AL East Preview: Yankees and Blue Jays eye something more after recent AL pennants

The Blue Jays and Yankees are back to chase a championship again, and both Boston and Baltimore have the potential to be very good. It's a division with money and star power (hello, Aaron Judge) and perhaps this year that will translate into a World Series title.

How they project

1. New York Yankees. The 2026 Yankees look a lot like the 2025 version. Among the 26 active players from the AL Division Series roster, all are back except for a pair of relievers who left as free agents to sign with the Mets: Devin Williams and Luke Weaver. Judge remains the game's preeminent offensive force, and on the mound New York is counting on a boost from the return of Gerrit Cole, who missed last season following Tommy John surgery. Yankees manager Aaron Boone projects Cole to make his season debut in late May or early June. Carlos Lagrange, a right-hander who turns 23 in May, could make an impact at some point. He ended last season at Double-A and impressed during spring training with a fastball that averaged 100.2 mph and reached 103.1 mph.

2. Toronto Blue Jays. It was a magical season in Toronto, all the way until the last few innings of the World Series. Bo Bichette is now gone from that team, but Toronto added Dylan Cease to the rotation and infielder Kazuma Okamoto to the infield. A big question is how well right-hander Kevin Gausman and outfielder George Springer will keep producing in their mid-30s. Both were quite good in 2025, and slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is still in his prime. Trey Yesavage was a breakout star in the postseason last year, but the 22-year-old right-hander is now dealing with shoulder issues.

3. Boston Red Sox. There was plenty of drama in Boston last year — the arrival of Alex Bregman, the departure of Rafael Devers — but in the end it was the best season for the Red Sox since 2021. Left-hander Garrett Crochet was excellent in his first year in Boston, and now the Red Sox have added another impressive lefty to their rotation in Ranger Suarez. Roman Anthony's debut season in the outfield was a success, but Boston was unable to keep Bregman for more than one season. The Red Sox will hope last year's healthy version of Trevor Story shows up, instead of the one who didn't play much the previous two seasons.

4. Baltimore Orioles. Three years after surpassing 100 wins, Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman and the rest of Baltimore's young-but-not-as-young-as-it-used-to-be core face pressure to rebound after a last-place showing in 2025. The Orioles finally made a major free agent signing, adding slugger Pete Alonso, but the big question is whether the pitching will be improved after Baltimore traded onetime top prospect Grayson Rodriguez and added Shane Baz and Chris Bassitt. Full seasons of Kyle Bradish and Trevor Rogers on the mound could help as well. It's a tough climb back to the top in this division, but even a fourth-place showing could put the Orioles in the mix for a wild card.

5. Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays haven't had three straight losing seasons since 2014-17, but they're in danger of that now. They were unlucky last season, finishing 77-85 despite a plus-31 run differential, and you underestimate them — particularly their ability to piece together a pitching staff — at your peril. But the last two years have shown that overachieving isn't a certainty for this franchise. Shane McClanahan, who hasn't pitched in two years, has had some encouraging moments in spring training this year, and his return is crucial after Tampa Bay traded Baz within the division. The Rays also dealt infield mainstay Brandon Lowe to Pittsburgh.

On the mend

With so many potentially good teams in one division, health could play a significant role in determining the order of finish. In addition to Cole, the Yankees are waiting on left-hander Carlos Rodón, who is expected to return at some point in April following surgery in October to remove loose bodies from his pitching elbow. New York shortstop Anthony Volpe is not likely to return before May as he recovers from left shoulder surgery.

Yesavage and McClanahan are players to watch as they come back from their injuries. Baltimore's pitching staff looks healthier than last year, but the Orioles are dealing with injuries to infielders Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report.