AL East Preview
Baltimore Orioles - One of the teams in the AL that could make it to the World Series added to their already loaded young core by bringing in a few veterans, such as Tyler O’Neill and Gary Sánchez, who have played numerous big games throughout their careers.
Projected Healthy Lineup -
- Colton Cowser
- Adley Rutschman
- Gunnar Henderson
- Tyler O’Neill
- Ryan Mountcastle
- Heston Kjerstad
- Jordan Westburg
- Cedric Mullins
- Jackson Holiday
Rotation -
- Zach Eflin
- Grayson Rodriguez
- Charlie Morton
- Dean Kremer
- Tomoyuki Sugano
Closer - Felix Bautista
Projected Win Total: 86.5
I believe this is the second-best team in MLB behind the Dodgers. This team is constructed very well, with speed, power, and IQ at every single spot on the field and in the lineup. They will need to make another move for a top-tier arm if they want to make a deep run this postseason. I would take the over on their win total and predict they will win the AL East.
Boston Red Sox - The best move they made this offseason was graduating Kristian Campbell to the majors. They also signed Alex Bregman to help bolster the middle of their lineup and traded for Garrett Crochet, which I believe they overpaid for.
Projected Healthy Lineup
Jarren Duran
Masataka Yoshida
Rafael Devers
Alex Bregaman
Tristan Casas
Trevor Story
Kristian Campbell
Wilyer Abreu
Connor Wong
Rotation -
Garett Crochet
Tanner Houck
Brayan Bello
Walker Buehler
Lucas Giolito
Closer - Liam Hendricks
Projected Win Total - 86.5
I think the Red Sox improved this offseason, but I doubt they will be flirting with 90 wins in the first year most of these players have played together. I also have my doubts that Trevor Story will return to his prior form after missing so much time due to injuries in recent years. I expect them to finish in third place and fall short of their win total this season.
New York Yankees - They added two new bats to the middle of their lineup and acquired an ace for their pitching staff. Max Fried, Paul Goldschmidt, and Cody Bellinger are all All-Star-level players who will be instant contributors for the Yankees this season.
Projected Healthy Lineup -
- Austin Wells
- Aaron Judge
- Cody Bellinger
- Giancarlo Stanton
- Paul Goldschmidt
- Jazz Chisholm Jr.
- Jasson Dominguez
- Anthony Volpe
- DJ LeMahieu
Rotation -
- Max Fried
- Carlos Rodón
- Marcus Stroman
- Luis Gil
- Will Warren
Closer - Devin Williams
Projected Win Total: 88.5
I think this team is really good, but it is top-heavy and doesn’t complement each other very well. They only have two players who are threats on the bases. This lineup seems built for the stadium they play in rather than to succeed in general, so I would lean toward the under for their win total this season. Additionally, losing Cole for the season is significant. I feel comfortable taking the under.
Tampa Bay Rays - They are a team that, in recent history, knows how to get wins without having many household names on the roster. They didn’t make many moves this offseason, signing Danny Jansen to play behind the plate and Ha-Seong Kim to help strengthen the infield.
Projected Healthy Lineup -
- Yandy Díaz
- Ha-Seong Kim
- Brandon Lowe
- Christopher Morel
- Junior Caminero
- Taylor Walls
- Danny Jansen
- Josh Lowe
- Jonny DeLuca
Rotation -
- Shane McClanahan
- Ryan Pepiot
- Shane Baz
- Taj Bradley
- Zack Littell
Closer - Pete Fairbanks
Projected Win Total: 81.5
This Rays team has a very strong rotation, and they are no longer playing in the worst stadium in all of professional sports in the USA; they are finally playing in an outdoor stadium. However, this could pose problems during hurricane season, so I expect them to play more doubleheaders than anyone else this season, which leads me to feel comfortable taking the under on their win total.
Toronto Blue Jays - This offseason wasn’t the best for them because they couldn’t reach an extension with Vladdy Jr., their best player, who is coming off a down year. He must bet on himself before hitting the open market this summer.
Healthy Projected Lineup -
- Bo Bichette
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
- Anthony Santander
- Andrés Giménez
- Alejandro Kirk
- George Springer
- Dalton Varsho
- Alan Roden
- Ernie Clement
Rotation -
- José Berríos
- Kevin Gausman
- Max Scherzer
- Chris Bassitt
- Alek Manoah
Closer - Jeff Hoffman
Projected Win Total: 79.5
They had a bad start to the season with the best player on their team being unhappy about his contract situation but I do think that this roster is strong enough to win more than 80 games this season especially with bats that they have in the lineup.
