The AL West, despite being home to the reigning World Series champions, figures to be among the more competitive divisions in the sport in 2023. According to the Playoff Odds at Fangraphs, it is the only division with four teams that have a better than 10% chance to win the division title in the coming campaign. All five clubs in the division have seen significant changes to their rosters over the course of the offseason. With Spring Training now in full swing and the heavy-lifting of the offseason largely done at this point, it let’s take a look at the AL West’s five clubs in search of the division’s next champion.
Houston Astros (106-56 in 2022)
En route to their 2022 World Series championship, the Astros had a phenomenal season, with AL Cy Young award winner Justin Verlander leading the pitching staff while each of Yordan Alvarez, Jose Altuve, Kyle Tucker, and Alex Bregman received MVP votes for their work in the starting lineup. The hitting corps didn’t change very drastically during the offseason, though they did upgrade at first base by replacing departing free agent Yuli Gurriel with longtime White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu. The pitching staff saw more significant change, as Verlander departed for New York while Houston was unable to sign a proper replacement for their staff ace over the offseason.
While Houston lost Verlander to free agency this offseason, the rotation still figures to have plenty of capable arms, with Framber Valdez set to take over as the new staff ace while youngster Cristian Javier looks to follow up on a breakout campaign in 2022. Both Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr. have tantalizing upside, though each comes with question marks, and Jose Urquidy can be expected to be a reliable back-end starter for the Astros once again as well. One catalyst for Houston’s rotation could be top prospect Hunter Brown. Brown, who will play this season at age 24, dominated in his big league debut at the end of last season, posting a microscopic 0.89 ERA that was backed by a fantastic 1.98 FIP in 20 1/3 innings of work, though only 12 of those innings came as a starter. The young righty seems to be in prime position to make the Opening Day rotation with McCullers expected to start the season on the shelf.
Seattle Mariners (90-72 in 2022)
The Mariners ended the league’s longest playoff drought last season, earning a wild card berth and advancing to the ALDS before falling to Houston in a 3 game sweep. Seattle looks to improve on that performance in 2023, as the club added Teoscar Hernandez, Kolten Wong, and AJ Pollock to the lineup this offseason and expects to get a full season from ace Luis Castillo, who was acquired from the Reds at the trade deadline last year. That said, the club did lose some key players over the offseason as well: Mitch Haniger and Adam Frazier departed via free agency while Erik Swanson, Kyle Lewis, Jesse Winker, and Abraham Toro were among the players who departed in the club’s various trades this offseason.
Minimal prospect talent is expected to impact the big league club this season in Seattle, leaving the Mariners to rely on their aforementioned external additions and improvements from their returning players if they are to catch the Astros in the standings. Former top prospect Jarred Kelenic should get some run in left field to open the season in order to prove he has returned to form after struggling to this point in his big league career, while Robbie Ray will surely be looking to recapture the magic of his 2021 Cy Young season. Meanwhile, other players such as youngsters Julio Rodriguez and George Kirby as well as breakout catcher Cal Raleigh merely need to repeat their strong 2022 campaigns in order to contribute to a winning Mariners club this season.
Los Angeles Angels (73-89 in 2022)
The 2023 season stands as the last one during which the Angels will have two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani under club control, as he is set to hit free agency following the coming campaign. Given the urgency of the club’s situation, it’s no wonder than GM Perry Minasian was aggressive in his attempts to supplement the roster with quality depth. He appears to have been largely successful in that endeavor, having added Tyler Anderson, Matt Moore, and Carlos Estevez to the pitching staff while supplementing the lineup with Gio Urshela, Brandon Drury, and Hunter Renfroe. Those pitching deals rebuilt the back of a Halos bullpen that lost Raisel Iglesias in trade to the Braves last offseason while supplementing the rotation with a durable, mid-rotation starter. That being said, the offensive additions were the main attraction of Anaheim’s offseason, as they transformed what has for years amounted to something of a stars and scrubs lineup by providing manager Phil Nevin with the quality depth necessary to weather injuries to the club’s many stars.
