2020 American League West Season Preview

2020 American League West Season Preview

American League West (Will Moorman)

1)Houston Astros

World Series Odds: 8-1

AL Pennant Odds: 7-2

AL East Odds: 4-11

Houston Astros

We could spend hours on end discussing the offseason troubles that the Astros found themselves in, but let's stick to strictly on the field moves for the purpose of this article. Houston is coming off of a 107 win season in which they lost in the World Series to the Nationals in a thrilling seven game series. They saw a bulk of pitchers (Hector Rendon, Wade Miley, Gerrit Cole & Colin McHugh) all leave via free agency as well as catcher Robinson Chirinos. They were only able to re-sign catcher Martin Maldonado and pitcher Joe Smith, and they traded away outfielder Jake Marisnick to the Mets for a pair of prospects.

Rotation:

It will be interesting to see how Houston's pitching staff handles all of the losses. They will still feature aces Justin Verlander (21-6, 2.58 ERA) and Zack Greinke (18-5, 2.93 ERA) as a one-two punch in the rotation, but things get shaky after that. The hiatus should help Verlander heal from his groin surgery. Lance McCullers and Jose Urquidy (2-1, 3.95 ERA) should be the two starters behind them, but the fifth spot is up for grabs with Joshua James, Austin Pruitt and Brad Peacock all being thrown around as possibilities. McCullers hasn’t pitched in over a year due to Tommy John surgery. Their bullpen will feature a host of relievers headed by Joe Smith and Chris Devenski. Bryan Abreu and Ryan Pressly are assumed to handle the setup duties while Roberto Osuna will take on the closing duties once again this season. I am curious to see how the staff will respond to the departures as it may possibly be a long season for them if some of their younger faces don't step to the plate and fill the void. We're almost guaranteed to get production out of Verlander and Greinke, and Urquidy, Peacock and James have all shown stints of greatness. They will need more of a team effort to fill the gap.

Lineup:

The good news for the Astros and possibly their saving grace is that their batting lineup will appear very identical to last season, except for Maldonado will be the main man behind the plate after the departure of Chirinos to the free agency market. The starting lineup should still possess plenty of pop and it is expected to feature most of the same faces. The projected batting order of the team is George Springer (.292, 39HR, 96 RB), Jose Altuve (31 HR, 84 RBI), Michael Brantley (.311, 22, 90), Alex Bregman (.296, 41, 112), Yuli Gurriel (.298, 31, 104), Yordan Alvarez (.313, 27, 78), Carlos Correa (.279, 21, 59, 280AB), Josh Reddick (.275, 14, 56) and finally Maldonado in that order. Barring any surprises, their bench shouldn't provide much output as it features outfielder Kyle Tucker, first baseman Aledmys Diaz, shortstop Myles Straw and a pair of catchers in Garrett Stubbs and Dustin Garneau. Despite their losses to the pitching staff, they offer an offense that could propel them to yet another deep run into the playoffs and possibly another World Series appearance. But expect some of those impressive offensive numbers to go down due to some of the “advantages” the Astros had last season.

Outlook:

Houston is projected to finish second in the American League only behind the Yankees with odds varying from +275 all the way to +400 and they are heavy favorites to win the AL West Division with odds ranging from -190 to as high as -278 in some books. It will be interesting to see how the Astros respond to all of the offseason woes. Their losses during the break heavily outweigh their re-signings, and it's hard for me to believe that they will be able to repeat their success in recent years with a huge target on their heads following the scandal. They would make history if they were to pull off a 100 win season as no team has pieced together four straight 100+ win seasons since the 1977 expansion, and I'm excited to see how things pan out for the team.

2)Texas Rangers

World Series Odds: 100-1

AL Pennant Odds: 50-1

AL West Odds: 20-1

Texas has been extremely active throughout the break, and I like what they've been doing. Pitching was a huge issue for them last year and they made some moves after finishing below .500 with a 78 win season. They released spot starter Adrian Sampson and let bullpen pitcher Shawn Kelley, designated hitter Hunter Pence, first baseman Logan Forsythe and catcher Wellington Castillo all walk as well. The Rangers traded outfielder Delino DeShields and a prospect to Cleveland for a much-needed piece in ace Corey Kluber. They also signed starting pitchers Kyle Gibson and Jordan Lyles as well as bullpen pitcher Joely Rodriguez, catcher Robinson Chirinos and third baseman Todd Frazier.

