Best Player on Every MLB Team: AL East

To continue this series, we're now taking a trip through the American League East.

New York Yankees - Aaron Judge

Although Aaron Judge missed over two months of the season due to a toe injury, he still hit 37 home runs in just 458 plate appearances. Judge was selected to the All-Star game for the fifth time in his career. With Judge under contract through 2031, the Yankees will be building around him for years to come.

Toronto Blue Jays - Bo Bichette

After a disappointing season from Alek Manoah, Bo Bichette emerged as the obvious choice for the Blue Jays team MVP. Bichette slashed .306/.339/.475, recorded a 4.9 WAR and hit 20 home runs in 571 at-bats. Bichette received All-Star honors for the second time in his young career. The crazy part about all this is that Bichette is only 25 years old!

Baltimore Orioles - Adley Rutschman

After a great rookie campaign in 2022, Rutschman had the opposite of a sophomore slump in 2023. Adley led catchers in hits and walks this season, with 163 hits and 92 walks. Rutschman helped the Orioles make their first playoff appearance since 2016. A key to Aldey’s success is that he walks a lot and doesn’t strike out a lot. Adley placed in the 90th percentile in K% and 91st in BB%. At this rate, Adley Rutschman should be one of the best catchers in baseball for years to come.

Tampa Bay Rays - Yandy Diaz

The Rays won 99 games in 2023 but ran into a few massive obstacles. Ace Shane McClanahan underwent Tommy John surgery and will likely miss the entire 2024 season. Wander Franco was placed on administrative leave in August, and his status for 2024 remains uncertain while he continues to be investigated. With those two stars inactive, Yandy Diaz got a chance to be in the spotlight. Diaz won the AL batting title for the first time in his career, batting .330 and hitting a career-high 22 home runs. Unlike NL batting champion Luis Arraez, Diaz hits the ball very hard. He placed in the 98th percentile in average exit velocity and 97th percentile in hard-hit %. With Diaz under contract through 2026, the Rays will be more pleased to build a young squad around him if he keeps this up.

Boston Red Sox - Rafael Devers

In a year where the Red Sox finished with under 80 wins for the second consecutive season, they had very few bright spots. However, one of the few positives from this 2023 Red Sox team was from Rafael Devers. Devers recorded an OPS+ over 125 for the fourth time in his career and was voted the American League third base Silver Slugger Award winner for the second time in his career (also won the award in 2021). If there’s one thing you need to know about Devers, it’s that he destroys baseballs. Devers placed in the 98th percentile for hard hit percentage and 95th percentile for average exit velocity. With Devers under contract until 2033, he should be the franchise cornerstone for years to come.