2014 MLB Preview: AL West

I'm onto Day Two of doing MLB previews now, as we're just a few days away from the stateside start of the season. After having done the NL West, we've covered the two teams that have already played, so I've already got a decent head-start on my predictions with the Dodgers being 2-0, though Arizona at 0-2 isn't as great a start. As people are fond of saying though, it's a long season, and April is a time of hope for basically every team. You know, unless you're the Cubs. I'm going to go cry in the corner now.

As for today, I'm looking at the AL West, where I've been pretty wrong two years running. I'm not going to be fooled again. Of course, this probably means I'll still be wrong knowing how my luck with these things go. We'll see. Here's how I predict the race will go.



1. Texas Rangers
2013: 91-72 (2nd in AL West), Lost in AL Game 163; 4 wins below COAS Prediction.
The Rangers have not had good luck in recent years. After losing in the World Series two straight years then falling in the 2012 Wild Card Game, they dropped a tiebreaker to the Rays in an extra game. Looking at their pitching, I'm not totally sold on the rotation beyond Yu Darvish, but I think they'll at least be serviceable. They did improve their offense this year though by adding Prince Fielder and Shin Soo Choo to the mix, while the callup of Jurickson Profar will probably also yield some good fruit. It'll be a fun race for the top, and I think the offensive additions here will be enough to push Texas back into a confirmed playoff spot.
2014 Prediction: 95-67

2. Oakland Athletics
2013: 96-66 (1st in AL West), Lost in ALDS; 7 wins above COAS Prediction.
This was one of my bigger goofs last year, and I'm not making the same mistake again. While Oakland may not have a lot of "big names" or "star power" necessarily, their lineup is pretty balanced and it's clear their chemistry works. Adding Scott Kazmir to help the rotation out is definitely a boon as well. If the offense produces well again, they'll be right in the hunt for a wild card, if not the division title again.
2014 Prediction: 93-69, Wild Card

3. Los Angeles Angels
2013: 78-84 (3rd in AL West), Missed Playoffs; 19 wins below COAS Prediction
Whoops. I've been burned two years in a row by the sexy offseasons this team has had, and I'm not going to fall for it again. This year's big acquisition was David Freese, St. Louis' 2011 hero, which is a good low-key signing as opposed to throwing money at a big name. It hasn't worked as planned with Albert Pujols the last two years or Josh Hamilton last year, but both guys are also older and not exactly in their primes anymore. I feel like Jered Weaver is starting to decline just a little bit, and their rotation is decent the rest of the way through. If Mike Trout continues to do Mike Trout things though, the Angels will be in the mix this summer.
2014 Prediction: 84-78

4. Seattle Mariners
2013: 71-91 (4th in AL West), Missed playoffs; 8 wins below COAS Prediction.
Seattle made the splash of the winter by throwing nine figures at Robinson Cano to be the heart of their order. It's a good move, he brings a great bat to their offense. Problem is, who do they have around him to add some lineup protection or take advantage of his numbers? There are some decent bats in Dustin Ackley, Justin Smoak, and Corey Hart, but I don't think it'll be enough. The pitching here is decent; I think the bullpen is fine, and Felix Hernandez is Felix Hernandez, but I don't think it will be enough against the rest of this division.
2014 Prediction: 75-87

5. Houston Astros
2013: 51-111 (5th in AL West), Missed playoffs; 2 wins above COAS Prediction.
Wait... they actually did better than I pegged them to? They're in their second year in the American League, so there should be some familiarity now, but with this roster I don't think it'll make much of a difference. Scott Feldman was good trade bait for the Cubs last year after pitching well, but if he's your ace... you're going to have problems. As for their lineup, other than Dexter Fowler and Jose Altuve, who do they really have on offense? This is clearly still a rebuilding team, but I'm not sure how much longer it'll take. It could be a long year in South Texas.
2014 Prediction: 55-107

Other than continued monitoring of bad driving out in Los Angeles, I'm done with the West Coast for now. Tomorrow I return to the National League and look at the Central Division, all while trying to hold back tears over another year of rebuilding for my team.