MLB Update: AL/NL West Season Preview

AL West

1. Oakland A’s

2. Los Angeles Angels-WC

3. Seattle Mariners

4. Texas Rangers

5. Houston Astros

Players to watch: Marcus Semien, Brett Lawrie, Mike Trout, Garrett Richards, Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz, Taijuan Walker, Felix Hernandez, Rougned Odor, Prince Fielder, George Springer, Dallas Keuchel.

Like the Central, every team in the AL West looks like it improved, except for the Angels. Billy Beane will always have his skeptics, but the A’s came out of the offseason looking very sharp. The roster appears to have no holes, with new additions Ben Zobrist, Ike Davis, Billy Butler, Brett Lawrie, Marcus Semien, and Tyler Clippard ready to guide the team. Really, the only returners to the new-look offense will be Josh Reddick, Coco Crisp, and Stephen Vogt, and Crisp won’t be back until May. Sonny Gray leads a solid starting rotation that also includes Scott Kazmir, Jesse Hahn, and Kendall Graveman. Clippard can hold down the bullpen until Sean Doolittle returns from his injury in in May, with Dan Otero and Eric O’Flaherty providing middle relief. The Angels made a good trade in adding Andrew Heaney in exchange for Howie Kendrick, but it will hurt them in the short run. As of now, career utility man Johnny Giavotella is slated to start at Kendrick’s old second base, with rookie Tyler Featherston being the only other option. Josh Hamilton is also a question mark with his shoulder injury, but after that, this is a very solid Angels team which should have a good chance of repeating as division champs. Mike Trout obviously leads the squad, with Kole Calhoun, Albert Pujols, and Erick Aybar adding offense behind him. Jered Weaver, Garrett Richards, and C.J. Wilson will give the team a chance to win every time they pitch, while Huston Street looks to repeat a solid campaign from last year. The Mariners are a solid team, but the roster definitely has some holes. Robinson Cano, Kyle Seager, and Nelson Cruz will provide the star power in the Seattle lineup, but other hitters like Seth Smith, Logan Morrison, Dustin Ackley, and Austin Jackson are not guaranteed to produce. If they do produce, the M’s could definitely challenge the A’s and Angels atop the division. The pitching staff is less of a question mark, as Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma are all but guaranteed to shut down opposing teams. The young duo of James Paxton and Taijuan Walker could go a long way in rounding out the Mariners’ team if they continue to get acclimated to the major leagues. The Rangers are the big wild card, because they suffered such a horribly disappointing season last year after a plague of injuries. Jurickson Profar and Yu Darvish were already lost for the season, but Rougned Odor looks primed to step up in Profar’s place. Adrian Beltre, Shin-Soo Choo, Leonys Martin, and a rejuvenated Prince Fielder should provide production for the offense. The Darvish-less rotation will have to collectively step up, and new additions Yovani Gallardo and Ross Detwiler should help with that. Derek Holland, Colby Lewis, Neftali Feliz, and Joakim Soria are also looking for returns to form. The Astros are definitely improving, but I do not believe they are quite ready to start ascending in the standings. Jose Altuve will set up a solid core lineup that includes Chris Carter, Evan Gattis, George Springer, Jason Castro, and Colby Rasmus, but I don’t think they have the necessary depth behind those guys to contend. Mauro Gonzalez and Hank Conger represent the only real bats off the bench, and Jake Marisnick is a question mark as an every day center fielder. The rotation may be headed by Dallas Keuchel and Scott Feldman, but it also lacks depth. One spot that the Astros have really improved is the bullpen, which features a back-end trio of Luke Gregerson, Chad Qualls, and Pat Neshek.

NL West

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

2. San Francisco Giants

3. San Diego Padres

4. Colorado Rockies

5. Arizona Diamondbacks

Players to watch: Yasiel Puig, Joc Pederson, Clayton Kershaw, Buster Posey, Madison Bumgarner, Matt Kemp, Justin Upton, Wil Myers, Troy Tulowitzki, Carlos Gonzalez, Corey Dickerson, Paul Goldschmidt, Yasmani Tomas.

Like last year, the Dodgers are a complete team. Yasiel Puig, Adrian Gonzalez, and Carl Crawford lead the offense, with Howie Kendrick, Juan Uribe, and Joc Pederson offering support. Andre Ethier, Scott Van Slyke, Justin Turner, and Darwin Barney are solid bats off the bench, while the catching duo of Yasmani Grandal and A.J. Ellis should work well. Clayton Kershaw leads one of the strongest rotations in baseball, followed by Zack Greinke, Hyun-Jin Ryu (once he returns from injury), and Brandon McCarthy. Closer Kenley Jansen will open the season on the DL, but Paco Rodriguez, J.P. Howell, and Joel Peralta should be able to cover for him. If we know anything about the Giants, it’s that they have chemistry. Even without Hunter Pence for the first month of the season, the Giants have some big bats in Buster Posey, Casey McGehee, and Brandon Belt, with table setters Nori Aoki, Brandon Crawford, and Joe Panik poised to continue their success. Madison Bumgarner could be an ace on almost any team, and Matt Cain is looking like a strong candidate for a bounce-back campaign. Tim Hudson, Jake Peavy, and Tim Lincecum will have to produce from the bottom of the rotation, though. Santiago Casilla and Sergio Romo form a great duo at the back end of the bullpen, and the 35 year old Jeremy Affeldt appears to be holding off age well, entering his 13th season. As I said with the White Sox, I am not a big fan of rosters that are thrown together with big names. The Padres were already nearing contention, but I think it is a little early for GM A.J. Preller to be going all out. The Padres’ best players are concentrated in the outfield, with starter-quality players like Will Venable, Cameron Maybin, and Carlos Quentin stuck behind starters Wil Myers, Matt Kemp, and Justin Upton. Meanwhile, players like Will Middlebrooks (2 HR, .191 AVG last year) and Alexi Amarista are starting in the infield. It just seems unbalanced to me. That said, Upton, Kemp, and Derek Norris form a solid core of the lineup, and Jedd Gyorko is gunning for a bounce back season. James Shields and Andrew Cashner lead a much improved rotation, with Tyson Ross, Ian Kennedy, and Brandon Morrow forming a solid back end. Joaquin Benoit will close, but what comes after that is murky. The Rockies have all the pieces to contend, but whether or not they can put it together is the question. Troy Tulowitzki is an established bat, but Carlos Gonzalez needs to bounce back, while Nolan Arenado, Charlie Blackmon, and Corey Dickerson need to continue their success from last year. Wilin Rosario needs to be more consistent with his power, and Justin Morneau needs to build off his bounce-back season. If those pieces fall into place, this could be a formidable team. The pitching staff does need some work, and the Rockies would likely upgrade it by trade if they are contending at mid-season. Kyle Kendrick and Jorge De La Rosa sit at the top of the rotation, while Jordan Lyles is looking to finally break out. LaTroy Hawkins will close, with John Axford and Adam Ottavino setting up. The Diamondbacks are an interesting team. Like the Rockies, they have the pieces to contend; they just need to put it together. Paul Goldschmidt, Mark Trumbo, and Aaron Hill will lead the lineup by experience, but young hitters like A.J. Pollock, David Peralta, Ender Inciarte, Chris Owings, and Nick Ahmed will need to step up. If they do, this will not be a last place team. Once called up, Yasmani Tomas should also provide production. The rotation is a bit rough now, led by Josh Collmenter and Jeremy Hellickson, but the returns of Patrick Corbin and Bronson Arroyo mid-season will be helpful. Addison Reed heads a mediocre bullpen.