MLB Division Preview: Will the Blue Jays Fly Away With the AL East Division?
April 19, 2016
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This is the sixth and final divisional preview from Impact 89FM. Thank you for reading and listening to all of the MLB divisional previews.
The American League East, home of some of the best rivalries in baseball. The Boston Red Sox look to prove the haters wrong after finishing at the bottom of the division last season. The Toronto Blue Jays hope Jose Bautista and their lethal lineup will carry them to the promise land. While the Yankees, Orioles, and Rays all look to answer some of the question marks heading into the year.
Zachary Swiecicki, Zach Barnes, and Will Thiede join one last time to talk about the AL East, a division that could produce three playoff teams.
The 2015 AL East standings. Zach, Zach, and Will predict some changes in 2016.
| Team | W | L | W-L% | GB |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 93 | 69 | 0.574 | — |
| New York Yankees | 87 | 75 | 0.537 | 6.0 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 81 | 81 | 0.500 | 12.0 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | 80 | 82 | 0.494 | 13.0 |
| Boston Red Sox | 78 | 84 | 0.481 | 15.0 |
This season’s East division could come down to whoever is playing best in September.
Our 2016 AL East Projected Standings.
*American League lineups will include the designated hitter*
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Toronto Blue Jays
Rotation
| 1 | Marcus Stroman |
| 2 | Marco Estrada |
| 3 | R.A. Dickey |
| 4 | J.A. Happ |
| 5 | Aaron Sanchez |
Opening Day Lineup
| CF | Kevin Pillar |
| 3B | Josh Donaldson |
| RF | Jose Bautista |
| DH | Edwin Encarnacion |
| SS | Troy Tulowitzki |
| 1B | Chris Colabello |
| LF | Michael Saunders |
| 2B | Ryan Goins |
| C | Josh Thole |
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Tampa Bay Rays
Rotation
| 1 | Chris Archer |
| 2 | Jake Odorizzi |
| 3 | Drew Smyly |
| 4 | Erasmo Ramirez |
| 5 | Matt Moore |
Opening Day Lineup
| 2B | Logan Forsythe |
| 1B | Logan Morrison |
| 3B | Evan Longoria |
| DH | Corey Dickerson |
| LF | Desmond Jennings |
| SS | Brad Miller |
| RF | Steven Souza Jr. |
| CF | Kevin Kiermaier |
| C | Curt Casali |
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Boston Red Sox
Rotation
| 1 | David Price |
| 2 | Clay Buchholz |
| 3 | Eduardo Rodriguez |
| 4 | Rick Porcello |
| 5 | Joe Kelly |
Opening Day Lineup
| RF | Mookie Betts |
| 2B | Dustin Pedroia |
| SS | Xander Bogaerts |
| DH | David Ortiz |
| 1B | Hanley Ramirez |
| 3B | Travis Shaw |
| LF | Brock Holt |
| C | Blake Swihart |
| CF | Jackie Bradley Jr. |
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New York Yankees
Rotation
| 1 | Masahiro Tanaka |
| 2 | Michael Pineda |
| 3 | Nathan Eovaldi |
| 4 | Luis Severino |
| 5 | CC Sabathia |
Opening Day Lineup
| CF | Jacoby Ellsbury |
| LF | Aaron Hicks |
| DH | Alex Rodriguez |
| 1B | Mark Teixeira |
| RF | Carlos Beltran |
| C | Brian McCann |
| 3B | Chase Headley |
| 2B | Starlin Castro |
| SS | Didi Gregorius |
-
Baltimore Orioles
Rotation
| 1 | Chris Tillman |
| 2 | Yovani Gallardo |
| 3 | Kevin Gausman |
| 4 | Ubaldo Jimenez |
| 5 | Mike Wright |
Opening Day Lineup
| 3B | Manny Machado |
| CF | Adam Jones |
| 1B | Chris Davis |
| RF | Mark Trumbo |
| C | Matt Wieters |
| DH | Pedro Alvarez |
| SS | J.J. Hardy |
| 2B | Jonathan Schoop |
| LF | Joey Rickard |
