Ranking the AL East Opening Day Starters & Rotations

The American League East is shaping up to be a pretty competitive division in 2016, like it is most seasons, with four possible teams with legitimate chances at winning the division. Yes I unlcuded the New York Yankees in with those other three teams because I truly believe the team can win the division if everything goes right. The talent is there not only on the 25 and 40 man roster but it is also down on the farm if a big trade or acquisition needs to be made. With that said any division is going to be won most of the time on the starting pitching and specifically your ace. Who has the best ace in the American League East and who has the best starting five or six respectively?

First things first so let’s rank the top pitchers pitching in the first game of the season:

Chris Archer – Tampa Bay Rays

David Price – Boston Red Sox

Marcus Stroman – Toronto Blue Jays

Masahiro Tanaka – New York Yankees

Yovani Gallardo – Baltimore Orioles

And let’s move on to the best starting pitching rotations as a whole:

Tampa Bay Rays

New York Yankees

Toronto Blue Jays

Boston Red Sox

Baltimore Orioles

While the Boston Red Sox may have one of the best aces in the league I am not entirely sold on Rick Porcello, Clay Buchholz and company. I’ve been wrong before and I’m willing to be wrong again but Boston’s rotation is going to have to prove it for me to be a believer because I just don’t see it. The Blue Jays have a decent rotation as well but in my opinion it’s a little top heavy. Outside of Stroman, Drew Hutchison and an aging RA Dickey I believe the team will miss Price and Mark Buerhle from their 2015 team, well Buerhle unless he was facing the Yankees anyway. I think the Yankees have a ton of talent in their rotation with Michael Pineda, Luis Severino and Nathan Eovaldi but like always it will come down to health while the Baltimore Orioles may be in the cellar of any and all lists, including the final standings, when this season is all said and done.