Right before the beginning of the baseball season, I stumbled upon a Bleacher Report article that predicted the Opening Day starting lineups for all 30 MLB teams. I copied all of them and pasted them into a document, but I wasn’t satisfied there. I went through and predicted where every team would fall in the division as well as one player to watch, attaching a question to that player on why I was keeping an eye on them. The results were far from perfect. For the sake of this piece, I’ll use positions in the standings from late August. We’ll start with the American League and go East to West.

Boston Red Sox

My prediction: 5th

Actual outcome: 3rd

Player to watch: Triston Casas-Can he build off of his monster second half from a season ago?

I’m going to be issuing a lot of apologies as I write. Between not having a lot of faith in the back end of Boston’s lineup to believing too heavily in Toronto and Tampa, Boston ended up in 5th for me. Currently, they sit 4.5 games out of a wild card spot at 67-62, and they’ve assembled a serviceable core for the future. Cedanne Rafaela has had a solid rookie season, Jarren Duran made his first All-Star Game and took home MVP while also leading the bigs in triples, and Wilyer Abreu has built off a solid cameo in 2023 and is having an overlooked but solid rookie season. Rafael Devers is having another spectacular season as well. The pitching has defied expectations as well, with Tanner Houck sitting with a 3.23 ERA deep into August. Youngsters Kutter Crawford and Cooper Criswell started hot but have cooled off. As for Casas, he went down with a rib injury in April and has only played 31 games. A .274 with 8 homers in that time is solid, but it’s not a big enough picture quite yet.

Prediction grade: C-

Player grade: Incomplete

Toronto Blue Jays

Prediction: 4th

Actually: 5th

Player: Bo Bichette-Will he be a top A.L. Hitter again?

Time’s up, Toronto. The core that the Jays expected to have didn’t pan out. Cavan Biggio has been released twice this year. In a competitive division, it feels easy to declare the only team under .500 at the time of this writing dead. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has had a resurgent year, his second-best season in the majors. Daulton Varsho has good tools but is inconsistent with the bat. At times it’s felt like Vlad has been the only pro hitter in this lineup. Jose Berrios has been solid this year, and Bowden Francis has come out of nowhere and pitched like an ace, but that’s about all the bright spots the Jays have. Bichette has been dismal. The two-time A.L. hit-leader is hitting .223 with 4 homers in 79 games and is currently sitting on the injured list. After selling at the deadline, it looks like it’s time for the Blue Jays to retool.

Prediction grade: B+

Player grade: D+

Tampa Bays Rays

Prediction: 3rd

Actually: 4th

Player: Jose Siri-How can he distance himself from the bottom of the lineup?

Well, last year may have just been a flash in the pan for the Rays. Following a scorching April, the Rays maintained a solid record and coasted into the playoffs in 2023, and they were immediately ousted by the Texas Rangers. The Rays always have a few solid players, with infielder Brandon Lowe continuing to hit for prodigious power for his position, and offseason trade acquisition Jose Caballero filling in nicely at short. Unfortunately, Tampa was bitten by the injury bug in the second half of last year, losing pitchers Drew Rasmussen, Shane McLanahan, and Jeffrey Springs among others. They weren’t able to get a full season out of any of those arms this year, and they haven’t quite gotten back to form. With early pitching struggles and the failure of outfielder Randy Arozarena to get going, the Rays had a fire sale at the trade deadline, sending away the likes of Arozarena, Isaac Paredes, and Zach Eflin. As for Siri, it seemed as though he was a standout talented at the back of a muddled Tampa Bay lineup. The raw power and speed are there for Siri, but the lack of contact has severely staggered his numbers. He sits at a .195 average, but the 17 bombs and 12 steals will keep him on a Major League roster for years to come.

New York Yankees

Prediction: 2nd

Actually: 1st

Player: Juan Soto-Will he acclimate to Bronx pressure?

I enjoyed the Yankees’ downfall so much last year that I’m honestly disappointed that the Bombers are contending again this year. Aaron Judge has been otherworldly yet again and could break his record for single-season AL homers if he gets hot again. Trade deadline acquisition Jazz Chisholm Jr. was finally sent to his much-needed change of scenery in New York and has come out of the gate hot. The Yanks’ big offseason prize was Soto, and he certainly has come on strong in his first year. The 4-time All-Star sits third in the MLB in homers with 37 and is hitting a tick under .300 with a month to play. Pitching-wise, the team has been unspectacular. Clay Holmes has been decent in the closer role, and rookie Luis Gil has had a good year as a starter but is currently stuck on the injured list. There’s no question the team will make the playoffs, but whether they rise to the occasion is a different story.

Baltimore Orioles

Prediction: 1st

Actually: 2nd

Player: Jackson Holliday- Will his spring results translate?

Baltimore and New York have been locked in a battle of “No, you take it!” for the AL East, as each team refuses to pull away with the division, but that’s not without some talent, especially with Baltimore. Last year’s Rookie of the Year Gunnar Henderson is on pace for 40 bombs, and switch-hitting DH Anthony Santander is also showing prodigious power. The O’s also added starter Corbin Burnes to shore up the pitching staff, and he’s been just what they needed in the rotation. The bullpen hasn’t been perfect, but Baltimore will find their way into the playoffs again. Holliday, contrary to projections, didn’t crack the roster out of spring training. He struggled mightily in his initial cup of coffee in the pros, and while improving, still hasn’t impressed as much as expected. The former #1 prospect is sporting an ugly .186 batting average as a major leaguer. Baltimore remains on the hunt for a title with their young core, and they look to make those goals come to fruition as the calendar turns to October.

Team grade: A-

Player grade: Incomplete