2017 AL West Preview
Jose Altuve collected over 200 hits last year for the third consecutive season.
| How They'll Finish |
| AL WEST | W | L | GB |
| Astros | 91 | 71 | - |
| Rangers | 89 | 73 | 2 |
| Mariners | 88 | 74 | 3 |
| Angels | 88 | 74 | 19 |
| Athletics | 67 | 95 | 24 |
Houston Astros
The Astro's brought in some veteran talent to help round out their upcoming lineup. Carlos Beltran and Brian McCann will help mold guys like Carlos Correa and Alex Bregmann. This combination plus the signing of Josh Reddick will be what carries the team into the playoffs. This team is a very talented ball club, and features what could be the best up the middle combination in baseball in Altuve, Correa, and Springer. The pitching staff could be suspect, but Jose Altuve will lead the charge into Fall.
Texas Rangers
Cole Hamels has a lot more field to work with while pitching as opposed to when he played in Philadelphia. Last year, he eclipsed the 200 strikeout mark for the 5th time in his career. He also gave the Rangers 200.2 innings of work. If he can stay healthy, with the help of Adrian Beltre and the rest of the Texas offense, the Rangers could very well make a run for a Wild Card spot.
Seattle Mariners
The M's were extremely busy this offseason, making 14 trades, the most of any team in the last 20 years. The core of this team is old, but their offense has potential to be as good as any behind Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz, and Kyle Seager. If the pitching holds up with Felix Hernandez having a bounceback year, the Mariners could bring in some power to plug into the outfield and give the Rangers a run for their money.
Los Angeles Angels
Mike Trout posted an absurd 10.6 WAR last season as he won the AL MVP award, his second of his young career. The Angels had some holes in their lineup, and they've done a good job filling them, bringing in the likes of Danny Espinosa and Cameron Maybin. Unfortunately, their pitching staff has a very injury-related history. The Angels will have to hope that history doesn't repeat itself if they want to make some noise out West.
Oakland Athletics
The wheels have officially fallen off in Oakland. After making the postseason for the 3rd consecutive year in 2014, the Athletics have lost 187 games since. This offseason they've gone out and spent over $30 million in free agents, which is uncharacteristic of the franchise. The A's need to hope that Sonny Gray has a resurgence after last year. If not, this team can easily flirt with a 100 loss season.