Rotation:

The pitching staff of Texas should feature one of the best starting five rotations after returning Mike Minor (14-10, 3.59 ERA) and Lance Lynn (16-11, 3.67 ERA) who had nice seasons as well as trading for an ace in Kluber and signing Gibson and Lyles who were solid last year as well. Kluber is the only one of the five who didn't turn in at least 12 wins last season, and he only pitched seven games as he battled injuries. The five combined for 57 wins a year ago and they could be dangerous together if they can avoid the injury bug which seemed to be an issue for the team a year ago. Their bullpen doesn't look strong on the surface with no huge standout names, although they may surprise everyone and they will need to improve from last season if they want to see playoff action. Rafael Montero will assume setup man duties and Jesse Chavez will assist him once he returns from injury. Jose Leclerc had 14 saves a year ago and he is expected to take on the closing duties for the team once the season begins.

Lineup:

This Rangers lineup featured plenty of pop last season, and they made some key moves during the offseason to improve it as well. Catcher Robinson Chirinos and third baseman Todd Frazier are both expected to step right into the starting lineup, and they should provide a boost to an already potent roster. The 34-year old Frazier hit .251 last season with 21 homers and 67 RBI for the Mets. They returned 37-year old DH Shin-Soo Choo (.265, 24 HR, 61 RBI, 15 sbs) as well as Elvis Andrus (.275, 12, 72, 31 SBs), Rougned Odor (.205, 30 HR, 93 RB) and Ronald Guzman (.256, 10, 36) from the batting order last year. Outfielders Joey Gallo (.253, 22, 49, 3.3 WAR), Nick Solak (.293 in 116 AB) and Danny Santana (.283, 28, 81, 21 SB) are all expected to step into the starting lineup for the team as well. Outfielder Willie Calhoun as well as catchers Jeff Mathis and Jose Trevino are all on the injured list currently but are expected to take a big role on the bench once they return.

Outlook:

A World Series trip certainly is possible for the team given the offseason moves, although they will have to get more production from their bullpen than last season even though they made some great additions to the roster. Their current odds to win the pennant are listed anywhere from 75/1 to as high as 125/1 at some books. Texas's odds to win the American League championship are 33/1 across the board and their odds to win the American League West Division vary from 12/1 to 16/1 at different sportsbooks. I love the upside that this Rangers team brings, and I believe that a playoff trip could possibly be in order for them if Kluber can return to his previous form and their bullpen can hold leads late in games which was a huge issue last year. Their only downside is playing in a tough division, although this team has enough veterans that they should be able to navigate through the tough opponents.

3)Los Angeles Angels

World Series Odds: 25-1

AL Pennant Odds: 12-1

AL West Odds: 6-1

The Angels find themselves in somewhat of an odd position this season. They were vastly disappointing last season with only 72 wins, and their expectations have certainly grown. They lost starting pitcher Trevor Cahill as well as relief pitcher Luis Garcia, but they made a big signing in Julio Teheran to replace them. Their batting order lost a little pop with the departures of first baseman Justin Bour and outfielder Kole Calhoun, but they made a huge splash when they landed all-star third baseman Anthony Rendon in free agency. They also made a nice addition in catcher Jason Castro coming from the Twins via free agency as well who looks to step into the starting role behind the plate.

Rotation:

Julio Teheran (10-11, 3.81) figures to be the opening day starting pitcher for Los Angeles, and he's coming off of a decent season last year despite a poor win/loss record. Andrew Heaney, Dylan Bundy, Matt Andriese and Patrick Sandoval are projected to round out the five starting pitchers for the team, and Heaney (4-6, 4.91 ERA) and Bundy (7-14, 4.79 w/Orioles) bring a lot of potential to the rotation. Shohei Ohtani will take on the designated hitter role strictly until mid-May, and he will most likely join the starting rotation once he's fully recovered from Tommy John surgery. Their bullpen is somewhat of a question mark although they return Cam Bedrosian, Noe Ramirez and Taylor Cole who all had nice campaigns a year ago and the trio will be relied on to carry the load for the bullpen. Ty Buttrey should assume the setup man role this campaign with Kenyan Middleton making some appearances in this role as well. Hansel Robles had 23 saves last season and he should continue to man the closing duties.