Those stars, of course, will remain the focus of the club, as Ohtani and Mike Trout stand as perhaps the two best players in the entire sport while Anthony Rendon will look to live up to his $245MM contract after struggling with injuries in recent years. Still, other players emerged as quality regulars in 2022 as well, including Patrick Sandoval, Reid Detmers, Taylor Ward, and Luis Rengifo. Bounce-back seasons from any of Max Stassi, Jared Walsh, or David Fletcher would improve the club’s depth even more, to say nothing of the possibility that longtime top prospect Jo Adell finally lives up to his potential. Overall, there’s certainly reason to think this might finally be the year that Trout and Ohtani suit up together in the postseason, even though the club enters the season looking up at many of its division rivals in terms of playoff odds.
Texas Rangers (68-94 in 2022)
The Rangers had a second consecutive explosive offseason this winter as they completely transformed their big league rotation by adding Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, Andrew Heaney, and Jake Odorizzi as starting options while retaining Martin Perez. The hitting corps stayed largely the same after Corey Seager and Marcus Semien joined the club last offseason, though Texas did add Robbie Grossman to their outfield mix and expects to get contributions from top prospect Josh Jung this year at third base.
With a solid bullpen that features Brock Burke, Jose LeClerc, and new addition Will Smith among its back-end options, the Rangers figure to be set up well in that regard. The lineup should be decent, if not awe-inspiring, as it Nathaniel Lowe and Adolis Garcia in addition to Seager and Semien, while Mitch Garver and Jonah Heim form an interesting duo behind the plate and Leody Taveras figures to contribute in center upon his return from an oblique strain later this year. The answer to just how far this Rangers club will be able to go surely lies in the health and production of the reconstructed rotation, which added the most dominant pitcher in baseball in deGrom and plenty of upside in Heaney and Eovaldi, though all three pitchers have struggled badly with injuries at various points throughout their careers. Should that front three remain healthy and effective, though, this Rangers team could certainly pitch its way into the postseason for the first time since 2016.
Oakland Athletics (60-102 in 2022)
The A’s were among the worst teams in baseball last season, and there’s little reason for fans in Oakland to have more optimism about the coming campaign. After sending Frankie Montas to the Yankees at the trade deadline last year, the A’s saw the departures of catcher Sean Murphy, starter Cole Irvin, and reliever A.J. Puk in trades this offseason while the club added young, unproven talent such as Esteury Ruiz, JJ Bleday, Kyle Muller, and Freddy Tarnok. Some quality players do remain on the roster, however, as the A’s have retained each of Ramon Laureano, Shea Langeliers, Paul Blackburn, Tony Kemp, and Seth Brown to this point.
Oakland also added a few veteran options in free agency during the offseason, picking up Jace Peterson, Aledmys Diaz, Jesus Aguiler, and Trevor May throughout the offseason. The highlight of the A’s offseason seems to be Shintaro Fujinami, who was posted to the MLB this offseason by the NPB’s Hanshin Tigers. Fujinami has tantalizing stuff, including a fastball that can touch over 100 mph, but has struggled with his control throughout his career. Even if the A’s are able to unlock Fujinami’s potential, however, it seems extremely unlikely that the club will be able to compete with the four clubs its looking up at in the AL West.
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While the Astros, as the reigning champions of not only the AL West but MLB itself, appear to be the favorite entering the 2023 season, each of the Mariners, Angels, and Rangers have plausible paths to not only contention but, perhaps, even the AL West crown headed into 2023. Though the same can’t be said for the Athletics, a four-team division race is sure to bring about excitement in the division all throughout the year.
What do you think? Will the Astros recapture the AL West crown for the sixth straight full season? Will the Mariners take another step forward and win their first AL West title since 2001? Will the Angels or Rangers leapfrog their competitors after a big offseason? Or will the Athletics surprise the baseball world against all odds? Let us know in the poll below.
A’s are obviously winning by a landslide
Only 51% in the early going have the Astros winning the division. Normally I’d go with the field, but the Astros seem a lock.
The Astros are definitely winning the AL West for sure, but that won’t stop me for rooting the Mariners to do so.
Judge99, nothing’s a guarantee in a marathon BB season. There’s 3 other solid teams out there in the west that say so.
I’ve got 3 playoff teams coming out of the west, with the Yankees, Jays, and Cleveland.
Safest answer: A team from Texas will win.
It definitely won’t be the Rangers. Just like it won’t be the Angels
Oakland A’s all the ways, baby
More specifically, a team from Houston, Texas.
