Top 10 Best Players in the AL East for the 2025 Season

Throughout baseball history, the American League East has been one of the sport’s best and most storied divisions. Heading into 2025, this remains as true as ever, with the division being filled to the brim with talent.

The New York Yankees enter the 2025 season in a fascinating place. They’ve just lost the team’s second-best player, Juan Soto, to their crosstown rivals, but they’ve done a good job replacing him with other talents. Max Fried, Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger, and Devin Williams will all be taking on Yankee Stadium for the first time this summer.

Pairing this much talent with arguably the game’s best player, Aaron Judge, makes them just as dangerous as ever.

The Blue Jays and Red Sox are also going to feature many new faces this summer, including Anthony Santander, Alex Bregman, Max Scherzer, Walker Buehler, and more. Adding this level of star power could propel them both towards making a run at the division.

Despite not making as many upgrades as the Yankees, Blue Jays, and Red Sox, the Orioles also have a chance to be very competitive. Their core of Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Colton Cowser, and more make for one of the best young teams in the game.

The Rays should also be more competitive than they were in 2024, as they’ll be getting back a lot of weapons from the injured list. Most notably, Shane McClanahan is back after spending nearly 600 days on the injured list. With Ha-Seong Kim and Junior Caminero also on the squad, they could return to their winning ways.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the top players taking on the AL East this summer.

Who Just Missed the Top 10?

Bo Bichette (TOR)

Although his 2024 season was far from what Blue Jays fans had hoped it would be, he still has all of the tools to become one of the game’s top shortstops once again.

Bichette missed half of the season due to injury as well, leading him to finish the season slashing just .225/.277/.322 with a 71 wRC+. This is far different from how Bichette played just a few seasons ago, where he led the American League in hits in 2021 and 2022.

2025 will be an important season for Bichette as well, with this being a contract season. To put it simply, if he does, we could see him become one of the highest-paid shortstops in baseball. If he doesn’t, we could see him forced into taking a cheaper, “prove-it” deal.

Junior Caminero (TBR)

The success of the Tampa Bay Rays in 2025 will be heavily reliant on the success of their former top prospect, Junior Caminero.

2025 will be Caminero’s first full big league season, and he’s shown a lot of promise in his time in the big leagues thus far. In 43 games, Caminero hit 6 homers, slashed .248/.299/.424 with a .309 wOBA, a 105 wRC+, and a 0.6 fWAR.

He hit the ball extremely hard during this sample size as well, posting elite hard-hit rates and barrel rates. His bat speed of 77.2 MPH was tied with Aaron Judge’s bat speed for the fourth-best mark in the league.

If Caminero can replicate this success in 2025, he could very easily become a 30-homer threat.

Colton Cowser (BAL)

The final player who just missed our top 10, is American League Rookie of the Year runner-up Colton Cowser.

As I mentioned in the intro, Cowser is a part of one of the most exciting young squads in baseball, and he’s looked amazing so far. In 153 games in his rookie season, Cowser slashed .242/.321/.447 with a 120 wRC+, and a 4.0 fWAR, while hitting 24 homers.

With the departure of Anthony Santander this offseason, Cowser’s role on the team will be even more important than it was in 2024. If he can put up a season close to what he did in 2024, Santander’s departure won’t hurt nearly as badly.

While it may be too early to call Cowser one of the 10 best players in the AL East, he’s certainly on the right path to becoming one of these players.

10. Anthony Santander, Toronto Blue Jays

2024 Stats: 155 G, .235/.308/.506, 44 HR, 102 RBI, 19.4% K%, 129 wRC+, 3.3 fWAR

For the first time in his big league career, Anthony Santander will be playing for a team other than the Baltimore Orioles. After an amazing season, he inked a five-year, $92.5 million deal with the Blue Jays.

In his last season with the Orioles, Santander hit 11 more home runs than his previous career high, virtually beating every single one of his previous career highs. His 129 wRC+ was his highest wRC+ in a full season.

Something else to note is that Santander’s plate discipline even improved, as his strikeout rate dropped from over 23% to 19.4%.

When the Blue Jays inked Santander this offseason, they were hoping they’d be getting this version of Santander for the next five seasons. However, only time will tell if this contract ages well.

