We simply cannot wait for the new MLB season to start, and we are counting down the days until the very first pitch. If you are like us and love the MLB, then you definitely need to have a read on below, as we take a look at each and every team from the AL East and analyze their chances for success in this brand new season.
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles will enter the 2023 season with high expectations after a 31-game improvement last year and posting their first winning season since 2016. The Orioles finished fourth in the AL East and missed the playoffs for the sixth straight year but became the first team since 1899 to post a winning record after losing 110 games the previous season.
Outfielder Anthony Santander smacked a career-high 33 home runs and led the team with 89 RBIs, while first baseman Ryan Mountcastle tallied 22 dingers and drove in 85 runs. Third baseman Ramon Urias won his first Gold Glove, and catcher Adley Rutschman finished runner-up for the 2022 AL Rookie of the Year Award. Other notable hitters include Cedric Mullins, Austin Hays, Gunnar Henderson, Kyle Stowers, and Adam Frazier.
Monday lineup! pic.twitter.com/34ojOa4G1B
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) March 20, 2023
The Orioles signed free-agent hurlers Kyle Gibson and Cole Irvin to anchor a pitching staff that ranked 17th last season with a 3.97 ERA. Dean Kremer and southpaw John Means will also be in the starting rotation.
Means missed the majority of the 2022 campaign after having Tommy John surgery. Top prospect Grayson Rodriguez is an excellent bet to claim a rotation spot, and 6-foot-5 right-hander Felix Bautista is an elite closer with electric stuff.
Baltimore should have added a left-handed slugger during the offseason and will rely on a talented crop of young hitters in the toughest division in the big leagues. The pitching rotation remains the most significant question mark for skipper Brandon Hyde and hinges on the healthy return of Means. The Orioles should contend for a Wild Card spot if their starting pitchers remain healthy.
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox will hope to improve on a disastrous 2022 season that saw the franchise suffer a losing record for the first time since 2015. The Red Sox lost 14 more games than they did in 2021 and finished in the division’s cellar. A slew of players – Xander Bogaerts, Nathan Eovaldi, J.D. Martinez, Rich Hill, and Michael Wacha – signed free-agent deals with other teams.
Third baseman Rafael Devers batted .295 and led the Red Sox with 27 homers and 88 RBIs. Alex Verdugo drove in 74 runs while hitting .280 with 11 dingers, and Trevor Story, who is out indefinitely following right elbow surgery, tallied 16 long balls and 66 RBIs.
Free agent Justin Turner replaces Martinez as the primary designated hitter, and Japanese outfielder Masatka Yoshida joins Adam Duvall in a new-look outfield. Top prospect Triston Casas is penciled in at first base, with Kike Hernandez, Christian Arroyo, and Reese McGuire rounding out the infield.
Love to see JT back and swinging it! pic.twitter.com/sO1rTqTyq6
— Red Sox (@RedSox) March 20, 2023
Staff ace Chris Sale logged just 5.2 innings last year due to multiple injuries. The southpaw has only pitched 48.1 frames over the past two regular seasons. Right-hander Nick Pivetta posted a 10-12 record and led the team with 175 strikeouts, and 179.2 innings pitched.
The Red Sox signed Corey Kluber, who went 10-10 with a 4.34 ERA in 2022. Due to injuries to James Paxton, Brayan Bello, and Garrett Whitlock; Tanner Houck and Kutter Crawford are on track to open the season in the starting rotation. Boston also signed free-agent closer Kenley Jansen.
The Red Sox have significant question marks in their batting lineup and starting rotation, and will struggle in the rugged AL East. Boston will miss the playoffs and finish in the basement for the second straight season.
New York Yankees
The 2022 New York Yankees endured a Jekyll and Hyde campaign with 64 wins in the first half of the season before compiling a 35-35 record after the All-Star Game. The Yankees claimed their 30th straight winning season and won their second AL East title in four years. New York ousted the Cleveland Guardians in the Division Series before getting swept by the Houston Astros in the Championship Series.
The reigning AL MVP, Aaron Judge, mashed 62 home runs last season to shatter the American League single-season home run record. The 6-foot-7 slugger also led the league with 131 RBIs. Anthony Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton tallied 32 and 31 homers, respectively, and second baseman Gleyber Torres added 24 dingers.
