AL East Predictions: Projecting the top 3 teams for the MLB 2022 season
The American League East division of the MLB has always enthralled fans, as it includes some of the most storied teams in baseball. The last postseason saw three of the five teams in this division reach the playoffs. The Boston Red Sox got as far as the MLB American League Conference Series but eventually lost in a riveting series to the Houston Astros.
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To say there has been no shortage of movement among the teams in the MLB would be an understatement. Player changes have been chaotic recently, from massive free agent signings to blockbuster trades. Although this year's American League East predictions are anyone's guess, here is what we think.
2022 AL East predictions - tearing apart the top teams in the most storied division in the MLB
#3 New York Yankees
The New York Yankees certainly did some heavy housecleaning this offseason. They made a trade that changed the very nature of their order, bringing in catcher Ben Rortvedt, shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and third baseman Josh Donaldson from the Minnesota Twins. However, the money and status of the infield now eclipses the remainder of the squad. With the possible exception of Gerrit Cole, the starting rotation is truly not a winning one. The New York Yankees starters allowed a 3.95 ERA last year. It's not a terrible statistic, but it's also one that begs the question of why there isn't more money aimed that direction. Our AL East predictions put them third.
#2 Tampa Bay Rays
Last year's division winners will be keen to follow up on their success. Catcher Mike Zunino was unquestionably the breakout player for the Tampa Bay Rays last season. He belted out 33 home runs and 62 RBI after sitting out the majority of the previous two seasons. The Rays skills go deeper than the home-grown catcher. The Rays bullpen is deep. Only three pitchers in its entire staff finished last season with a losing record. It looks as though the Rays will be going far again. Our AL East predictions put them second.
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#1 Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays have been able to break into the postseason a handful of times over the past several seasons but have not been to the World Series since 1993, when they won it for the second time in as many years. The Jays were in a similar spot to the Orioles in 2016-2017 when their pair of All-Star sluggers, Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista, left the club, and they were thus forced to rebuild. They wasted no time in adopting some dynamic new players like Vlad Guerrero Jr., who led the MLB in home runs last year with 48, and Lourdes Gurriel. The youthful clubhouse is backed up by veterans like George Springer, who can hit, run, and field with the best of them. The team has been waiting in the reeds to do something special for years now. This might just be their year. Our AL East predictions put them first.
Those are our predictions for the MLB American League East Division in 2022. These teams seem to have in the works the makings of winning teams. However, underdogs and dark horses are known to circumvent predictions and make for surprising stories. We will have to wait until the end of the MLB season to see.