The AL East is a fascinating division, one of the toughest in either league. We have the Orioles coming out on top but it will be close, with the Rays, Blue Jays and Yankees all in with a shout.

The New York Yankees, have got many pundits rather excited, as they pick the Yankees as the “best of the rest” behind the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers, with a real shot of making the World Series. They need to bounce back after a poor season last year. The Yankees were hampered by injuries and they did not make the postseason for the first time in quite a while. Well, we also see them in the hunt with a projected 92 wins, but in a terribly competitive division. The Yankees have made quite a splash in the offseason, signing Juan Soto, a deal which has been seen in many quarters as a complete gamechanger, a batter of the highest quality. However, they need more pitchers, despite the signing of Carlos Stroman.

If, and it's a big if, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton can stay fit, then with Soto they have a line up to hurt anybody, but it is a big ask.

Toronto's Blue Jays will certainly be in the mix come October time. Wth a projection of 94 wins the Blue Jays are primed to outshine their last season's performance. Their starting rotation is brimming with talent that's more than just reliable—it's deep. Alek Manoah, despite last year's struggles, could bounce back strongly, with many tipping him to do so. With pitchers like Jose Berrios, Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassit, and Yusei Kikuchi, the Jays have the artillery to remain formidable contenders through the long season. On the batting front, their cadre of burgeoning stars has matured by a season, which bodes well for their development trajectory. Newly signed veteran Justin Turner brings stability and experience to the infield. Additionally, the under-the-radar acquisition of Isiah Kiner-Falefa could prove to be more than useful, giving Toronto a versatile asset across the diamond.

The Baltimore Orioles enjoyed a standout 2023 season, finishing first in the AL East with a record of 101 wins and 61 losses. This strong performance marked their best showing in the 21st century and was their first division win since 2014. The team’s success was a significant turnaround from their previous years, indicating a resurgence of the franchise, which for many years had been languishing in the doldrums. Their batting average was ranked 10th in the league at .255, and they were 7th in earned run average (ERA) at 3.89, reflecting a balanced strength in both offence and pitching. Despite their brilliant season and their top seed ranking in the playoffs, they were no match for the Texas Rangers who swept them 3-0.

They have some excellent and really exciting breakout starts in Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson and a robust pitching rotation, however, the game changer could be the signing of star pitcher, Corbin Burnes from the Brewers. It is hard to predict that the Orioles will have another 101 winning game season, but we have them topping the division with around 99 wins. Add to this potent mix the fact that the Orioles have just been sold for around $1.7 billion to a new ownership group led by David Rubenstein, a Baltimore native and co-founder of the private equity firm The Carlyle Group. He is known as a lifelong fan of the team and has expressed his commitment to building upon the recent success of the Orioles and aiming to bring a World Series trophy back to Baltimore. Whilst they may fall short again in the postseason, don’t be surprised if the Orioles are fighting it out for the World Series come October.

Another strong candidate in a ridiculously strong division is perennial overachievers, Tampa Bay. With a 95-win projection, they continue to defy expectations. Their innovative approach to the game—emphasising versatility and analytics—has brought repeated success. THis post season has been marked by significant transfers as star ace Tyler Glasnow and star batter Manuel Margot have gone to the Dodgers in exchange for Jonny DeLuca and pitcher Ryan Pepiot. It will be fascinating to see how they go, and they will be right in the mix for a Wild Card Spot if not the division itself.

The Boston Red Sox, projected at 65 wins, face a tough challenge, navigating through a season of change and adaptation. While not destined for the bottom of the standings, their current roster doesn't quite scream AL East champions. The offseason was a carousel of intriguing decisions, the headline being the swap of Chris Sale for Atlanta's budding star, Vaughn Grissom. Grissom is expected to become a mainstay at second base, bringing a fresh spark to the infield.

Lucas Giolito, once a premier pitcher, has joined the ranks, with Boston betting on his return to form. His arm adds a veteran presence to the pitching staff, with an eye towards bolstering his value in the market. Tyler O'Neill, the athletic outfielder with a wealth of potential, was another key acquisition from St. Louis. The Red Sox faithful will be eager to see if these moves translate to an on-field resurgence as the team seeks to reestablish itself as a force in the notoriously tough AL East.

