Did you spend the offseason monitoring spin rates in hopes of mastering that elusive third pitch? Did you lock yourself in the cage in an effort to increase your exit velocity? Did you focus on your “mentals?” Are you in the best shape of your life? Even if not, there’s a good chance your favorite player on your favorite team has done all of the above. Soon, they’ll be telling you all about it from spring training. And you’ll believe every word of it, because spring is the time for optimism. Good vibes only, baby.

However, if you’re like most fans, you know that good vibes can’t paper over your team’s issues. So, with camps opening soon in Florida and Arizona, The Athletic’s baseball staff compiled the most pressing question facing each of the 30 big league teams. Which, of course, they will overcome on the way to winning the World Series because they are, collectively, in the best shape of their lives.

AL East

Baltimore Orioles

What is the rotation going to look like? Offseason acquisitions Kyle Gibson and Cole Irvin are set, but the next three spots will be a slugfest between five or more candidates including holdovers Dean Kremer, Kyle Bradish, Austin Voth and Tyler Wells and top prospects Grayson Rodriguez and DL Hall. Add in a couple more starters on the fringe, and it could be a really interesting spring competition.

Boston Red Sox

There are questions in the middle infield, at catcher, whether Masataka Yoshida’s numbers will translate to the majors and if there’s enough protection in the lineup for Rafael Devers, but the biggest question has to be: Can this team stay healthy? If the rotation, in particular, with Chris Sale, Corey Kluber and James Paxton does stay healthy and performs to potential, this could be a surprising team with more of a chance than the preseason predictions are forecasting. The boom-or-bust potential is massive for the Red Sox and a lot of that centers around the health of the team.

New York Yankees

As currently constructed, are they good enough to overtake Houston? Every question that surrounds the Yankees has to be viewed through the prism of October baseball. The Yankees certainly have enough talent to win the AL East and should be considered the favorites for a back-to-back division title. But since 2017, the Astros have been better and proved that the gap is still significant between the two teams this past season. New York added Carlos Rodón to its rotation and re-signed Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo. There’s still a hole in left field and the Yankees need rookie Oswald Peraza to emerge as the best option at shortstop. The Yankees need a bounce-back season from Josh Donaldson and good health from DJ LeMahieu and Giancarlo Stanton. The talent is there but it’s fair to wonder if it’s enough.

Tampa Bay Rays

This team needs its middle infield to be star-level to push back into World Series contender status. Brandon Lowe needs to find his health and power, and Wander Franco needs to take the next step and turn more of his raw power into game power. They’ll win a lot of games even if those two are only OK, but if Lowe and Franco are the studs they can be, this lineup looks a lot better and can survive relative weaknesses at other spots. The good news is that Lowe was just there in 2021, and the super-high-floored Franco still possesses the high-end potential that made scouts drool as he tore through the minor leagues.

Toronto Blue Jays

Are the Blue Jays better than they were last year? I know, I know. This is an obvious question and maybe the one every team asks. But, the Blue Jays have made a lot of transformational moves. They traded away lineup regulars and a top prospect, so new faces could be brought in. They’ve added more left-handed balance. They’ve added elite defensive players. They look like a more versatile team with more levers for manager John Schneider to push and pull. But … are they truly better than the team that won 92 games last year? That’s the question fans will be looking to answer this spring and beyond.