Preseason Preview: American League West
The American League West was run by the Houston Astros for nearly a decade, but now its anyones game as the Seattle Mariners look to defend the title for the first time since the 2002 season.
The countdown is on, and for many teams in the American League West, this season could be the breakthrough. The Seattle Mariners were on the verge of going to the World Series last year, and the Texas Rangers are the last team not named the Los Angeles Dodgers to take home the crown. The divisional race should be an exciting one once again this year, with a handful of teams that could be in it until the last day of the year.
Kicking off with the Mariners, falling to the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series last year. The Mariners were just seven outs away before George Springer put the Blue Jays on top. The Mariners lost two key contributors to their playoff run last year in Eugenio Suarez and Jorge Polanco, but added Brendan Donovan in a three-team trade with the St. Louis Cardinals and the Tampa Bay Rays. The Mariners were so close last season, and it will be interesting to see how catcher Cal Raleigh performs after a historic season last year. Donovan will be the player to watch, a Silver Slugger candidate last season as a utility man. In a lineup with power surrounding him, he should be in to take an even bigger jump in production this season.
The Rangers, who finished third in the West last season, are looking to rebound and return to October. Anytime you have a hitter like Corey Seager on the roster, your lineup can look dangerous, and the Rangers will have a bitter taste in their mouth after finishing last season at .500 and with a new manager, Skip Schumaker, who took the Miami Marlins to the postseason during his tenure in South Beach. With notable departures from Adolis Garcia and Marcus Semien, the Rangers are going to be asking guys to fill those shoes this year, including new addition Brandon Nimmo. New starter MacKenzie Gore is the player to watch, coming over from the Washington Nationals. The addition of Gore is not one the Rangers would make if they don't believe they are still close to the division title and a playoff run. Seeing Gore headlining a rotation for a team with true postseason aspirations will be exciting to watch.
As the end of Mike Trout's career draws near, his contract expires in 2030, and the Los Angeles Angels are still struggling to put it all together around the future Hall of Famer. The Angels have a bottom-five farm system according to Fangraphs, and after a last-place finish last year, the light at the end of the tunnel feels worlds away. Jo Adell had a nice breakout season last year, hitting .236 but crushing 37 home runs in his age-26 season. Taylor Ward was traded to the Baltimore Orioles, who returned former No. 6 overall prospect starter Grayson Rodriguez. Rodriguez has struggled with health his entire career; if he can put together a full season, he could show what he was expected to be for Baltimore. The player to watch is Adell. After years of looking hopeless to achieve his pedigree, he finally broke down the wall last season, and with boosted confidence, he could build upon last year and take another jump.
The Athletics may be playing in a minor league park as they wait for their new home in Las Vegas to be built, but they had two of the most exciting young stars burst onto the scene last year. Nick Kurtz, who won the American League Rookie of the Year and received MVP votes, is going to be a formidable force in the heart of their lineup once again. Jacob Wilson, who finished second to his teammate in American League Rookie of the Year voting, is also going to build upon his strong rookie campaign. With those two clicking, if Lawrence Butler, who is the player to watch on the A's, can showcase more of his power, the A's could have a two-three-four that can will their way to wins in the late innings. Oakland has some pieces, but in a tough division, it will be on the young group to take the next step and push themselves closer to a playoff spot.
Finally, to round out this preview, the Houston Astros. The Astros World Series core has either aged out of their prime or departed for new homes. Bringing back Carlos Correa at the trade deadline last season was an important piece in their push to get back to the playoffs, ultimately falling short by a tiebreaker with the Detroit Tigers. Framber Valdez leaving for Detroit is just salt in the wound for Houston. The most important arm in their rotation is going to be difficult to replace, but Hunter Brown could be up to the task. Brown is the player to watch. Replacing an ace is not an easy task, but coming off a season where he posted a 2.43 ERA and a 12-9 record is a start. Brown will have to continue posting each week and get close to his career high in innings pitched, which he set at 185.1 last season. If Houston does not click early, they could easily be overtaken by division rivals and even fall back to Seattle.
A tightly contested race is nice to see in the West after years of dominance by Houston, but they aren't going away yet. If the Athletics click and find their stride, they could be right in the mix, and the Mariners look to fend off the challengers. The Rangers showed they are all in once more, and if the Angels catch a wave, they could make a push on the back of Adell and Zach Neto.
My Pick: Seattle Mariners
Dark Horse: Athletics
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