2022 American League East Division Prediction, Odds (Bet Blue Jays Over Yankees to Finish First)

The American League East produced three playoff teams in the 2021 season, and with the expanded playoff field in 2022, there’s a chance even more teams from the division will be in this year. 

Now that Major League Baseball moves to a three-team wild card system, there's the chance the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays all make the postseason (sorry, Baltimore Orioles fans). 

Last season, the Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays finished with the top three wild card spots, but the Jays didn’t get in because of the two wild card format. 

This year, WynnBET Sportsbook has four teams in this division projected to win 86 or more games, by far the best of any division in baseball. 

Will that hold true through the regular season? Let’s get into the odds, as well as a prediction and pick for the eventual division winner. 

AL East Division Win Total Predictions

• Yankees: 92 (Over -110/Under -110)
• Blue Jays: 92.5 (Over -110/Under -110)
• Red Sox: 86 (Over -110/Under -110)
• Rays: 89.5 (Over -110/Under -110)
• Orioles: 61.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

New York Yankees Win Total Prediction 

The Yankees made small tweaks this offseason, adding Josh Donaldson, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and re-signing Anthony Rizzo while trading away Luke Voit, Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela. 

New York is banking on the oft-injured Luis Severino and Jameson Taillon to help bring stability to the rotation, but time and time again that has proven to be a foolish strategy. The Yankees have won 91 or more games in the last four full seasons, but I’m not as bullish on them as oddsmakers are. 

New York was just 36-40 against the American League East last season and now the division is even better. I’d lean to the under on this total. 

LEAN: UNDER 92 wins (-110)

Boston Red Sox Win Total Prediction

The Boston Red Sox made a splashy move for Trevor Story this offseason, but they lost starter Eduardo Rodriguez as well. 

Boston’s pitching staff has some serious questions after Chris Sale and Nathan Eovaldi, but the offense should still be one of the best in baseball in 2022. 

Alex Cora has gone to the ALCS or further in two of his three seasons as Boston’s manager, so don’t be surprised if Boston passes this win total or makes a dark horse run in the playoffs. 

LEAN: OVER 86 wins (-110)

Toronto Blue Jays Win Total Prediction 

The Blue Jays may be the most complete team in the AL East, as they added to their lineup with the trade for Matt Chapman and strengthened their rotation by signing Kevin Gausman. 

Toronto has one of the best lineups in all of baseball (which we will get to below), and it nearly made the playoffs despite a horrible bullpen in 2021. 

That is still a concern entering this season, but the Jays are expected to be top team in the AL East by Vegas’ standards. 

LEAN: OVER 92.5 wins (-110)

Tampa Bay Rays Win Total Prediction

The Rays remain the blueprint for all small market teams, and they are expected to have another solid season in 2022. I am a little nervous about the lack of moves made by Tampa Bay this offseason, but the team always seems to find contributions from its farm system. 

The Rays have won the AL East in back-to-back years, and they’ll likely push for the crown again with a solid pitching staff and key players like Brandon Lowe, Randy Arozarena and up-and-coming superstar Wander Franco back in the lineup. 

LEAN: OVER 89.5 wins (-110)

Baltimore Orioles Win Total Prediction 

In the last three full MLB seasons, the Orioles have won 47, 54 and 52 games. This team is bad, and they have one of the lower payrolls in all of baseball. 

That tells me that ownership still isn’t concerned about winning, as the O’s are going to run it back with a bunch of underwhelming youngsters hoping to strike gold somewhere. Cedric Mullins is solid and Adley Rutschman could be a franchise-changing star, but that’s about all this team has to look forward to in 2022. 

I’d be shocked if Baltimore finished with fewer than 100 losses. 

LEAN: UNDER 61.5 wins (-110)

AL East Division World Series Odds

• New York Yankees: +1000
• Toronto Blue Jays: +1000
• Boston Red Sox: +1500
• Tampa Bay Rays: +1500
• Baltimore Orioles: +50000

Predicting the AL East Division Winner

I really think that this is the Blue Jays' division to lose this season. 

Toronto made a splash in free agency with the Chapman trade and by signing Gausman and Yusei Kikuchi. They may also have the best lineup in the majors. 

The concern for the Jays is their bullpen, but with a rotation of Gausman, Jose Berrios, Alek Manoah, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Kikuchi, the hope is the team doesn’t have to rely on the pen night in and night out. 

Bo Bichette, Vlad Guerrero Jr. and George Springer are an elite trio, and that’s not even mentioning Chapman, Teoscar Hernandez and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. 

This Blue Jays lineup is as deep as they come, and there is a reason they led MLB in OPS, homers and were third in runs scored in 2021. 

If the bullpen holds up or the Jays make a deal for a reliever at the deadline, they are going to be a force to be reckoned with in 2022.

PICK: Toronto Blue Jays

Find Peter Dewey’s full betting record and plays here.