2021 AL East Preview

You know we're getting back to some semblance of normalcy when you're looking at a Thursday start to the Major League Baseball season with a full 162 game slate scheduled. And since they're going all out on this... I figure I need to get back to my normal pattern as well.

Last year I didn't do a preview series for Major League Baseball because of the delay in the start of the season, then the quick start up to the abridged one. But with a full year coming up, I feel like I need to get back to my usual pattern. So each of the next few days, I'll look at two divisions a day, alternating leagues as I used to, finishing up with the division hosting our defending champion. With the playoff picture for 2021 up in the air, I won't go into Wild Card picks since my picks could be rendered meaningless in a month or two, I'll just go with record projections.

So, without further ado, here's my first look at the upcoming season.

2019 MLB Preview: AL East

And with this, we are at the end of the preview road.

Back on Monday I started going division by division to look at the upcoming Major League Baseball season, alternating leagues and moving across the country. As is customary, I always conclude with the defending champion's division.

So to wrap this all up, let's grab a look at the AL East. Happy baseball season!

2018 MLB Preview: AL East

I'm changing up the rate at which I'm cranking out previews this year. If you're reading this and are surprised that I put out a pair of previews in one day, that's the plan.

I'm doing two divisions a day for the next couple of days as well, rounding things out with the division of our defending World Series champion. This year we're starting out east again and after covering the National League side of this geography, we're moving on to the AL East.

2017 MLB Preview: AL East

We're just a week away from the start of the 2017 Major League Baseball season, which means I need to start doing baseball predictions again!

The 2017 season will run alongside the MLB Tournament of Champions for about three and a half months up until we hit time for that postseason. You can read up on more about that here.

As is my custom, I preview each division individually, going with one each day. I alternate leagues, and always end with the division containing the defending champion. So finally, I get to end with the one I've always wanted to. But for now, we start in the American League, and we'll start out east.

2016 MLB Predictions: AL East

There's no April Fools' jokes here from me. I'm going honest on this prankster holiday with my fourth set of MLB predictions.

We're staying out east today before heading to the heartland this weekend, but today we're looking at one of the more competitive divisions in a lot of recent memory. Let's take a look at the AL East.

2015 MLB Preview: AL East

Spring is upon us. It's starting to warm up again (finally), we've had about a month of spring training baseball to whet the appetite, and we're just a week away from lighting mups at Wrigley Field.

So, as is my custom, I'm going to go division by division and take a look at all 30 clubs, complete with predictions. I look forward to totally overrating a couple clubs while some surprises sneak in and throw everything off, as happens every year.

Since last year's World Series champion came out of the National League West, I'm starting in the opposite league on the opposite coast. You can view last year's AL East predictions here.

2013 MLB Preview: AL East

At this point, a lot of my investment in basketball is over. My bracket is dead, North Central's basketball team bowed out last night in a tough Final Four matchup against Amherst, and I'm not really confident in the Bulls or holding out hope for The Return. So with the start of the MLB season a week away, I figure it's probably time to start previewing that as best as I can.

Like last year's series, I'm going to do this division-by-division, ranking each team 1-5 and noting the two wild card teams from each league. I'll go back to last year's division previews as well and try to forecast how I think each team will do this season.

My other hope is that sometime before the season starts I can finish up a project that has been a few years in the making that you baseball stat geeks might enjoy. It just depends on how much free time I have. Until then, let's preview some baseball.

AL East
I'm starting out here in what is probably once again, top to bottom, the best division in baseball (and I'm not sensationalizing this because of East Coast bias, I honestly think this is probably the best overall division). Last year I wasn't even close on the predictions, if only because I didn't expect Bobby Valentine and the Boston locker room to have such division and I, like most people, didn't see Baltimore coming. Hopefully I can navigate the turbulent waters out there this year a little better.

1. Toronto Blue Jays
2012: 73-89, 4th in AL East
This has been a team on the rise a little bit with the youth movement in Brett Lawrie and the emergence of Jose Bautista as a premier slugger. But this team also got a lot better with some offseason moves/being the beneficiaries of the worst owner in baseball. Mark Buehrle may not be the pitcher he once was, but he can eat up innings, and with the addition of Josh Johnson and R.A. Dickey as well to bolster the rotation, these guys have a lot of balance, and I think that might be enough to get them a division crown for the first time in a long time.
2013 Projection: 95-67

2. Tampa Bay Rays
2012: 90-72, 3rd in AL East
I think the Rays make it back this year despite tough competition. As long as David Price is anchoring that rotation, this team is going to be fine. Their lineup is still solid, and while I don't think they're quite as potent in all areas as Toronto will be, they're going to be right in the race until the very end.
2013 Projection: 92-70, Wild Card



3. Baltimore Orioles
2012: 93-69, 2nd in AL East, lost in ALDS
You can't sleep on this team this year. I like how their lineup looks overall with a lot of really good young players like Matt Weiters and Adam Jones. Really, that outfield might be the best in the division. I think the rotation is good, but not great, and that might hurt them a little bit when you compare them to Tampa (I don't like the lack of a defined ace). They're still going to be in the hunt though.
2013 Projection: 90-72

4. New York Yankees
2012: 95-67, 1st in AL East, lost in ALCS
Even with a good rotation anchored by CC Sabathia and Huroki Kuroda plus the return of Mariano Rivera, I think the Yankees are going to struggle to start the year. Mark Texiera (wrist), Curtis Granderson (forearm) and Alex Rodriguez (hip) are both going to miss at least the first month or 2 of the season. That's only 3 of your best hitters, putting a lot of pressure on Robinson Cano and Derek Jeter, who is nursing an ankle injury and might be ready for Opening Day. With that many question marks, you wonder how well this team can tread water in the interim until they're back to full strength. At that point, 2013 might be a lost cause for the Bombers.
2013 Projection: 84-78

5. Boston Red Sox
2012: 69-93, 5th in AL East
I'm still not used to a world where Boston is awful. That rotation has a blend of young arms and decent veterans, which isn't a terrible thing long term, but I'm not sure how well that bodes for 2013's fortunes. Adding Mike Napoli was a good move, but I think it's going to take John Farrell a little time to get this club together and on board for a good season. It might be a long summer at Fenway.
2013 Projection: 74-88

Tomorrow I'll move across leagues and cover the NL East as we move west across the country. Last year I ended with the NL Central, being a Cubs fan and all, but this year I'm going to end with the division that holds the defending World Series Champion, so we'll do the West last this season. You can read the different previews by clicking on the links in the Confessions Archive on the right for easy navigation, especially since all the previews will be done before the end of March.