The American League East is arguably the toughest division in baseball. Over the past years, World Series winners have arisen as well as Wild Card winners. This division has remained a division in which sometimes a team can have 90+ wins and it make the playoffs. Come September, it is the funniest group to watch as anything can happen. This year, each team has some sort of shakeup in lineups. Will it remain the toughest for 2015? Only time will tell.
First Place: Boston Red Sox
2014: 71-91 last in AL East
Biggest Strengths: The offense is the biggest strength in 2015. The Red Sox bolstered their offense this season by adding Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez to fix the offense. They did trade Yoenis Cespedes for Rick Porcello. Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz are both back and will be offensive producers. This infield could be the best in terms of run production. If they stay healthy, they will be.
Biggest Weakness: The pitching, especially the starying rotation, could give them issues this season. They do not have the best rotation in this division. Porcello will be the ace of the staff. The Red Sox did not win in the Jon Lester saga. Clay Buchholz was a disappointment in 2014. He needs to be healthy, and he could be a good man up after Porcello in the rotation. Other than that, there is Joe Kelly, who could wind up as the third starter. Beyond those three, who knows what the rotation will look like?
Impact Player To Watch: Mookie Betts could wind up winning an outfield spot over Rusney Castillo. Betts is a 22-year-old outfield prospect who could make a significant role. In 53 games, he has five home runs and 18 RBI. Another player to watch is Sandoval. The Panda is making a transition from the National to the American League. Sometimes, things do not quite work out after switching. He needs to be productive to live up to his contract.
2015 Prediction: 93-69 first in AL East
Second Place: Baltimore Orioles
2014 record: 96-66 first in the AL East
Biggest Strength: The offense for the Baltimore Orioles will be led by Chris Davis, who is coming back from a suspension. In addition, Matt Weiters and Manny Machado will be back healthy. Pairing them up with Adam Jones and possibly Delmon Young, this team will be good offensively. They will only be good if they stay healthy. We will see how the loss of Nick Markakis will impact in 2015.
Biggest Weakness: Just like the with Red Sox, there are questions about this rotation. This was an area of concern during last year's playoffs. The rotation is young, and there are concerns as to whether or not it can get tough hitters out. Kevin Gausman needs to take charge as the leading ace. Michael Gonzalez was atop the rotation at 10 wins for 2014. Something needs to improve.
Impact Players to watch: Jones is a key player to watch. He will lead the outfield without Markakis. Last season, Jones was an All-Star and had a fantastic year. He needs to continue last year's success. Finally, Young will probably wind up next to Jones at left field. He has not played a full season since 2013. With the loss of Nelson Cruz, somebody has to be another power hitter. Expect Young to have a bounce back season.
2015 Prediction: 88-74 Wild Card
Third place: Tampa Bay Rays
2014 Record: 77-85 fourth in division
Biggest Strength: The Tampa Bay Rays have the best rotation in the East. They quite possibly have one of the best rotations in the American League. Despite all the roster changes, this pitching staff remains intact. Matt Moore will return in July from Tommy John Surgery. Jake Odorizzi and Chris Archer are looking to continue to build on from their impressive 2014 seasons. In addition, Drew Smyly will be in a Rays uniform for a full season and is a Cy Young dark horse nominee early on. Finally, Alex Cobb is healthy and is looking to potentially be a 15-20 game winner this season.
Biggest Weakness: The offense is definitely the biggest weakness. This has been an area of concern, especially when they were last in most categories. Ben Zobrist and Wil Myers are both gone from 2014. Evan Longoria and James Loney cannot carry the team on his offense alone, which is why they brought in Asdrubal Cabrera to help score and drive in runs. Other than that, it is a mystery as to who can help the team offensively.
Impact Players: Ernesto Frieri is joining the Rays as a free agent pickup. He declined a lot last year. Jim Hickey, Rays pitching coach, is looking to make a success story, something the Rays are known for doing. He has already changed up Frieri's pitching style in hopes for a rebound. Another name to keep in mind is Steven Souza. He was the steal in the Myers trade. He will be in his first full season in the Big Leagues. "Can he become an offensive force?" is going to be the real question.
2015 prediction: 85-77 Wild Card -- The Rays thrive in the underdog role, and they will surprise many people as they have done in the past.
Fourth Place: New York Yankees
2014 Record: 84-78 third in division
Biggest Strength: The offense is the biggest strength. Mark Texiera and Alex Rodriguez look to bounce back, but they need to stay healthy. This offseason, the Yankees acquired Didi Gregorious from the Arizona Diamondbacks. He is going to fill the role left by Derek Jeter due to retirement. They also lost Ichiro Suzuki in free agency.
Biggest Weekness: The pitching is going to be a problem in 2015. Masahiro Tanaka has to stay healthy. Beyond him, there are some serious holes in the rotation. Ivan Nova will come back from Tommy John surgery in May or June. The Yankees acquired Nathan Evoldi from the Miami Marlins, and he will be a starter. CC Sabathia and Michael Pineda have serous question marks. Finally, Hiroki Kuroda left for the Japanese league.
Players to watch: Rodriguez is returning from a year-long suspension. Can he be the player he once was, or will the delay take a toll on his body? He will have to prove he is worth a shot in the starting lineup. Finally, Jacoby Ellsbury needs to prove he was worth all the money the Yankees paid for him. Things did not go his way in 2014. Can he bounce back as well?
2015 Prediction: 73-89 fourth in division
Fifth Place: Toronto Blue Jays
2014 season: 83-79 third in the division
Biggest Strength: The offense is the strength for the Toronto Blue Jays. Jose Bautista now has a dynamic offensive player hitting behind him in Russell Martin. The Blue Jays lost Melky Cabrera but replaced him with Josh Donaldson. This offense is better than in 2015.
Biggest Weakness: The outfielders, other than Bautista, may pose a problem. Joe Saunders was brought in to play the starting role in the outfield, but he got injured, and the Blue Jays look desperate now. Kevin Pillar will most likely be a starter. Colby Rasmus left via free agency.
Impact Players to watch: Brett Cecil is a pitcher to watch for in 2015. The Blue Jays do not really have a set closer after Kasey Janssen left via free agency. Cecil was a converted reliever who will most likely fill the role.