Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Carlos Correa and George Springer, Houston Astros. (Photo by thatlostdog, via Flickr)
Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais.
Opening Day is a few days away. The Seattle Mariners are in Houston on Friday, July 24, to begin the 2020 season. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as Major League Baseball and it’s Players Association failing to agree on anything, the event has been almost four months in the making.
In preparation for a 60-game schedule, played over the next two months, Seattle has been working out at T-Mobile park for the past few weeks. After some initial “get back into the swing of things” days, the Mariners have been getting ready with intrasquad contests. Management, players, and fans are looking forward to games that count. Leading up to Opening Day, Pacific Northwest Sports will be running a series of countdown articles to get fans ready for action.
To begin with, the American League West division is tough and underrated. Houston is one of the best teams in the game, appearing in two of the last three World Series. Seattle Mariners General Manager Jerry DiPoto realized after the 2018 season that his team didn’t have enough talent to keep up. Consequently, Seattle has been in a rebuilding mode ever since.
The rest of the division has been playing catch-up over the last half-decade. As a result, everyone else has elevated their teams. That makes it hard for the still rebuilding M’s to climb out of the division cellar. This is PNWS’ look at the 2020 A.L. West. All betting odds are from Bovada and are for entertainment purposes only.
Joey Gallo, Texas Rangers. (Photo by Mike LaChance, via Flickr)
Over/under: 32 wins.
Odds to win A.L. West: +1800.
2020 Song Quote: “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” – John Lennon
Big Question: Can the Texas Rangers hit enough solo home runs to stay competitive?
Fun Question: What if you built a super cool new stadium, and no one shows up?
Best under the radar move: Todd Frazier is the kind of vocal locker room leader the team has been missing for years.
For the past few years, Rangers fans have endured a rebuild on the fly. Their stars either retired or were traded away, to build capital for the 2020 season.
Last year Texas’ starting pitching staff was Mike Minor, Lance Lynn, and whoever they could find to pitch the other three games. In the offseason, GM John Daniels traded for Corey Kluber from Cleveland and signed both Kyle Gibson and Jordan Lyles as free agents. In comparison to 2019, their rotation has vastly improved, but the bullpen still the same hot mess its been for years.
Robinson Chirinos is back from a year in Houston to handle the catching duties. Also joining the team this year is power-hitting third baseman Todd Frazier who should give some support to the team’s marquee player Joey Gallo and 2019 revelation Danny Santana. The Rangers will hit their share of home runs this year, but will also have more than their share of strikeouts.
The M’s should have learned this last year on their own. Making contact is essential. Solo home runs don’t make up for poor discipline at the plate and lousy pitching.
The bullpen will kill any momentum this team gets. Additionally, there are plenty of power hitters, but not enough guys who can get on base ahead of them. Texas and the Seattle Mariners will be in a dogfight for fourth place.
Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. (Photo by thatlostdog, via Flickr)
Projected Win Total: 29.5
Odds to Make the Playoffs: +165
Odds to Win the A.L. West: +650
2020 Song Quote: “Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right. Here I am stuck in the middle with you.” – Stealers Wheel
Big Question: How much does it cost to field a third-place team, and could they have done it for much less?
Fun Question: Can someone please order the team to have only one location in their official name?
Fun question 2: Does the Angels’ offense suffer when Shohei Ohtani pitches?
Best under the radar move: The pitching staff was terrible last year, catcher Jonathan Lucroy made them worse. New backstop Jason Castro will help.
The Angels keep spending money and getting almost nowhere. Bringing in Joe Maddon to manage this team was a stroke of genius. He can put a lineup together with rubber bands and spit if he has to. Their most significant offseason player addition, third baseman Anthony Rendon will put more oomph into an already good lineup. It’s tantalizing to think about the damage that the middle of the order, Mike Trout Otani, and Rendon can do.
Otani is back in the rotation. He didn’t pitch last season after his Tommy John Surgery in 2018. He should give them a big boost considering only one Halos pitcher, Trevor Cahill threw over 100 innings last year. The bullpen, anchored by Hansel Robles is pretty good but not good enough to overcome the lack of starting depth.