9. Austin Wells, New York Yankees

2024 Stats: 115 G, .229/.322/.395, 13 HR, 55 RBI, 105 wRC+, 3.4 fWAR, +12 Framing Runs

Similarly, Colton Cowser, another one of 2024’s top rookies has now become one of the AL East’s top talents. That player, is Yankees catcher, Austin Wells.

In his rookie season, Wells performed extremely well. His 105 wRC+ added a lot of stability to the Yankees’ lineup, which helped take some pressure off of players like Alex Verdugo, who struggled mightily down the stretch.

Although the World Series wasn’t a memorable one for the Yankees, it was for Austin Wells. Since the year 2000, only three Yankees have hit home runs in the World Series during their rookie seasons, and Wells joined this club in 2024. Out of these three players, Wells was also the only catcher.

It’ll be interesting to see how Wells develops in 2025, as he could become one of the best catchers in the sport by this time next year.

8. Jazz Chisholm Jr., New York Yankees

2024 Stats: 147 G, .256/.324/.436, 24 HR, 40 SB, 73 RBI, 110 wRC+, 4.0 fWAR

At last year’s trade deadline, the Yankees pulled off a blockbuster move to acquire some help in the outfield. The player they traded for, was infielder Jazz Chisholm.

Chisholm’s 2024 season was a huge success for him, as he posted the highest wRC+ of his career in a full season. Seeing Chisholm healthy was also a big deal, as this was the first season of his career where he played more than 125 games.

Chisholm’s 4 fWAR was also the first time in his career that he’s posted an fWAR above 2.5, showing his growth as a player. His glove has also developed nicely, as his OAA of 9 last year landed him inside baseball’s 94th percentile.

2025 will be Chisholm’s first full season in Pinstripes, and if the Yankees are going to return to the World Series, Chisholm will be a huge reason why.

7. Alex Bregman, Boston Red Sox

Alex Bregman is 2-2 with a HR and 2 RBI in his debut
pic.twitter.com/HUV7MxpvZ7

— Boston Strong (@BostonStrong_34) February 23, 2025

2024 Stats: 145 G, .260/.315/.453, 26 HR, 75 RBI, 118 wRC+, 4.1 fWAR

Another new face joining the AL East this upcoming season is third baseman Alex Bregman.

After a very successful career with the Houston Astros, Bregman decided Boston was the better fit, inking a three-year, $120 million deal with the club.

Although he hasn’t been able to replicate the MVP runner-up season he had in 2019, 2024 was a very solid season. He’s currently riding a three-year streak of posting an fWAR of 4 or higher, something very impressive.

While it’s unclear exactly what role Bregman will play in Boston, what’s clear is that he’s in a position to climb this list with another good season.

6. Jarren Duran, Boston Red Sox

2024 Stats: 160 G, .285/.342/.492, 21 HR, 75 RBI, 34 SB, 129 wRC+, 6.7 fWAR

2024 was a year full of breakouts for many players, but Jarren Duran’s breakout may have been the most impressive example.

Last season, Duran showcased all of his tools to the fullest. He stole 34 bases, and hit over 20 homers, while also posting an OAA of 10. Duran also made his first-ever All-Star game, winning the game’s MVP in the process.

The Boston Red Sox have slowly become one of the American League’s most exciting teams, and having a player like Duran on the field every day is a big reason why.

If Duran can replicate this season in 2025, there’s a good chance we could see him solidify himself as one of the top players in baseball.

5. Adley Rutschman, Baltimore Orioles

2024 Stats: 148 G, .250/.318/.391, 19 HR, 79 RBI, 104 wRC+, 2.8 fWAR

Although 2024 was not the season Rutschman or the Orioles had hoped for, the future remains bright for the former number-one overall pick.

During the 2024 season, the difference in quality in Rutschman’s game was very noticeable. For starters, his 104 wRC+ was 23 points lower than it was the year prior, in addition to his fWAR dipping under three for the first time in his big league career.

Rutschman was also virtually non-existent in the Orioles’ lineup during the second half, as he put up a wRC+ of just 70 and an OBP of just .282.

