The American League West division had a ton of surprises last season. The Oakland Athletics dominated the division in the first half before going on a tailspin of historic proportions; the Los Angeles took advantage of it and leapfrogged the A’s for the division title; while the Seattle Mariners made things even more interesting by nearly passing the A’s and making the postseason.
Will Mike Trout and the rest of the Halos repeat? Or will the Mariners or the A’s take over the division? Find out more below, where we list the division’s favorites, sleepers, player to watch, key storyline, and prediction.
Last season, the Mariners almost made the playoffs mostly because of a solid pitching staff with Felix Hernandez at the forefront. With a lackluster offense that finished 23rd in batting average (.244), 24th in on-base percentage (.300), and 21st in slugging percentage (.376), King Felix and company were left with the burden of carrying the team.
[sc:MLB240banner ]But with the acquisition of Nelson Cruz and Seth Smith, and the development of Mike Zunino, Seattle finally has the offensive panache to go along with a pitching rotation that features the trio of Hernandez, Hisashi Iwakuma, and Taijuan Walker. The Mariners are the favorites to win the division with a price of +140.
Not far behind the Mariners are the Los Angeles Angels, who are installed +175 to defend their AL West title. The departure of Howie Kendrick this offseason hurt the defending AL West champions’ offense, but that doesn’t mean that the Angels’ production at the plate is going to fall off a cliff either. After all, Mike Trout is still on the team.
Trout, who is coming off a 36-home run and 111-RBI performance, is bound to lead an Angels’ offense that led the majors in runs last season. The rotation also looks good despite Jered Weaver being a year older. A healthy Garrett Richards and the continued brilliance of last year’s impact player Matt Shoemaker means the Angels’ pitching remains formidable in 2015.
Sleeper — Oakland Athletics
Contend with new pieces, make trades, and add new pieces again. Rinse, wash, and repeat. That’s how things go for the financially challenged Oakland Athletics (+375). After a heartbreaking end to their campaign last season, the A’s reshuffled their roster. Gone are Jeff Samardzija, Jon Lester, Josh Donaldson, Derek Norris, Jed Lowrie and Brandon Moss. And in come the likes of Ben Zobrist, Billy Butler, Brett Lawrie, Ike Davis, Jesse Hahn, and Tyler Clippard.
Despite the departures of Samardzija, Lester, and Jason Hammel, the A’s rotation still looks pretty solid with Sonny Gray and Scott Kazmir forming a 1-2 combo atop the order. The return of Jarrod Parker and A.J Griffin also provide some depth.
How the lineup will fare at the plate remains to be seen, but the loss of the team’s top three hitters last season (Donaldson, Lowrie, and Moss) puts a ton of pressure on the new acquisitions those left behind like Coco Crisp and Josh Reddick.
Player to Watch — Nelson Cruz
Yes, Mike Trout is playing in this division, but Nelson Cruz generates more interest as of the moment. Why? Because it’s fun to speculate on how his power can change things for the Mariners. As a member of the Baltimore Orioles last season, Cruz went bonkers at Camden Yard, hitting 40 homers and driving in 108 runs.
His power solves the Mariners’ problem in the middle of the lineup after the team finished 19th in RBI (600) last season. It also helps Cruz (and the Mariners as a whole) that Robinson Cano will be batting right in front of him. Cruz is priced at +1,500 to finish the 2015 regular season with the most home runs in the majors.
Key Storyline — Is the division a two-team race between the Mariners and the Angels?
The Houston Astros (+1,000) are improving but their time isn’t now. The Oakland Athletics are a mystery. The Texas Rangers (+1,500) are, well, a mess even before Yu Darvish suffered another season-ending injury. This leaves the Angels and the Mariners as the only clear division title contenders as of the moment.
As mentioned, the Mariners made a splash over the offseason with key signings to shore up their offense. With balance seemingly achieved by Seattle, winning the division is within reach. The Angels, of course, present a stacked lineup, which could only get better if the likes of Albert Pujols and David Freese regain the forms they used to have with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Writer’s Prediction
The Angels win the division, while the Mariners finish in second place. The rest in order of finish: Oakland, Houston, Texas.
