When discussing the best baseball division, many look at the American League East. It is for a good reason. All but one team is above .500. They may have 3 teams get into the postseason, but another outstanding division that doesn’t get enough credit is the American League West. There are 3 teams vying for the division, and it’s getting a lot closer. The Los Angeles Angels have already taken 2 games from the Texas Rangers in their current 4 game series.
Two things we won’t forget:
1. The Alamo
2. This home run#GoHalos pic.twitter.com/CD5Z5TibfT— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) June 13, 2023
The American League West Is Going to Be a Dog Fight
World Series Champs Houston
Any time you have the defending champions in the division, they are generally in the middle of the race. The Houston Astros are no different. Most of the team is returning from last year, even though they did lose Justin Verlander to the New York Mets in free agency. Houston has been a juggernaut in the American League West since 2017, having won 5 straight division crowns. It’s easy to see how they will be in the middle of it for the rest of the season.
Houston’s strength has been their ability to replace the talent they lose from injury or free agency. This next-man-up mentality serves them well. Starting the year by losing Jose Altuve to a hit-by-pitch in the World Baseball Classic, Lance McCullers Jr. is now done for the season. This hasn’t been a real issue for them. Having a lot of depth and quality makes up for these losses early. It doesn’t hurt that Yordan Alvarez is still good.
The downside is that Houston has regressed while the two other teams have improved. Regardless of how the Angels and Rangers have improved, Houston is still the favorite to win the division, and they should be. The years ruling the West will do that. Much of how the Angels will look to improve, so will Houston. Assuming Houston will disappear over the summer is just wrong. They will be there until the very end.
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Upstart American League West Leading Texas Rangers
Texas leading the American League West was something that no one figured would be the case in June. Jacob deGrom’s addition made many people notice that the Rangers were for real. Then, news broke that he needed Tommy John surgery. This was a massive blow for the upstart team. However, they haven’t lost a step. Nathan Eovaldi has filled that ace spot incredibly well. It might come down to how they handle the weak area of the team, the bullpen, which has been shaky all season.
What hasn’t been shaky has been the offense. The Rangers’ offense can slug with the best of them. They lead the League in numerous categories, including batting average, hits per game, and runs per game. The team feasts at the plate, which has been the calling card for Rangers teams in the past; a high-octane offense with usually below-average pitching. When the Rangers have adequate pitching, they typically do well and make deep runs into October. A line-up with dangerous hitters throughout can be a scary sight for many opposing staffs. What remains to be seen is if the offense can stay hot as the season goes on.
Many saw the Rangers as a team a few years away from contention. Adding pitchers with a history of injuries and struggles throughout their careers seemed like a fascinating risk for the Rangers. Risk vs. reward is not usually the strategy for teams looking to win. Yes, they take chances on the buy-low players since they can gain value if the team falls out of contention. Seeing how the Rangers play out the season with this roster will be intriguing.
Playoff Starved Angels
The longest playoff drought in baseball belongs to the Angels at 8 years. This is a tie with the Detroit Tigers, who won’t be able to get into playoffs for at least a couple of years. After a few frustrating years, the Angels finally look like they will be able to get over the hump. Their turnaround over the last two seasons has been a welcome sight. For years prior, fans wanted depth around the diamond and arms added to the staff and bullpen.
Looking at how the team currently stands, they will need to add more players to a rotation that still needs to reach expectations. The recent struggles of Shohei Ohtani have shown how weak the Angels are behind him. Many other pitchers have struggled for various reasons. From bad luck to failing to adjust to the pitch clock. Fortunately, these issues can be fixed without drastically changing the roster. If the need were to arise, the Angels have the players to make a move if they feel they need to do something they haven’t been able to do previously.
How the Angels approach the rest of the season could be the key. They are in a position to strike in the division. Using a weaker part of the schedule to get things right might make or break the team in the short term. The players they’ve called up have been doing the job, especially on the pitching side. There is a lot of baseball left to play. There are no guarantees on how things will play out. The American League West has three teams fighting for two playoff spots. Things could get more challenging if the Seattle Mariners get going soon too. These teams might be playing pressured-filled games starting in August, depending on how things shake out in the coming weeks.
Photo Credit:
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Players mentioned:
Justin Verlander, Jose Altuve, Lance McCullers Jr., Yordan Alvarez, Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, Shohei Ohtani
