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American League
AL East Winner: New York Yankees (#1 Seed)
Additions: OF/INF Jazz Chisholm, RHP Mark Leiter Jr., RHP Enyel De Los Santos
The Yankees and Baltimore Orioles are in as tight of a battle as the M’s and Astros find themselves in. Luckily for the loser, a home playoff series in the Wild Card round feels like a not so bad consolation prize. While both teams made plenty of moves, the addition and explosion by Jazz has brought a new energy to the Bronx Bombers. So much for those character concerns, eh?
Yankees surge ahead to not only take the division back from Baltimore, but they also earn the top seed in the American League.
AL Central Winner: Cleveland Guardians (#2 Seed)
Additions: RHP Alex Cobb, OF Lane Thomas
One of the more underrated trade deadline acquisitions was Cleveland grabbing Lane Thomas from the Nationals. Thomas has been a trade target I had long believed would be a perfect fit in Seattle, but he now will help the team that currently holds the best record in the AL.
How is Cleveland doing it? Best bullpen in baseball, two solid starters, and four cornerstone hitters (Naylor, Ramirez, Kwan and Fry) all have an OPS+ above 126. The addition of Thomas (113 OPS+) should give the lineup enough depth that they are a legitimate threat to get to the Fall Classic, and I like their chances to hold off a strong AL Central, minus the worst team in baseball history.
AL West Winner: Seattle Mariners (#3 Seed)
Additions: OF Randy Arozarena, INF Justin Turner, RHP Yimi Garcia, RHP JT Chargois
This is what you’re here for right? Can Seattle finally overcome their arch rival and win the AL West for the first time since 2001? I believe that they can, and they will. The addition of Randy Arozarena is not getting enough love, because of the poor start to the season for Randy, but this man has been nothing but a star up until this season. If he played anywhere other than Tampa Bay, he may have been one of the most popular players in the game. His eclectic energy and playing style has immediately jolted the offense.
Yimi Garcia has been spectacular so far, and the return of JT Charguois could give the bullpen enough juice as they continue to battle injury after injury. The addition of Justin Turner is not the splash that we all hoped and prayed would be Vladimir Guerrero Jr, but we’re talking about an absolute pro that has been a star in the playoffs multiple times and understands what it takes to win a championship.
The additions of Randy and Justin specifically, paired with a quiet deadline for Houston, brings a new banner to Seattle, while it’s an end of an era in Houston.