The New York Yankees
The Yankees are of course the other team that plays in the same division as another win-now team. But whereas the Sox started their time in this category in 2016, the Yankees are entering it just this year. That makes them the latest entrant of all the teams.
They like the Sox have an excellent pitching staff, but one that is also thin. Again I will go back to my previous piece:
"RHP Luis Severino was third in the CY Young voting last year. And among all of his sterling 2017 numbers, perhaps his hits to innings pitched is his most impressive: 150/193. But if any want to argue that his ERA (2.98) or strikeouts-to-walks ratio (230/51) is more telling, we won’t let it come between us. Masahiro Tanaka and fellow righty had the definition of an up and down season last year, routinely alternating between great starts and horrible ones. The two men reversed roles, however, when it counted most. Sevvy started four games…but his postseason ERA of 5.63 could not have been what he or the Yankees wanted. Tanaka, meanwhile, became the Hiro the Yankees needed. He started three games, pitched 25 total innings, and left an ERA that can only be found under a microscope (1.44). Backing them up is Sonny Gray, CC Sabathia, and Jordan Montgomery, giving the Yankees a nice blend of youth and experience."
Maybe the Best Bullpen
The Yankees can roll out not only a starting five that can potentially compete with any but also one of the best bullpens in baseball.
They have their own top-five closer in Aroldis Chapman (3.22), just as the Sox do with Kimbrel. But they also have one of the best set-up men/replacement closers with David Robertson (1.84), as the Indians do with Miller.
Dellin Betances is too much of a question mark to continue to list him as elite, but the Yankees still have tremendous depth here.
But whereas some teams on this list see pitching as their most prominent strength, no doubt the Yankees have to view their offense as their best asset. If you remember my comment about the middle of the Indians order, I described it as almost as good as any in the AL; I was thinking specifically about the Yankees.