State of the Sox: How the Red Sox stack up relative to other teams in AL East
· Yahoo Sports
Thanks to the addition of three starting pitchers and defensive upgrades at two corner infield spots, this much can be said about the 2026 Red Sox, almost four weeks before the start of the regular season: They’re improved in two key areas over last season.
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Whether they’re improved enough offensively seems to be open to debate. The acquisition of Willson Contreras was a good one, but an argument could be made that he merely helps to cancel out the loss of free agent third baseman Alex Bregman.
Then again, teams don’t improve (or regress) in a vacuum. They’re judged relative to their competitors, and housed in the demanding American League East, the Red Sox are in with some rather tough company indeed.
The AL East was one of two divisions in the game last year to send three teams to the playoffs. The NL Central, which featured division champion Milwaukee and wild card entries Chicago and Cincinnati, was the other. And yet there’s little doubt that the AL East is, as it’s been so often in the last 20 years, the toughest division in the game.
How do the Red Sox stack up against their division rivals for 2026? Here’s a look at the competition.
TORONTO: The Blue Jays missed out on being world champions by inches and are desperate to make up for their excruciatingly close loss in Game 7 of the World Series.
They didn’t retain Bo Bichette, but they added Kazuma Okamoto, whom they’ll play at third base. Elsewhere, the Jays boast a versatile lineup and a deep, quality starting rotation. Dylan Cease was an expensive addition, and the Jays will benefit from a healthier Shane Bieber and Jose Berrios and a full season of October phenom Trey Yesavage.
The bullpen is somewhat thin and they won’t get a lot of offense out of shortstop (Andres Gimenez) or left field (a platoon of Nathan Lukes and Davis Schneider).
Better, worse or the same? The same, which was, as you’ll recall, pretty good.
NEW YORK: The Yankees’ title drought has now reached 17 seasons, a lifetime in the Bronx, so there’s pressure aplenty on manager Aaron Boone.
The Yankees stand as that modern rarity: a roster that is almost identical to the one from a year ago. Given that the Yanks won 94 games, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
But it also means that the Yankees are counting on everyone matching last season’s output simply to match last year’s record, and that could be problematic, especially with the pitching injuries with which the Yankees are already dealing.
Gerrit Cole is targeted for a June return and Carlos Rodon will likely miss the first month and part of May, too. Luis Gil will not start the season healthy. That will put a lot of pressure on Max Fried and the team’s less experienced starters such as Cam Schlittler.
The Yankees’ lineup features plenty of power as long as Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton remain healthy. Expecting Trent Grisham to hit 34 homers again probably isn’t realistic.
The infield is full of question marks: Can Anthony Volpe reclaim the shortstop job? Can Ryan McMahon provide more offense?
Better, worse or the same?: The Yankees are defiantly the same, which, in this division, translates into “worse.”
BALTIMORE: The Orioles took a massive step back last year, dropping from 91 wins in 2024 to just 75 victories last season. That caught ownership’s attention, and the Orioles spent last winter in a way they seldom do.
The big prize was first baseman Pete Alonso, a proven run producer who has the ability to change Baltimore’s lineup. Outfielder Taylor Ward will provide additional sock.
The Orioles’ farm system was the envy of the industry as recently as a few years ago, but the fact remains that many of the organization’s top prospects — from Adley Rutschman to Gunnar Henderson to Jackson Holliday — have underachieved in the big leagues. Is that a player development issue or something else?
The Baltimore bullpen features some hard-throwing arms, but the rotation remains a question mark. The O’s didn’t invest in a true No. 1 starter and their entire group of starters all seem to have a middle-of-the-rotation profile. In a division with plenty of aces, that’s a problem.
Better, worse or the same: Better. But only if some of the holdovers begin to realize their potential.
TAMPA BAY: After spending the year as baseball vagabonds across Tampa Bay, reduced to playing the home half of their season at a minor league facility, the Rays are back in their longtime home. Tropicana Field never looked so good.
That should help some, as the Rays always seem to utilize the Trop as a home field advantage. (They were just a game over the break-even mark last year).
Per usual, the Rays roster looks rather anonymous, save for standout third baseman Junior Caminero (45 homers). Newcomers Gavin Lux and Cedric Mullins should help lengthen the lineup some.
Traditionally, Tampa Bay competes with its pitching, but the Rays sold off Shane Baz. They’ll rely on Drew Rasmussen and Ryan Pepiot, while hoping that Shane McClanahan can contribute after missing each of the last two seasons.
The bullpen must learn to live without closer Pete Fairbanks, but shuffling pieces and dealing with limitations are what this franchise habitually does.
Better, worse or the same: Better, though it’s not likely to matter much given the strength and resources of the other teams in the division.
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