With Spring Training just a week away, there's no time like the present to preview the upcoming season in Major League Baseball. Taking it division by division, we begin out West in the Junior Circuit, as the defending champion Houston Astros will look to repeat as division champions yet again.
1. Houston Astros
The obvious choice and runaway favorite to claim the AL West have their sights set to do just that and return to the Postseason. Houston's youthful core of reigning MVP Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, and George Springer gives them the firepower to dominate once again at the plate, while a full year of ace Justin Verlander and Dallas Keuchel gives this team the best starting pitching in the division as well. Throw in the addition of former Pirates flamethrower Gerrit Cole to supplant this already strong rotation, and Houston looks like a unstoppable force heading into 2018, although history has proven repeating as champs in baseball is one of the toughest tasks in all of sports.
2. Los Angeles Angels
The Halos have added key pieces to fill almost every hole on the diamond with the acquisitions of Ian Kinsler and Zack Cozart, and alongside a full season of Mike Trout and Justin Upton in the outfield, this team bears the closest resemblance to the 98-win 2014 squad that we've seen in recent years. With Shohei Ohtani, the Angels may also have added a transcendent piece that could alter the franchise's staff and lineup all at once in his debut season. All in all, this has been an underrated and unfairly criticized team in the last few seasons, as they have performed relatively well despite having to handle derailing injuries. This team was already in the playoff hunt and arguably just had the best offseason of any team in the Majors, making them a sure-fire contender to make some noise in October.
3. Seattle Mariners
The Mariners window is closing quickly. GM Jerry Dipoto has realized that this Robinson Cano-Nelson Cruz era cannot last forever, so he has made a tangible effort to bring in talent this winter in order to propel the Mariners into the Postseason fray. Dee Gordon will be a solid addition into the leadoff spot, giving them a speedy contact-hitter and a huge stolen base threat, but one would wonder how he will adjust to life in the outfield. On the mound, this team will need a resurgent season out of ace Felix Hernandez and closer Edwin Diaz, while James Paxton and Mike Leake will also have to show up and take advantage of the pitcher-friendly Safeco Field.
4. Texas Rangers
This team is fading fast, and although potentially re-signing Yu Darvish could go a long way to helping this team climb back into the playoff picture, the reality is the staff will let down a potentially effective offense in 2018. If Elvis Andrus can maintain his star level of production alongside Nomar Mazara and Adrian Beltre, this team could score some runs. Moreover, they possess one of the game's premier power threats in Joey Gallo, who smacked 41 homers a year ago, but it remains to be seen whether or not he can truly blossom into a star because of his contact hitting, as he hit a putrid .201 last season. Cole Hamels will have to headline a poor rotation that does, however, feature the breakout potential of first-time starter and former number one overall pick Matt Bush, who has flourished in relief and closer roles since finally arriving in the Majors.
5. Oakland Athletics
In the division cellar once again, the rebuild continues in the East Bay. This team has some power in Khris Davis and Matt Olson, and the addition of Stephen Piscotty from St. Louis doesn't hurt, but when one surveys this roster, it is devoid of enough real star power to make any noise this season. Additionally, the first full season of the post-Sonny Gray era puts de facto ace Kendall Graveman into the spotlight, though there are many doubts as to whether or not the Mississippi State product can carry a rotation to any kind of success.
