New York Yankees no longer the AL East favorite.

The Yankees have announced that ace Gerrit Cole will undergo Tommy John surgery on Tuesday. Dr. Neal ElAttrache will perform the procedure.

The team will provide further updates following the surgery, but there is no doubt that the 2023 AL Cy Young winner will miss the entire 2025 season.

PECOTA no longer has the Yankees as the favorites in the American League, expecting them to finish two wins behind the Texas Rangers and only one-fifth of a win ahead of the Baltimore Orioles.

FanGraphs' projections have the Yankees' advantage in the AL East down from three games to less than two.

Without a clear favorite, FanGraphs is giving 11 AL teams at least a 35-percent chance of making the playoffs (compared to seven such teams in the National League).

This is a crushing blow to the reigning AL champions. New York survived without Cole for just under three months last season when elbow inflammation kept him out until mid-June.

However this time around losing Cole for the 2025 season and possibly the entire 2026 season is a massive loss.

The AL East is especially ripe for the taking. The Toronto Blue Jays' are expected to do big things in 2025, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette are hitting well this spring, the Baltimore Orioles are projected by FanGraphs to generate the best position player WAR in baseball, and the Red Sox now have Garrett Crochet and Alex Bregman upgrading their chances.

Beyond the vaunted East, the entire American League has opened up.

FanGraphs expects only the Orioles to generate a higher position player WAR in the American League, but the Astros and Blue Jays are within a half win.

The Rangers are also close, and they won the whole thing two years ago. The Blue Jays who finished in the AL East basement last year are a much better team on paper this season. Hopefully thet translates on the field in this year.