Philadelphia, PA (My Sportsbook) - While familiar teams head the American League East and West, the Kansas City Royals continue to surprise the naysayers and are on track to capture their first division title since winning the World Series in 1985.

The New York Yankees and Boston will likely battle each other for the AL East crown until late September. Can the Red Sox win a division title for the first time since the work stoppage-shortened season in 1995, and maybe even get back to the World Series for the first time since Bill Buckner's blunder in 1986?

Seattle and Oakland are locked up in a duel in the West and that division race may go until the end of the regular season as the teams tangle six times over the final 1 1/2 weeks.

With that in mind, let's look at how the races in the American League could shape up in the final two months.

CONTENDERS

New York Yankees - George Steinbrenner has usually managed to make a move at the trading deadline to improve his club and the same can be said for this year. General manager Brian Cashman recently pulled the trigger on a couple of deals to get veteran bullpen help with the acquisitions of Armando Benitez and Jesse Orosco. The resurgence of Jason Giambi and the steadiness of Derek Jeter has helped propel the club. The pitching staff has allowed the fewest walks in the majors. Mike Mussina, David Wells and Andy Pettitte are having solid years and if Roger Clemens had some run support he could have had 12 or 13 wins at this point. With manager Joe Torre and Steinbrenner on the same page, there's no reason to believe the Yankees won't win the AL East for a sixth straight year.

Boston Red Sox - Red Sox fans are constantly badgered with chants of "1918, 1918!," the last time the team won the World Series. For the past five seasons, they've been runners-up in the East, only to be outdone by their rivals from the Bronx. This year may prove differently. If the pitching staff can remain healthy and the bullpen can come through and lower the staff's ERA that is approaching five, Boston may be able to squeak by the Yankees. Derek Lowe could be on the way to another 20-win season and the hitting is already solid as the team has an average just under .300. Bill Mueller has been a pleasant surprise and is hitting a team and career-best .333. Manny Ramirez, Nomar Garciaparra and Trot Nixon are all having excellent seasons. Theo Epstein, in his first year as general manager, has been steadfast in his goal to win the World Series, but will the Sox respond? The East title isn't necessary, as Epstein I'm sure would settle for the wild card.

Kansas City Royals - Pena, who is hands down the AL Manager of the Year, is trying to become the first manager in league history to take a team to the playoffs one year after it lost 100 games. Kansas City went 62-100 last season. The Royals' rise to the top is such a shock because of their records in recent years. The team has finished at least 16 1/2 games out of first place every year in the Central since 1995 and last year the Royals were fourth, 32 1/2 games behind the division-winning Minnesota Twins. Kansas City's speed has been an asset this season, as the Royals are near the top in the AL in steals. While Kansas City's pitching has struggled with an ERA near five this year, there are some bright spots. Young lefthander Chris George won four straight starts in June. Jose Lima won his first six decisions. Righthander Kris Wilson even got into the act, winning his first five decisions. Many teams are interested in acquiring Carlos Beltran, but there's no reason to trade the star centerfielder at this point. Aaron Guiel and Raul Ibanez are having solid seasons and the return of first baseman Mike Sweeney can only help KC's situation.

Chicago White Sox - The White Sox have hovered around the .500 mark the last two years and 2003 is no different. However, Jerry Manuel has his club in position to win the Central for the second time in four years if they can catch the Royals. Chicago has been on a tear since the All-Star break and the momentum may carry the White Sox past Kansas City in the standings in the next week or two, especially with six games upcoming versus the Royals. Magglio Ordóñez is having another spectacular year and Frank Thomas has shown some pop in his bat. Esteban Loaiza has been a pleasant surprise and if Mark Buehrle and Bartolo Colon can get going, look out.

Minnesota Twins - Ron Gardenhire's team was 11 games over .500 after a victory June 13 against Arizona. However, since that time, the Twins have struggled and they dipped five games under the even mark (44-49) at the All-Star break. Since then, it's been a battle to get over .500, but the team may be turning the corner with renewed confidence. The acquisition of Shannon Stewart has paid immediate dividends. Jacque Jones has returned from the disabled list and has been a major contributor. If the Twins are to make a run for the Central crown and successfully defend their division title, the starting pitching has to improve. Brad Radke is not up to par. The savior, believe it or not, has been LaTroy Hawkins, who has seven victories among his 46 appearances.

Seattle Mariners - Despite an aging lineup and a new manager guiding the team, the Mariners continue to crank out the victories and are on track for a second division title in three years and a return to the playoffs. Ichiro is again near the top in batting average in the majors and 40-year-old Edgar Martinez is also hitting above .300. The trio of Jamie Moyer, Joel Pineiro and Gil Meche has been steady in the starting rotation and has made up for a lackluster year from Freddy Garcia. The one fly in the ointment is closer Kazuhiro Sasaki. There's hope he can return soon from fractured ribs and help the club in the postseason chase.

Oakland Athletics - It's been a decent year so far for first-year manager Ken Macha. The Athletics haven't been below .500 all season and consistency may be the key for Oakland to topple the Mariners atop the AL West in the coming weeks. That's because after a four-game weekend series in Anaheim, the A's won't play a team in their own division until hosting the Angels, September 8-11. The Big Three of Mark Mulder, Barry Zito and Tim Hudson hasn't lived up to expectations this year. Although Mulder has been strong, Zito has been mediocre after winning the Cy Young Award last year. Outfielder Eric Byrnes was a bright spot early one, but he has just six hits this month.

PRETENDERS

Toronto Blue Jays - Toronto's chance to make the postseason fell apart just before the All-Star break. The Blue Jays lost 12 of their final 15 games prior to the hiatus and for all intensive purposes they've become sellers instead of buyers in the trade market. Roy Halladay has been solely responsible for holding the starting staff together, but in baseball, unlike other sports, it can't be a one-man show. Halladay's ERA is 3.43, but as a team Toronto's earned run average is 4.90. Vernon Wells and Carlos Delgado are having solid years at the plate, but it won't be enough for the Blue Jays, who will be left out of the playoffs for a 10th straight year.

Anaheim Angels - The Disney magic of winning the World Series has dissipated for the Angels and as each day passes, the chances of Anaheim making the playoffs seems more remote. Jarrod Washburn, an 18-game winner last season, already has 10 losses this year. The Angels got off to a sub-par start and have been hovering around .500 all season. However, can we entirely count this club out? No way. Last year, Mike Scioscia's bunch had a spectacular second half of the season and slipped in as the wild card before beating the Giants in a dramatic Game 7. The difference is the Angels were 16 games over .500 at the All-Star break last year. This season the club was six games above the even mark. It's going to take a huge second half for the Angels to not only catch the Mariners and Athletics, but they'll have to work extra hard to get the wild card.