Lineup:

Although the Angels have a ton of power in their batting order, it appears somewhat top-heavy. Tommy La Stella should be the lead-off man followed by Mike Trout, Rendon, Ohtani, Albert Pujols, Justin Upton and Brian Goodwin. Trout (.291, 45, 104, 8.6 WAR) is the best all-around player in the game. Upton (.215, 12, 40) struggled with injuries last season, but is normally a 30-homer guy. Goodwin provides some power (17 HR, 47 RBI) and defense. The last two hitters of the lineup don't appear quite as powerful, however, as Andrelton Simmons and Jason Castro round out the batting order. It is worth noting that the first seven in the projected starting lineup combined for 165 home runs last season, and this team could be dangerous if they are fully healthy. Their starters should be depended on heavily as second baseman David Fletcher and third baseman Luis Rengifo are the only two players on the bench that have started in the majors. Although Ohtani will take over the designated hitter role while his arm fully recovers from Tommy John surgery, it will be interesting to see how the team utilizes him once he is ready to return to the rotation.

Outlook:

If this team can avoid the injury bug, then they could be a potential candidate for a long shot to win their division, and possibly even the American League or World Series. The Angels are listed between 25/1 or as high as 40/1 to win the World Series at some sportsbooks around. Their American League championship odds vary from 10/1 to as high as 16/1 in some places, and their odds to win the American League West Division range from +600 to +800 at some books. Despite playing in a loaded division, Los Angeles could be worth watching this campaign as they feature a nice mix of veterans and young talent as well. If their pitching staff can live up to the hype and expectations, I expect this to be a fun season for Angels’ fans.

4)Oakland Athletics

World Series Odds: 25-1

AL Pennant Odds: 12-1

AL West Odds: 9-2

It's been an odd offseason for Oakland after a 97 win campaign last year, and they saw a ton of departures coming from their pitching staff. They lost three starting pitchers in Homer Bailey, Brett Anderson, and Tanner Roark. They also lost two bullpen pitchers in Ryan Buchter and Blake Treinen as well as starting catcher Josh Phegley. Reliever Jake Diekman was the only player resigned by the team. The Athletics traded second baseman Jurickson Profar to San Diego for catcher Austin Allen and they traded first baseman Alfonso Rivas to the Cubs for utility-man It will be interesting to see how their pitching staff responds to the losses, and Allen will be worth keeping an eye on as he has shown some signs of promise and is only entering his sophomore season.

Rotation:

Despite losing two main pieces of their starting rotation in Anderson and Bailey as well as Roark who started ten games for them last season, Oakland's pitching staff shouldn't be in terrible shape as they return Mike Fiers (15-4, 3.90 ERA) and Chris Bassitt (10-5, 3.81 ERA) who both pitched over 100 innings last season as well as Sean Manaea who was electric in five appearances last year and Frankie Montas, who dealt with injuries despite turning in 96 innings of service over 16 starts. The fifth starting spot is still somewhat debated with Jesus Luzardo's name being thrown around as well as A.J. Puk and Daniel Mengden when they return from injuries. Their bullpen, which was solid last season, will look much the same as the previous year. The pen will be headed by Diekman and Lou Trivino as well as the pitchers who aren't named the fifth starter mentioned before. Joakim Soria and Yusmeiro Petit are expected to continue the setup man duties while Liam Hendriks (4-4. 1.80 ERA) will more than likely be the team's closer although he only recorded 25 saves last campaign.

Lineup:

The batting order for the Athletics will feature many familiar faces. Marcus Semien (.285, 33 HR, 92 RBI) is expected to be the leadoff hitter with Ramon Laureano (.288, 24, 67 13sb), Matt Chapman (36 HR, 91 RBI), Matt Olson (.267, 36, 91), Mark Canha (.273, 26, 58), Khris Davis (.220, 23, 73) and Robbie Grossman (.240, 6, 38) all locks to be in the lineup behind him somewhere as well. Kemp is projected to take over second base after the trade of Profar, and the catcher position is still somewhat up for grabs. Sean Murphy figures to be the opening day starting catcher, but the team could possibly choose to move to sophomore Austin Allen behind the plate at some point during the season. Their bench does feature a little bit of upside with outfielders Stephen Piscotty, Chad Pinder and Seth Brown as well as second baseman Franklin Barreto all projected to contribute quite a lot.

