Since 2017, the Houston Astros have dominated the American League West with five division titles in six chances. Somehow the Oakland Athletics snuck in a win during the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
While nobody expects the A’s to do much of anything this season, the Seattle Mariners have a legit shot at breaking out and giving the Astros a run for their money. The Texas Rangers put in work during the offseason to get better too. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Angels have the two best players in the MLB and should have a better season than in 2021. Will the MLB odds hold true, or will there be some surprises along the way? Let’s make some MLB predictions for the AL West and find out.
1. Angels
- Odds of Winning the World Series | +4000
- Win Total O/U | 81½
- Odds to Make the Playoffs | +180
The Angels may be the most perplexing team in the AL. LA has two of the best players to take the field in Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. Yet, the only meaningful baseball I’ve seen that duo play was during the World Baseball Classic finals. It’s the same story most nights for the Angels. Trout and Ohtani combine for several runs, yet the Angels lose. They seem to win only when Ohtani pulls double duty and pitches. He’s better than Babe Ruth, and the Angels still stink.
every time I see an Angels highlight it’s like “Mike Trout hit three homes runs and raised his average to .528 while Shohei Ohtani did something that hasn’t been done since ‘Tungsten Arm’ O’Doyle of the 1921 Akron Groomsmen, as the Tigers defeated the Angels 8-3”
— ℳatt (@matttomic) May 18, 2021
LA will look to rid itself of its underachieving reputation after improving on both sides of the ball during the offseason. The front office brought in Gio Urshela and Brandon Drury to add depth to the infield. Hunter Renfroe adds some explosiveness to an offense that needs more power outside of their two MVP candidates. The pitching staff improved with the signing of Tyler Anderson to take over for Noah Syndergaard.
Health will be the most significant issue this team faces. If their big two stay healthy and the rest of the team produces. The Angels may shock the world. But if things go south, they may blow up the team before the season even ends.
2. Astros
- Odds of Winning the World Series | +650
- Win Total O/U | 95½
- Odds to Make the Playoffs | -800
The Astros not only won the AL West for the fifth time in six years, but they went on to beat the Philadelphia Phillies for the World Series. They are a strong MLB bet to repeat as division champions and have a legit shot at winning back-to-back world titles.
The biggest MLB news from the Astros this offseason was the departure of Cy Young winner, and true veteran ace, Justin Verlander. The ageless wonder continues to tear up opposing lineups but is now with the New York Mets in the NL East. No player can replace his production on the mound, but the Astros did bring on some bats to try and balance out the loss.
Jose Abreu was signed to bolster an already deadly offense and help mitigate the loss of Verlander’s impressive record.
The Astros will rely more on their young starters to step up and fill the space left by Verlander. Framber Valdez and Christian Javier have shown much promise and could develop into a killer one-two combo for Houstons.
3. Athletics
- Odds of Winning the World Series | +40000
- Win Total O/U | 59½
- Odds to Make the Playoffs | +2000
Little positivity surrounds the A’s heading into the 2023 season. Oakland finished with the second-worst record in the MLB last season (60-102) and was one of four 100-game losers when all was said and done.
Not so surprisingly, the front office once again declined to spend any real money, and we expect the Athletics to finish with one of the worst records in the MLB for the second straight year.
I’m not going to waste a lot of time here with Oakland. But there is a chance their pitching staff will surprise some people. Newcomers Shintaro Fujunami from Japan and Drew Rucinski from Korea provide intrigue for the A’s this season. The A’s also have former Yankee prospects James Kaprielian and Ken Waldichuck to play around with. The quartet could come together and produce a strong season for Oakland. However, they could just as quickly fail and leave the A’s with an even worse rotation than 2022.
At this point, the only MLB bet you should make on the A’s is for them to go under their season win total.
4. Mariners
- Odds of Winning the World Series | +2200
- Win Total O/U | 87½
- Odds to Make the Playoffs | -170
The Mariners are the most intriguing team on this list and have a decent chance to usurp the Astros for the top spot in the division. It would be the first AL West title for the M’s since 2001.
The Mariners have one of the most complete teams in the majors from top to bottom. Their lineup is full of dangerous hitters and is headlined by 2022 AL Rookie of the Year Julio Rodriguez. It’s only a matter of time before the youngster moves from ROY to an MVP season. Teoscar Hernandez, Kolten Wong, and AJ Pollock were all added to the team during the offseason. The trio brings a perfect mix of defense and offense to the Mariners. With Ty France and Eugenio Suarez adding even more power, don’t be shocked if the Mariners’ offense ranks among the best in the AL this season.
But the lineup isn’t the Mariners’ most powerful asset. Pitching will be their greatest strength with a rotation chock full of talent. Former Cy Young winner Robbie Ray, Logan Gilbert, Luis Castillo, George Kirby, and Marco Gonzales will make life difficult for opposing lineups. Don’t be surprised if one or two of those names end up on the list of Cy Young finalists. The bullpen is equally as nasty.
Regarding MLB picks on AL West futures, my money’s on the Mariners to take over for the Astros as the dominant force in the division.
5. Rangers
- Odds of Winning the World Series | +4000
- Win Total O/U | 82½
- Odds to Make the Playoffs | +185
The Rangers spent a massive amount of money last offseason to bring on Marcus Simien and Corey Seager. With their new lineup and strong infield, the Rangers still managed to win 68 games and finish fourth in the division. The front office responded by spending more to revamp their starting rotation before the 2023 season. Jacob deGrom signed a huge contract to lead the staff for five years. Texas also brought on Nathan Eovaldi, Andrew Heaney, and Jake Odorizzie. There is a lot of veteran talent here and several injury concerns that may or may not derail Texas.
There have already been indications of the injury issue during the preseason, with Odorizzi starting the season on the IL.
The Rangers lineup should be consistent, with a few breakout candidates to watch. Adolis Garcia could flirt with 40+ home runs, while Nathaniel Lowe will look to keep his momentum going after a fantastic 2022 campaign. Infielder Josh Jung could be another surprise start to emerge from this lineup.
