2023 MLB Division Previews - AL & NL East
American League East
Baltimore Orioles
2022 - 83-79 (4th place - missed postseason)
Offseason - Added SP Kyle Gibson, SP Cole Irvin, 2B Adam Frazier
2023 Outlook - After 3 straight 100+ loss seasons (not including 2020), the Baltimore Orioles took a huge step forward in 2022 winning 83 games and playing meaningful baseball deep into September. We saw the immediate impact of their top catching prospect Adley Rutschman as he is set to begin his first full big league season. There’s no question that the Orioles have a plethora of young talent who are very close to becoming big league stars. The future is bright but for now, a postseason berth is still uncertain, especially in this division. They didn’t do a ton in the offseason to push them into contender range. This is a good team though and Baltimore will be a fun team to watch.
Wins prediction - 85 (4th place)
Boston Red Sox
2022 - 78-84 (5th place - missed postseason)
Offseason - Added SP Corey Kluber, RP Kenley Jansen, RP Chris Martin, IF Aldaberto Mondesi, IF Justin Turner, OF Adam Duvall, OF Masataka Yoshida
2023 Outlook - The Red Sox are one of the more interesting teams in baseball in terms of the direction the front office is going. They seem to be doing one of those “retooling” things where they’re not completely a fire sale but are also letting go of a ton of organizational talent that won them a championship in 2018. Looking at the roster heading into 2023, there’s potential that they can put together a winning season. But overall, the depth is a big concern, especially with the pitching. Can Chris Sale stay healthy? Who knows. It may be another losing season in Boston.
Wins prediction - 75 (5th place)
New York Yankees
2022 - 99-63 (1st place, lost to Astros in ALCS)
Offseason - Secured Aaron Judge, added SP Carlos Rodon
2023 Outlook - The Yankees head into the 2023 season not just looking to defend their division title but to find a way back to the World Series. They got an all-time season from Aaron Judge in 2022 and rewarded him with a massive long-term contract. They also added Carlos Rodon to give the Yankees some great rotation depth along with Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes, and Luis Severino. The lineup is a bit of a concern due to health and players aging past their prime. There’s no doubt the expectations are sky high for this team, can they live up to them?
Wins prediction - 98 (1st place)
Tampa Bay Rays
2022 - 86-76 (3rd place, WC, lost to Guardians in WCS)
Offseason - Added SP Zach Efflin
2023 Outlook - It’s business as usual for the Tampa Bay Rays. A team built on organizational pitching depth with above average players at every position. It’s not the sexiest form of baseball but it works and the Rays have had a ton of success doing it their way for the last 15 years. There is some star power on this team with Wander Franco and Randy Arozarena. The rest are just very good ball players. And the pitching will be elite with the return of Tyler Glasnow along with Shane McClanahan. The bullpen has no shortage of firearms. The main issue for this team that has plagued them in the postseason is scoring runs. Not sure if this lineup adds any confidence to that area but they are a good enough team to have a chance.
Wins prediction - 95 (2nd place)
Toronto Blue Jays
2022 - 92-70 (2nd place, WC, lost to Mariners in WCS)
Offseason - Added C Dalton Varsho, OF Kevin Kiermaier, IF Whit Merrifield, SP Chris Bassitt
2023 Outlook - The Blue Jays proved they can make the postseason in 2022, now they have to prove they can win in the postseason. By all accounts, this is a very well rounded team. They have great pitching with Alek Manoah, Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, and Jose Berrios. We all know the star power of the lineup led by George Springer, Vladdy Jr, and Bo Bichette. The additions of Dalton Varsho and Kevin Kiermaier were great moves by the front office. They will make the postseason but what they do from there is anyone’s guess.
Wins prediction - 94 (3rd place)
National League East
Atlanta Braves
2022 - 101-61 (1st place, lost to Phillies in NLDS)
Offseason - Added C Sean Murphy
2023 Outlook - The Braves will once again be one of the elite teams in all of baseball. Coming off a World Series championship in 2021, Atlanta won 101 games in 2022 and although the season ended with a disappointing postseason loss at the hands of their division rival, this team is not slowing down anytime soon. Dansby Swanson left in free agency but the lineup is still one of the best headlined by the talents of Ronald Acuna Jr, Austin Riley, Michael Harris II, Matt Olson, and Ozzie Albies. The pitching is great too with two of the best arms in the league in Max Fried and Spencer Strider leading the way. The Braves will win a lot of baseball games in 2023 and will be a World Series favorite.
Wins prediction - 98 (1st place)
Miami Marlins
2022 - 69-93 (4th place, missed postseason)
Offseason - Added IF Luis Arraez, IF Jean Segura, SP Johnny Cueto
2023 Outlook - The Marlins are still a team in rebuild mode. Other than a 2020 postseason appearance, it’s been a long time since there’s been a good team in Miami. Their 2023 squad isn’t all that terrible. The pitching is led by the reigning Cy Young, Sandy Alcantara along with Jesus Luzardo, Trevor Rogers and Johnny Cueto. In the lineup they have their new star in Jazz Chisholm and some depth around the diamond. Part of me wants to pick the Marlins as a dark horse wild card team but it’s hard with how good this division is and they just don’t stack up against the best teams in the National League. They’re a team to keep your eye on though.
Wins prediction - 80 (4th place)
New York Mets
2022 - 101-61 (2nd place, WC, lost to Padres in WCS)
Offseason - Added SP Justin Verlander, SP Kodai Senga, SP Jose Quintana, RP David Robertson, OF Tommy Pham
2023 Outlook - The Mets have spent a ton of money the past few years to build this team into a contender and they will enter 2023 with MLB’s highest payroll. They lost their long-time ace, Jacob deGrom to the Rangers but added an all-time great in Justin Verlander to join Max Scherzer in the rotation. Even with their age, that’s a scary 1-2 punch for any team to face. Their closer, Edwin Diaz, will be out for the season after injuring his knee which is a huge blow but they do have some pitching depth. The lineup should be great as well with the bats of Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor, Jeff McNeil, and Starling Marte. They have a good ballclub but will they have good luck? Recent history has told us that it's hard to count on in Queens.
Wins prediction - 94 (2nd place)
Philadelphia Phillies
2022 - 87-75 (3rd place, WC, lost to Astros in World Series)
Offseason - Added SS Trea Turner, SP Taijuan Walker, RP Craig Kimbrel
2023 Outlook - The Phillies shocked everyone in the 2022 postseason and went from the 3rd wild card to getting within 2 wins of a World Series title. Bryce Harper delivered some of the greatest postseason magic in recent memory and the team went out and landed one of the top free agents of the offseason in Trea Turner. They have arguably the best 1-2 rotation punch in Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler. This team has a lot of momentum but I still think they’re just the third best team in this division. The lineup is better with Turner in it but there’s still a lot of questions of consistency and depth. I expect another postseason from the Phils but it will be a battle to get there like is was in 2022. But as we saw last year, all you gotta do is make it and anything can happen.
Wins prediction - 90 (3rd place)
Washington Nationals
2022 - 55-107 (5th place, missed postseason)
Offseason - Added OF Dominic Smith
2023 Outlook - In a division full of great teams, the Nationals are quite the opposite. They lost more games than anyone in 2022 and there’s a very good chance that will happen again in 2023. There’s just not much to be optimistic about in DC right now. It’s crazy to think they won a World Series just 4 years ago. How the mighty fall.
Wins prediction - 53 (5th place)