With just one meaningful football game left on the calendar and the days slowly but surely growing longer, baseball fans can begin to emerge from hibernation with the 2026 season coming into focus.
The first pitchers and catchers report to camp on February 10, and within a week, every organization will have its expanded Spring Training roster on hand to begin official preparations for the upcoming campaign.
Expectations in the American League East are high a year after sending three teams to the postseason, including the pennant-winning Toronto Blue Jays. The Jays, originally projected to finish at the bottom of the division last offseason, won their first East division crown since 2015 and only their second in the last 30 years. Their magical playoff run could only be stopped by the Los Angeles Dodgers juggernaut of a team in Game 7 of the World Series.
As usual, it was dog-eat-dog among the three AL East teams once the postseason began. The New York Yankees lost the division title on a tiebreaker and then were eliminated by the Blue Jays in the ALDS after edging out the Boston Red Sox in the Wild Card round.
Entering the 2026 season, Toronto trails the Yankees on the listed odds to win the AL East. The Red Sox are a close third with the Baltimore Orioles within striking distance after a disappointing effort a season ago. Where the Blue Jays and Red Sox exceeded expectations in 2025, the Orioles and Rays fell woefully short.
Four of the five clubs are projected to win at least 84.5 games this year, with the Rays being the outlier at 77.5 wins. New York and Toronto both rank in the top five MLB teams in terms of expected payroll. The Yankees opted to retain most of their 2025 roster, with their largest transaction being the re-signing of Cody Bellinger for more than $160M. Toronto made the splash move of bringing in Dylan Cease from San Diego for $210M, the second-largest signing of the offseason after Kyle Tucker’s deal with the Dodgers.
Boston and Baltimore are hoping their new faces can propel them to compete with the division’s top two teams. The Red Sox added Ranger Suarez from the Phillies on a free agent deal for $130M, while the O’s gave Pete Alonso $155M over five years and added Ryan Helsley for $28M. The Rays were frugal as usual and sit 28th in payroll in 2026.
First-year manager Craig Albernaz will lead what could be a resurgent Baltimore team in 2026, thanks to a combination of free agent spending and improved performance from existing key players.
The O’s young stars like Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman regressed in 2025. Both posted career-low OPS numbers, and Rutschman missed nearly half the season due to injury. Jordan Westburg, from whom the franchise expected a breakout year, also missed 70+ games while suffering injuries to his hamstring, hand, and ankle. Without both of these middle-of-the-lineup bats for the bulk of the season and amid the struggles of Henderson, Jackson Holliday, and their pitching staff, the Orioles needed to turn the page to 2026 as quickly as possible.
Factoring in their existing core at full strength with the addition of Alonso at first base and Helsley shoring up the back end of their bullpen, Baltimore has reason to dream this year. While they are an unlikely candidate, their upside is undeniable. At this number from DraftKings, we’re excited to take a chance on the Orioles in 2026.