MLB Betting: Will Anyone Catch Tampa Bay in the AL East?

The American League East started off as a one-way division, but since April, it has become much more interesting.

The Tampa Bay Rays are the best team in Major League Baseball through the first half of the season, but with a division that has four other teams over .500, you never know what can happen in the second half.

Here's a look at the current AL East odds via the MLB division winner odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Tampa Bay Rays

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: -650
Record: 54-27 (first in AL East)

The Tampa Bay Rays kicked off the 2023 season with a 13-game winning streak, tying the modern record for wins to start a season. They were making baseball look easy, and while their record is now 54-27, the Rays have continued to perform as the best team in the sport.

The offense, led by Randy Arozarena, Wander Franco and Yandy Diaz, has been driving Tampa's success. In terms of on-the-surface numbers, the Rays have 123 home runs (third-best in the majors) and have stolen more bases than anyone else with 99 on the season -- 12 more than the next-highest team.

Tampa Bay takes advantage of any team's lapses, and that's why they've been the best of the best as we near the halfway point. The Rays' .354 weighted on-base average (wOBA) is second, trailing only the Atlanta Braves's .354, and the Rays have the best-run differential in the league at +150.

The pitching has also been elite for Tampa Bay. Shane McClanahan has been exceptional this season with a 2.23 ERA, and the majority of the pitching staff's numbers rank in the top 10 of the league. Both the team's skill-interactive ERA (SIERA) of 3.98 and 23.8% strikeout rate are 10th in the league while they rank 8th in fielding independent pitching (FIP) with a mark of 4.00.

Tampa Bay's odds show how great of a team this is despite how stout the rest of the division is.

Baltimore Orioles

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +1200
Record: 48-29 (second in AL East)

After last season, no one should be surprised that the Baltimore Orioles are a threat.

Baltimore did all it could to try to make the playoffs last year, and while they ultimately missed out, they came into 2023 ready to make even more noise. Sitting only 4.0 games back of the top of the AL East and comfortably in the Wild Card spot, the Orioles can thank the consistency they've had on offense and defense.

Starting with the offense, the Orioles are 11th with a .325 wOBA and are even better at putting the ball in play, limiting their strikeout rate to 21.7%. The team's most impressive statistic on offense is their 107 weighted runs created plus (wRC+), which ranks them seventh.

On the pitching side, the domination of the backend of their bullpen with the double-headed monster of Felix Bautista and Yennier Cano has made them unstoppable late in games. Through 36 2/3 innings, Bautista has been otherworldly with a blistering 50.7% strikeout rate and 1.77 SIERA. Cano has been just as good as the setup guy, sporting a minuscule 0.95 ERA to go with a 64.9% ground-ball rate.

The Orioles may need to find some help through the trade market if they want to make even more of a push against the Rays in the AL East. However, at their +1200 odds, the Orioles aren't a bad dice roll given they are only 4.0 games back.

New York Yankees

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +1400
Record: 43-35 (third in AL East)

The New York Yankees need help if they want to stay in the playoff hunt, let alone contend for the AL East in any fashion.

New York entered the 2023 season as one of the World Series favorites. With reigning MVP Aaron Judge re-signed and making the offseasons moves they did, including the addition of Carlos Rodon, the Yanks were fully expected to be one of the MLB's elite. But they've struggled since Judge got hurt, Rodon has been out all year, and it's showing.

Since June 4 (the day after Judge's injury), the Yankees rank dead last in wOBA and wRC+ at .266 and 66, respectively. Their lineup isn't creating much offense, and they're still able to find some wins with an 8-10 record since he's been out.

That can be attributed to their pitching, which has been good -- even if it's not as elite as hoped for. The Yankees have a team SIERA of 4.06 this season, which ranks 14th. The staff is striking out batters at a high rate, sitting 11th in strikeout rate at 23.5%.

There's more and more doubt about this side the longer Judge is out, but the second half should feature both Judge returning and Rodon making his debut. However, it's likely going to be too late for New York to get back into the division race.

Toronto Blue Jays

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +1600
Record: 43-36 (fourth in AL East)

Similar to the Yankees, the Toronto Blue Jays came into this season as a World Series favorite but haven't fully found their way.

The offense of Toronto is still one of the best, but their home run numbers are down. With just 89 long balls on the season, the Blue Jays have only the 17th-most dingers in the league. A team that consists of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, and George Springer should have far more gaudy numbers, but that's not the case this season. The team does rank well with a .328 wOBA (8th) and 110 wRC+ (5th), but they're not the dominant offense they're expected to be without the long-ball.

The reality is that the Blue Jays have had some bad luck, too. Their pitching is among the best in the league also, but wins are hard to earn in baseball. A 24.8% strikeout rate, good for sixth, and 3.91 SIERA, which ranks for eighth, highlight how good of a team Toronto truly is even if they're likely destined for no better than a Wild Card berth.

The Blue Jays aren't likely to make up the 10-game deficit but could be a force in the postseason.

Boston Red Sox

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +20000
Record: 40-39 (fifth in AL East)

If the Boston Red Sox were in another division, they'd have a far better chance of reaching the playoffs.

It's pretty much out of the question that they'll be contending in the AL East despite having a better record than the AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins, but the Red Sox have at least made things interesting for themselves this season.

Boston's offense has remained a force without Xander Bogaerts, ranking top 10 in the majors in wOBA at .330 (7th) and weighted runs created at 394 (6th). The offensive deficiencies come in the form of power and movement on the bases as they rank 20th in both home runs (83) and stolen bases (50).

The Red Sox have slowly fixed the pitching side of things, something that hurt them in major fashion last season. The team's 4.05 SIERA checks in 12th.

There's a lot to like about the Red Sox, but that's more for next season and beyond instead of 2023. With +20000 odds, they're AL East long-shots for good reason.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.