Besides raised expectations for next season, what else will make it more difficult for the Orioles to repeat this year’s success in 2013?

How about a balanced American League East?

The Yankees likely will try to address some of their weaknesses exposed in the late stages of the season — a homer-or-nothing offense, not enough rotation depth — but as our member of the baseball cognoscenti, Rich Dubroff, points out, they have this Alex Rodriguez matter to deal with.

How likely is it that the Red Sox will be as awful again next year? It’s more likely we’ll find out just how disruptive a presence Bobby Valentine was by how Boston bounces back.

The Rays could lose B.J. Upton, which won’t help their often-anemic offense, but any team with that much pitching won’t fall far.

The Jays’ season was an injury-riddled mess — at one point, three members of their starting rotation were on the disabled list at the same time, and they lost Jose Bautista to injury for a chunk of the year. Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion are a fearsome pair in the lineup.

As it was, the Orioles had to battle the Yankees and Rays to make the postseason. Add two teams that contend throughout the season, and the task becomes that much tougher.