It’s safe to say that the American League East standings look a lot different than most would have expected through the first three weeks of the 2017 MLB season. While the Boston Red Sox are off to a decent start as the favorites to win the division, it’s the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees at least temporarily sitting 1-2 in the AL East. Meanwhile, the Toronto Blue Jays were expected to contend for a division title but instead find themselves in an early hole at 5-13. Here is a look at the x-factor for all five AL East teams.
Baltimore Orioles (12-5)
X-Factor: Dylan Bundy
Question marks surrounding the quality of the starting rotation were a big reason why the Orioles were as a World Series contender heading in to this season. However, Baltimore’s pitching staff has been solid through the first three weeks with Dylan Bundy leading the way. The former No. 4 overall pick has been healthy the last two years and he is finally starting to tap in to his immense potential. Bundy has recorded three straight quality starts with a 1.86 ERA, a 0.98 WHIP and a 17/3 strikeout-to-walk ratio over his first 19.1 innings of work. If Bundy can continue to lead the way as the ace of this rotation then it could really go a long way as an x-factor to the Orioles hopes of winning the AL East.
New York Yankees (11-7)
X-Factor: Luis Severino
New York is another team that had major question marks in regards to its rotation heading in to the year. One of the biggest question marks is Luis Severino. The 23-year-old is extremely talented but he hasn’t put it all together at the major league level yet. Severino is 1-1 with a 4.05 ERA in his three starts this season. His 27 strikeouts in just 20 innings of work is proof of his potential but he needs to be a lot more consistent in order to get his ERA and WHIP numbers down. The Yankees have high expectations for Severino. If he can perform at a high level it will go a long way towards helping New York contend for a playoff spot.
Boston Red Sox (11-8)
X-Factor: Eduardo Rodriguez
The Red Sox rotation was projected to be downright dominant after they acquired Chris Sale in the offseason. However, David Price was injured while both Rick Porcello and Steven Wright has really struggled early on. That has made Rodriguez that much more important as a young star that Boston needs to step up. Rodriguez has produced a 3.12 ERA through three starts including most recently a strong performance against the Orioles in which he gave up just one hit over 6.0 innings of work. Consistency will be the key for the 24-year-old. Rodriguez might very well be the x-factor for the Red Sox this season.
Tampa Bay Rays (10-10)
X-Factor: Blake Snell
Tampa Bay’s offense has improved since last season but it should be no surprise another young pitcher is the x-factor for this year’s team. Snell held his own in the majors last season when he posted a 3.54 ERA with 98 strikeouts in 89 innings. He is off to a solid start to the 2017 campaign with a 3.38 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP despite an 0-2 record. Snell might not get the same level of run support as some of the other names on this list. However, if he can perform at a high level as a rising star in the Rays rotation then he could be the x-factor this club needs to take another step forward in the AL East.
Toronto Blue Jays (5-13)
X-Factor: Marcus Stroman
Stroman’s dominant performance in the championship game of the World Baseball Classic led to even bigger expectations for him in 2017. The Blue Jays as a team have disappointed early on. However, there is enough talent on this club to think Toronto can turn things around. They will certainly need Stroman to pitch at an elite level and he has been good so far with a 3.10 ERA through four starts. It will take time for the Blue Jays to turn their season around. They will need Stroman at his best in order for that to happen.
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