The AL West was not too competitive of a division last season.
The Houston Astros won the division, and it was not even close. They had a 16-game lead over the Seattle Mariners at the end of the season.
The Mariners still made the Playoffs but in a Wild Card spot. The race will be tighter this season, and I will highlight the three teams I expect to make the Playoffs.
AL West Odds | |||
---|---|---|---|
Team | |||
Houston Astros | -175 | -185 | -190 |
Seattle Mariners | +320 | +360 | +300 |
The Astros will win the AL West once more this season. They may have a losing record right now, but their roster is one of the best in baseball. I will not go into the Houston roster in depth (you can read about it in the World Series Predictions article), but I will say this.
The Astros have the most well-rounded lineup in the American League.
After the Astros, I expect the Mariners to finish in second place in the AL West. Seattle currently has a 5-8 record, but I expect them to turn it around and put together around 90 wins. The Mariners maintained most of their roster from last season and are a dangerous club.
Their lineup consists of Julio Rodriguez, Ty France, Eugenio Suarez, Teoscar Hernandez, Cal Raleigh, J.P. Crawford, and Jarred Kelenic. Kelenic had an underwhelming year last season but has been one of their best hitters to start the year.
This lineup will not be able to compete with the Astros’ lineup, but it is full of weapons and hard to pitch around. The Mariners also have a solid rotation with a reliable 1-2-3 punch of Luis Castillo, Robbie Ray, and Logan Gilbert.
The Angels are the other team I expect to make the Playoffs. They made some key offseason signings to bring more firepower and depth to their lineup, but I want to focus on their pitching.
Their bullpen is questionable, but their rotation has been one of the most formidable in the American League. Shohei Ohtani is the ace, and Patrick Sandoval, Tyler Anderson, and Reid Detmers are the #2, #3, and #4 pitchers.
Sandoval is coming off a season where he finished with a 2.91 ERA, and Anderson had a 15-5 record last year. On the other hand, Detmers is not incredibly consistent, but the Angels’ first three pitchers are tough to hit off.
An AL West rivalry renewed.
What's your ALDS prediction? #Postseason pic.twitter.com/TccIJrJafB
— MLB (@MLB) October 11, 2022
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| Title: American League West Division Predictions
| Author: Max Heering
| Date: April 17, 2023