Evaluating the rest of the AL East ahead of 2022 season originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The American League East was a battle between four juggernauts in 2021. The Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees, and Toronto Blue Jays each finished the season with more than 90 wins.
All signs point toward those four clubs competing for the division title again in 2022. The Red Sox will have their work cut out for them as they look to duplicate last year’s surprisingly successful campaign. The reigning AL East champion Rays are set up for another run, the Yankees boast one of the scariest lineups in the bigs, and the Blue Jays are loaded with young talent.
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With Opening Day approaching, here’s a closer look at Boston’s divisional foes.
Tampa Bay Rays
2021 result: First place in AL East (100-62), lost to Red Sox in ALDS
Offense
The Rays finished 2021 with the second-most runs scored in MLB with 857, trailing only the Houston Astros. It’s fair to assume they’ll rank near the top again as they’ll have the same lineup, minus last year’s trade deadline acquisition Nelson Cruz.
The guy to watch out for is shortstop Wander Franco, who could be a legitimate AL MVP candidate in his first full major league season. The 21-year-old looked like a grizzled veteran in his rookie campaign with .288/.347/.463 slash line and seven homers in 70 games. He’ll form a scary 1-2 punch with 2020 postseason hero and 2021 Rookie of the…