The New York Yankees made it to the World Series last October, and despite the loss of Juan Soto remain the clear favorites to win the American League East.
With a couple of upstart teams quietly chasing them down, however, this division could very well be up for grabs in 2025. Let's break down where each of the AL East teams stand and preview the MLB Futures market.
All odds via
DraftKings
as of February 23, 2025.
New York Yankees Odds to Win (+110)
Somehow, the Yankees had the top offense in the American League last season and the second-best in baseball. I say this because their lineup struggled to hit around Aaron Judge, and was dealt a huge blow in the middle of the year when Giancarlo Stanton was injured.
There wasn't a ton to be optimistic about moving into this year, particularly with Gleyber Torres departing, but the Yankees went out and spent the money they had allocated for Juan Soto on Cody Bellinger, Max Fried and Paul Goldschmidt.
I am fully cognizant of the fact that Soto is not only one of the five best hitters in baseball but also the man who was solely responsible for helping the Yankees to the World Series. I still believe this was a better use of their money.
This lineup suddenly doesn't have quite as many holes, and now the rotation has three men who could easily be called aces. I'm skeptical of the names in this bullpen, but that hasn't stopped the Yankees from putting together one of the best stables year after year.
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Baltimore Orioles
Odds to Win
(+285)
The Orioles didn't exactly get what they had hoped for out of Jackson Holliday in his first taste of big-league action, but they did get a near-MVP level season out of Gunnar Henderson an blended contact with power on their way to the third-best wRC+ in baseball.
Now, many of these blossoming young hitters will presumably take yet another step forward in 2025 which could mean Baltimore is an even-greater threat to the Yankees in the division after giving them a run for their money last summer.
The pitching staff is still a massive mystery to me, however, even if Grayson Rodriguez is ready to blossom into an ace. They've continued to show no ability to develop arms and there's nobody waiting in the wings down on the farm who's ready to rise to stardom, either.
Corbin Burnes didn't even help this rotation look becoming of a contender last year, and now he's gone. This offense should rake again but I don't know what else to say.
Boston Red Sox
Odds to Win
(+425)
Don't let this Rafael Devers situation distract you -- the Red Sox are a good team. Throw aside Masataka Yoshida and Trevor Story, Boston has four absolute killers atop the order now with Alex Bregman joining the fold and they've got arguably the best pitching system in the American League behind them.
Andrew Bailey has helped just about every pitcher he's worked with, and now he's got two projects in Walker Buehler and Lucas Giolito to work on. The pair have flashed elite potential, and if they're to regain their form in Boston they'll be saddled next to Garrett Crochet, who's coming off an insane year, and Tanner Houck who was great as well.
I just love trusting teams with good development, particularly when they're on the cusp of breaking out, and Boston fits the bill.
Tampa Bay Rays
Odds to Win (+750)
The Rays have traded away some big bats over the last year, yet still seem to be running a competent offense out there on Opening Day as we should really expect at this point. I'm not a huge Christopher Morel guy, and I don't know what Yandy Diaz till has left in the tank, but there's a good chance this team at least takes a step forward in 2025.
Still, there's not enough firepower in this offense to make the division a realistic possibility, even if the pitching staff looks like it should cook yet again in 2025. Shane McClanahan and Drew Rasmussen will make their way back to the rotation, joining Shane Baz and Ryan Pepiot to assemble a rotation that can rival the Yankees' and Red Sox'.
Those guys will need to prove capable of returning to form after injury, however, and the offense will need to hit just a little bit.
Toronto Blue Jays Odds to Win (+1500)
Fans have been clamoring for the Blue Jays to fully blow it up, and it would seem 2025 could be that year. Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. and Bo Bichette are both in walk years, and George Springer is 35. This offense is a mess, and with some young prospects moving their way through the system it would be wise for Toronto to adjust its timeline.
With that, you'd be wise to stay away from this team in 2025. The signing of Max Scherzer is simply a sign that they're gearing up to sell every possible asset at the trade deadline, and they've already begun accumulating some assets dating back to last year. A scorching hot start could alter their plans, but that seems like a longshot given the way they hit last year.
Best bet for the AL East Futures
I can't look past the Red Sox here at this number. We saw the Yankees struggle to close the door on this division last year after a red-hot start, and the Orioles' rotation looks to be in disarray.
Do I love every player on the Red Sox' roster? No, I don't. I do love their entire rotation, however, along with their pitching coach, and this team hit enough for stretches of last year -- without Triston Casas -- to believe that a breakthrough 2025 is possible.
It might not look like the cleanest stable of arms on paper, but swallow your pride here and bet on a team that has continually churned out great pitching under Bailey, and which just added Alex Bregman to its lineup.
Best Bet: Red Sox to win the AL East (+425)
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