MLB: Why the American League East is so Dominant

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The American League East is the undisputed best division in Major League Baseball at the time of writing. No team is under .500. Its worst participant are the Boston Red Sox with a respectable 23-20 record. Why is this division so good and can it sustain its success?

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American League East Dominance

“Gibby” is quick to point out that the division in question has a long history of success. Look no further than the inclusion of two historical franchises: the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.

“It’s always been the top division…The case for that is they have the Yankees and the Red Sox, the two money teams. They’re always good. They have to be good otherwise people get fired!”

There is no doubt that from a marketing and image perspective, few franchises mean as much to MLB as the Yankees and Red Sox. Both have innumerable great stories that make them what they are today. For that reason, they tend to attract the top free agents, the most fans, and, overall, the most alluring auras. Is it tough to compete with talent like Aaron Judge, Gerrit Cole, Alex Verdugo, and Justin Turner.

Orioles, Blue Jays and Rays Play Their Parts

But there are three other clubs in the AL East, each with their own stories and, for the purpose of this discussion, each having promising seasons so far. What about the Baltimore Orioles, Toronto Blue Jays, and Tampa Bay Rays?

“For a number of years Baltimore had a very talented team, then they broke it down for a rebuild. Now they’re one of the best teams. They’re starting to reap the rewards of the rebuild.”

Case in point, Cedric Mullins is one of the league’s bright stars even though he’s a bit off pace from a terrific 2021 season. Gibbons likens the Orioles to what the Blue Jays have accomplished in recent campaigns. When “Gibby” managed the club, the roster was just starting to get a little older. In the intervening years, Toronto went through its own rebuild and, a mere handful of seasons later, here they are again as a playoff threat.

“It’s funny. We (the Blue Jays) played Baltimore in the Wild Card game in 2016. They both unloaded and worked their way back to the top. It’s almost the same program.”

The former manager doesn’t shy away from praising the Tampa Bay Rays either. Whatever the franchise’s off-the-field issues, it’s no secret that as a baseball product, they’ve done things the right way.

Right now, every AL East team is in the top 11 in MLB, but as “Gibby” puts it:

“They could be the TOP FIVE when it’s all said and done!”