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Blue Jays, Yankees and Rays: 3 way-too-early AL East MVP candidates

By Scott Roche |
TORONTO, ON - AUGUST 31: Matt Chapman #26 of the Toronto Blue Jays takes an at bat against the Chicago Cubs in the second inning during their MLB game at the Rogers Centre on August 31, 2022 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - AUGUST 31: Matt Chapman #26 of the Toronto Blue Jays takes an at bat against the Chicago Cubs in the second inning during their MLB game at the Rogers Centre on August 31, 2022 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images)
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One of the top divisions this season is expected to be the American League East. Loaded from top to bottom, the Tampa Bay Rays lead the way with the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees bringing up the rear.

The Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles are in the middle and they are just as good of a team as anyone else in the division. There were multiple changes that MLB made this season in terms of the pace of play. They inserted a pitch clock, limiting the number of times a pitcher can throw to first and the number of times that timeout can be called in an at-bat.

While all of those were done for on-field changes, they also made adjustments to their schedules. Instead of the normal 19 divisional games that were played each year, they cut those down to 12 games a season, which allows the schedule to become more flexible and allows all teams to play each other in at least one series in the 162-game season.

Despite seven fewer games against divisional foes, the AL East has no shortage of talent on each team that will go toe-to-toe with each other. Through the first month-plus, several pitchers and hitters are off to strong starts that have been very beneficial for their teams. Some are at the top of the division with key contributions, while the teams at the bottom could be in a lot worse situation if not for the performances of some of their players.

With that said, here are three way-too-early-season MVPs in the AL East.

Apr 29, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Matt Chapman (26) reacts after hitting a double against the Seattle Mariners in the seventh inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 29, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Matt Chapman (26) reacts after hitting a double against the Seattle Mariners in the seventh inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports /

Early MVP candidate: Matt Chapman, Toronto Blue Jays

Offensively, the Blue Jays are a wagon. They can run down a pitching staff on a nightly basis, they can play small ball or mash you with extra-base hits and home runs. There is really no easy out in their lineup.

Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. gets a lot of the headlines as the power-hitting first baseman and is always a must-see at-bat. He can put on a show offensively. Bo Bichette, and George Springer are both dangerous hitters, while Kevin Kiermaier is giving them a boost offensively. One player who doesn’t get mentioned behind the bigger names on the roster and is having a strong start to the season is Matt Chapman.

This season, the third baseman is slashing .379/.462/.670 with five home runs and 21 RBI. He played his first five seasons with the Oakland Athletics and his highest batting average was in 2018 when he hit .278. Yes, I get it, it is Oakland, but the 30-year-old was a key cog in their lineup.

In Toronto, he joins a dangerous lineup, which is going to give a lot of guys the opportunity to be successful at the plate as there is really no one that teams will be able to pitch around. Chapman hits in the middle of the Blue Jays order and he is benefitting from the bats around him which allows him to lead the league in hitting. He’s been the best at the plate this season both in the lineup and in MLB.

Sep 7, 2022; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) pitches in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 7, 2022; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) pitches in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports /

Early MVP candidate: Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees

The Yankees are in the cellar of the division as injuries and lack of depth have played a big part in it. Throw in a pitching rotation that has many more questions than answers, it’s not a recipe for success in a loaded division.

One big reason why New York is hanging around .500 is because of the start to the season Gerrit Cole has had when he takes the ball every fifth day. He has been dominant at 5-0 with a 1.11 ERA and 44 strikeouts and has been utilizing his pitches to near perfection.

During his time in the Bronx, Cole has been a disappointing pitcher at times in terms of coming up big in a situation where the Yankees need him to, like in the postseason. No matter what the records say at any point in the season, he seems to always struggle against the Red Sox, something that won’t sit well in Yankee land.

It looks and feels like through the first month of the season that this is a different version of Gerrit Cole, one who is locked in and is consistently throwing all of his pitches for strikes in all counts. He is not only a way-too-early MVP this season, but also a way-too-early Cy Young candidate as well. Without him, the Yankees would be an early-season sinking ship well under .500.

Apr 24, 2023; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Randy Arozarena (56) reacts after hitting double against the Houston Astros in the sixth inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 24, 2023; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Randy Arozarena (56) reacts after hitting double against the Houston Astros in the sixth inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports /

Early MVP candidate: Randy Arozarena, Tampa Bay Rays

Other than the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NL Central, the biggest surprise resides in Central Florida in Tampa Bay with the Rays. Currently holding the league’s best record, they are getting contributions from their lineup and pitching, but one player who has come big and is emerging as their best player is Randy Arozarena.

In his fourth season with the Rays, he is slashing .327/.392./.573. His biggest moment was on April 22 when he homered early in the game, before delivering the walk-off hit against the Chicago White Sox. He also had an opposite-field home run off of Chris Sale of the Red Sox. It’s just one of many examples of why Tampa Bay is off to the start they are. He has rescued Kevin Cash’s group in multiple games and is becoming a feared hitter in Tampa’s lineup.

Arozarena set the tone for the MLB season with a tremendous World Baseball Classic in March. Playing for Mexico, he was 9-for-20 with six doubles, a home run, nine RBI, eight runs scored, and six walks, while only striking out five times. That’s an impressive line for a month, but just two weeks makes it even more impressive.

It’s just over a month, but Chapman, Cole, and Arozarena have been good to start the season for their teams. It’s more than likely at the end of May that there will be new MVP frontrunners for the AL East, but right now, they are carrying their teams early in 2023.

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