Houston Astros
The Astros continued to run the AL West, though not to the standard of past seasons. Just two years removed from the team’s second World Series win and a season after missing the World Series by a game, Houston clinched the division for the fourth consecutive time and seventh time in eight years. However, it wasn’t in dominating fashion, winning 88 games, their lowest mark since 2016.
Injuries derailed many of the Astros’ go-to options from seasons prior, including Kyle Tucker, Cristian Javier and Justin Verlander, taking at minimum two months away from each of their campaigns. With Tucker, Verlander and, most recently, reliever Ryan Pressly, donning new uniforms, Houston enters the 2025 season in a significantly worse position than in the past. This is all without mentioning third baseman Alex Bregman having not decided if he’ll return to the organization, with many teams still trying to land the free agent.
This isn’t to say Houston’s core won’t be a successful one. Longtime second baseman Jose Altuve continues to prove why he is one of the best in baseball at the position. Alongside Altuve in the lineup is slugger Yordan Alvarez, coming off his fourth straight 30+ home run season. Altuve’s middle infield mate Jeremy Peña continues to be a viable hitter with a plus glove. Catcher Yanier Diaz proved that he’ll be a long-term piece in Houston’s lineup after two great campaigns. After Houston ranked 29th in first base OPS (.624) and 30th in Defensive Runs Saved (-14), they secured sure-handed and slugging first baseman Christian Walker on a three-year commitment.
The rotation is headed by Framber Valdez, producing his fourth straight ace caliber season. Following the lefty are breakout starters Hunter Brown and Ronel Blanco, looking to recreate or improve upon their 2024 success. Josh Hader and Bryan Abreu are the two tasked with slamming the door in most games and will have extra work cut out for them with Pressly disappearance.
Houston is going to have their work cut out for them, looking to fill in the blanks left by the departing players. However, Houston has proven time after time that they can maximize the most of the players in their organization.
Seattle Mariners
Despite having just one playoff appearance to show for, Seattle has been amongst the top half of teams in the American League. Around midseason, the Mariners moved on from manager Scott Servais, beginning the Dan Wilson era in the Pacific Northwest.
The rotation hasn’t been a problem for Seattle, having a top-10 team ERA across the last three years. Seattle has aces across their rotation, with Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Luis Castillo, Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo all dealing to a mid-three ERA or better. The bullpen was just as lights out, as Andrés Muñoz, Taylor Saucedo and Collin Snider picked up where the starters left off.
The lineup is a different story. Despite having stars like Julio Rodríguez and Cal Raleigh, Seattle’s lineup has been underwhelming. Jorge Polanco disappointed in his first year as a Mariner, with Mitch Garver following suit. Luke Raley did take over first base duties at a positive rate. Midseason addition Randy Arozarena saw improvement once leaving Tampa Bay, though not to the superstar clip he’s posted in previous years. After a career best 2023, shortstop J.P. Crawford reverted to his pre-pandemic standard at the plate.
Purely off pitching, Seattle is a fringe playoff team. If the lineup can perform to the rate that many players have at one point in their careers, the Mariners could be the team to dethrone Houston as the best in the AL West.
Texas Rangers
Coming off their first World Series victory, Texas entered 2024 poised to defend their crown. Instead, injuries decimated the roster and the team’s chances to return to the promised land.
Following his AL MVP runner-up season and recovery from an early hamstring injury, Corey Seager excelled once again, producing his third straight 30+ home run season in as many seasons in the Lone Star State. Seager’s double play mate Marcus Semien saw regression in his offensive production, though he still played Gold Glove caliber defense. Though still popping 25 homers and driving in 85 runs, Adolis García saw both his offensive and defensive numbers plummet. Texas’ 2023 first round pick Wyatt Langford battled through lengthy slumps in his first full season in the professional ranks. Third baseman Josh Jung will look to avoid the injured list after spending the better part of four months on it in 2024. Though Jung will start the season as the primary option at the hot corner, 2024 breakout Josh Smith will most definitely work his way into the lineup through the upcoming season. Joining forces with the aforementioned bats are offseason additions Joc Pederson and Jake Burger, who both produced 20+ home runs for their respective teams.
