Wrapping up the American League today with a pretty polarized group, the AL West. Some really high concentrations of talent on a few of these teams, then just two cesspools of sad.
Weirdly enough, the defending champions of Major League Baseball aren't even currently favored to win their division. That honor belongs to the...
Houston Astros
Trash can bangers! As stupid an insult as it is, I'm having a hard time seeing it disappear anytime soon. People don't forget.
The Astros don't seem to mind much though, as evidenced by their blockbuster extension of star second baseman-- and famously wired up-- Jose Altuve. The man is an absolute monster of the sport, cheating or not. Shame to have his reputation permanently stained the way it is. The rest of the infield is stacked too: Jose Abreu, Jeremy Pena, Alex Bregman, Yanier Diaz...there's literally too much talent to field on each given day.
No real slouches in the outfield either. Chas McCormick is solid, as is the uber-versatile Mauricio Dubon. Then you get to Kyle Tucker, a bona fide stud in right, and the team's usual DH Yordan Alvarez-- a man known for his Earth shaking power. Probably the best lineup in the AL, top to bottom.
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| Photo: Erik Williams/ USA Today |
Then we get to the rotation, just another stacked unit for Houston to boast. 41-year old Justin Verlander may be the crown jewel of the staff on paper, but it's not for lack of effort from the guys behind him. Framber Valdez was the best arm of the bunch last year, leading the team in wins, ERA and strike outs. Cristian Javier put up eerily similar numbers to Valdez in 2022, before a modest drop off last season. He's still a force to be reckoned with. That leave with former top prospect Hunter Brown, Jose Urquidy, Lance McCullers Jr and JP France to fill out the final 2-3 slots. What a problem to have.
Inevitably, some of the aforementioned starters are going to convert into long relief guys, which'll end up being useful for middle inning work. Ryan Pressley and newly signed Josh Hader have the 8th and 9th on lock, while Bryan Abreu will likely see a lot of 7th inning work, but the 'stros are thin outside of that. Shawn Dubin, Parker Mushinski and Rafael Montero caused many a breath to be held last year. Don't expect that to go unaddressed by the August.
Los Angeles Angels
It's not wholly impossible for this team to end up in the basement of the AL West. What a disaster of a franchise the Angels have become, and this'll be a tough 162 games of salt in the wound.
Anthony Rendon admittedly doesn't want to be there, not what you want to hear from your $245 million dollar investment. Zach Neto and Nolan Schanuel are interesting talents, but were pushed through the minors on hyper drive, combining for just 70 games before their promotions to the bigs. Doesn't seem like an effective strategy for development. The Brandon Drury/Luis Rengifo platoon is probably the most reliable of the bunch-- expect .260 with some pop.
Mike Trout's the big name in the outfield, as has been the case in LA for the last dozen seasons, but he's coming off an unproductive and injury-riddled campaign where he posted career lows in BAA and OBP. For whatever reason, the future Hall of Famer has been trying to rally the front office to be aggressive and sign some of the remaining free agents to compete. A futile, unrealistic, and frankly confusing effort. He'll be joined by Jo Adell, the disappointing Mickey Moniak and recent signee Aaron Hicks in patrolling the perimeter of Angel Stadium.
Tyler Anderson will probably end up the impromptu ace of this rotation, but it's a fluid situation. I like Reid Detmers and Chase Silseth's upside, but it's probably not enough to make a big splash. Griffin Canning and Pablo Sandoval are fine, while Zach Plesac is a worthwhile lottery ticket. This bunch could surely use the boost.
On the few occasions an LA starter gets out of the game with a lead, the team will at least be in adequate hands. There's less capable closers than Carlos Estavez, as evidenced by his 31 saves in 2023, while Matt Moore and Jose Soriano are solid late inning guys. A couple other decent arms outside of them, particularly Andrew Wantz and Jimmy Herget, but it's a top heavy group overall.
Oakland Athletics
As a big fan of minor league baseball, this A's roster is exciting to me. Having watched a bunch of these young guys progress through various systems to now realize their dreams in the big league's is really cool. That being said, they're not going to be very good.
Shea Langeliers and Tyler Soderstrom are two spots of hope, splitting time between first, catcher and DH. They're both young and have upside, almost guaranteeing they'll be traded away in 4-5 years. Zack Gelof is a decent second baseman, but not much optimism elsewhere in the infield. First baseman Ryan Noda is a depth piece at best on most other teams, while shortstops Nick Allen and Aledmys Diaz are .220ish hitters. Hopeful that former Oriole prospect Darrell Hernaiz can supplant them for the starting spot!
Brent Rooker and Esteury Ruiz highlight Oakland's outfield, a true thunder and lightning combo. Rooker knocked out 30 long balls last year, to go along with 69 RBI. Nice. On the other hand, Ruiz went 67/80 stealing bases, falling just behind MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. for the league lead. And that's about it. Seth Brown and JJ Bleday are pretty pedestrian, although the latter was a highly touted prospect, with some presumptive potential.
