The emerging AL East superstars that will soon torment the Blue Jays

What makes the American League East so daunting isn’t just the talent already at the major league level.  It’s the emerging superstars that can further push these teams into the next level. That may be the margin of error amongst a collection of teams with similarly constructed rosters. Even the Red Sox, who finished in last place for a second straight year, boast solid players at the major league level and some intriguing talent knocking on the door. 

The Baltimore Orioles get a lot of hype because their talent seems to be coming up at the same time.  Losing 100+ games in multiple years and using those draft picks to accumulate young superstars means they are all getting ready to play around the same time.  The Tampa Bay Rays always seem to have the next crop of stars getting ready to supplant the current group for financial purposes. In theory, the New York Yankees should have stars littered all over the roster.  Now those stars need to find the right chemistry mix to bring a long-awaited championship to the Bronx. 

The key to coming out victorious in this division seems to be which team has the highest and best concentration of these superstars. These emerging superstars can come in all forms, ranging from young players just called up to highly touted prospects. In some cases, these players have already tormented Toronto.

Toronto is no slouch in this regard either; the front office needs to keep digging for these players to compete with not only the division but also the rest of the league. The good news? Instead of playing division rivals 19 times under the old schedule, the newer and balanced schedule only forces the Blue Jays to play 13 games each against their rivals.

Let's take a closer look at the up-and-coming superstars the Blue Jays will need to worry about.

Boston Red Sox

For a team that finished in last place in back-to-back seasons, the Red Sox aren’t exactly bereft of talent. They already have a strong core of Rafael Devers, Brayan Bello, Garret Whitlock, Triston Casas and Jarren Durran. There are more talented youngsters coming.

Marcelo Mayer is a 14th ranked Baseball America prospect who fell into Boston’s lap with the 4th overall pick in 2021. Mayer is a shortstop prospect who underwent injuries and underperformance in 2023 but has plenty of power. In addition, he faces questions about his long-term defensive home. His probable debut is early 2025 but it could come later this summer, especially if Boston is woefully out of contention by September.

Others to watch include Roman Anthony and Kyle Teel. Anthony is an outfielder who raked at three levels of the minor league system while Teel plays a position that Boston could certainly use a long-term answer at: catcher. Conner Wong and former Blue Jay Reese McGuire currently constitute the depth chart behind the plate in Beantown.

All three prospects are under the age of 22 and at least cracked the Double-A level last season. Boston will rely on these emerging superstars to keep them afloat if they won't be flexing their financial muscle as much as in years past. They can be expected to put fear in Blue Jays pitchers' hearts for years to come.

Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays always seem to be at the top of this list. It doesn’t seem to matter who they trade or allow to leave in free agency. A superstar is always looming behind the curtain.

For years we had been hearing about an emerging shortstop in Wander Franco who would become the next star of the league. Truthfully, Franco more than lived up to that hype.  Franco has since landed in legal hot water and may not see a baseball field again. Who will be in the mix to replace him? Try Junior Caminero.

Blue Jays fans saw Caminero during the last two series against Tampa in the regular season and he looked impressive for a 20-year-old.  Caminero accumulated eight hits in 34 AB’s in seven career games (5 vs TOR). Curtis Mead is another one who has already made an impression at the major league level with a .267/ .365/ .356 in 52 PA at the MLB level.

Mason Montgomery is a southpaw pitcher who the Rays clearly see as an option to fill out a depleted rotation. He reached Triple-A in 2023 and should be on a trajectory to reach the top level before long.
Yes, the Rays traded Tyler Glasnow to the Los Angeles Dodgers and suffered significant pitching injuries in 2023. However, they received another possible breakout player in Ryan Pepiot who offers tantalizing stuff if he can stay healthy.

Montgomery, Glasnow and someone else we haven't even mentioned will contribute for the Rays because that's the way it always goes for the pesky club on the west coast of Florida.

Baltimore Orioles

One can make the argument the modern-day Orioles are the product of prospects. They lost 100+ games in multiple years and used those high draft picks to amass their next core of young superstars.  Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Jordan Westburg are already wreaking havoc at the big-league level.

More are coming. Jackson Holliday gets a lot of hype, and not just because he is the son of former MLB player Matt Holliday. Holliday is the top ranked prospect in baseball who shot up the minor league system in 2023. With only 18 games at Triple-A, he will be playing at Camden Yards in 2023, with the only question being when. He has a solid offensive makeup that has already been showcased in only 150 professional games so far.

Others to watch include Coby Mayo with a positive outlook heading into 2024. Mayo is 22 years old and slashed .290 at the two highest levels while also making huge improvements defensively. Heston Kjerstad is an outfielder who is a little further behind his counterparts but has since carved out his unique path.

Baltimore is so stocked with these players it makes you wonder how good this team can be if ownership was willing to financially invest in taking this team to the next level.