toronto blue jays
- c alejandro kirk
- 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
- 2B Ernie Clement
- SS Andres Jimenez
- 3B Kazuma Okamoto
- Jesus Sanchez's
- OF Daulton Varsho
- Edison Barger's
- DH George Springer
After losing the World Series (by mere inches) to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Blue Jays were not satisfied with simply "running it back". Last season, they gave superstar Wlady Jr. a chance to keep him in Toronto for his entire career.
Despite losing second baseman Bo Bichette in free agency, they were in the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes, signed one of the big international free agents in Okamoto, and traded top prospect Joey Loperfido for Sanchez to play in the outfield.
The Jays are hungry to get back to the Fall Classic after coming so close to winning it all, and they have certainly made the right steps to repeat as American League champions.
New York Yankees
- C Austin Wells
- 1B Ben Rice
- 2B Jazz Chisholm Jr.
- SS Anthony Volpe
- 3B Ryan McMahon
- Cody Bellinger's
- Trent Grisham's
- Aaron Judge's
- DH Giancarlo Stanton
New York, on the other hand, is content to run it back. That's a bit minimalistic for a team that will have top player Gerrit Cole returning from injury. But not much has changed on the offensive side.
Perennial MVP Aaron Judge and Stanton will definitely (as usual) hit a ton of home runs. Chisholm Jr. is trying to go 50-50 for the second time in MLB history. And the Yanks did a good job of retaining free agent Cody Bellinger despite lengthy talks about his departure.
Whether or not they achieve all of those goals, this is a club that won 94 games last season and is seeking a return to the Fall Classic in 2024 after losing to Los Angeles. They're definitely ready to make a run for it.
boston red sox
- c charles narvaez
- 1B Willson Contreras
- 2B Marcelo Meyer
- SS Trevor Story
- 3B Caleb Durbin
- jerren duran's
- sedan rafela
- Roman Anthony's
- DH Willier Abreu
To say the Sox had an active offseason would be to sell general manager Craig Breslow a bit. After clinching a postseason berth in 2025, they lost to the rival Yankees in a three-game wild card series.
Their only major departure from the starting group is Alex Bregman who will be replaced by NL Rookie of the Year finalist Durbin at third base. The crowded outfield lineup will make the math difficult (especially for outfielder Masataka Yoshida). But this is arguably the Sox's greatest strength, with Duran, Rafaela, Anthony and Abreu being some of the best outfielders in the game.
Additionally the Red Sox are excited to see Story have a full healthy season at shortstop, with Contreras starting behind Tristan Casas for the first time. This club's attack looks stronger than in recent years, and (in a competitive division like this) they will need all the help they can get.
baltimore orioles
- c adlerushman
- 1b pete alonso
- 2B Blaze Alexander
- SS Gunnar Henderson
- 3B Kobe Mayo
- Taylor Ward's
- Colton Cowser's
- dylan beavers
- DH Tyler O'Neill
Last season was a major disappointment for Baltimore, with the club finishing last in the AL East after making the postseason in both 2023 and '24. This led to the firing of manager Brandon Hyde midway through the 2025 season.
The O's needed to prove something to their fans in the offseason, and they did. They traded pitching prospect Grayson Rodriguez to the Los Angeles Angels for outfielder Taylor Ward. They then signed top free agent Pete Alonso to take care of the cold corner. They finished their lineup moves by trading Alexander to play second while Jackson Holiday is dealing with an injury.
They have had great young players come through (Henderson, Rutschman, Cowser, Beavers), but their results last season were disappointing and inconsistent. If they can put it together again, and the pitching holds up, they will run the AL East standings once again.
tampa bay rays
- Nick Fortes
- 1B Jonathan Aranda
- 2B Gavin Lux
- SS Taylor Walls
- 3B Junior Caminero
- Jake Fraley's
- Cedric Mullins's
- OF Chandler Simpson
- DH yandy diaz
So far, the Rays have their star slugger, with All-Star third baseman Junior Caminero returning after the Electric World Baseball Classic with the Dominican Republic. But there isn't a lot of help behind that.
They traded him to the Pittsburgh Pirates to play second base after dealing Brandon Lowe, and they signed Mullins to help their outfield. Speedster Chandler Simpson will return to the club after surprising MLB with his ability to run around the diamond, and Yandy Diaz provides the club with a helpful veteran presence.
Don't get your hopes up too quickly for a Rays postseason run just because they're back at Tropicana Field. But, at least, there is hope for the near future.
