{"id":635038,"date":"2026-03-21T06:47:31","date_gmt":"2026-03-21T06:47:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/635038\/"},"modified":"2026-03-21T06:47:31","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T06:47:31","slug":"rays-look-to-surprise-the-yankees-and-jays-in-the-al-east","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/635038\/","title":{"rendered":"Rays look to surprise the Yankees and Jays in the AL East"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Tampa<\/a>Tampa Bay Rays’ Junior Caminero (13) celebrates his grand slam against the Toronto Blue Jays during ninth inning MLB baseball action in Toronto on Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (Nathan Denette\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/p>\n

Rays fans look at the AL East with its trademark star power, financial firepower, and an intensifying hunger to reclaim baseball\u2019s biggest prize. The division hasn\u2019t captured a World Series title since 2018, tying its longest-ever drought. Toronto nearly broke through last October, only to lose a late Game 7 lead in extra innings to the Dodgers.<\/a> The Yankees also reached the 2024 Fall Classic, falling to Los Angeles. Both clubs return with stacked rosters and championship-or-bust expectations.<\/p>\n

SPORTS TALK FLORIDA \u2013 RAYS COVERAGE <\/a><\/p>\n

Yankees Bet on Health and Familiarity<\/p>\n

New York brings back nearly its entire 2025 postseason roster, losing only two bullpen arms in free agency. Aaron Judge remains one of the game\u2019s most feared hitters, and the Yankees anticipate a major boost from ace Gerrit Cole, set to return by early June following Tommy John surgery. Young fireballer Carlos Lagrange, whose spring training fastball touched triple digits, could emerge as a difference-maker as the season unfolds<\/p>\n

Blue Jays Look to Finish the Climb<\/p>\n

Toronto\u2019s magical 2025 campaign ended heartbreakingly close to a title, but the core remains formidable. With Bo Bichette departed, the Jays reloaded by adding Dylan Cease to the rotation and Japanese star Kazuma Okamoto to the infield. Their hopes ride on continued excellence from Kevin Gausman and George Springer and the health of breakout pitching sensation Trey Yesavage, who is currently battling a shoulder issue. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. remains the lineup\u2019s anchor<\/p>\n

Rays Ready to Defy Doubters\u2014Again<\/p>\n

While most eyes focus on the division\u2019s heavyweights, the Tampa Bay Rays quietly plot another run at defying the odds. Facing the risk of a third consecutive losing season and having traded away promising arm Shane Baz as well as longtime infielder Brandon Lowe, the Rays are widely seen as entering a transition year. Yet, counting out Tampa Bay has never been wise. Their relentless focus on pitching depth and player development remains unmatched. Crucially, ace Shane McClanahan returns to front the rotation after two seasons lost to injury\u2014a potential game-changer if he regains form. The Rays\u2019 ability to maximize talent on the margins, unearth hidden contributors, and outmaneuver bigger spenders keeps them lurking as a threat, no matter the projections.<\/p>\n

Red Sox and Orioles Eye a Return to Relevance<\/p>\n

Boston stabilized last year and bolstered its rotation with Ranger Suarez, joining Garrett Crochet. Roman Anthony\u2019s promising rookie season gives hope, while Trevor Story\u2019s health remains a key variable. Baltimore made headlines with the addition of Pete Alonso, and its young core led by Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman will look to rebound from a last-place finish. The Orioles\u2019 upgraded pitching, featuring Shane Baz and Chris Bassitt, could launch them back into playoff contention<\/p>\n

Health Will Shape the Race<\/p>\n

With so much talent in one division, injuries may ultimately determine the pecking order. The Yankees await the healthy returns of Cole, Carlos Rod\u00f3n, and Anthony Volpe. Toronto closely monitors Yesavage\u2019s shoulder. Baltimore deals with setbacks to Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg. Even minor injuries could prove decisive in a division where every team, including the ever-pesky Rays, believes October is within reach<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Tampa Bay Rays’ Junior Caminero (13) celebrates his grand slam against the Toronto Blue Jays during ninth inning…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":635039,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2377],"tags":[81370,5,81371,81372,4,66662,81373,81374,63710,297,81375,81376,68227,2550,68,2551,2549,93,54314],"class_list":["post-635038","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tampa-bay-rays","tag-al-east-preview-2026","tag-baseball","tag-blue-jays-2026-season","tag-gerrit-cole-return","tag-mlb","tag-mlb-spring-training-2026","tag-mlb-division-outlook","tag-orioles-2026","tag-pete-alonso-orioles","tag-rays","tag-rays-2026","tag-red-sox-2026","tag-sports-talk-florida","tag-tampa-bay","tag-tampa-bay-rays","tag-tampabay","tag-tampabayrays","tag-vladimir-guerrero-jr","tag-yankees-2026-season"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@mlb\/116265828891338186","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/635038","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=635038"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/635038\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/635039"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=635038"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=635038"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=635038"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}