MLB 2021 Season Preview-AL East

AL East

Baltimore Orioles

Strengths: Feel-Good Resurgence Stories-Trey Mancini is back playing baseball after a cancer scare and his return to the lineup is one of the stories of the season. To battle back from such a horrible disease that takes your energy and ability away makes him already the frontrunner for Comeback Player of the Year. Matt Harvey is also back in the big leagues after a hiatus, more of his own doing, and he will be looking to consistently pitch in the majors for the first time in multiple years.  

Weaknesses: No Big Bat, No Big Arm-When it comes to the terrible teams in the MLB, this season there are several contenders for dead last, and while the Orioles are one of them, they aren’t the worst. They lack star power in their lineup, rotation, and bullpen but they have serviceable players like Anthony Santander, Maikel Franco, and Pedro Severino in their batting order.

X-Factor: Ryan Mountcastle-The 24 year old former 1st round pick played 35 games for the Orioles last year and hit .333. If he can realize his potential this season and become a big bat in the middle of the lineup then the Orioles have something to look forward to in the future.

Best Bet: Under 63.5 Wins -They are not god-awful like the Pirates or the Rockies but they are still really, really bad.

Boston Red Sox

Strengths: Experience-The Red Sox have a lineup full of recognizable names that have been around the league for several years. Kike Hernandez comes over from the World Champion Dodgers to bat leadoff, Hunter Renfroe comes over from San Diego to play RF, and Garrett Richards and Adam Ottavino are experienced arms that will join the rotation and bullpen respectively.

Weaknesses: The Lingering Sting of the Mookie Betts Trade-Their real weakness is probably their starting pitching but a dark cloud looms over the Red Sox and it is the Mookie Betts trade. Their franchise star and generational talent was due for a new contract that ultra rich owner John Henry decided he didn’t want to fork over. The trade was forced from up top but it was an idiotic baseball decision and it will cost this team for years and years to come.

X-Factor: Eduardo Rodriguez-He was at one point a strong prospect who showed good stuff and was considered to be a top arm in their rotation for future years to come. Then last year he got Covid-19 and had lingering health problems and had to be shut down for the season and returned home to get healthy. He is expected to pitch this year but he is already scratched for Opening Day with an injury. Can he return to form and help the Red Sox back to the playoffs?

Best Bet: Over 79.5 Wins-Maybe it is the name brand of the Red Sox that makes me think they are better than they are, but on paper this team should win 82 games. Playoffs are a longshot but over 80 wins isn’t crazy.

New York Yankees

Strengths: Big...BIG Bats-The Evil Empire is back and it is ready to unload the full power of the death star on the galaxy, okay maybe not the galaxy but the AL East for sure. The Yankees have the biggest bats in the league and their game plan is just to go out and homerun you to death. Giancarlo Stanton is healthy to start the year and could regain MVP form, Aaron Judge is the star everyone expected him to be, and Luke Voit might just be the most important player on the team as the big 1B can slug with the best of them.

Weaknesses: Injuries-This Yankees team is unreal on paper, just like most of their recent seasons, but one or two key injuries could derail them. Stanton seems to land on the DL every May and Judge is due to have a muscle teak at some point as well. They can withstand a few losses to the batting order but if one of their top arms goes down for a significant amount of time, look out.

X-Factor: Gary Sanchez-Can someone tell me where this guy went? At one point he was one of the Yankees most prized pieces of the future and now he bats at the bottom of the order and routinely makes mistakes behind the plate. He was projected to be the next best hitting catcher in the league and now he strikes out at least once a game. He needs to find his game again or else the Yankees will look to move on from him.

Best Bet: Over 95.5 Wins-This team is downright nasty and there is no reason to expect them not to hit 100 wins. This line seems a little disrespectful to me.

Tampa Bay Rays

Strengths: Baseball Minds-The guys who run the Rays have arguably done the best job in baseball the past few years. Don’t look now but the Rays are one of the most consistent playoff teams in the league. They fought hard against the Dodgers in the World Series and will return most of that team. They are not afraid to think outside the box and they utilize every man on the expanded roster whether they start or not.

Weaknesses: The Blake Snell Situation-Everyone knows what happened in the World Series when Blake Snell was dealing and Kevin Cash pulled him in the middle of a gem. Snell has since been traded to the Padres and voiced his unhappiness over that in-game decision. The World Series hangover can affect the losing team too and you have to wonder if the Snell decision has affected Cash’s gameplan of constantly relying on the bullpen.

X-Factor: Chris Archer-The talented homegrown Rays pitcher started his career in Tampa before being traded to the Pirates. Well now he is back and ready to prove he still has elite stuff. He underperformed every season in Pittsburgh and often dealt with injuries. If he can become an ace again, or even an ace adjacent, the Rays could compete with the Yankees for the division crown. 

Best Bet: Rays to Miss Playoffs-The Yankees will win the division which will force the Rays to compete in a tight wild card race and just miss out. Many of their players overachieved last year and will fall back down to earth in what will end up being only a slightly above average season.

Toronto Blue Jays

Strengths: Free Agency-The Blue Jays spent the most money in the league in free agency looking to build around their star prospects who have already cracked the lineup. You don’t make the playoffs in the Winter but Toronto is hoping that money spent will translate to wins. Notable additions include: Hyun Jin Ryu, Marcus Semien, and Steven Matz.

Weaknesses: Winning Free Agency-How many times have we seen teams, in any league, spend the most in free agency and then miss the playoffs the next year? Hyun Jin Ryu is a great pitcher but is he a true ace? Do other pitchers like Steven Matz, Tanner Roark, and Ross Stripling have what they used to have in years past? We know about their homegrown talent like Cavan Biggio, Bo Bichette, and Vlad Gurrero Jr. but they need the new supporting cast to do more than just support.

X-Factor: Hyun Jin Ryu-This has to be the year he takes that next step to ace status if the Blue Jays want to make the playoffs. He has had a great career and his last full season with the Dodgers was unreal, but playing for a juggernaut like LA where you aren’t depended upon to win the team games is a lot different than coming to Toronto where suddenly you are the guy and a whole country is watching you.

Best Bet: Blue Jays to Miss Playoffs-It is not time, not yet, for this team to return to the playoffs. Canada will have to wait another year to experience fall baseball. Sophomore slumps are real and their young players need to get through adversity to know how to win consistently in a 162 game season.

Final Standings Projection:

1. New York Yankees
2. Tampa Bay Rays
3. Boston Red Sox
4. Toronto Blue Jays
5. Baltimore Orioles

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