MLB 2017: American League East Rankings
Over the next six weeks, I will be taking a look at every team in baseball by evaluating each team’s rotation, infield, outfield, lineup and bullpen to figure out who will win each division in our MLB 2017 preview. Today, I will start with the American League East.
The American League East has been one of the toughest divisions in all of MLB over the last few seasons.Gone are the days when the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees would win the division and make the playoffs every year. Every team in the division has been in the playoffs since 2013.
The Rays are going through some re-tooling as usual. They’ve added offense this off-season in Wilson Ramos, Colby Rasmus and Mallex Smith while still having an excellent rotation. The Yankees brought back Aroldis Chapman after trading him during last season and added Matt Holliday to DH. With Greg Bird returning and Gary Sanchez for a full season, along with a loaded farm system, the Yankees have a bright future.
The Boston Red Sox may have lost David Ortiz this off-season, but they’ve added Chris Sale to their rotation and upgraded their infield defense with the signing of Mitch Moreland and moving Hanley Ramirez to DH. Can a skinny Pablo Sandoval perform at third?
The Baltimore Orioles brought back Mark Trumbo. They acquired Seth Smith and Welington Castillo as well, but can the rotation hold up?
The Toronto Blue Jays lost Edwin Encarnacion and Michael Saunders, but kept Jose Bautista and added Kendrys Morales and Steve Pearce. So which AL East team is the best? Let’s take a look.
Starting Pitching
5. Baltimore Orioles- Chris Tillman had an excellent season for the Orioles winning 16 games for the first time since his All-Star 2013 campaign and posted his highest K/9 ratio since that year as well. Kevin Gausman stepped up his game during the second half of the season, going 8-6 with a 3.10 ERA but we will see how responds in 2017 after increasing his innings by 67. Dylan Bundy emerged as a part of the rotation finally after injury trouble. Wade Miley struggled after the Orioles acquired him and Ubaldo Jimenez is a roller coaster.
4. New York Yankees- Masahiro Tanaka appears to be healthy and is one of the top pitchers in the game. The rest of the rotation is full of questions. Can Michael Pineda be consistent? What does CC Sabathia have left in the tank? Will any of their young pitchers emerge to grab to the final two spots of the rotation?
3. Tampa Bay Rays- Chris Archer led the league in losses last season, but seemed to look better during the second half of the season. Jake Odorizzi turned in another solid season. Blake Snell is getting his feet wet in the majors. Alex Cobb is back from Tommy John surgery. Matt Andriese is going to get a chance to start for a full season for the first time.
2. Toronto Blue Jays- Aaron Sanchez and Marcus Stroman are two of the best young pitchers in the game. J.A. Happ won 20 games last season. Marco Estrada is very consistent. Francisco Liriano seemed to get himself together back with old Pittsburgh battery mate in Russell Martin.
1.Boston Red Sox- Their top three of Chris Sale, David Price and Rick Porcello is among the best in the MLB, however, they all have questions. How will Sale do with a team in the playoff hunt. Can Porcello continue with his Cy Young form? Can Price get right or will he start to decline? Steven Wright was an All-Star last year, but can he do it again? And does he have a spot in the rotation? Which of Eduardo Rodriguez and Drew Pomeranz will emerge? A ton of questions, but a ton of talent.
Bullpen
5. Tampa Bay Rays- Alex Colome had a great year in his first year as closer. The problem is getting to him. Brad Boxberger struggled after missing time due to injury. Erasmo Ramirez is a solid swingman. Xavier Cedeno had a better year than some of the basic stats indicated. The group as a whole need to be better if the team is going to be competitive.
4. Toronto Blue Jays- Roberto Osuna is excellent. Jason Grilli can still get it done. Joe Biagini was an excellent find the rule V draft. Aaron Tepera and Danny Barnes could emerge in the middle. They have to figure out about the left side. Aaron Loup right now is the only option after losing Brett Cecil in free agency.
3. Boston Red Sox- Craig Kimbrel is one of the top closers in the game. Tyler Thornberg was a sneaky good pickup in a trade with the Brewers. Joe Kelly may have found his niche as a power reliever. Matt Barnes has a power arm and improved in 2016. From the left side, Fernando Abad struggled after coming to Boston. Drew Pomeranz or Eduardo Rodriguez may become an option from the left side as well.
2. New York Yankees- Aroldis Chapman is back after being traded during last season. Dellin Betances remains one of the game’s best setup men, however he seemed to wear down toward the end. Adam Warren and Tyler Clippard lengthen the bullpen. The Yankees have a ton of young arms like Ben Heller and Jonathan Holder who could become options.