The Central Divisions in both the American League and the National League are a little bit in the doldrums. Unlike the AL East, there really isn’t too much to shout about. Both the Kansas City Royals and the Chicago White Sox will struggle this year, (the White Sox will really struggle), and the Twins should be clear to win the division. The Detroit Tigers might muster a challenge and they might even get a wild card spot. Some pundits also like what the Cleveland Guardians are doing, so whilst on paper it looks to be a fairly straightforward and mundane division, it could become a three way shootout. However, that is just for the division, and once the postseason gets rolling, whoever does make it from the AL Central, don’t expect them to hang around long.

Let’s start with the Minnesota Twins, outright favourites to win the division, and with a small chance of going far in the postseason. Reasons for Twins fans to be optimistic? Last year was a good year for the Twins. Improving significantly on previous recent efforts they won the division well clear of any challengers with 87 games. They had a good pitching staff led by Pablo Lopez and Sonny Gray and good batters in Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton. This year they should repeat last years’ success and win the division. If Correa and Buxton can stay fit and Royce Lewis continues his emergence as a star, they could be a force to be reckoned with. The Twins have lost Sonny Gray to the Cardinals but they have a decent starting rotation which should be more than enough to win the division. They are missing depth and aces to take them much further in the postseason though.

The Detroit Tigers are a cool team to watch out for. One of the youngest teams around, they had a decent last season ending up winning 81 and losing 81 games. This offseason they have looked to build by adding a few veterans to the lineup to support their youngsters. The Tigers haven’t gone crazy with the cheque book though, mainly relying on their depth of younger talent coming through. It could be an interesting season for the Tigers, if they can continue their upward trajectory with the younger players and the new signings of Mark Canha, Kenta Maeda, and Jack Flaherty make the impact that is expected of them. Look out for the Tigers moving up and if things work out, even challenging for the AL Central title.

The Cleveland Guardians are many people’s pick to take second spot in the division. We have the Tigers making a slightly bigger jump, although it is not unfeasible to imagine the Guardians making a leap. A solid if unspectacular team. Last year it managed to put some good stretches together but struggled for consistency. Their offence lacks home runs, finishing almost bottom of the pile in that regard last year, but they make up for it with stolen bases and base hits. Again, their pitching is solid if unspectacular. Led by Shane Bieber with an ERA of 3.73 being the pick of the bunch.

The Kansas City Royals are an interesting team. Many are picking the Royals to surprise quite a few people. We don’t have them doing very much this year though. The big news for the Royals this offseason was the signing of 23 year old Bobby Witt Jr. to a superstar 11 year $288 million contract. The rest of their team has experience (another way of saying they’re on the older side of things and don’t add up to too much. A lot will depend on Bobby if this team is to defy expectations. Pitching wise it will be interesting to see if young Cole Ragans can build on last year but otherwise it will be a struggle. The signing of Witt Jr. to a big deal shows intent, but as to what, it is not so clear. Don’t expect the Royals to surprise.

Propping up this sorry state of affairs in the AL Central is a team which is in a select group of 4 of having their predicted chances of winning the World Series come out at 0.00%. They are the Chicago White Sox. Last year they won just 61 games and it's not looking prettier this time around. Luis Robert Jr is the likely pick of the batters after 38 home runs last year. Around him Andrew Vaughn might offer support but for the rest, good times will be thin on the ground. Dylan Cease could be a star pitcher so it will be interesting to see his progression. However, again, the White Sox need a big rebuild in this department as well.

Overall, the AL Central looks like a straightforward win for the Minnesota Twins, however if the Tigers and Guardians can improve slightly as a team, we could have a three way contest.

The AL West contains the previous two champions in the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros. Add to that the Seattle Mariners who missed out on the postseason by one win last year and you have a competitive division. The other two teams will be notable, but notable for their paucity of victories.