An ominous statistic from 2023: the Athletics leading pitcher in wins had 5. Just five. Three starters started 20 or more games, while four relievers had over 40 appearances, and nobody managed more than five wins. Impressive incompetence! Alex Wood and Ross Stripling coming across the bay from San Francisco will help the rotation, but between them, JP Sears, Paul Blackburn, and so on. It's a collection of 4's and 5's.
No real relievers of note for Las Vegas, I mean Oakland. Whoops! Lucas Erceg and Mason Miller put up decent numbers a year ago, Zach Jackson too in a small sample size, which'll likely result in them getting some high leverage opportunities. A very patchwork crew outside of that however
Seattle Mariners
The Mariners found themselves in a precarious spot in 2023, winning 88 games but missing out on a wild card spot among a stacked American League. They're a pretty talented team across the board, but it feels like their window, at least as a current unit, is closing.
Cal Raleigh brings a ton of pop behind the plate, cranking out 30 dingers a year ago. His K/BB ratio is pretty bad, but that's the price you pay sometimes. Ty France and Luke Raley are an okay pair at first, a similar sentiment toward Jorge Polanco at second. JP Crawford brings some continuity at short, while Josh Rojas prepares to step into the big shoes left by Eugenio Suarez at third. The infield definitely got worse over the offseason.
As long as Julio's in the outfield though, it'll be a acceptable group. After ripping .275/32/103 last season, he's smack in the middle of the MVP discussion. But there's a talent dip after him. Mitch Haniger was added via trade with San Francisco a month ago and will likely get the lion's share of play in right, which would be a valuable addition if his health holds up. Dominic Canzone and Sam Haggerty in left will be pretty average.
The M's will make their money with their starting pitching however. Luis Castillo is the name everyone knows, but Logan Gilbert and George Kirby are great starters in their own right. All three had ERA's under 3.75 last season. Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo will battle to round out the rotation, while rookie, first rounder Emerson Hancock looks to make a splash. Should be no shortage of starters in the Pacific Northwest.
Andres Munoz took over the 9th inning slot once Paul Sewald was shipped to Arizona and held it down well, posting a sub 3 ERA and 12.3 K/9. He seems to be the incumbent for the role this spring, with Matt Brash as his set up man. Trent Thornton was effective in a small sample size, while Taylor Saucedo boasted a longer rap sheet of decency--plus a great last name. Like the rotation, there's plenty of solid arms to go around in the pen.
Texas Rangers
Ladies and Gentlemen, your reigning World Series Champions! And they're probably even more loaded for their attempt at a repeat.
It's crazy to think Jonah Heim was traded 3 times before he ever got a shot at the big league. He was awesome in 2023, earning an All-Star nod, and could very likely improve yet. Same for Josh Jung, who ripped 23 bombs in his official rookie stint. Corey Seager, Nathaniel Lowe and Marcus Semien round out the infield, combining for 79 home runs of their own during their championship run. Seager's a legit MVP candidate, headlining this stacked bunch.
Evan Carter was a revelation last autumn, reaching base in all but two of the 38 games game he started during the Rangers' late surge. And he's only 21. Expect him to be a constant contributor for a long time. Adolis Garcia brings a ton of power and swag opposite of Carter, coming off career bests of 39 dingers and 107 RBI. A tandem to be reckoned with. And let's shoutout Leodys Taveras too, a solid defensive presence in center.
Texas' starting pitching is almost as deep as their lineup. Nathan Eovaldi is as steady as they come, a compliment that applies to Dane Dunning, Jon Gray and Andrew Heaney as well. Max Scherzer and Jacob DeGrom are the big names you, but it's these lesser known guys who've led the way for this rotation. With Jordan Montgomery and Martin Perez' departures, the team's hoping Scherzer, DeGrom or recent signee Tyler Mahle can compose the hole that is the 5th starter spot.
With closer Will Smith bolting for Kansas City, it'll be Jose LeClerc stepping into the role. A 2.68 ERA over 57 innings a season ago instills some confidence in his ability to handle the job. David Robertson is an outstanding set up man, and Brock Burke has been a valuable arm too, but a good bit of turnover in this pen. We'll see if these new guys gel, or if comes back to bite them at some point.
Bold Predictions
-Yordan Alvarez clears 40 home runs, setting a career high in the process
-After a shaky rookie stint, Hunter Brown finishes with an ERA below 3.60
-Mike Trout gets traded. Mercy.
-Either Chase Silseth or Reid Detmers lead the Halos in wins, while each keep their ERAs below 4.00
-Darrell Hernaiz is starting at shortstop by July
-Esteury Ruiz steals 80+ bases
-Julio Rodriguez wins AL MVP
-George Kirby leads all Seattle starters in wins, innings pitched, ERA and walks allowed
-Josh Jung hits more home runs than Corey Seager
-Kumar Rocker is a contributing member of the rotation by September
Projected Final Standings
1. Texas Rangers
2. Houston Astros
3. Seattle Mariners
4. Los Angeles Angels
5. Oakland Athletics
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@Choppinglines
*I own no rights to any images found in this blog
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