AL East: The AL East race comes down to two teams: The New York Yankees and The Boston Red Sox. They both made the most noise in the offseason, with the Yankees acquiring Giancarlo Stanton in a trade with the rebuilding Miami Marlins, and the Red Sox signing free agent power slugger J.D. Martinez. This season should see a rebirth in the rivalry between the two teams — and I’m not complaining. Baseball Prospectus predicts the Yankees will win the division and finish the season with a 96–66 record. It’s quite simple for the Bronx Bombers: if they can find stability and consistency in their pitching staff, they will win the division and be a heavy World Series favorite.

In their only notable offseason move to bolster the rotation, the Yankees resigned veteran starter CC Sabathia, who was good last season (3.69 ERA in 27 games pitched) but it feels like the boys in the pin stripes need one more quality starter to slot in the rotation before they can be a complete team. They already have a strong bullpen and Sonny Gray could prove to be an x-factor for the Yankees after he was acquired at the trade deadline last season, but don’t be surprised if the Yankees shop for another starter come the trade deadline this season.

Much like their rivals, the Red Sox will use their offensive prowess to fill other voids on the roster. On paper, Boston has the edge for strongest starting rotation in the division, but the question remains if the group can stay healthy (how bad does the David Price contract look now?). Surprisingly — or not, considering how slow the offseason was — the Red Sox did little else aside from signing Martinez to help their ball club in the offseason. Considering that Boston lost Doug Fister and Addison Reed in the offseason, like the Yankees, the Red Sox could be shoppers for pitching to solidify the back end of the rotation and bullpen come the trade deadline.

(The Boston Globe)

The Orioles, Blue Jays and Rays are the unlucky trio in the AL East. All three teams are in a quasi-rebuilding phase, but none of the teams are bad enough to completely tank and finish at the bottom of the MLB standings at season’s end. The Rays let nearly half of their team go this offseason — RHP Brad Boxberger, RHP Alex Cobb, OF Corey Dickerson, 1B Lucas Duda, 3B Evan Longoria, 1B Logan Morrison, RHP Jake Odorizzi, OF Steven Souza Jr- but the slew of prospects they acquired this offseason could pan out and help make the Rays a respectable team. As for the Blue Jays and Orioles, it seems as if both franchises are stuck in neutral for the time being.

Division Winner: Yankees

Wild Card spot: Red Sox