The New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Toronto Blue Jays are in the American League East, commonly abbreviated AL East.
The AL East is one of Major League Baseball’s six divisions. It belongs to the American League, which has East, Central, and West divisions. The division currently includes five teams: the Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, and Tampa Bay Rays. Toronto is the unusual member because it is based in Canada; the AL East is MLB’s only division containing a non-U.S. team.
The division was created in 1969, when the American League expanded and introduced divisions. The Toronto Blue Jays joined in 1977, while the modern five-team alignment took shape after the 1994 realignment and the 1998 addition of Tampa Bay.
The Yankees–Red Sox rivalry is one of baseball’s most famous. The AL East is also frequently confused with the National League East, which includes teams such as the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, and Atlanta Braves.