The AL West has become one of the best, if not the best, division in baseball. Welcoming the Houston Astros in 2013 the division will now have five teams; however only two will make the postseason this year.
The Oakland A’s shocked the baseball world in 2012 as they won the AL West title on October 3rd; the last game of the season against their division rival Texas Rangers. It was an unbelievable year of walk-offs, pies, and simply magic. They finished the season with a 94-68 record.
Their magic ran out in the ALDS as they lost 6-0 against Justin Verlander and the Detroit Tigers in game five. Led by reigning manager of the year, Bob Melvin, the A’s are eager to get the 2013 season going and finish right where they left off. The green and gold are looking good for this upcoming season. General manager Billy Beane did some work this offseason improving the team where needed and adding a ridiculous amount of depth at every position.
They did lose outfielder/designated hitter Jonny Gomes and shortstop Stephen Drew to the Boston Red Sox, but Beane got some guys who may be even better. Outfielder Chris Young was acquired via trade, catcher John Jaso was signed as well as the ultimate utility man, Jed Lowrie; the “extremely sexy and cool” Beane also signed Japanese shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima otherwise known as “Hiro” in the biggest signing for the A’s this offseason.
Infielder Scott Sizemore will be returning after missing all of 2012 due to injury. During the 2012 season, injury was a problem for the A’s as outfielder and rookie of the year finalist Yoenis Cespedes and Coco Crisp suffered injuries with the team suffering as a result. Luckily, gold glove right fielder Josh Reddick had a breakout year and was able to pick up the weight for those two. Outfielder and designated hitter Seth Smith also did his fair share.
For 2013, the A’s now have five above-average outfielders who can do great things at the plate and in the field. Due to the fact that Chris Carter was traded to Houston for Lowrie, it appears that Brandon Moss will be the everyday first baseman and deservedly so after an impressive season in 2012. The starting rotation looks to be just as strong, if not stronger, than it was in 2012. With Brett Anderson back and Tom Milone, Jarrod Parker, and A.J. Griffin coming off a great year, they should also improve and put up outstanding numbers in 2013 not to mention the return of Bartolo Colon. The bullpen is the same as last season led by closer Grant Balfour who had a remarkable season. This A’s club is basically the same team as 2012, but even better as they added more guys to provide depth and prepare for injury.
The green and gold will be huge contenders in 2013 and will make the playoffs either as a wild card or by winning the west for the second year in a row. As usual, the A’s are the underdogs, but they like it that way; they are more than capable of winning the division in 2013 and progressing much farther in the postseason than they did in 2012. The A’s are the best team in the division overall because of their great pitching, depth, and abilities at the plate.
The team that will give the A’s the most trouble throughout the season will be the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim who had a disappointing 2012, but by spending a lot of money this offseason improved in many ways. The Angels just missed the postseason last year as they finished with an 89-73 record. Rookie of the year outfielder Mike Trout had an unbelievable season and there’s no reason to doubt a repeat in 2013.
The Angels also signed outfielder Josh Hamilton, who is always a threat at the plate, to a huge contact. They also have versatile Mark Trumbo who was an All Star and participated in the homerun derby last season. After leaving the national league for the American league last season, first baseman Albert Pujols had a slow start with the Angels, but as the season progressed his numbers improved. With Trout, Hamilton, Trumbo and Pujols in the same line-up the Angels will indeed be playoff bound. The only concern with the Angels is their starting rotation.
They lost pitcher Dan Haren in the offseason and C.J. Wilson had an off year in 2012. Jered Weaver is the ace of the staff and as expected had a great year last season. They also signed starting pitchers Joe Blanton and Jason Vargas, but neither of them have above average career numbers. The Angels lineup is loaded, but will starting pitching and the bullpen be good enough to hold off good teams with power hitters? Their rotation isn’t great, the only one who’s numbers really stand out is Weaver therefore the pitching will be a problem for the Angels in 2013. That being said, manager Mike Socia has a great team and they will make the playoffs in 2013 either as a wild card or division champs.
Ron Washington’s Texas Rangers were supposed to win the division in 2012; instead they entered the playoffs as a wildcard and lost the one game wild card elimination to the Baltimore Orioles. They finished the season with a 93-69 record. The Rangers haven’t improved for 2013; instead some of their best players will be playing elsewhere. Catcher Mike Napoli signed with Boston, Hamilton went to the Angels, and infielder Michael Young was traded to the Phillies.
Both the A’s and Angels improved significantly and the Rangers haven’t, which will make it difficult for them to make the postseason. They have rookie of the year finalist pitcher Yu Darvish in their starting rotation who will most likely have another good season. They also signed veteran catcher A.J. Pierzynski to replace Napoli. While they did make some acquisitions for this season, the departures are too significant to overcome especially within the AL West where they have to compete with the A’s and Angels who have improved their already good teams. Texas will contend in 2013, but won’t make the postseason.
The Seattle Mariners finished in last place in 2012 with a losing record of 75-87. Toward the end of 2012, the Mariners started playing some good baseball proving they can win in difficult situations. This offseason the Mariners have improved as they acquired outfielder Michael Morse who put up good numbers with the Nationals last season. They also agreed to a contract extension with starting pitcher, King Felix Hernandez who is clearly the ace of the staff and the best player on their roster. They acquired infielder Kendrys Morales from the Angels who is a threat at the plate and can bolster their line-up for 2013. They also signed outfielder Jason Bay and pitcher Joe Saunders this offseason.
The biggest signing for the Mariners this offseason is outfielder Raul Ibanez who has proved to be a clutch player. Despite some of these signings, the Mariners won’t make the postseason in 2013, again due to the immense competition. Their lineup has improved, however, they also have rotation problems after the departure of Vargas to the Angels and the only pitcher that really gives the Mariners a great chance at winning is Hernandez.
The AL West welcomes the Houston Astros to the division this year as they don’t really know what to expect from them. The Astros finished 2012 in last place of the national league central with a record of 55-107. They have had many struggles the last couple of seasons, but maybe changing leagues and divisions will benefit them.
The Astros signed first baseman Carlos Pena this offseason and acquired first baseman Carter as well as pitching prospect Brad Peacock from Oakland via trade. This club just doesn’t have the rotation or hitters to be able to compete with teams like the A’s, Angels, and even Rangers; therefore they won’t make the postseason.
The AL West will be an interesting and fun division to watch in 2013. The A’s and Angels will battle it out all season for the AL West title as they are the two best teams in the division, but the A’s seem to have the upper hand because of their depth and the fact that they are a strong team at every position. The Angels have a powerful lineup and are a team to be reckoned with; however their starting rotation and bullpen are questionable. The A’s have a grand opportunity to take the division two years in a row and do something special. It will be a hard fought battle between the A’s and Angels and it will be exciting to see how the season plays out.