Outlook:

I like the upside in this year's Oakland team that came on hot last season, although I'm not quite sure if they will be able to survive a series with either the Astros or Yankees in the playoffs. The team's odds to win the World Series range from 25/1 to as high as 35/1 in some books while their odds to win the American League championship range from 12/1 to 14/1 and their odds to win the American League West Division vary from +300 to +400 at some sportsbooks. The biggest downside for the Athletics I feel like this year will be how stacked their division is as it features the Astros, Angels, Mariners as well as Rangers, and each of these teams has the talent to do big things. I don't quite expect them to win the division, but I could definitely see another Wild Card win with a playoff trip for the team once again this season.

5)Seattle Mariners

World Series Odds: 500-1

AL Pennant Odds: 250-1

AL West Odds: 300-1

After a 68 win season, you would think that things couldn't get much worse for Seattle, although it appears as though the situation has worsened. They lost a trio of key pitchers to free agency in Wade LeBlanc, Felix Hernandez and Tommy Milone. The team also saw shortstop Tim Beckham and outfielder Domingo Santana leave to test the market as well. The Mariners whiffed in free agency during the offseason, and their only additions to the major league squad was starting pitcher Kendall Graveman and possible closer Yoshihisa Hirano, both of which are average at best.

Rotation:

The starting rotation for the team will look much different this campaign. They returned Marco Gonzales (16-13, 3.99 ERA) who is projected to be the opening day starter for Seattle as well as Yusei Kikuchi (6-11, 5.46 ERA) who both were in the rotation a year ago. Justus Sheffield (0-1, 5.50 ERA is expected to step into a starting role this season, and Graveman will look for a resurgence in a new home as well and he will most likely be the team's fourth starter. He has not pitched since 2018 due to Tommy John surgery. The fifth spot in the rotation is somewhat a question mark with Taijuan Walker and Justin Dunn. The bullpen for the Mariners wasn't very good last year, and I don't see them improving much even though they did add Carl Edwards Jr. who was sharp in Chicago. Brandon Brennan is expected to be the go-to guy from the pen, and Nestor Cortes and Dan Altavilla should see more pitching opportunities as well. Erik Swanson and Taylor Williams will most likely take the setup man duties while the closing duties are up for grabs as Matt Magill, Yoshihisa Hirano and Samuel Tuivailala are all mentioned as candidates.

Lineup:

There is a little bit of hope for Seattle as they do return shortstop J.P. Crawford (.226, 7 HR, 46 RBI), third baseman Kyle Seager (.239, 23, 63), designated hitter Dan Vogelbach (.208, 30, 76) and utility-man Dee Gordon (22 sbs), all of whom are key pieces to their offense. Their projected batting order for opening day has second baseman Shed Long (.263, 152AB) leading off followed by Crawford, Seager, catcher Tom Murphy (.273, 18, 40), Vogelbach, outfielder Kyle Lewis (.268), first baseman Evan White, and rounded out by two outfielders in Jake Fraley and Mallex Smith. Gordon is expected to step back this season into more of a reserve role, although one has to figure he will still see plenty of action due to his versatility. Their bench could potentially see plenty of action with Gordon, catcher Austin Nola, and outfielders Carlos Gonzalez and Braden Bishop expected to play a role.

Outlook:

Unless the upper management of the Mariners is seeing something that I am not, I wouldn't expect this team to improve from last season and I see this being another long campaign for them. The only glimmer of hope is that there are four teams with worse odds to win the World Series and one team with similar odds. Seattle is currently listed between 250/1 all the way up to 500/1 to win the World Series, and I wouldn't bet money on them to do so. Their American League championship odds range from 80/1 as high as 150/1 in some places, and their odds to win the American League West Division vary from 66/1 to as high as 150/1 in some sportsbooks. Be sure to buckle up Mariners fans, because this season appears as though it is going to be another bumpy ride unless I am missing something in this team.