Infielders Josh Donaldson and DJ LeMahieu will be looking to bounce back after subpar seasons at the plate in 2022. Other projected starters include outfielders Harrison Bader and Aaron Hicks, catcher Jose Trevino, and top prospect Oswald Peraza at shortstop.
Pregame Prep 🙌 pic.twitter.com/b3U2IcYkfp
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 19, 2023
Staff ace Gerrit Cole headlines a deep and talented starting rotation. Cole went 13-8 a year ago with a 3.50 ERA and a league-high 257 strikeouts. The Yankees signed free-agent Carlos Rodon to a six-year, $162 million contract.
The lefty posted a 14-8 record with a 2.88 ERA and 237 strikeouts in 2022. Southpaw Nestor Cortez (12-4, 2.44) and Luis Severino (7-3, 3.18) are both solid pieces in the back of the rotation, and closer Clay Holmes recorded 20 saves last season.
The Bronx Bombers have health concerns regarding their batting lineup but boast one of the league’s top pitching rotations. New York is primed to defend their AL East crown, but nothing is guaranteed in arguably the strongest division in the majors.
Tampa Bay Rays
The small-market Tampa Bay Rays advanced to the postseason for the fourth straight year in 2022 despite a rash of injuries to key players. The Ray finished third in the rugged AL East and lost to the Cleveland Guardians in the Wild Card Series.
Left fielder Randy Arozarena batted .263 and led the team with 20 homers, 89 RBIs, and 32 stolen bases. Third baseman Isaac Paredes belted 20 long balls in just 331 at-bats, and Yandy Diaz hit .296 with 33 doubles and a team-high 78 walks.
Stud shortstop Wander Franco was limited to 83 games, tallied 20 two-baggers, and drove in 33 runs. Other notable hitters include second baseman Brandon Lowe, and outfielders Harold Ramirez and Jose Siri.
The boys are bashing 💥 pic.twitter.com/w5e3izcaqM
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) March 20, 2023
Left-hander Shane McClanahan is the top pitcher on a solid starting rotation. The 25-year-old posted a 12-8 record with a 2.54 ERA and 194 strikeouts for the league’s fourth-ranked pitching unit.
Right-hander Drew Rasmussen went 11-7 with a 2.84 ERA, while southpaw Jeffrey Springs compiled a 9-5 mark with a 2.46 ERA. The Rays signed free-agent pitcher Zach Eflin, and often-injured righty Tyler Glasnow should be healthy sometime in April after making just two starts a year ago.
Tampa Bay will feature a top-5 pitching staff again and should see an increase in offensive production with a healthy Franco and Lowe. The Rays will contend for a Wild Card playoff berth and qualify for the postseason for the fifth consecutive season.
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays will open the 2023 season with lofty expectations in a new-look Rogers Centre that has moved in the outfield walls significantly. The Blue Jays finished second in the division last year but were swept by the Seattle Mariners in the Wild Card series.
First baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. headlines one of the league’s top offensive lineups. The 23-year-old power hitter slashed .274 with 32 home runs and 97 RBIs, while third baseman Matt Chapman slugged 27 dingers.
Outfielder George Springer tallied 25 homers and 76 RBIs in 133 games, and shortstop Bo Bichette batted .290 with 24 long balls and banged home 93 runs. The Jays added a trio of left-handed bats – Brandon Belt, Dalton Varsho, and Kevin Kiermaier – to a lineup that includes second baseman Whit Merrifield and catcher Alejandro Kirk.
Gaus The Boss 😤@KevinGausman has a 0.00 ERA this spring! pic.twitter.com/svvPODFk20
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) March 20, 2023
Right-handers Alek Manoah and Kevin Gausman form one of the majors top 1-2 punches. Manoah went 16-7 with a 2.24 ERA and 180 strikeouts, while Gausman posted a 12-10 record with a 3.35 ERA and a team-best 205 strikeouts.
Toronto inked free-agent hurler Chris Bassitt to a three-year, $63 million deal, and the righty will join Jose Berrios and southpaw Yusei Kikuchi in the starting rotation. Closer Jordan Romano finished fourth in the league a year ago with 36 saves.
The Blue Jays have all the pieces to challenge the Yankees for supremacy in the AL East but need more depth behind their starting rotation. However, this team is a legitimate World Series contender if they can avoid the injury bug.
When the 2023 MLB season does eventually begin, make sure SportsTips is your go-to destination for MLB picks. We will provide MLB picks for each and every game of the season from our experts, so you can place your bets with more confidence!
