last season when he pitched well,'' Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild said. ... Lefty CC Sabathia, coming back from a knee injury last season, has made adjustments from his bad April start and is regularly getting into the seventh inning. ... Michael Pineda is easily the ace of the Yankees' staff, but Nathan Eovaldi is also strong.

Tampa Bay: The Rays are the surprise of the division. As usual, they are carried by their strong rotation and getting just enough runs to get by. The stat that defines the Rays belongs to starter Jake Odorizzi, who is 3-4 despite a 2.43 ERA. The Rays have averaged 1.78 runs a game when Odorizzi starts. Chris Archer and former Nationals prospect Nate Karns are pitching well, but the back end of the rotation, Alex Colome and Erasmo Ramirez, aren't going deep into games and that's putting stress on the bullpen. ... Pitcher Matt Moore, who has 29 wins and a 3.53 ERA in his 63 appearances, including 61 starts for the Rays, is on schedule to return from Tommy John surgery in mid-June. Lefty Drew Smyly is out indefinitely with a torn labrum, although he says he's going to pitch again this season. And, Alex Cobb, who has had 21 wins in the last two seasons with ERAs of 2.76 and 2.87, is out for the season after Tommy John surgery.

Toronto: The Blue Jays are opposite the Rays. They have all kinds of offense and lead the AL in runs scored, but they don't have pitching. They have two reliable relievers in the bullpen, and there's a question mark at every slot in the rotation: R.A. Dickey, an NL Cy Young Award winner with the Mets, is inconsistent, which is expected for a knuckleballer. Lefty Mark Buehrle has seen decreased velocity. Drew Hutchinson hasn't progressed from last year's fine season. Rookie Aaron Sanchez struggled with walks during April, but in May, he's shown the stuff and poise that make him a high-ceiling prospect. ... The Blue Jays order, which includes Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Josh Donaldson in the middle, is dangerous, even with Jose Reyes making his yearly trip to the disabled list. ... Not many were picking second baseman Devon Travis as the AL's top rookie this season, but he's certainly one of the best: His defense is above average and he hits with power and authority. But he's just landed on the disabled list.