Why even do the polls if more than 5% of the voters are picking Oakland? It’s obvious they are a joke at that point.
Why do you always have something negative to say?
Because I am a miserable person. Any more questions?
So I will say what nobody will say if A’s win the division Kotsay will win manager of the year. If they make the wild card spot he should be the winner too.
If A’s win at least 63 games, Kotsay should be in the running for manager of the year
Why do the polls if roughly half pick the Astros?
You wouldn’t know if they hadn’t done a poll.
The Astros have dominated the AL for the past 6 years. They have been to 4 WS in the past 6 years. They basically steamrolled their way to the championship last year and that was without Brantley. They wipe themselves with the Yankees when they meet. They have lost Springer, Correa, Cole and Verlander, but until they begin to show signs of slowing down, you have to mark them as the favorites.
Some vote for their favorite team. Others are smart.
Picking the Ms or the Angels are also a joke.
Sure, if their young pitching holds up, the Ms can win. Sure if Rendon, Walsh, Trout and Ohtani are healthy the Angels can win. But who would pick either team?
Halo11 writes: Picking the Ms or the Angels are also a joke.. Sure, if their young pitching holds up, the Ms can win..
So………………….why is it a joke then? There are some non-Seattle pundits that are picking the Mariners to win the division. They have a REALLY good team.
Because you are predicting they will break right. That’s why it’s a joke. Can Columbia beat USA tomorrow? Sure, if everything breaks right. No one in their right mind would predict it.
The Angels have three starting pitchers with a sub three ERA last year. Unlike the Ms, the Angels have done it. I wouldn’t predict it again, but you are predicting the Ms are going to do something they have never done? That’s why it’s a joke.
Gotcha!!! The current roster doesn’t matter. Regardless of how great the players perform, the Mariners don’t have a chance because they have never done it before.
Letsplaytwo. You didn’t get it at all.
So, let’s say someone would give you 100,000 dollars for correctly predicting who would win the AL West.
You’re a fool if you’d pick the Ms. There is a reason the Astros swept them last year.
This is polls everywhere and for everything. You’re always going to have people pick the most unlikely answer. If you posted the question: Is the noon round or square? You would inevitably have some people pick square. If you can’t put up with that than just don’t bother with polls.
noon=moon
The Astros.
I’m a die hard Angels fan. But the Astros are the best team. Not only in the AL West, but the best team in the AL. They have the least amount of question marks on their roster.
5% pick the A’s at this point. I am an A’s fan, but this seems a liiiittle optimistic.
There are a lot of people like me who typically pick answers like that to mess up polling. There’s a principle that explains it but I can’t remember the name of it.
So you like to mess up polling but you don’t remember why? I don’t know, there’s something that makes me chuckle about that. =}
Astros by a mile. Seattle is ahead of LA and Texas with that pitching staff and Julio. LA and Texas will be duking it out for 3rd this year. Sorry degrom Texas Ranger not your year. Next year on the other hand…could see 3x playoff teams from the West. Meanwhile next year I’ll still be optimistically hoping gor the playoffs for my Tigers but ecstatic if they break .500 😉
Detroit will be lucky if they finish in 4th
I agree 4th place here we come this year. Next year on the other hand….
Lots of good pitchers will be back like Skubal and Mize, they will have test driven what they have and know what they need. Next year I expect them to be respectable.
Why would you be happy about them going 82-80? Who cares if they finish over .500 if they don’t make the playoffs. Tigers are going nowhere fast.
Well, Tigers fans care, that’s who. That puts them a step closer to the playoffs in 2025 so they can beat the Yankees out again and help contribute to their postseason losing streak. Hate to disappoint but EVERYTHING going wrong lije last year is very unlikely to happen two years in a row and they have some good young pitching so that’s a nice base for a future playoff team.
Why use the Yankees as an example? Focus on beating out the Twins, White Sox and Guardians…they are a head above the Tigers and all just improving. Every core of players doesn’t turn into playoffs, the Tigers are gonna have to knock it down and try again cause their core isn’t it. Oh and Baez is gonna be unplayable here soon, most overrated player in baseball…he’s basically Roughned Odor but making 30m a year lol
I use the Yankees because we beat up on them in the playoffs previously. Chicago is no improving. Cleveland and Minnesota yes but I’m not talking about competing this year or next. The Tigers have some good young building blocks on the team and in the minors and next year will start filling gaps. Baez seems to do well every couple years. I expect a good year and that someone overpays for him at the deadline and we ship him out for a near term useful prospect. 2025 we are in the playoffs.
