The American League East is not the flock of ugly ducklings some baseball analysts are calling them.
While the division has been labeled as the worst in baseball due to its lack of a runaway favorite, the standings don’t suggest there’s as large of a gap as advertised between the AL East and the rest of MLB. As of July 13, the division’s top four teams, the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays, all have 44 or more wins—a mark no other division boasts. The Yankees’ 48-40 record, while tied for the worst for a division leader with the Los Angeles Angels, puts them within four games of first place in every pennant race in baseball, except for the NL Central.
While Yankees fans expected to be in for the organization’s version of a rebuilding year (stay competitive enough to feign playoff contention in order to get fans in the seats), New York has almost looked worthy of their ridiculously-high ticket prices this season. With a lights-out bullpen led by Dellin Betances (1.58 ERA, 75 strikeouts in 45.2 innings) and Andrew Miller (1.59 ERA, 18 saves, 46 strikeouts in 28.1 innings) and a lineup fueled by All-Star outfielder Brett Gardner (.300 BA, 15 SB, 42 RBI), All-Star first baseman Mark Teixeira (22 HR, 62 RBI) and a re-energized designated hitter in Alex Rodriguez (18 HR, 50 RBI, .899 OPS), the Yankees aren’t just looking the part of a legitimate division leader, they actually are one.
Although Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has vowed to stick it out with the organization’s top prospects, New York is always a candidate to make a splashy move around the trade deadline when they’re in a division race, too. For the right price, the Yankees could certainly decide it’s worth it to part with a few prospects if they can acquire another starter to boost their rotation and/or a veteran middle infielder to fix their hitting woes at second base and shortstop. While no one is going to confuse them with the Yankees of the late-’90s, it wouldn’t be shocking to see them win a playoff series in 2015, either.
While we’re on the subject of high-payroll teams, the Boston Red Sox are another club that’s a move or two away from making themselves a difficult out this fall. Boston had won four straight and eight of their last ten before their three-game set this past weekend with the Yankees—a series in which the betting odds opened in their favor. Think about that: the last-place Red Sox were favored heading into a July series over the first-place Yankees. While some will point to this as another reason why the division is weak, what it really means is Boston may finally be living up to preseason expectations.
Baltimore, another popular preseason pick to win the East, could also make a playoff push with a big deal at the deadline. With several key players set for free agency this winter, including catcher Matt Wieters, first basemen Chris Davis, All-Star pitcher Darren O’Day and starter Wei-Yin Chin, Baltimore may decide to go all-in this season. This could be their last shot with their current core. Besides, the Orioles have recent playoff success and one of the game’s best tacticians in manager Buck Showalter in their dugout—how can you not like their chances at making noise this October?
Toronto and Tampa Bay, while currently experiencing cold streaks, still have plenty of time left to capture momentum and forge their own runs towards capturing the AL East crown, too. This is the beauty of a division that has no runaway leader at the All-Star break—it elevates the play of all five franchises for more than just a couple of months.
Don’t get me wrong, a division with no pacesetter has its flaws—but that doesn’t mean one or two good-looking teams can’t emerge from the pack.