Let's start with the Texas Rangers - the reigning champions. In stunning form, Texas won their away games in the postseason 11-0 and beat fancied teams such as the Tampa Bay Rays, the Baltimore Orioles, division rivals the Houston Astros before beating the Arizona Diamondbacks in the final. In the regular season the Rangers had a 90-72 record which was a tie with the Astros but they had a worse head to head record so they came in second. How can you build on the best season in your history? It will be a challenge and their postseason activity hasn’t been too inspiring. They’ve lost Jordan Montgomery who was decent at the end of last season and is a free agent, as well as Mitch Garver and a couple of others. They haven’t added much, but David Robertson is a decent reliever.

In Texas’ favour they have a very strong opening 3 batters in Semien, Seagar and García, which should pave the way for last year’s rookie Evan Carter to build on his impressive start and so the runs should be getting on the board. The Rangers' problem (it’s relative) is their pitching. They have a solid starting rotation led by Nathan Evoaldi, however the rest is good but not spectacular. They are hampered by injuries to two aces, Jacob DeGrom and Max Scherzer, in DeGrom’s case, ruling him out for the entire season. Despite that, we consider that the Rangers are being significantly underestimated this year. Whilst it is very difficult to win back to back World Series, their form at the end of last year is not to be sniffed at. FanGraphs has them winning just 82 games and coming in third. We see the Rangers, who finished atop of ThreeAndTwo’s ELO Rankings last year, as likely to continue their progression and even win over 100 games and top the division. It is hard to see their batting lineup as anything but excellent and their pitching staff will be buoyed by their performances in the postseason last year.

Competing with the Rangers will be their state rivals, the Houston Astros, as was the case last year. Houston have been pretty quiet in the offseason apart from signing star closer Josh Hader to a big contract. FanGraphs has the Astros as topping the division with 91 games and the third best record in the MLB. We think they may even win more games but still lose their AL West Crown to the Texas Rangers. Their batting will be more than decent with the veteran Altuve leading the line, followed by Alvarez, Bregman and Tucker, which is a very strong lineup. They are well supported by the rest of the lineup as well, with no obvious weaknesses. When it comes to their pitching it is a slightly different picture. Their leading ace in Justin Verlander is injured with a stiff shoulder but the Astros are hopeful he will be good for the 2024 season. However, at 41 it will be a big ask to lead the team to victory come October. Outside of Verlander they have the excellent Framber Valdez ranked as the 9th best starting pitcher by Roster Resource. However, apart from Valdez, it is slim pickings. The Astros will have to rely on a good bullpen led by the new star closer in Hader, and supported by Pressly and Abreu. Overall, it is a well balanced team which could do with another pitcher to challenge in October.

Then we have the Seattle Mariners. A good solid team which many could be very decent if their board had an ounce of ambition. A solid batting lineup is led by the face of the club, Julio Rodriguez, with a RosterResource ranking of 15th. Beyond him, there are a couple of players who could help out including Jorge Polanco and new signing, Mitch Garver. However, around them it is more solid than spectacular. Seattle will win a decent amount of games as it has a pretty good pitching lineup. Luis Castillo, Logan Gilbert and George Kirby are an excellent trio to have in the starting rotation, with Kirby being a pitcher we particularly like the look of and could step up to be one of the best pitchers in the league this year. The bullpen is OK at best, with Andrés Muñoz and Gabe Speier and young Gregory Santos boasting reasonable numbers. Overall, the Mariners are a nice looking team with some decent pitching and potential superstar in Julio Rodriguez. We have the Mariners having a very good season with 93 wins, but that could still only be good enough for 3rd place in the division. However a wild card spot should be well on the cards (so to speak), and then come October, with that starting pitching, a really good run is more than possible. We doubt they have the firepower though to go all the way.