Los Angeles chargers
Hahaha, no.
Las Angeles kings
Astros lineup just got better this season by a wide margin with the addition of Abreu and catcher’s who will actually hit in Diaz/Lee. The pitching remains strong.
Astros by at least 10 games.
I don’t know if this is a 100+ win team but 95-97 probably wins the division. I think it will be tighter if health is on Seattle’s side
Only way Astros do not win the division if they lose 2 or more of their starters before all star break.
Tough decision between the Oakland Athletics and Houston Astros.
Kudos to the 50 A’s fans keeping the dream alive
100%. Staying solid. Love it. F@ck the brain. Supporting your team is about heart.
redsox gives the A’s hope they even won a world series in the last 80 years.
The only science to this poll is the science that says at least 5% of voters are less qualified than I am to post comments.
After careful analysis, I believe it will be the team with the best record.
Oakland
Only 55% of people think the Astros will win? Really?
Oakland will be declared the division winner with an 82-win season after acquiring Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernandez at the deadline.
Although the Astros will finish with the best record, they’ll be given a wildcard spot under a controversial adjustment to the competitive balance rules.
The Mariners and Angels will start off strong but fall out of contention after all members of both teams’ active rosters receive 50-game suspensions for a brawl that begins when an injured Anthony Rendon charges out of the dugout in anger at an apparent Robbie Ray pitch clock violation.
Texas will finish a distant last, having furloughed their players while tied up in a lawsuit after refusing to let MLB take over their RSN broadcasts.
The AL goes through Houston until it doesn’t.
Angels got a lot better
Did you paste and copy that from last year?
Lol. This will likely be the least competitive division in the AL again. Doubt anyone finishes within 13 games of Houston. Nobody is near them in that division. However three of the other teams are definitely threats for a wild card. Nobody in that division is a threat to Houston.
A wise man wouldn’t be so matter of fact if it’s not 100%. Never say never.
Barring major injuries to stars nobody has a chance. That’s the only way one of the other teams wins the division. The Astros are simply better than the rest very easily.
Dude, I totally disagree. I’ve been following this great game since the 1959 World Series. There has NEVER been a team that had things clinched on March 13th. I’ll turn it around on you JJ. If the Mariners don’t have any serious injuries, they can play with Houston AND win the division.
I do have 3 teams coming out of the west this year with NY, Tor, and Clev.
Yes, the Astros “MOST LIKELY” win the west, but far from a guarantee. As for who has the best chance to dethrone the Astros? Sorry M’s fans. I give it to my boys, the Angels. It’s simple, I just believe they have a higher ceiling, but a lower floor than the M’s, and it’s gonna take a lot of wins 😉
I have one question for you: did you watch the ALDS? the Ms went toe to toe with the Stros all 3 games. Each game could have gone either way, and it’s unfortunate the meltdown in Game 1 otherwise we may be having a different conversation. Ms got better and Stros got better on offense but they lost the AL Cy Young winner that won 20+ games for them. I think people are understating that impact. Ms 1-4 starting rotation might actually edge Stros 1-4 however Stros BP is probably best in MLB while the Ms are top 5 BP. They match up very well, as we saw in the ALDS. It was basically the defacto WS. All that to say, the Ms will be within a few games of the Stros or may even win the division. It is the Astros division though until proven otherwise.
Bro… did you even watch the ALDS? the Ms went toe to toe with the Stros all 3 games. Each game could have gone either way, and it’s unfortunate the meltdown in Game 1 otherwise we may be having a different conversation. Ms got better and Stros got better on offense but they lost the AL Cy Young winner that won 20+ games for them. I think people are understating that impact. Ms 1-4 might actually edge Stros 1-4 however Stros BP is probably best in MLB while the Ms are top 5 BP. They match up very well, as we see in the ALDS. It was basically the defacto WS.
The ALDS was the defacto World Series… haha. Wow. Seattle fans are still this drunk from finally making the playoffs?
Can you tell me a series that was closer than the Ms-Astros in every single game? for goodness sakes, it took the Astros 18 innings to amass 1 run. That whole series was nail-biter.
