Divisional Outlook - Al West

in Sports and Recreation

The AL West is shaping up as a division that will come down to the wire. Every team is lumped together in the standings, as the separation between first and last place as of this writing is only 5.5 games. None of the teams have been extremely hot lately, and everyone sits near .500 for the season. As of now, this race is way too early to call, and this will probably be the case throughout the season. It's going to be a very interesting season in this division.

Texas Rangers

Currently:

The Rangers are slowly but surely building a solid team that appears to be geared to contend for the long-term. So far this season, the team has made its mark with consistent hitting. The Rangers rank 3rd in the AL in team BA and in total hits, and their nucleus of Michael Young, Hank Black and Gary Matthews, Jr. are all in the prime of their careers. The Rangers are "gnats" in regards to their offense, though, as they rank in the bottom half of the AL in power numbers. Their pitching has been solid if not spectacular, as they rank in the middle of the pack in the AL in nearly every statistical category.

Outlook:

The Rangers are a team that appears to be built against long-term slumps, as they tend to manufacture runs rather than rely on power, and their pitching may get an enormous boost if they can land the "big" free agent that's available in Roger Clemens. The Rangers will be around all season.

Currently:

The team credited with inventing the "Money Ball" model is going about the 2006 season in much the same way as they have in recent years. There are no real "stars" on this team, as not one of their regulars is hitting over .300. The closest thing to it is young LF Nick Swisher, who is in the top ten in the AL in HR, R, OPS, RBI and SLG. On the pitching side, no one is dominating either, although collectively, the staff ranks 4th in the AL in ERA.

Outlook:

Regardless of the dearth of "sexy" statistics, the A's simply hang in there with overachieving young players and consistently solid pitching and defense. There is no reason to think that their approach, or results, will change, so A's fans can look forward to another pennant race this fall.
Seattle Mariners

Currently:

The Mariners are just below .500, and even though that's mediocre on its face, the team is slowly rebounding from a disappointing 2005. Their offense as a whole is not setting the world on fire, but Ichiro Suzuki is up to his old tricks with 57 hits in his first 45 games and a .367 OBP. A young star may be developing before fans' eyes, though in 22-year-old Jose Lopez, who is nearly keeping pace with Ichiro in terms of number of hits and BA. The pitching overall has been middle of the pack, but the staff is 5th in the AL in BAA and 3rd in K/9.

Outlook:

If the Mariners can continue to develop their younger players like Lopez and their pitching comes around, the team will contend. Ichiro will no doubt keep up with his current pace, and no one in the division has the look of potentially running away and hiding in the standings.
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Currently:

The Angels have hit the skids lately, but their roster is as talented as any in baseball. Other than Vladimir Guerrero, who remains as feared as any batter in the AL, the team's offense has been non-existent. Their team BA ranks 2nd from last in the AL, and their recent slump has only exacerbated that problem. Although the pitching staff is adept at fanning opposing batters, ranking 2nd in the AL in both K/9 and K/BB, the team's ERA is in the bottom half of the AL.

Outlook:

This team has struggled out of the gate, to be blunt. However, they are as talented as any team in the league, and if any of their offensive players turn it around, their pitching statistics by logical results will improve, as will their record. No one will overlook the Angels this season, and despite an awful start, they are far from out of it at this point.