2024 AL East Breakout Stars
This series is something I try to do every single year. Over the next six days, we will go division by division to find the breakout stars across MLB. To me, there is just nothing more exciting than properly tracking the next young group of players to make an impact at the MLB level. Our track record of identifying the next up-and-comers has been pretty strong over the years. To start things off, let’s go over your 2024 AL East Breakout Stars (one per team)!
Baltimore Orioles (Jackson Holliday)
Last year it was Gunnar Henderson. This year it will probably be Jackson Holliday. Yes, he’s the son of former MLB great Matt Holliday. He’s the number one prospect in baseball for a reason. I don’t think we even need to get carried away here. He’s a stud in the making.
Boston Red Sox (Ceddanne Rafaela)
I don’t care what anybody says. Ceddanne Rafaela is going to be a damn stud. I promise you that. The shades of Mookie Betts are real. Sometimes he’s aggressive to a fault and whiffs on pitches outside the zone. Once he fully refines his strike zone, he’s going to be one of the best centerfielders in baseball. Mark my words. Rafaela brings plus speed, defense, and versatility to the table. He might be a sneaky 20 plus homer guy too. He will win a Gold Glove one day. I promise you that.
New York Yankees (Austin Wells)
I just have a funny suspicion that the Yankees had no problem moving on from Kyle Higashioka. Higgy was moved in the Juan Soto deal and I think Brian Cashman didn’t break a sweat doing it. Austin Wells is the future and now is his time to prove just that.
Wells, a Las Vegas native, was taken in the first round by the Yankees in 2020. Wells was promoted to the big league team last year but it was only for a short stint. He’s having a strong Spring right now and could become an above-average bat for the position. He’s not an All-World athlete but he should make for a nice platoon partner for Jose Trevino.
Tampa Bay Rays (Junior Caminero)
The Rays already sent Caminero down but we will likely see him sometime in May or June. Caminero, 20, is the Rays top prospect. He has a slender frame and probably needs more minor league season but the bat-to-ball skills are pretty undeniable. The Rays know how to find talent and this should be a good one for a long time.
Toronto Blue Jays (Spencer Horwitz)
This one is a bit of an off the radar pick but it’s one that maybe you should pay attention to. Horwitz, 26, was selected in the 24th round in 2019. The 24th round doesn’t even exist anymore but Horwitz could end up filling a void this team has been missing.
He hit .337 in AAA last year. A first baseman / corner outfield guy who is pegged as a poor runner. The guy can still hit or at least has leading up to this point. It’s hard enough making the 40-man as a 24th round pick. I think he has a role and if it ends up not working, Joey Votto was added on a minor league contract as a fallback plan.
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