The American League East wasn't at its finest in 2015, but the Toronto Blue Jays made some serious noise in the postseason thanks to a potent lineup and some dominant pitching in key spots. 

Will that continue in 2016? We preview the AL East, and pick our winners, today. 

1 Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays did lose David Price from a rotation that made it to the 2015 playoffs, but they did bolster their bullpen with Drew Storen and added a solid bottom-of-the-rotation starter in J.A. Happ to help alleviate the damage done by his departure.

The Blue Jays do boast one of the best lineups in baseball, with Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista, and Edwin Encarnacion all poised to do some serious damage this season.

The big question will be whether or not off-field distractions will impact the team’s order. Bautista and Encarnacion have loudly been lobbying for new contract extensions, and the Blue Jays don’t seem to be in a hurry to resolve the issues. Could the animosity boil over into a serious issue for Toronto? Only time will tell.

2 Boston Red Sox

Dave Dombrowski came to Boston and immediately set about making some huge splashes for this team, as he acquired closer Craig Kimbrel in a trade and signed David Price to a lucrative free agent contract.

Unfortunately for Boston, the team’s lineup still has some question marks, but with similar questions dogging other teams in the division, the Red Sox should still be a competitive club with viable October aspirations.

3 Tampa Bay Rays

Injuries helped to derail the Rays’ season in 2015, but some new faces and a group of young, talented starting pitchers could put them back on the right track.

The team did acquire Corey Dickerson to play in right field this season, and they also added Logan Morrison, who could fill a role in the middle of their everyday lineup. Adding in the contributions of Evan Longoria (who needs to stay on the field and be more productive in 2016) and Desmond Jennings, and this team could have a solid lineup this year.

The rotation is where things get interesting for Tampa. Chris Archer and Matt Moore are both really good pitchers, but can Drew Smyly stay on the mound? That answer will help dictate how Tampa’s season goes.

4 New York Yankees

The Yankees did make the American League wild card game in 2015, and while they didn’t really make the big free agent splashes fans are accustomed to in the Bronx, they did add Starlin Castro to help bolster their infield, and he could be a fit at either the top or bottom of their everyday lineup.

Pitching health has always been the key question when it comes to the Yankees, and while their staff doesn’t really jump out, they did make one big trade to help boost their bullpen as they acquired Aroldis Chapman from the Reds. If he can team with Andrew Miller to lock down the eighth and ninth innings, the Yankees could be a dangerous team.

5 Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles are blessed with two of the best young players in baseball, with Manny Machado and Adam Jones both playing key roles in their lineup, and Chris Davis provides some huge thump in the middle of their order.

So why pick them to finish in last place in the AL East? Their pitching rotation is hardly staggering, with Ubaldo Jimenez and Yovani Gallardo serving as the closest thing to an ace that the team has, and they have question marks in their lineup, with Mark Trumbo looking to get his career on the right track and Pedro Alvarez looking to prove that he can replicate the success that he had in Pittsburgh.