The AL East has been one of the most interesting divisions, if not the most interesting, because of how truly unusual the race is. Coming into the year, there was no consensus on who would win the division, and almost three months into the season, we still have no clear cut favorite. So how will the AL East shake out?
Taking a look at every division race at least coming into the year, the Royals, Astros, Mets, Cubs and Giants were heavily picked to win their respective divisions by the 2016 season’s end. However, for the AL East, there was a much different tune. Many experts were not fond of the reigning champions, the Toronto Blue Jays, because of the loss of David Price and a questionable bullpen outside of closer Roberto Osuna.
The Red Sox were a trendy pick because of their young nucleus and were helped by the fact that they stole Price from the Jays. But the rest of their rotation was questionable, and while many players on their offense have great upside, they were relying on hitters who are unproven for the most part.
The Yankees were helped by the incredible back-end of the bullpen they created with the likes of Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances. However, the team is getting older and their starting rotation was nothing that got people excited.
The Orioles and the Rays were generally picked to finish in last place, but for opposite reasons. Baltimore put together a powerful lineup that would be able to smash balls with any team in the league. The bullpen was also back in full force after they re-signed all-star setup man Darren O’Day. The O’s starting rotation was supposed to hold the team back due to underwhelming top of the rotation options. Tampa Bay thought to have a solid starting rotation, but their offense, like in years past, was their achilles heal.
Overall, we have a much clearer picture of where things stand in the AL East, but there are some major questions that have yet to be answered.
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