The AL East appears to be the best division in baseball heading into the 2023 season with the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays clear division favorites with the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays both having arguments as potential playoff teams.
In a highly competitive division is clear Boston is being overlooked with ESPN ranking the Red Sox the 19th-best team in the league heading into Opening Day. CBS shows a bit more respect for Boston ranking the Red Sox 16th with the Rays, Blue Jays, and Yankees all far ahead of what is clearly expected to be a fourth-place team. The Ringer continues with the trend ranking the Red Sox 19th with the Rangers and Angels ranked ahead of a far more proven team.
Boston had a rough offseason when you glance merely at the surface losing Xander Bogaerts in free agency and Trevor Story to injury. However, for those that dig a bit deeper looking at the complete roster in comparison to last year’s team, it becomes clear that the Red Sox are a team that is not only being overlooked when it comes to their own division but perhaps as surprise AL contenders with a young roster and a long history of turning into a contender when it is least expected.