With most MLB teams a third of the way through their schedule, some glaring issues appear to be rising to the surface. It is time to look at the burning questions that the AL East teams face as they inch closer to the July trade deadline.

Can The Yankees Get Offense Out Of Second And Third Base?

Ben Rice (11 HR, .521 Slug) and Paul Goldschmidt (.347/.404/.495) are off to good starts at first base. Shortstop Anthony Volpe leads the team with 17 doubles and is second in RBI with 33. Unfortunately, the combination of DJ LeMahieu (.184, 1 HR), Oswaldo Cabrera (.243, 1 HR), Pablo Reyes (.192, 0 HR), Oswald Peraza (.160, 3 HR), Jorbit Vivas (.150, 1 HR), and Jazz Chisholm (.181, 7 HR, 6 SB) has not offered much at the other two infield spots. Now that Cabrera and Chisholm are injured, will New York have to go shopping at the deadline for someone like Nolan Arenado, Ryan McMahon, or Miguel Vargas?

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Shane McClanahan (18) talks to catcher Danny Jansen (19) against the New York Mets in the first inning during spring training at Charlotte Sports Park.
Mar 1, 2025; Port Charlotte, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Shane McClanahan (18) talks to catcher Danny Jansen (19) against the New York Mets in the first inning during spring training at Charlotte Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Can The Rays Get Healthy?

Tampa Bay has been devastated by injuries this season. Ace Shane McClanahan (triceps) hasn’t pitched since 2023. Josh Lowe just returned from an oblique injury and has only played 13 games. Hunter Bigge (lat), Alex Faedo (shoulder), Richard Palacios (knee), Ha-seong Kim (shoulder), Jonny DeLuca (shoulder), Jake Mangum (groin), Travis Jankowski (groin), and Nate Lavender (elbow) are all out. At 28-27, the team has weathered the storm for now. If the Rays can’t get some players back soon, though, they will start seeing their wild-card chances slowly slip away.

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora is seen prior to a game against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Apr 12, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora is seen prior to a game against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

Has Alex Cora Lost The Team In Boston?

The Red Sox are 4-11 in their last 15 games, and the season seems to be slipping away. Rafael Devers, the face of the franchise, is unhappy that he was asked to change positions. The team is 6-15 in one-run games, and people are second-guessing manager Alex Cora at every turn. Now, rumors are surfacing that he might be losing the locker room. With Tristan Casas (knee) out for the year and Alex Bregman (quad) slated to miss significant time, morale is quickly fading. If Cora can’t rally the team over the next 15 games, nine of which are within the division, then he could very much be on his way out the door.

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) breaks his bat on a ground ball against the Tampa Bay Rays in the third inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
May 24, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) breaks his bat on a ground ball against the Tampa Bay Rays in the third inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Can Toronto Get Some Power Out Of Their Lineup?

The Blue Jays find themselves 24th in slugging percentage at .372 and 26th in home runs with 47. To date, no Jays hitter has hit double-digits in home runs. They are getting no offense at all out of their second basemen, third basemen, and left fielders. The team’s three best power sources have not gotten the job done in the long-ball department (Vlad Guerrero Jr.-7, Bo Bichette-5, Anthony Santander-6). At 27-28, if this team has any aspirations of a playoff spot, then they are going to have to start hitting home runs, and they are going to have to add a power bat at the deadline.

Baltimore Orioles pitcher Grayson Rodriguez (30) throws against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Jul 31, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Grayson Rodriguez (30) throws against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-USA TODAY Sports

Can Baltimore Find Some Pitching?

The Orioles’ three-year run appears to be over. The 2025 O’s lost ace Corben Burnes and slugger Anthony Santander to free agency, and now they have lost manager Brandon Hyde to a terrible 15-28 start. While the team has not hit like they did in 2024, the main culprit has been their awful pitching. They are 29th in MLB with a 5.49 ERA and 27th in WHIP with a 1.48. Their rotation not only lost Burnes, but Grayson Rodriguez, Albert Suarez, Tyler Wells, and Kyle Bradish are all injured. In their absence, only Japanese import Tomoyuki Sugano (4-3, 3.23) has an ERA under five among the team’s starters. O’s relievers have not fared better, blowing 8 of 19 save chances.

End Of My AL East Rant

Barring major injuries, the Yankees should run away with the East this year. If Baltimore gets healthy and adds a couple of arms, they should be back next year. I would say the same for Boston, except they will need to sort out their locker room issues as well. Toronto could easily catch fire and nab a wild card this year if their bats wake up. Guerrero Jr. tends to be a slow starter, but he usually finishes strong. The Wander Franco fiasco was a huge setback for the young Rays team. It will probably take them another couple of years to recover and mature before they have any chance of being real contenders.

Stay tuned later in the week for burning questions in the AL West and AL Central divisions. You can find links to breakdowns of the NL divisions’ burning questions below.

One Burning Question For Every NL West Team At MLB’s One-Third Mark

1 Burning MLB Question For Every NL Central Team After First Third Of The Season

One Burning MLB Question For Every NL East Team As We Finish 1st Third Of The Season