By Peter Valentino
As opposed to the NL East, which has a clear World Series candidate in the Mets, the AL East is a bit more vague. In 2015, the Toronto Blue Jays won its first division title since 1993, when Joe Carter hit his iconic World Serieswinning walkoff home run in game 6. Their season ended to the Royals in game 6 of the ALCS. The idea of a repeat is very much in play with this team, but the competition in the division is much better. All the other teams in the division improved in some shape or form, and this division, as usual, expects to be one of the most intriguing in baseball.
First, the reigning division winners. Toronto returns with a stacked lineup that includes Jose Bautista, Troy Tulowitzki and reigning AL MVP Josh Donaldson. The starting pitching rotation took a hit when ace David Price went to Boston, and this will probably be their Achilles heel going into the season. The bullpen is above average, and will most likely be relied on tohold leads. This lineup can be considered “Canadian Murderer’s Row”; however, I’m not sure how far that can get them. If they win the division, like I think they will, I can’t see them going far in the playoffs due to their weak rotation. They have the lineup and the bullpen, but I can’t see this rotation getting them past where they were last year.
The Boston Red Sox were one of the most active teams this offseason, obtaining David Price and Craig Kimbrel. The team has done an incredible job rebuilding since their championship in 2013, and could be considered early World Series favorites. The position players are young and already seem very developed. The team is very similar to the Blue Jays, but even with the addition of Kimbrel, I still believe Toronto’s bullpen is better. After Price, Boston’s pitching downgrades, with hot and cold Buchholz and Porcello going two and three in the rotation. Two prospects, Eduardo Rodriguez and Henry Owens, will finish off the starting five. The bullpen has aging Koji Uehara as a setup man for Kimbrel. This team is definitely on the rise, but the prospects are still a year away. The team could definitely go from worst to first this year, but the prospects would have to mature quickly.
The Yankees are interesting. They’ll most likely be over .500 because, well, they’re the Yankees, but the clubhouse looks like a retirement home. Last year was a bit of a shocker for the team, as it made the playoffs on the shoulders of Alex Rodriguez’ 33 home runs. This year, he will have to duplicate the same feat if they want to get back to the playoffs. The team’s best attribute by far is its bullpen. Andrew Miller, Dellin Betances and Aroldis Chapman will convert any 7th inning lead into a win. The rotation is decent, with heavily used Masahiro Tanaka as their ace. Along with A-Rod, Teixeira had a pleasantly surprising, yet shortened, season, and will need to duplicate that success. It’s no secret that the Yankees are attempting to dominate the 2020s by obtaining another ace (Strasburg, maybe) and Bryce Harper by 2019. While the future handcuffs their present, never count the Yankees out. They’re the Yankees.
The Rays are weird. They were one of those teams who were supposed to stink after Price and Maddon left in 2014, then were surprisingly in it halfway through the season thanks to manager Kevin Cash. Now, they look like a team who isn’t fully committed to a rebuild, nor committed to selling out. While they have some pieces like Archer and Dickerson, I don’t really see them competing in this division.
Same with the Orioles. The team spent almost all of their money on Chris Davis this offseason, which confused me. The team has no ace, and doesn’t look to be adding one in the near future. The team, in my opinion, is slowly receding into another dark period, even though that could all change by adding a few pitchers. Waiting on potential star pitcher Dylan Bundy, unfortunately, has screwed up the Orioles with his severe injuries. However, he is 23, and could change the future of this franchise. For now, they’re my pick to finish last in this tight division.
The AL East could be one of those that comes down to the final day of the season. No team is really dominant, and I highly doubt the World Series winner will come out of this division. However, the storylines going into this year on the AL East are incredible: David Price in Boston, Toronto’s lineup, the Yankees’ bullpen. This division might be the most competitive in baseball.
