The American League East is stacked in 2026 — even by AL East standards.
The Toronto Blue Jays got to the cusp of a World Series title last season, and optimism is high that a lineup powered by superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr. can fuel another deep playoff run. The New York Yankees, who led the AL in run differential last season, are always formidable behind three-time MVP Aaron Judge.
The Boston Red Sox ended a three-year postseason drought and look to build on that momentum with young star Roman Anthony. The Baltimore Orioles regressed after consecutive playoff appearances, but hopes are high after the blockbuster signing of Pete Alonso. And don't forget the pesky Tampa Bay Rays, who always seem to overachieve under the guidance of manager Kevin Cash.
Athlon Sports tapped anonymous scouts to deliver the skinny on opponents for our 2026 MLB Preview magazine. Here's what they had to say about the five teams in the AL East:
Baltimore Orioles
Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
The Pete Alonso signing changes everything, perception-wise, for that team. The fans have been waiting for ownership to step up, and they did. Alonso is as reliable a power source as there is in baseball, and he’s a marketer’s dream. I know the Mets were down on his defense — he should never even attempt another 3-1 play — but plenty of first basemen are worse.
The lineup should take a big step forward. Gunnar Henderson will be fine — he started slow last year with the injury and never really got on track. Colton Cowser, Adley Rutschman and Jordan Westburg all have something to prove, and I’ve got to believe at least two of them will bounce back.
My biggest concern here is the pitching. They got Ryan Helsley to close; that’s fine. Dean Kremer is a good mid-rotation guy, but they’re really banking on Kyle Bradish being an ace again and Trevor Rogers repeating his second half. It might happen, but there’s not a long track record there.
Boston Red Sox
You know what’s funny about Boston? You never see a Red Sox team without a few big home run guys, and they just don’t have any. But it was great to see Trevor Story stay healthy and kind of re-establish himself; you don’t see many guys over 30 as fast as he is.
They’re a fun team to watch in the outfield, with Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu running everything down. Roman Anthony has a tremendous approach — he’s a superstar, no doubt — and Romy Gonzalez is one of the most impactful utility guys in baseball. Garrett Crochet is a top-three pitcher in baseball — he looks like he’s right on top of you, 6-foot-6 with that funky delivery and his right foot sticking out at an odd angle.
Brayan Bello seemed to be coming into his own last year, but they don’t really trust him; I didn’t like how they pulled him so early in the playoffs. Sonny Gray is a tough competitor in the middle of the rotation, and they’ve got some intriguing young options with Connelly Early and Payton Tolle. It’s an interesting team with a real shot at the division if they can find a way to bash with the Yankees and Blue Jays.
New York Yankees
Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
They need to find out if they can rely on their homegrown position players for the long term. Ben Rice has ridiculous power, but Austin Wells didn’t hit last year, and Anthony Volpe — my God, has he regressed. Now he’s coming off an operation, and I hope that’s the answer. Jasson Domínguez hasn’t shown he can hit from the right side, and Spencer Jones is almost 25, so it’s time to see what he can do in New York.
Ryan McMahon made a huge impact with his glove at third base, and that’s what keeps him in the lineup because he’s not a great hitter and strikes out a ton. I don’t know why the defensive numbers say Trent Grisham’s not a good center fielder; I think he’s terrific. I don’t know if he’s going to hit 34 home runs again, but 20-25 would be fine.
They’ve got enough in the rotation to wait on Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón to come back, hopefully early in the season. Max Fried is an ace, and I can’t wait to see Cam Schlittler after that game against Boston in the playoffs. He just has no fear, and he’s smart enough to listen to the older guys and make himself even better.
Tampa Bay Rays
They always find a way to be a pain in the a--. They had big ups and big downs last year, but there was at one point, I remember that it looked like they were down and out, and then they won like 10 of 12 and got right back into it in early September. It’s hard to forecast them because they can trade anyone at any moment, but they’ll get more from Drew Rasmussen this season, and Ryan Pepiot is always solid.
The best thing they learned last year is that Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero are superstars at the infield corners. And I want to see more of Chandler Simpson. He’s not going to throw anybody out from the outfield, but he’s going to catch everything, and his deal on offense is getting on base and moving. And I remember talking to a manager, we were talking about small ball, and he says, ‘The bunt has died or gone away so much that guys don’t know how to defend it. You see guys panic when the ball gets put in play with a bunt.’ So could you imagine the kind of havoc Simpson would cause if he could put bunts down consistently and just run like crazy? I’d love to see that.
Toronto Blue Jays
Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
They put a fear in you because in a day and age when strikeouts are acceptable, all these dudes can put the ball in play and do it with some pop. Addison Barger, Ernie Clement, Kazuma Okamoto, Nathan Lukes, Davis Schneider, you go right down the line. Alejandro Kirk is a hell of a hitter with a great arm behind the plate, George Springer looked revived last year, and of course Vladdy Guerrero Jr. is all-world; we saw it in the postseason, when he was just unreal.
They paid a lot for Dylan Cease, but he’s been able to stay healthy, he’s got great stuff and he gives them depth if the other guys are a little worn out after the World Series run. Shane Bieber accepting the qualifying offer was huge, and so was signing Tyler Rogers. He’s durable and funky and tough to get in the air. Jeff Hoffman took the World Series hard, but he’s overcome a lot to get where he is, and I think he’ll be fine.