Spending money doesn’t always win championships. Spending money wisely does.
LAA has a great lineup that gives Mike Trout more protection than he’s had in his career. Unfortunately, there isn’t enough pitching to make a serious run at (or in) the postseason. Even with Rendon in the lineup, they will still miss Cole Calhoun. The Angels are a third-place team, period.
Matt Chapman and Marcus Semien, Oakland Athletics. (Photo by Keith Allison, via Wikicommons)
Projected Win Total: 33.5
Odds to Make the Playoffs: -125
Odds to Win the A.L. West: +250
Odds to Win the American League: +1100
Odds to Win the World Series: +2000
2020 Song Quote: “Don’t think second best, be number one.” – Jesse J.
Big Question: Can designated hitter Khris Davis rebound from a poor 2019?
Fun Question: How does GM Billy Beane do it every year?
Fun Question 2: What will it take so we never see Daniel Mengden’s handlebar mustache again?
Best under the radar move: Getting rid of Jurickson Profar.
Oakland is a team that has won 97 games and made the playoffs in each of the past two seasons. The Athletics are a very good team. In a short season, they are capable of giving Houston a run for the division title.
The everyday lineup can compete with almost any team, and there aren’t many significant changes from last season. If new second baseman and former organization top prospect Franklin Barreto has any pop in his bat, this can be the best power-hitting infield in baseball, including the Yankees and Astros. A return to normalcy, after a horrible 2019, from Khris Davis makes this a dangerous team.
Oakland’s pitching is near the top of the league. Last year, Sean Manaea didn’t make his debut until September 1, after sitting out almost a year with shoulder problems. In five regular-season starts, he was 4–0, with a 1.21 ERA and miserly 0.77 WHIP. Manaea didn’t look as good in spring training, but he only threw 7.2 innings. The rest of the rotation is solid. Close Liam Hendricks leads a very good bullpen.
Oakland has very few holes and is solid throughout the entire roster. They are a perfect example of how to maintain a good team while on a tight budget.
The Athletics are once again poised to be a playoff contender. It’s unlikely they can knock off Houston for the division, but they will be fighting all year for a playoff spot. 2020 may be the year Oakland breaks their streak of six straight playoff series defeats.
Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa, Houston Astros. (photo by thatlostdog, via Flickr)
Projected Win Total: 35
Odds to Make the Playoffs: -190
Odds to Win the A.L. West: -160
Odds to Win the American League: +450
Odds to Win the World Series: +1200
2020 Song Quote: “Haterz everywhere we go” – B.o.B.
Big Question: Will the Astros dominate again without Gerritt Cole or trash cans?
Fun Question: Did the Astros give their batters a training on how to duck?
How much does the rest of Major League Baseball hate the Houston Astros? Betonline.ag has futures odds on which Houston batter gets hit by a pitch most often, who gets hit first, will someone get hit opening day, and an over/under on how many HBP the team will have in 2020. Their one saving grace is that there won’t be any fans in opposing cities to harass the team continually.
Starting with the pitching staff, the loss of Cole would be catastrophic to almost every other team. In two years with the team, his record was 35–10 and 5–2 in the playoffs. Houston still has Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke at the top of the rotation. Additionally, the extended hiatus has given Lance McCullers Jr., who missed all of 2019 after Tommy John Surgery, more time to recover. So far, he has looked sharp in Summer camp. Also, their bullpen is deep and good enough to bail out the fourth and fifth starters should they get knocked out early.
Find a weak spot in the Houston Astros’ batting order. Even catcher Martin Maldonado, who hit .202 last year after coming over at the deadline, hit six home runs in 84 at-bats. There is no one to pitch around because the next batter will make their opponent pay dearly if they do. If Houston has a weakness, it’s depth.
FYI, the over/under on Astros hit batsman is 41.5.
Hopefully, they learn a lesson in class. It’s not easy to be hated. Houston’s on-field performance and conduct will be under the microscope.
It won’t be as easy as last year, but Houston is still the best team in the A.L. West and will win their fourth straight division crown. How far they go in the postseason hinges on how well the starting rotation gels.
How do you see the Seattle Mariners faring in the A.L. West this year? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.