You are judging it off a random 3 games? That three game series was also played after Houston had that bye and Seattle upset Toronto. Seattle beat Houston one time after June. One time. I was not once concerned about Houston losing the series. I thought Seattle was good enough to win one game, but even Houston playing their D game they were able to sweep Seattle. How many games back did Seattle finish? They are not near each other.
In the first 12 games vs. Houston last season, the Mariners were 6-6, WITHOUT Luis Castillo. With a little bit of luck and good health, they have the talent to dethrone the mighty Astros.
Then after those 12 games they went 1-9 against Houston…. Let’s not leave that out.
Don’t count on it. The Mariners played Houston tough all year and they are a much better team this year. Two clutch hits, and two less managerial blunders, and the Mariners would have moved on to the ALCS to face the Yankees.
They didn’t play Houston well at all last season. Including the playoffs they won 7 of the 22 games they played. In other words they went 7-15 against Houston. That isn’t playing someone tough.
This again?
Astros should easily win. Now in a case where the worst case scenario happens for Houston(injuries, down years for their stars, etc.) and the best case for Seattle, then it could be a close race. I don’t see any other team challenging Houston.
I assume the people who picked the A’s to win the division are one of the following:
1) Exceedingly delusional adults, currently housed in an Oakland asylum
2) Fanatical A’s fans under the age of 9, or
3) Smarta$$es who thought it would be hilarious to pick the A’s.
Didn’t like the Mariners off-season. Not sanguine on Wong and Teoscar acquisitions.
Jesus, learn how to write, Nick. This is a mouthful:
“While the Astros, as the reigning champions of not only the AL West but MLB itself, appear to be the favorite entering the 2023 season, each of the Mariners, Angels, and Rangers have plausible paths to not only contention but, perhaps, even the AL West crown headed into 2023.”
Proofread your work (“as it Nathaniel Lowe and Adolis Garcia in addition” shows that you don’t) and stop writing convoluted crap like this.
“While the reigning AL West and World Series champion Astros appear to be the favorite entering the 2023 season, each of the Mariners, Angels, and Rangers have plausible paths to not only contention, but perhaps even the AL West crown headed into 2023.”
First time someone didn’t post about the Angles “elite” pitching staff and how that was going to carry them to the wildcard this year…
I know there’ll be a smarta$$ that’ll say I just did!
Astros are the odds on lock to win the AL West till they don’t. Seattle is definitely getting stronger and Texas is spending big time money but we’ll have to see how that all plays out.
Last year was a clean World Series for the Astros and a dominant post season for them. I personally don’t care for the Astros, especially little Mighty Mouse Altuvey. You got to give them some respect though, the can play ball!
What’s your issue with Altuve? He’s a great player, a great person, and a great teammate. I could see people having issues with someone like Bregman because he seems like a frat bro, but Altuve has done nothing to deserve the hate.
See, I like Bergman and can’t see why people have an issue with him. Good guy, family man, great ball player.
It all comes down to personal preference. Alt Ivey just irks me. Correa was great, but I just don’t like Altuvey.
Interesting. Just seems weird that someone would like Correa and Bregman, but not Altuve. Altuve never took part in the sign stealing but it such a good teammate he’s not throwing the rest of his teammates under the bus. To each their own, I guess.
The Mariners did not lose six “key players”.
I’m a Mitch Haniger fan but he is already doubtful for Opening Day and the M’s bullpen is so deep that Erik Hanson cannot be considered a huge loss.
Seattle might be in the playoffs, but it will be in a wildcard spot. Houston will win the AL west
Seattle has a chance IF they get off to a dominating start. If Castillo, Ray, and Gilbert lock it down for their first three or four starts, with help from Julio, France, Teo, Wong, Geno, Dumper, Pollock, and Los Bomberos coming outta the pen. It’s all about momentum. Except when it isn’t.
Seattle’s only chance to win the west requires Houston to have major injury problems. If Houston is healthy the race won’t be close, even if Seattle plays well.
If both teams stay healthy, the Mariners win the division or they finish within three games of Houston.
Haha. No. If both teams are healthy Seattle finishes 10+ games back. Houston is great, Seattle is slightly above average. They are not the same.
You guys just keep arguing about which 2 teams are going to win the west. While the Angels just come along a swoop in, and take it right out from under you. 😉