1 breakout player on each Yankees AL East rival

Triston Casas, Boston Red Sox

I know we're about to talk glowingly about a Red Sox player, but isn't it great to know that the Red Sox are in a rebuilding phase? Even if they do have a young and exciting prospect ready for a breakout year, it should bring a smile on every Yankees' fans face knowing the odds are not in their favor this season.

Casas only appeared in 27 games last year, so this will be his first full major league season, but he could be expected to make an impact right away. It's currently looking like Casas will be the Red Sox' leadoff man, according to manager Alex Cora. Although he's viewed more as a powerful hitter, his 20.0 percent walk rate last year would indicate that he could be a good fit for that role.

That walk rate obviously won't continue through an entire 162 game season, but even if he regresses, his OBP should be very impressive this season. Similarly to how we spoke about Henderson before, Casas should be a great candidate for AL Rookie of the Year this season, as he's projected to be the Red Sox first baseman all season.

With a ton of confidence from his manager and limited expectations from the team to win, Casas will have all of the time he needs to develop and, as a result, he should primed for a breakout year this season with the Red Sox.