From Beast To Bust: What's Happening to the AL East?

From being one of the most historically competitive divisions in baseball, to having four teams with a losing record in 2025, the downfall of MLB’s American League East Division needs to be talked about.

A Breakdown

Courtesy of MLB

The American League East is consistently regarded as one of Major League Baseball’s best divisions. Home to the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Rays, and Toronto Blue Jays, the division produces multiple postseason contenders almost every season. However, this season has seen a drastic plunge – the AL East has fallen from first to worst. 

The Red Sox were expected to come out on top, projected by many to win the division for the first time since 2018 – the same year they last won the World Series. The Sox had an impressive offseason, revamping their roster with key players including the addition of third baseman Alex Bregman, left-handed pitcher Garret Crochet, and right-handed pitcher Walker Buehler. However, they are currently sitting in fourth place with a 27-31 record (.466) and are nine and a half games back from first place. 

This is just one of a few disappointing starts to come out of the American League East.

Disappointing Starts

Courtesy of Clutch Points

The Baltimore Orioles have been a rising threat in the AL East in recent years. However, their young talent has yet to break loose. Their offense has been extremely inconsistent, resulting in a 19-36 (.345) start to the season and last place in the division. The O’s also hold a streak of 10 consecutive postseason losses dating back to 2014. 

The Tampa Bay Rays currently hold the only other winning record in the division behind New York. They stand in second place with a 28-27 record at (.509), trailing seven games behind first. The Rays have struggled at home this season which may be due in part to them temporarily playing their home games at George M. Steinbrenner field – the Yankees spring training complex – after Tropicana Field sustained damage from Hurricane Milton. Offensively, the Rays have struggled to generate power, and their pitching has been a major weakness this season.

Similar to the Red Sox, the Toronto Blue Jays also had an impressive offseason. After re-signing Vlad Gurrero Jr. to a 14-year, $500 million contract this offseason, becoming the largest deal in Blue Jays history, fans were ecstatic. They also signed second baseman second-baseman Andres Gimenez, which added to their odds of becoming top contenders in the division. The Jays have recently dropped to fourth place in the division at 27-28 (.491), despite being the only other team behind New York to have a winning record just days ago. 

In A League of their Own

Courtesy of New York Post

The New York Yankees are one of just two teams in the division with a winning record at 35-20 (.636). Their seven game lead above the second place Tampa Bay Rays is currently the largest in any division in baseball. The Yankees are traditionally expected to be a 90-plus-win team and postseason contender but given the level of competition within the AL East, this has become increasingly difficult. 

The Yankees were hit hard with injuries early on, losing their ace, right-handed pitcher Gerrit Cole to Tommy John surgery and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton to tennis elbows. However, the club did make several notable acquisitions this offseason, including left-handed pitcher Max Fried, outfielder Cody Bellinger, and first baseman Paul Goldschmidt.

The Yankees were initially projected to be fourth in the division – reflecting the intensity of the competition within the AL East. Yet despite injuries and adversity, New York has remained atop of the AL East through the first two months of the season. They also lead the league in home runs, on base percentage, and slugging percentage.

The American League East isn’t shaping up  the way fans would have expected at the start of the season. It is historically one of the toughest divisions in Major League Baseball, this year several teams have unexpectedly struggled. Hopefully we will see some of these teams pick it back up as the season goes on, but with June fast approaching, if the season ended today, only one American League East team would make the postseason.