2015 was full of surprises in the AL West. Teams that were expected to be too injured or young to be competitive stepped up in a big way and turned the division on its head. Will there be any more shocking surprises in 2016? Here is our AL West Spring Training preview.
Houston Astros
Strength:
Ahead of the curve – Everyone knew that the Houston Astros had talent. Thanks to years of finishing with the worst record in baseball, and therefore great positioning in the draft, the Astros had stockpiled a number of promising prospects. Analysts expected the club to be more competitive in 2015, but they did not expect the young Astros to surge to the top of the division and remain there for most of the season. Now, Carlos Correra, Dallas Keuchel, and company will head into 2016 with the experience of being in the playoff hunt and making it to the ALDS. Expect the young core to be even better in 2016.
Weakness:
First Base – Houston is bursting at the seams with talent at nearly every position, but one huge question mark in 2016 will be the play of their first baseman. The team chose not to re-sign Chris Carter after the 2015 season, and while he won’t be a huge loss from a WAR perspective, he did add a bit of pop to the lineup. The current plan is to play young John Singleton at first to start the year. While Singleton had some success in the minors, he is a huge unknown from a big league perspective.
Los Angeles Angels
Strength:
Rotation Depth –Mike Trout is the best player in baseball, but the real strength of this team is the quality of its potential rotation. The probable opening day rotation will consist of Garrett Richards, Andrew Heaney, Jared Weaver, Hector Santiago, and C.J. Wilson. Should any of those pitchers falter or get injured, the team has more than capable replacements in Tyler Skaggs, Matt Shoemaker, and Nick Tropeano. Weaver is the real wild card in 2016. After a rough 2015, which saw him struggle mightily, any return to form should bode well for the Angels.
Weakness:
Lineup – Look, Trout is awesome, we all know that. Outside of him, the only other comparable hitters on the team are Kole Calhoun, Andrelton Simmons, and the aging, often injured, Albert Pujols. Aside from that, there are spare parts galore. Daniel Nava and Geovany Soto were once serviceable players, but that was years ago. The Angels should be competitive yet again in 2016, but they are in desperate need of another bat.
Oakland Athletics
Strength:
Bullpen – The A’s have quietly put together quite a formidable back end of their bullpen. Health is a major question mark, but with a combination of John Axford, Ryan Madson, and Sean Doolittle to pitch in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings, the A’s should find themselves in most ballgames in 2016. Madson had a strong season last year as he revived his career in Kansas City, and prior to his injury, Doolittle was a dominant, All-Star closer. Time will tell if this potentially lethal bullpen will be able to hold up over the course of an entire season.
Weakness:
Starting Rotation – It’s a good thing that A’s have such a potent bullpen in place, because the rotation outside of Sonny Gray, and maybe Jesse Hahn, leaves a lot to be desired. Yes, perhaps Jarrod Parker is able to make it back to the rotation in 2016, but that is a huge question mark. Relying on a retread like Rich Hill and an unknown like Kendall Graveman could lead to a long summer in Oakland.
Seattle Mariners
Strength:
A Fresh Start – The expectations for the Mariners in 2015 were fairly lofty, and by and large they were one of the more disappointing teams last season. There is a new GM in place in the form of Jerry Dipoto, and a new manager in Scott Servais. There is major league-caliber talent already in place on the roster with Felix Hernandez, Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz, and Kyle Seager to along with young sleepers such as Taijuan Walker, James Paxton, and Ketel Marte. With a clean slate, the young players can continue to develop, and with tempered expectations, the Mariners could very well surprise some folks in 2016.
Weakness:
Aging Stars – While players like Cano and Hernandez are great, there is no denying that they are on the wrong side of the ledger in terms of their age. Cano has seen a decline in most of his major offensive categories since coming to Seattle in 2014, while Hernandez is coming off his one of his weakest seasons. In addition, while Cruz has been a shot in the arm the last few years for the Orioles and Mariners, it’s fair to wonder when the thirty-five year-old might signs of slowing down.
Texas Rangers
Strength:
The Return of Yu Darvish – Few people, if any, expected the Texas Rangers to not only compete for, but win the AL West in 2015, especially without staff ace Yu Darvish. After acquiring Cole Hamels last year at the trade deadline, the Rangers finally found a replacement for their ace. Here’s the crazy thing: in 2016, they’ll have both pitchers in their rotation. Although Darvish is still rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, the former All Star is on pace to return to the rotation at the beginning of the summer.
Weakness:
Regression – Texas delighted fans last year with an unexpected run to a division crown; however, the team out performed their win expectation by seven wins. The Rangers were a great story last year, especially considering the train wreck season the team endured in 2014, but should fans be invested in a team that played largely over their heads in 2015? Darvish returning this summer will certainly help, but it might be difficult for the team to duplicate its success from last year, especially now that people are expecting the team to compete for the playoffs again.
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