1. Baltimore Orioles- Zach Britton, Mychal Givens and Darren O’day are among the top late game combos in the game. Brad Brach is another solid piece. Donnie Hart is another piece to watch after coming up last season. This bullpen will be called on a lot and they have the ability to deliver.
Infield
5. New York Yankees- Didi Gregorius broke out last season. Can he do it again? What will Greg Bird do in a full season at first coming off injury. Can Gary Sanchez do it again behind the plate? Starlin Castro was solid at second base. Chase Headley didn’t produce what the Yankees had hoped at the hot corner. A lot of question marks, but, if answered in the affirmative, the Yankees could have a pretty good infield.
4. Tampa Bay Rays- Brad Miller broke out with a 30 homer campaign and may be the answer at first base. Logan Forsythe saw his average dip a little bit but his power spike. Matt Duffy was excellent for the Giants two years ago at third. Can he handle short after an injury plagued year last year. Evan Longoria continued be his consistent self. Once healthy, the Rays finally have a catcher in Wilson Ramos.
3. Boston Red Sox- The Red Sox have two dynamic players up the middle in Xander Boegaerts and Dustin Pedroia. The issue is the corners. What will a slimmed down Pablo Sandoval provide? Mitch Moreland is more of a platoon player at first so who will be his partner? Who will catch? Can Sandy Leon keep it going or will one of the kids step up and take the job?
2. Toronto Blue Jays- Josh Donaldson may be the best third baseman in American League. Troy Tulowitzki can still produce at shortstop. Devon Travis appears to be a player on the rise if he can stay healthy. First base will probably rotate between Kendrys Morales, Steve Pearce and Justin Smoak. Russell Martin is still an excellent catcher. His average has declined, but the power and defense are still there.
1. Baltimore Orioles- If Donaldson isn’t the best third baseman in the league, Manny Machado just might be. J.J. Hardy rebounded a little bit from his 2015 numbers, but he was still injury plagued last season. Jonathan Schoop just turned 25 in October and put up excellent numbers in 2016. They may have another strong infield bat on their hands. Chris Davis can still hit the ball out of the park and drive in runs.
Outfield
5. Tampa Bay Rays- Kevin Kiermaier is an excellent defensive centerfielder. Newly acquired Mallex Smith provides more speed and an intriguing prospect. Corey Dickerson and Steven Souza Jr. provide power from the corner outfield and DH spots.
4. Baltimore Orioles- Mark Trumbo is back in the fold, however, he is much better served as a DH or a first baseman. They added Seth Smith to go with Joey Rickard, and Hyun Soo Kim. Adam Jones remains one of the best centerfielders in the game.
3. New York Yankees- Jacoby Ellsbury hasn’t lived up to his contract. Brett Gardner would be moved if the right deal came along for the Yankees but his power dipped in 2016. Right field is more complicated with Aaron Judge, Tyler Austin, Aaron Hicks and Rob Refsnyder all competing for time there. If Judge can get a hold of the job and show why he’s a top prospect, the Yankees outfield will be in better shape.
2. Toronto Blue Jays- Getting Jose Bautista back in right is a big move. I think he should rebound from his injury filled campaign of last season. Two thirds of the world is covered by water. The other is covered by Kevin Pillar in center. Left field will be some combination of Melvin Upton Jr., Steve Pearce, Dalton Pompey and Ezequiel Carrera.
1. Boston Red Sox- The Killer B’s make up a killer outfield. Mookie Betts is one of the best players in the game today. Jackie Bradley Jr had an excellent first half, but slumped in the second half. Which Bradley is the correct one? Andrew Benintendi looks like he has all the makings of an excellent leftfielder for a franchise that has had a ton of them.
So let’s tally up the totals and see what the standings may look like. The lower score the better.
5. Tampa Bay Rays- 17 points
4. New York Yankees- 14 points
3. Baltimore Orioles- 11 points
2. Toronto Blue Jays- 10 points
1. Boston Red Sox- 8 points
Based on these rankings, the AL East champion should be the Red Sox. But hey, that’s why they play the games for real and not on paper. This division should be a battle all year with everyone beating up on one another. It wouldn’t surprise me to see every team over .500 this year.
Next: 2018 Hall of Fame predictions
The Red Sox probably have the most complete team in the division, but the gap between one and three is the same between three and four and four and five. Each team should be competitive and in the playoff race, but in the end, I think the division will shake out this way.