Blue Jays
Good: The team expected to be somewhere in the middle is leading the division. Franchise player 1B Vlad Guerrero Jr. has continued to play well after the big contract leading the team. SS Bo Bichette has rebounded after two down years playing very well at the leadoff spot and good power. The production from the Catcher position is back after two down seasons with a rebound season from Alejandro Kirk so far. 3B Addison Barger has played well in his 2nd season showing improvement and good power. OF George Springer has been playing very well after a slow start. Veterans OF Nathan Lukes OF Myles Straw, and 3B/2B Ernie Clement have played well. The big 3 of the pitching has played well Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, and Jose Berrios.
Bad: The team hasn’t been able to make progress with Bichette’s contract so they may have to move him. The pitching could be better overall so a move might need to be made. Free agent pick up OF Anthony Santander has struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness. Trade piece 2B Andres Gimenez known for getting on base is struggling and dealing with injuries. Big trade piece from a couple seasons ago OF/C Dalton Varsho continues to struggle with injuries. The team may need to move a bat or two to get another reliable starting pitcher and a reliever.
Yankees
Good: The team is only 2 games back from regaining the division lead and at the top of the wild card race, despite the injuries. OF Aaron Judge has been putting up video game numbers this season on the way to another MVP, injuries pending. Free agent veteran 1B/DH Paul Goldschmidt has rebounded after a down year last year. OF/1B Cody Bellinger has been a consistent addition playing very well. 1B Ben Rice has shown solid power and is playing very well in his 2nd season. OF Jasson Dominguez has played well with increased playing time in year 3. 2B Jazz Chisholm Jr. is healthy again and playing well bringing speed to the lineup. OF/DH Giancarlo Stanton is healthy again and playing well so far. OF Trent Grisham has shown improvement this season getting on base and even playing leadoff despite usually going for power. Catcher Austin Wells has provided good power. The pitching has produced at a very high level starting and bullpen despite the injuries with big addition Max Fried leading the way as the ace. Free agency moves have paid off so far.
Bad: Injuries to start the year including ace Gerritt Cole. The team could use another reliever or maybe a backend starter that can do both. The team is Judge reliant so an injury to him could change things, but the return of Stanton helps.
Red Sox
Good: The team is in the wild card right now and only 5 games from the division lead. The bats have been very hot. SS Trevor Story is healthy and playing very well. OF Ceddanne Rafaela turned from defensive player to showing good power in his game in year 3. Catcher Carlos Narvaez has been a solid find from the Yankees surprisingly taking the starting job in his 2nd season showing good power. All 3 big prospects have made their way up to the big leagues in OF/2B Kristian Campbell, 3B/SS Marcelo Mayer, and OF Roman Anthony. OF Wilyer Abreu has been playing very well with good power in season 3. OF Jarren Durran has played well in the leadoff spot after a slow start to the season and could be a valuable trade chip drawing a lot of interest. 3B Alex Bregman was proving to be a solid addition before injury. The pitching has played very well especially the starting unit led by trade piece Garrett Crochet who has proven to be a solid ace and the Red Sox have smartly signed him long term. P Lucas Giolito is proving to be a good investment rebounding after a few down seasons. OF/DH Masataka Yoshida has returned from injury.
Bad: The team mishandled another star basically giving away franchise player 3B Rafael Devers over a problem the team caused, but it does save a lot of money long-term. Free agent pickup P Walker Buehler has struggled. P Tanner Houck has taken a step back and struggled with injuries. Campbell has regressed despite being the prospect to get called up early and start early. Catcher Connor Wong has struggled after taking over the starting spot last season. 1B Tristan Casas continues to struggle with injuries after drawing trade interest before the season. The team may need to move one of the OF bats for more pitching help.
Rays
Good: The team is playing better than expected after moving off some big contracts getting good production out of the younger talent. The team is still in wild card contention and only 5.5 games from the division lead. Long time veteran 1B/3B Yandy Diaz continues to play at a high level. 2B Brandon Lowe continues to play well as one of the most consistent bats showing good power. 3B Junior Caminero has played very well showing good power in his 3rd season. 1B Jonathan Aranda has shown good improvement with increased playing time and good power to his game. The young players have been able to get valuable playing time and produce in OFs Jake Mangum, Chandler Simpson, and Kameron Misner, with Simpson being one of the fastest players in the league. The Rays continue to put out quality starting pitching despite the constant turnover and the bullpen has played well also.
Bad: The team is in a tight division race and may need to find another bat to help. The Catcher position could use an upgrade with the team going with Danny Jansen who has shown good power but continues to struggle with consistency. OF Josh Lowe continues to struggle with injuries. SS/3B Taylor Walls continues to struggle with injuries and consistency.
Orioles
Good: The team is starting to play well after a slow start. 2B Jackson Holliday has shown improvement in his 2nd year after a slow start even playing the leadoff spot now. SS Gunnar Henderson is playing well after a slow start due to injury. 1B/OF Ryan O’Hearn continues to be one of the most consistent bats on the team. OF Ramon Laureano has been a solid pickup providing good power, basically doing what was expected from Tyler O’Neill. 3B Jordan Westburg has played very well after the injury. OF Colton Cowser is starting to heat up after the injury. 3B Ramon Urias has been a consistent bat. Closer Felix “The Mountain” Bautista is healthy and playing very well along with the late relief pitching.
Bad: The starting pitching unit has been horrible along with the bullpen. Injuries. The team has fallen behind in a tough division. OF Cedric Mullins has cooled off after a good start to the season and is drawing trade interest. Catcher Adley Rutschman has cooled off after a good start to the season and is now injured. 1B Ryan Mountcastle continues to struggle with injuries hurting his trade value. Young players OF Heston Kjerstad and 1B Coby Mayo haven’t developed as expected. Free agent pickup O’Neill has struggled with injuries and ineffective play. P Charlie Morton hasn’t been good as a free agent pickup. The team may need to move off some bats/prospects they don’t want to move to get real pitching help.
