S T A C K E D WI T H TALENT
FOR THE third straight year, the AL East had more wins than any other division in 2023. It also sent three teams to the postseason once again—only this time, it was the three “other” clubs playing into October while the marquee Yankees and Red Sox were left out in the cold. The real surprise last year, though, was that none of the AL East qualifiers won even a single playoff game, with Toronto and Tampa Bay getting swept in the wild-card round and Baltimore dropping three straight to Texas in the Division Series.
But in ’24, the AL East will once again be the most competitive top-to-bottom division in baseball. The Yankees have the talent and depth to make their postseason absence a brief one. Adding Juan Soto to a lineup that ranked 25th in scoring is a bold step toward returning to the playoffs, as he and Aaron Judge, who missed two months last season with a toe injury, will form perhaps the best one-two punch in the league. The Orioles, after emerging from their yearslong rebuild to win 101 games in ’23, look set for this year and beyond. They have the strongest farm system in MLB, a young core of everyday players and former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes, whom they acquired from the Brewers in February. With new ownership taking over, it appears that Baltimore’s window for contending is just beginning to open.
The Blue Jays and Rays, meanwhile, made only minor upgrades to their already strong rosters. Toronto has reached the playoffs in three of the past four seasons but has been swept out of the wild-card round each year. Tampa Bay has made the past five postseasons, though it hasn’t won a series since advancing to the 2020 Fall Classic.
As for the Red Sox? Their offseason moves have done little to inspire confidence. Boston fans have limited patience for rebuilds, but all signs point toward the recent reshuff ling in the division being the new normal.