Blue Jays, Orioles, and Red Sox: 2 truths and 1 lie about the AL East so far

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The American League East is expected to be one of the best, if not the best, divisions in 2023. Just one quick look at the AL East standings a week into the season tells you it will be a long 162-game season for each team.

Surprisingly, the Tampa Bay Rays sit at the top, followed by the New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, and Boston Red Sox. Things will shuffle around all summer and it wouldn’t be surprising to see two or three teams playing in early October.

There is no shortage of storylines throughout the division on all five teams and there are plenty of overreactions to the first week, so let’s look at two truths and a lie through the first week for the AL East.

AL East truth: Alek Manoah is a top-of-the-rotation pitcher for Toronto Blue Jays

Alek Manoah is a pitcher that if he’s on your team, you love him. If you’re facing him, he’s tough to like with his emotion. However, the truth is that he’s turning into the top-of-rotation-pitcher the Blue Jays were hoping he would be.

In his two starts this season, his ERA is 4.35, but that is from the season opener against the St. Louis Cardinals where he gave up 10 hits and five earned runs in just 3.1 innings. He bounced back in his next start, giving up just one hit in seven innings of work against the Kansas City Royals.

In his career, the emotional right-hander is 26-9 with a 2.65 ERA and 315 strikeouts in 318.1 innings. The 25-year-old was Toronto’s first-round pick (11th overall) in 2019 out of West Virginia and has been able to use his four pitches (four-seam fastball, sinker, slider, and changeup) in any count.

Toronto’s rotation behind Manoah with Kevin Gausman, Yusei Kikuchi, Jose Berrios, and Chris Bassitt is deep if it’s healthy and a reason why they could end up on top of the AL East at the end of the season. Over the course of the season, Manoah will show that he’s the future ace of the staff.

Sep 17, 2022; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman (35) gestures to team mates after hitting a single against the Toronto Blue Jays in the fourth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports /

AL East truth: Adley Rutschman is as advertised for the Baltimore Orioles

The long rebuild that the Orioles have been going through looks like it’s starting to see results. The centerpiece of the rebuild is catcher Adley Rutschman and the former first-overall pick in 2019 is setting up to be behind the plate at Camden Yards for a long time.

Last season, Baltimore called him up, put him into the lineup and things took off for the Orioles. In 113 games, he hit .254 with a .807 OPS with 13 home runs and 42 RBI as the Orioles finished 83-79. He was a doubles machine, finishing with 35. He also had good plate patience and drew 65 walks.

He started this season by going 5-for-5 against the Red Sox, including hitting a home run off of Corey Kluber in his first at-bat. His power numbers are only going to up and, as a switch-hitter, it doesn’t matter which side of the plate he’s hitting from, he’s got pop from both sides.

On his first swing of 2023, Adley Rutschman leaves the yard! #OpeningDay pic.twitter.com/kjiycU1aCH
— MLB (@MLB) March 30, 2023

Not only are his offensive numbers going to get better, but it is also his work behind the plate that is impressive. He works really well with his pitchers and has a strong arm, which will make him tough to steal against.

There is no question that the former Oregon State catcher has a long and bright future in Baltimore and you can see why he was the center of their rebuild. He’s as good as advertised and will be the best catcher in the AL East in the not-too-distant future.

Aug 18, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Boston Red Sox catcher Reese McGuire (3) asks for a new baseball against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the third inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

AL East lie: Boston Red Sox catching will be OK without Christian Vázquez

At the trade deadline last season, the Red Sox made the tough decision to trade catcher Christian Vázquez to the Houston Astros. It was an unpopular decision with the fanbase, but the backstop went on to get a ring when the Astros beat the Philadelphia Phillies in six games to win the World Series.

Following the season, there was the possibility of a reunion in Boston as a free agent, but Vázquez signed with the Minnesota Twins for three years and $30 million. As has been the case with Red Sox GM Chaim Bloom, it was another position that was not really addressed.

Boston began the season with Reese McGuire and Connor Wong. The first seven games have been a disaster for manager Alex Cora. Opponents have stolen 14 bases on the duo and while a lot of that can be contributed to the pitchers, it’s still a cause for concern.

Offensively, Vázquez has a .310 average, while McGuire checks in early this season at .308, but has a .258 career average. Wong is hitting .083 this season and is just a .192 career hitter. Against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday, McGuire appeared to have tied the game 4-4 with a three-run home run down the right-field line at Fenway, but it was overturned on review.

Going into the season, it was going to be tough to replace Váquez’s bat, but defensively, if Bloom thought that a McGuire/Wong combination was going to be successful, it’s not looking like that and there are no signs that it will change. It’s hard to find another catching duo in the AL East that is struggling as badly as Boston’s.

Things will change on a daily basis in the AL East in 2023, but two things are for sure, Alek Manoah is a top-of-the-rotation pitcher for Toronto, and Adley Rutschman is as good as advertised for Baltimore. And the Red Sox catching? No, they did not replace Christian Vázquez.

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