I don't agree. I think that the head to head play within the division has been more competitive than others, contributing to the leaders having poorer W-L records than the other divisions.
Not really. The Tigers have been owned by the Royals and Twins. The Royals have also owned Cleveland. The Royals would be a .500 team if they were in the east or west. The Twins would be a .500 team if they didn't play the Tigers. The Sox are the only one of the top 3 who haven't feasted on the bad teams in this division, instead they have beaten up on the good teams in the Central.
What is the Sox record against the Twins and KC?
Look it up.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/standings/grid