The American League West hasn't resembled a matchup of powerhouse teams so far this season. Sad as it may seem, however, it's not as bad as it once was.

The AL West became a baseball purist's nightmare in 1994, the first season of the three-division alignment. The Texas Rangers stood 10 games under .500 and still commanded a one-game lead over the California Angels. Either could have easily become the first team in big-league history to make the playoffs with a losing record. It may have been the only benefit of the season-ending player's strike that neither of those squads had a chance to take the dubious honor.

No team has won the AL West with more than 90 victories since the three-division format began. On the other hand, no team has won the division by more than six games, providing for annual close races come September.

To find out whether is the AL West is bad or just balanced, take a look at the collective division standings since 1994.

The wild, wild West has the distinction of being the only division in baseball stuck at four teams, which could be seen as one less mediocre team to clog the standings. It also hasn't had a powerhouse squad like the Yankees and Indians. Whatever the reason, the division's teams combined to post a 1459-1515 record from 1994-98, for a .491 winning percentage. That's the lowest of any division over that span, three percentage points under the .494 marks posted by the AL and NL Central.

Multiply that percentage out for a single team over a full season, and it computes an average of 79.5 wins per team per season. If the AL West's collective record of 64-69 (.481) this season through Tuesday is included, the percentage worsens.

The mediocrity, which is based on games against teams from other divisions, takes its toll in the playoffs. Only the 1995 Mariners have won a playoff round from the AL West under the three-division format. Meanwhile the AL East, which has dominated baseball with a collective .511 winning percentage, has sent forth every AL Wild Card winner in history (since the wild-card format began in 1995).

On the bright side, no other division can boast the last four AL MVP winners. Then again, Mo Vaughn won the 1995 crown in Boston.

It pays to do your homework

Perhaps just to show media outlets aren't the only ones crazy enough to crunch these numbers, Tigers general manager Randy Smith did some research on his leadoff hitters before talking to manager Larry Parrish Tuesday. What Smith found wasn't good.

Hitters in Detroit's leadoff spot (Juan Encarnacion, Gregg Jefferies, Frank Catalanotto and the recently-traded Brian Hunter) have scored just four times in the first inning. Three of those times, they scored on a home run. Entering Tuesday, the leadoff hitter hit 6-for-29 in the first inning and reached base by a walk or hit-by-pitch three times for an on-base percentage of .281. Parrish started second baseman Damion Easley in the leadoff spot Tuesday because his on-base percentage was .441 with no one on and no one out and his batting average was .304 with the bases empty. He reached base on an infield single to lead off Tuesday … then was caught stealing.

Even more numbers

1 -- Career hits for Mark McGwire against Curt Schilling after hitting a two-run homer Wednesday afternoon. It was McGwire's 10th at-bat against the Phillies' ace.

9 -- Number of multiple-hit games in the 25-game hitting streak of Arizona's Luis Gonzalez.

10 -- Doubles hit by the Astros, a single-game record, in Tuesday's 19-8 rout of the Pirates.

19 -- Consecutive innings the Pirates had failed to retire the side in order through Tuesday.

47 -- Errors Vladimir Guerrero is on pace to make. That would tie the National League record set by Pittsburgh's George Van Haltren in 1892. Guerrero has nine errors through Tuesday.

$916,667 -- Difference in base salary between Schilling and higher-paid Phillies teammate Ron Gant this year. Gant, however, will not earn any bonuses for strikeouts.