The Boston Red Sox have exceeded expectations early in the 2021 MLB season and occupy first place in the American League East Division.
Oddsmakers aren't totally buying the Red Sox as favorites to win the division, though.
Boston lost its first three games of the year but has posted a 12-4 record since. The Sox have a two-game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays, a 3.5-game advantage over the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles and a five-game edge over the last-place New York Yankees.
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Vazquez senses common theme between Red Sox and 2018 WS team
Despite the Yankees' horrendous start to 2021, oddsmakers still view them as the favorites to claim the division crown.
Here are the latest AL East betting lines -- odds provided by our partner, PointsBet Sportsbook.
| Team | Odds |
| New York Yankees | -135 |
| Boston Red Sox | +325 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | +450 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | +600 |
| Baltimore Orioles | +6600 |
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The Yankees are really struggling offensively and their 59 runs scored are the fewest of any AL team. They also rank last in the AL in home runs and batting average, while sitting 14th of 15 teams in hits.
New York's offense isn't likely to be this bad all season -- there's too much talent in the lineup for that to happen. But it's still a legitimate concern.
Tomase: Red Sox aren't just beating good teams, but great pitching
The Red Sox offense has been the opposite. It leads the AL in hits, runs scored, total bases, doubles, batting average and on-base percentage. Boston's pitching has been surprisingly good and ranks fifth in the AL in ERA and fourth in strikeouts.
The AL East is shaping up to be one of the most competitive divisions in baseball with maybe four teams having a real chance to compete for first place. It should create for a very exciting summer when the playoff races begin to heat up.