2026 AL East Preview
Baltimore Orioles
2025: 75-87, 5th in division, missed postseason
Offseason: Added - 1B Pete Alonso, OF Taylor Ward, RHP Ryan Helsley, RHP Shane Baz, RHP Andrew Kittredge. Subtracted - RHP Grayson Rodriguez
2026 Outlook: The Baltimore Orioles look to bounce back after a disappointing 2025 season. The O’s were riding high after reaching the postseason in 2023 and 2024, and although they have yet to win a postseason game since 2012, the future of this team had high hopes. However, injuries and lack of depth on the pitching staff led to an overall poor season and last place finish. They added some arms in the offseason in Baz, Helsley, and Kittredge but the overall staff still lacks depth and proven durability. The lineup, on the flip side, is very good. They signed one of the biggest free agents on the market in Pete Alonso and traded for Taylor Ward. Plug them into a lineup with proven young talent including Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, and Jackson Holliday and you have one of the scariest offensive groups in the division. If Baltimore can get some more from their pitching this season, they should be back in the postseason hunt. I see them bouncing back in 2026.
O/U: 84.5 - over
Boston Red Sox
2025: 89-73, 3rd in division, lost to Yankees in Wild Card Series
Offseason: Added - 1B WIlson Contreras, RHP Sonny Gray, LHP Ranger Suarez. Subtracted - 3B Alex Bregman, LHP Steven Matz, RHP Dustin May.
2026 Outlook: The Red Sox had their first winning season since 2021 and made the postseason last year before losing to their rival Yankees in the Wild Card Series. In 2026, they are looking to return to the postseason but it’s not going to be an easy path. For one, this is one of the best divisions in the league and two, they failed to re-sign Alex Bregman, a much needed veteran bat. One player won’t make or break a team but in a division as tough as the AL East, it could be the difference between playing baseball in October or watching it from the couch. Boston has a lot of young talent, and more on the way. Over half of their lineup has less than 4 years of MLB experience and they have to hope Wilson Contreras can make a big impact and Trevor Story stays healthy. On the pitching side, they have one of the best in the game with Garrett Crochett. Sonny Gray and Ranger Suarez are solid veteran adds and you would expect Brayon Bello to take another step forward. They have some good pieces but I also feel A LOT needs to go right in order for the Red Sox to return to the postseason in 2026.
O/U: 87.5 - under
New York Yankees
2025: 94-68, 2nd in division, lost to Blue Jays in ALDS
Offseason: Added - OF Cody Bellinger (resign). Subtracted - RHP Devin Williams, RHP Luke Weaver.
2026 Outlook: The Yankees would certainly mark 2025 as a failure despite a 94-win season after failing to reach the World Series. It was an overall inconsistent season, with injuries and poor pitching contributing to the lack of major success. The biggest injury was to Gerrit Cole, who went down with Tommy John surgery but is expected to return to the rotation early in 2026. With Cole back, you have a very good starting staff along with Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Luis Gil, and Cam Schlittler. The bullpen was a huge weakness last year. If David Bednar can lock down the 9th inning, that will help fix the problem. Offensively, this team is loaded. They were 1st in MLB in runs and slugging percentage last year and with the return of Cody Bellinger, the expectation is for that to continue. Aaron Judge will look to win his third-consecutive MVP and along with Giancarlo Stanton, Jazz Chisholm Jr, Ben Rice, and Austin Wells, this Yankees team should be a big problem for opposing pitching staffs.
O/U: 91.5 - over
Tampa Bay Rays
2025: 77-85, 4th in division, missed postseason
Offseason: Added - LHP Steven Matz, OF Cedric Mullins. Subtractions - 2B Brandon Lowe, RHP Pete Fairbanks, RHP Shane Baz.
2026 Outlook: After 5-consecutive years of making the postseason, including a trip to the World Series in 2020, the Rays have had 2-consecutive losing seasons in 2024-2025. Unfortunately, it looks like that losing streak is going to continue into 2026. To be fair, I have been wrong about the Rays before and they always seem to be a difficult team to predict. They always have great pitching and that should be the case this season, especially with the return of Shane McClanahan. The line up, however, is the big weakness. Junior Caminero was fantastic last year and could be again, but past that, I’m not very optimistic this team is going to be able to put up enough runs to compete.
O/U: 77.5 - under
Toronto Blue Jays
2025: 94-68, 1st in division, lost to Dodgers in World Series
Offseason: Added - RHP Dylan Cease, INF Kazuma Okamoto, RHP Cody Ponce. Subtracted - INF Bo Bichette.
2026 Outlook: The Blue Jays were 2 outs away from winning a World Series, then the Dodgers happened. It was a heartbreaking loss after a very well-played series. As a Dodger fan, I gained massive respect for this team. They play the game the right way and Vladimir Guerrero Jr might be my favorite player in baseball. I was upset for them when Bo Bichette didn’t resign with the team. Although that is a big loss, I expect Toronto to still be a contender in 2026. The line up has great depth and they can score runs in so many different ways. They signed two starting pitchers in Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce. They join a rotation with Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, and Trey Yesavage - on paper, that’s a very good staff, especially if Yesavage is the real deal after a historic rookie postseason. The Blue Jays should be able to ride the momentum from last year with even more motivation after being so close to winning it all.
O/U: 88.5 - over
Final AL East Division Standings Prediction
Yankees (95 wins)
Blue Jays (93 wins)
Orioles (88 wins)
Red Sox (82 wins)
Rays (75 wins)