I’ve never been one for predictions, but since I’m writing this baseball blog, I decided to do a standings prediction for the AL East. It’s the division I follow most by default, and the one I’m most familiar with. It’s the only one I am going to do. The other two AL divisions I’ve only scant knowledge about (even though I live 2 hours from Cleveland), and I don’t see many NL contests. So without further ado, here we go!

  • NY Yankees. I have some misgivings about them, since I believe they are a fragile #1 team. An awful lot has to go right for this team to win the East. Aging players have to have seasons that rival some of their best; no one can get injured; young players will need to step up. 95 wins.
  • Boston Red Sox. The signing of Alex Bregman really moved the needle here. Cheatin' Bregman is reunited with Cheatin' Cora, which may bring an added charge to the team. Rafael Devers is a potent offensive threat, Trevor Story should continue to hit, maybe Tristan Casas taps into that power a bit more. Ceddanne Rafaela brings speed to the basepaths, and in terms of pitching, Tanner Houck, Brayan Bello, Garret Crochet, Cooper Criswell and Lucas Giolito could be a potent rotation. 92 wins.
  • Baltimore Orioles. I had high hopes for Baltimore really coming on last season, but the youngsters faded. Is the leagues catching up to these kids? Can they make adjustments? Can they play 162 strong? This year I think is critical for them. They lack a true stud in their rotation. Grayson Rodriguez will need to come back strong from injury. It’s hard to gauge how long Adley Rutschman will last behind the plate before he transitions to 1B/DH, otherwise his bat may fade. Jackson Holliday, Jordan Westberg and Gunner Henderson have to take it up a notch. Even Colton Cowser, as good as he was last year, has to put in a full year of power hitting. 89 wins
  • Tamp Bay Rays. Since losing Wander Franco to sexual stupidity, the Rays have had to pivot somewhat. He was their power bat of the future, and right now the Rays need power more than anything else. Solid defensively, rich with pitching as usual, but no power bat beyond Yandy Diaz makes their path to the top very difficult. Maybe Junior Caminero comes on this year. Plus, no one really knows what the effect will be with the change in venue to Steinbrenner Field for the 2025 season. Tropicana Field was a dome, and how they will adjust to the heat and humidity over the season is an open question. It may be more wearing on the players than anyone suspects. 84 wins.
  • Toronto Blue Jays. The Jays had absolutely no success in the off-season signing anyone who can make an impact. Every top free agent they pursued signed elsewhere. Bo Bichette and Vlad Guerrerro become free agents at the end of this season if they don’t sign extensions. Their rotation is a mishmash of aging vets (Max Scherzer, Kevin Gausman) with some young starters (Bowden Francis, Zach Pop). Comeback candidates also include Alek Manoah and José Berrios (who wasn’t terrible). George Springer and Anthony Santander should provide much-needed pop to the lineup, but it may not be enough to compensate for the shaky pitching. 81 wins.

There you have it. Come back in October and let’s see how I did.