Given Rutschman’s past success and the level he’s played at throughout his entire professional career, I don’t see these struggles continuing. If he gets back on track, Rutschman could finally end the debate for the title of “the best catcher in baseball”.

4. Rafael Devers, Boston Red Sox

2024 Stats: 138 G, .272/.354/.516, 28 HR, 83 RBI, 134 wRC+, 4.1 fWAR

As I previously mentioned, the Red Sox are in an interesting place, as they look like a sneaky contender on all cylinders. One of the big reasons why, is their power-hitting third baseman, Rafael Devers.

Devers is coming off of a great 2024 campaign. Last year marked the 5th time in his career Devers had hit 25 or more homers, finishing just two shy of the 30-homer mark. Not only this, but his wRC+ of 134 finished 10 points higher than the year prior.

Devers’ role defensively has been a hot topic this Spring, but it’s looking like he’ll remain at the hot corner for the time being. However, his glove does need some work, as he posted an OAA of -6 in 2024.

As the 2025 season gets underway, it’ll be interesting to see if Devers can continue to be the power threat he’s been, while also improving his defense.

3. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays

2024 Stats: 159 G, .323/.396/.544, 44 2B, 30 HR, 103 RBI, 165 wRC+, 5.5 fWAR

Similarly to his Toronto counterpart, Bo Bichette, 2025 will be a big year for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. as he enters the final season of his contract.

Last year, Guerrero had the second-best season of his career. 2024 was the third season Guerrero had reached the 30-homer threshold, as he saw a massive improvement from the year prior. Guerrero’s 5.5 fWAR was the second-highest mark of his career, finishing behind his 2021 MVP runner-up campaign.

During the early part of Spring Training, it was reported that Guerrero and the Blue Jays would not agree on an extension, with the two sides being far apart. With Guerrero reaching the market at just 26 years old, there’s a good chance his next contract comes in at over $400 million.

Although he’s ranked just number three on this list, there are not many divisions where Guerrero wouldn’t finish as the top player in the division.

2. Gunner Henderson, Baltimore Orioles

2024 Stats: 159 G, .281/.364/.529, 37 HR, 21 SB, 92 RBI, 155 wRC+, 8.0 fWAR

MLB’s new wave of talented shortstops has become one of the bigger bright spots in the league, and one of the players at the front of this, is Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson.

Henderson, the face of the Orioles and one of the cover athletes of MLB The Show 25 is coming off of his best season yet. Henderson finished fourth in AL MVP voting, nearly doubling his previous single-season high in fWAR.

He finished 8th in the league in wRC+, 9th in homers, 5th in fWAR, and 13th in xwOBA. His speed also allowed him to finish with 21 stolen bases, marking the first 20/20 season of his young career.

Although his career is just getting underway, Henderson has already proven himself to be one of the game’s best talents at just 24 years old. Just like Vladimir Guerrero Jr., if he were in almost any other division, he’d be the top player in our rankings.

1. Aaron Judge, New York Yankees

2024 Stats: 158 G, .322/.458/.701, 58 HR, 144 RBI, 10 SB, 218 wRC+, 11.2 fWAR

The crown for the AL East’s top player undoubtedly belongs to Yankees superstar slugger and 2x MVP, Aaron Judge. Not only does Judge earn the crown as the top player in the AL East, but he makes a good argument for the best player in the sport.

Last season, on the road to his second AL MVP award, Aaron Judge had a truly historic campaign. Arguably the most impressive part of his offensive game was his wRC+, which finished above 200 for the second time in his career, setting a new career-high in the process. This even beat his 2022 campaign, where he broke the AL single-season home run record!

Judge led MLB in fWAR, wRC+, homers, wOBA, xwOBA, walk rate, and more, with no other hitter in MLB even coming close to his lead. Judge finished just one stat away from winning the first Triple Crown Award since Miguel Cabrera in 2012.

For the Yankees, Judge has been worth every penny of his $360 million contract, playing a bigger role than just the best player on the team. As captain, Judge has played a huge role in the locker room, influencing the team in every way.

As Judge touches the field in 2025, he’ll begin searching for his third MVP award, joining a very exclusive club of just 11 players. When taking a look at his other-worldly offensive numbers, it’s easy to see why he’s the top player on this list.