As of now, the AL East is a tight race between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox, with the New York Yankees following closely. Being a Red Sox fan, I think that the Sox will pull ahead as the season progresses. I ddon't think that the Rays will be able to stay in first until the end of September.

As with the Yankees, they don't have the pitching to get them to the postseason. They will fnish third behind the Red sox and the Rays. Now matter how well their offense does in the fnal two months of the year, their pitching troubles will probably keep them from the postseason.

The Sox have the offense and pitching to gain a lead in the AL East. The gaining of Jason Bay will also help the offense. Between Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, and Daisuke Matsuzaka, the pitching should be all set. The only issue is their middle relief, which could cause some issues for the team.

The Rays have decent pitching with Scott Kazmir, James Shields, and Andy Sonnanstine. This will make them a good challenge for the Sox during August and September. They have good hitting, and their defense is great. They have a good fielding percentage, which could prove to help them near the postseason.

 Sox: will finish first in the Al East

Rays: will finish second in AL East, but make wildcard.

Yankees: won't make playoffs

Overall, it will be a close race all the way to the end in the AL East, between the Sox and Rays. I think that the Sox will win, but it could go either way. And there is always the AL Wildcard, so you can't count anyone out just yet. I think its also safe to say that the AL East will produce the AL Wildcard.