One team was being anointed the new American League East powerhouse. The other was being consigned to last place. As the Boston Red Sox head to Toronto for the second time in this young season, the two teams indeed occupy the division's top and bottom rungs - but in reverse order from the expected. "We have one more game...
Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell is riding high, while the Blue Jays team he left is one of the worst in baseball. One team was being anointed the new American League East powerhouse.
The other was being consigned to last place.
As the Boston Red Sox head to Toronto for the second time in this young season, the two teams indeed occupy the division's top and bottom rungs - but in reverse order from the expected.
"We have one more game to play in April, but it's been a good month,'' said Red Sox manager John Farrell, whose team's 18-7 record is the best in baseball.
"We haven't had to play catch-up a lot, so guys can take their normal approaches at the plate. This month has been a reflection of the hard work by the players in spring training, buoyed by our starting rotation.''
The three-game series opens Tuesday night.
When Farrell abandoned Toronto's managing job for Boston, the move was met with widespread speculation that he was leaving at the wrong time. The Blue Jays were baseball's most aggressive team in the offseason, adding payroll with big-name stars in a bid to take control of the division.
Instead, they risk becoming a laughingstock - or worse, an example of money being frittered away when it could have been spent more wisely.
Entering Monday night, only Miami and Houston had worse records than Toronto's 9-17 mark. Both of those teams are openly trying to rebuild on the cheap.
With hockey's Maple Leafs in the playoffs, the best hope for the Blue Jays is that people in their market stop paying attention for awhile.
Newly acquired Jose Reyes is on the 60-day disabled list with an ankle injury. Melky Cabrera is hitting .250 in 104 at-bats, with no home runs.
Holdover Jose Bautista has seven home runs, but only 11 RBIs and a .192 average. The pitching is no better.
New staff ace R.A. Dickey is 2-4 with a 4.50 ERA. That's better than Mark Buehrle (1-1, 6.35) or Josh Johnson (0-1, 6.86), who were supposed to help form a dominating rotation.
In a peculiar move, the Blue Jays replaced Farrell with John Gibbons, who had been fired by the Jays in June of 2008. Gibbons' first tenure in Toronto was marked by flareups with players, but this time, it's been all about underperformance.
It may all turn around, but the Blue Jays already trail Boston by 9 1/2 games. Almost immediately came questions about team chemistry, just as the baseball world was re-examining how the Red Sox could form such a cohesive, tight-knit team in the aftermath of last year's Bobby Valentine mess.
Boston's closest pursuers are New York and Baltimore, who are similarly defying preseason skeptics. Predictions that the Yankees were washed up, and that the Orioles had been lucky in 2012, look foolish now.
In Boston, Farrell defers credit to his staff, notably pitching coach Juan Nieves, and the players.
"Juan is a very good pitching coach. He has the X's and O's, but it's how he communicates in a genuine way that builds trust with the players,'' Farrell said.
The rotation has been superb. It's top performers are lined up for this series - Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz and Ryan Dempster.
The defense had been sound, in part because the Red Sox have been able to align their players according to scouting reports. The pitching has been so sharp that the need to scramble for position and make highlight-film plays has been minimal, though there have been some beauties.
Farrell also likes the hitting. David Ortiz back is hitting .516 since his April 20 return from injury. Mike Napoli is second in the majors with 27 RBIs.
Will Middlebrooks and Stephen Drew have struggled, Jonny Gomes never got out of the gate and at least for now, the experiment has failed with Jackie Bradley Jr.
Farrell is unfazed.
"Our overall offensive approach has been outstanding. Players have been willing to pass the baton and take their walks,'' he said.
"There has been good situational hitting. Most important is that we've been able to drive up pitch counts and get into the (opponents') middle bullpen.''
Are the Red Sox this good? Are the Blue Jays this bad?
Time will tell, but much to Boston's liking, April will turn to May with a much different look to the standings that most experts expected when it began.