Yankees&#39; win total predicted to drop for Blue Jays, Orioles, Red Sox reason

Yankees' win total predicted to drop for Blue Jays, Orioles, Red Sox reason originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The New York Yankees were their own worst enemy last season. The AL East club went through its annual June swoon and watched the Toronto Blue Jays take over first place in the division.

Toronto and New York finished with an identical 94-68 regular season record, but the Blue Jays' 8-5 head-to-head record against the Yankees gave them a running start to the ALDS.

This offseason, the clubs in the AL East arguably got better, with the Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, and Boston Red Sox making impact free agency moves. With almost an identical roster led by superstar Aaron Judge, can the Yankees' regular-season record improve?

Yankees predicted to win fewer than 94 games

The Tampa Bay Rays may be a long shot to win the AL East title, but any one of the Yankees, Blue Jays, Red Sox, and Orioles has a decent opportunity to do so.

Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly predicts New York will lose more games this season than last, due to the highly competitive division it's in.

"The Yankees won 94 games last season, which wasn't enough to win baseball's toughest division. The defending AL Champion Toronto Blue Jays arguably got better this offseason with the addition of Dylan Cease. Even after losing Alex Bregman, the Red Sox are still loaded with talent, particularly in the outfield and starting staff," Kelly wrote.

"The Tampa Bay Rays usually find a way to stay competitive, and won't have to play at a minor-league stadium this year. With the Baltimore Orioles making significant offseason improvements, it stands to reason the Yankees could win a few less games this year, even if they still contend for a playoff spot."

One of the biggest questions the Yankees face is what level of production they will receive from Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon when they return to the rotation from injury. Luis Gil is just one year removed from a serious lat strain, and Cam Schlittler is already dealing with back stiffness.

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