In the postseason, games are won and lost with the bullpen.
A hot bullpen can carry teams deep into the postseason, as Orioles fans are well aware. And in what should be a competitive division all year, the AL East has two of the leagues best units as Opening Day approaches.
The New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles made moves to bolster their staff in the winter, and with spring training underway, here’s a deeper look at how those moves will help their squads.
How do the AL East bullpens stack up against one another?
1. New York Yankees
The New York Yankees added Devin Williams this offseason to shore up the back end of their bullpen.
In 2024, Luke Weaver moved into the closing role deep in the season and while he found success, the addition of Williams slides Weaver back into a setup role.
While injuries have strained their depth and the Yankees will likely need more than the two currently rostered lefties, the wildcard of Fernando Cruz could make an immediate impact with his strikeout stuff.
2. Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles made some moves in the winter to bolster their bullpen and with Felix Bautista expected to be limited upon his return, there could be a hefty workload upcoming for the back-end of the bullpen.
Andrew Kittredge is coming over from St. Louis and while he will begin the year on the injured list, he was one of the more sturdy arms in the Cardinals bullpen last season. Seranthony Dominguez and Gregory Soto both stumbled in 2024 but have shown to have top-of-the-line numbers in the last three years.
Expect the Orioles bullpen to make a major jump and be a strength of the team in 2025.
3. Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox bullpen is getting some reinforcements as Liam Hendriks will be returning from Tommy John surgery.
He went under the knife in 2023 and spent 2024 rehabbing.
Aroldis Chapman will be joining the fray in 2025 after spending last season with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the previous one helping the Texas Rangers win the World Series.
Adam Ottavino signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox and could find his way to Fenway with his veteran presence.
Garrett Whitlock and Justin Slaten were two of the Red Sox best relief arms in 2024 and are going to be keys to the Sox getting back to the postseason for the first time since 2021.
4. Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays will have Pete Fairbanks returning to the closing role in 2025 and while he struggled at times in 2024, Fairbanks was one of the best relievers in the league in 2022 and 2023.
Edwin Uceta remains in tow, giving Fairbanks some help in the Rays back-end. As for their lefties, Garrett Cleavinger and Mason Montgomery will be returning this season.
Montgomery will likely take on more responsibility in year two and success in the bridge role will rely on these two being successful.
5. Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays made the second most impactful bullpen move inside the division, behind the Yankees adding Williams, when they added Jeff Hoffman to their staff. Hoffman is coming off one of his best seasons, where he made his first All Star appearance, while maintaining a 2.17 ERA with a K/9 of 12.1.
The rest of the Blue Jays bullpen is liable to struggle in 2025, after a 2024 that saw all but Hoffman hold an ERA over 3.00. The additions of Yimi Garcia and Nick Sandlin will be the keys for the Jays to have a bounce back season from their bullpen. Sandlin will look to improve on a rough season in 2024 that ran him out of Cleveland.
