The division sure has heated up with offseason moves from all of the teams. Who will be our winner, and who could upset the division with a good season? Let’s find out so you can bet against the MLB AL Division Odds.
AL West Season Predictions: Winner and Upset | MLB Betting
Winner: Houston Astros Potential Pick
Even with the departure of Carlos Correa, it is still the Astros division to win. The Astros are the pick to win because they have the most balanced lineup. Multiple other teams in the AL West are very top-heavy, and we have seen issues with teams not staying healthy.
Finding a replacement for Correa will not be easy, but the Astros have two great options with Jeremy Pena and Aledmys Diaz to play shortstop. Diaz has been a starter on other teams before and can play at a high level when comfortable. Pena is a rookie with a lot of upside to his game.
The Houston Astros also have the best pitching staff within the division. Headlined by Justin Verlander and Lance McCullers Jr, the Astros will have a rotation to fall back on if things do not work offensively.
The core of Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, and Yuli Gurriel will continue to lead the way for the Astros. This group and team is very experienced, which proves that they know how to win.
They lost in the World Series last year to the Atlanta Braves. They know that people do not want to see them win, and that can provide motivation as well for this group.
Upset: Seattle Mariners Potential Pick
The Seattle Mariners are the team that could create a big shakeup in the AL West Division. They almost made the playoffs last season, and it came down to the final few games where they just missed out. With the expanded playoffs, it would not be surprising to see the Mariners make a run this season.
The Mariners made great offseason moves as well that many people are not talking about. Robbie Ray signed with the team this offseason, and he will be the #1 pitcher heading into the season. Most recently, the Mariners traded for Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez from the Reds.
Winker is coming off a career year in Cincinnati, which can bode well for the Mariners to find a player who could be reaching his prime.
The Mariners did lose Kyle Seager, who retired from baseball but have great replacements around the infield. One player who could fly under the radar is Adam Frazier, the former Pittsburgh Pirate. Frazier hit .305 last season but only had five home runs to his name.
The Seattle Mariners could be a sneaky pick or a dark horse to win the division, but they are most definitely our pick to upset the AL West Division.
AL West Division Projected Standings
- Houston Astros
- Seattle Mariners
- Los Angeles Angels
- Texas Rangers
- Oakland Athletics
The Angels are missing key pieces in both the rotation and the lineup, but they will compete at the end of the day.
The Rangers will have no pitching but all offense. They will have to score a lot of runs or find pitchers who can get the job done for little money.
The Oakland Athletics are heading towards a rebuild after this offseason. They will not have much to bring to the table with offense or pitching.
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