Remember mid-July last year? At the time, the entire AL East was outperforming the Cleveland Guardians, who were then the AL Central leaders.
The Baltimore Orioles stole the division lead from the Tampa Bay Rays at the same point in the season and never relinquished it.
It was a season of reckoning for the O’s, who hadn’t won a division championship in nine years.
Their fresh talent was met with disappointment when they were swept by the eventual World Series-reigning Rangers in the ALDS.
This is a club that has patiently built itself up through the draft.
Having been a doormat for the AL East for many years, he has built a core that has the potential to become Major League Baseball’s next giant.
Adley Rutschman has emerged as a star catcher of a new generation with impressive batting power. Gunnar Henderson won the AL Rookie of the Year award and established himself as the No. 1 overall prospect. Ryan Mountcastle had his coming out party at the plate, posting xSLG in the top 12th percentile in baseball.
This was supported by Felix Bautista, who was the most talented closer this year. He was the No. 1 overall pitcher with a 2.08 ERA before undergoing surgery on his right arm. This loss will continue into the 2024 season.
So, when you get serious, who do you sign as your closing pitcher?
Craig Kimbrel came to Baltimore as a 35-year-old after making the playoffs twice with the Dodgers and Phillies.
He remains one of the most prolific closers in the game and maintained a quality contact rate in the top 15th percentile last season.
Kyle Bradish, who had the AL’s highest second-half ERA, will start the season on injured reserve with a sprained UCL.
Sadly, the O’s rotation was significantly strengthened as Corbin Burnes came to town as a bona fide ace after being acquired from Milwaukee.
While Baltimore is settling down, the Rays are reaching a tipping point with the cost-effective core that has carried them the past few seasons, but they are still surrounded by uncertainty.
With Tyler Glasnow gone, rain clouds are gathering over Wander Franco’s situation.
The Rays continue to play Moneyball by filling holes with cheap, unproven talent.
Meanwhile, there will be plenty of pressure on a pitching rotation that has been tinkered with in addition to a lack of catching depth. There is a limit to how long this game can last.
The Blue Jays are aiming for a turnaround with established star players such as Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
They rushed to acquire Shohei Ohtani, but when they fell short, they did nothing to upgrade their staff.
He’ll need to replicate Chris Bassitt and Jordan Romano, as well as some offensive steps up, to stay on the team.
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As for the Red Sox, Craig Breslow has just unpacked his belongings, but it won’t take overnight to clean up the complete mess left behind by Chaim Bloom.
The Yankees brought in the biggest buzz by bringing in Juan Soto to revitalize their unstable offensive line. It is Brian Cashman’s moves like this that are making the Bombers even more popular in the market.
It looks like the outfield is finally intact from a defensive standpoint, but we’ll likely see more action from Aaron Judge in center field.
While the expensive items around him are commensurate with his big-city salary, he will once again have to carry the burden of posting the best contact number in baseball.
At BetMGM, the Yankees stand as +145 favorites to win the AL East, but I’m leaning toward the Orioles as a healthy +200 prospect.
