AL East: 3 storylines to watch down the stretch

The deadline acquisitions of Troy Tulowitzki, David Price and co. have helped the Toronto Blue Jays not only close in on the New York Yankees, but actually take a 1 1/2-game lead with a month of the season to go.

Still the best division in the AL, the East could make up 60 percent of the postseason picture, with the Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays hoping a September surge will land the second wild card. And while the Boston Red Sox are cellar-dwellers, there never appears to be a dull moment on Yawkey Way.

Here are three storylines to watch in the AL East heading into September.

Yankees and Blue Jays gunning for the division

The Yankees and Blue Jays appear poised to exchange punches over the final month in the tightest division race in the majors. Both teams are likely heading to the postseason, but avoiding the one-game wild card should be a high priority for both. Toronto looks like one of the elite teams in baseball, but will be tested down the stretch with 26 of its remaining 35 games against divisional opponents - including seven with the Yankees. New York also has a division-heavy schedule remaining, with 26 of 36 against the AL East, and the Yankees have appeared to hit a wall - their aging offense has managed to score just 18 runs while dropping five of its last seven.

Can Donaldson cap off a career year with some hardware?

Blue Jays slugger Josh Donaldson's outstanding season has put him in serious contention for the AL MVP. Once considered a lock to win the award, Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout has been slowed over the past month with a wrist injury, allowing Donaldson and his impressive second half to enter the conversation. The Blue Jays' Gold Glove-caliber third baseman leads Trout in runs, hits, doubles, home runs, RBIs, and average. If the Blue Jays reach the postseason and Angels miss out, the MVP award could head north of the border for the first time since George Bell in 1987.

Red Sox aiming to impress Dave

There's plenty left to play for in Boston, as the Red Sox have already begun their transition under new president Dave Dombrowski. With the postseason out of reach, the Red Sox will use the final month of the season to evaluate their internal options and position themselves for what projects to be a busy offseason. Hanley Ramirez has already begun taking reps at first base in order to clear a spot in the outfield for Jackie Bradley Jr., while the pitching staff is on notice after Dombrowski acknowledged that's the area Boston most needs to improve.