The Los Angeles Angels…oh Angels, Angels. What have you done? Two of the greatest players of all time in the same team for six years, and what to show for it? Shadows and dust. With Shohei Ohtani moving to cross-town rivals in the Dodgers and becoming a true megastar in the process, the duo is no more. Mike Trout, one of the best ever, has a bigger burden to bear than Atlas if the Angels are to get anywhere this year. And Trout has come off an injury hit season, can he get back to the top as he languishes in 197th position in RosterResource’s batting ranking. Let us not beat around the bush, Trout is great. And if reports are to be believed, he has a glint in his eye and with rumours of a possible trade being possible if Angels do not look competent this year, this could be his year when the King reclaims the crown from all the young pretenders. Around him, he will have little to no help in the batting lineup…maybe Brandon Drury and Anthony Rendon could have a comeback of sorts. Pitching wise there is nothing to shout about, except maybe young 23 year old Chase Silseth could be good, a 3.96 ERA in 8 starts being the most eye-catching figures and you get an idea of what the Angels are up against. Our computer isn’t very hopeful for the Angels, predicting them to win just 59 games. However, other projections are more optimistic, around the 73 win mark, still not good enough to reach the postseason. However, when you have the Pelé of baseball in your team, just imagine the bedlam if he gets hot and single handedly takes Angels to the postseason. It would be a fantastic story, unfortunately, in all probability, not one which is to be told this year.

Then we have the Moneyball team itself, the Oakland Athletics, destined to move to Las Vegas from 2028. What must Billy Beane think of all this mess? Predicted to be one of the worst teams this year, they are destined for a really tough season with only 51 wins predicted by ThreeAndTwo and only 50 by Fangraphs. No batting, no pitching, no bullpen, the less said about the A’s, the better.

Overall the AL West should be an absolutely fascinating division and one we are most looking forward to. Will the Rangers deliver and start a dynasty? How will the Astros react to their noisy neighbours? Can Trout touch baseball immortality and take Angels far on his own? Will the Mariners sneak a surprise run into October? And will the Oakland A’s really be that bad?

Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers are navigating through a period of change, highlighted by the departure of significant team figures. Yet, they maintain a robust lineup, featuring Rhys Hoskins, who is expected to provide considerable power. Their pitching staff, led by Freddy Peralta and Devin Williams, suggests they could still be competitive in the division.

Chicago Cubs
The Cubs have made strategic offseason moves, including hiring Craig Counsell as manager and acquiring talent like Cody Bellinger. These changes, combined with a promising pitching duo in Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga, position the Cubs as strong contenders. The mix of veteran leadership and youthful talent on the team points to a potentially successful season.

Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates present a youthful and dynamic roster, with players such as Oneil Cruz, Ke’Bryan Hayes, and Bryan Reynolds laying the foundation for improvement. The anticipated major league debut of pitcher Paul Skenes adds to the excitement, with the potential to strengthen a pitching lineup that could surprise many.

Cincinnati Reds
After a surprising performance in 2023, the Reds aim to continue their momentum with a roster rich in young talent. Despite a low payroll, the team competes vigorously, underscored by key players like Hunter Greene and Elly De La Cruz. The acquisition of Frankie Montas could provide the necessary veteran presence to bolster their rotation and playoff aspirations.

St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals, positioned in the middle of the pack, will rely on veterans such as Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado, while also looking for breakout performances from younger players. The balance of experience and emerging talent will be critical for their success, with their starting rotation playing a pivotal role in their season's outcome.

Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers, with their enviable lineup featuring Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman, are set for a historic season. Their offense looks unstoppable, and despite some uncertainties in their rotation, their depth makes them formidable postseason contenders.

Arizona Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks are looking to build on their surprising World Series run, led by stars Zac Gallen and Corbin Carroll. They're aiming to prove their success was no fluke and establish themselves as serious contenders within the division.

San Diego Padres
With stars like Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado, the Padres are prepared to leave a mark. Their off-season moves and the potential of their young talent set the stage for them to challenge the division's best.

San Francisco Giants
The Giants, with a mix of veterans and newcomers, could be the dark horse for a wild card spot. The guidance of experienced manager Bob Melvin and strategic new additions gives them a solid foundation for a potential surprise run.

Colorado Rockies
The Rockies face a tough season ahead, with significant improvements needed across the board. Their hopes rest on the shoulders of key players who must step up to lift the team out of the division's basement.