Injuries have brutalized two time Cy Young Jacob deGrom’s tenure in Texas, but he enters his age 37 season primed to remind everyone that he is still a top arm in baseball. Nathan Eovaldi produced another effective year in Arlington. Looking to break into the bunch full time is former top prospect Jack Leiter, who debuted in forgettable fashion last season, along with former college teammate Kumar Rocker, who got a taste of the show at season’s end. The bullpen doesn’t have the same promise that the rotation does, with no true closer in place after the departure of José Leclerc and Kirby Yates.
Texas has the star power to take the West, but the supporting cast and the baseball gods not plaguing the Rangers with injuries will be the make or break Texas’ playoff hopes.
Athletics
In their final season in Oakland, a bunch of the young bucks proved the A’s may be closer to success than many people think.
In his first full season with the big club, Lawrence Butler battered baseball consistently, looking to be the long term right fielder. JJ Bleday finally found his footing after two lackluster stints in the previous two years. If not for a midseason injury, Tyler Soderstrom could’ve shown more of the excellence he displayed in 61 games for Oakland. In a prove it year of sorts for Shea Langeliers, he proved that he can be one of the premier slugging catcher in the game, launching 29 home runs. The “veteran” of the bunch is Brent Rooker, who hadn’t found much success prior to 2023, but has since blossomed into one of the most feared hitters in the American League, taking home his first Silver Slugger in 2024.
The starting rotation leaves a lot to be desired, at least when it comes from homegrown talent. The A’s inked Luis Severino to head the rotation, after a resurgent 2024 campaign in Queens. Acquired from Tampa Bay, Jeffrey Springs will look to stay on the field, aftering making just 10 starts across the last two seasons, though pitching to a 2.37 ERA in said starts. The likes of JP Sears, Luis Medina, Joey Estes and Osvaldo Bido look to round out the rotation and find success after limited appearances or woeful performances a season ago. As for the bullpen, being the most desired closer as a rookie is rarely seen, but Mason Miller made that apparent as the door slammer for the A’s. Tyler Ferguson and T.J. McFarland are joined by Leclerc as the transitional relievers to hand games off to Miller.
In their first of three years in Sacramento before Las Vegas becomes the A’s permanent home, the franchise has bright spots throughout their roster that could dawn a great era of baseball once the move to Sin City is complete.
Los Angeles Angels
For any team in any sport, losing your superstar player drastically affects your roster. However, baseball has proven that it’s the only sport where one player can’t drag a team to success. No franchise in the sport has proven that more than the Angels, with Mike Trout’s tenure flashing great individual stats with no team accolades to show for. Including last season, injuries have derailed three of the last four season’s for the longtime center fielder, with the franchise finishing no higher than third in the division during that span, as well as failing to be above .500 since 2015.
Helping Trout in the heart of the order is Taylor Ward, who has developed into a reliable bat in the last three seasons. Shortstop Zach Neto enjoyed success in his second season, with Los Angeles hopeful the Miami native can evolve to a true 30-30 threat. Logan O’Hoppe continued to grow behind the dish in 2024, still growing as a game caller entering his age 25 year. Luis Rengifo had three stints on the IL, though still producing exceptionally well in 78 games. First baseman Nolan Schanuel looks to find consistent rhythm at the plate, after a peaks-and-valleys type 2024. Joining the middle of the lineup is Jorge Soler, who terrorized opposing arms in two different uniforms last season. Still looking to stay on the diamond and produce while there is Anthony Rendon, whose time in Los Angeles has made his contract look like one of the worst deals given in the history of the sport.
The Los Angeles rotation boasts plenty of depth, as the Angels added Yusei Kikuchi and Kyle Hendricks in free agency. The duo will fall behind Tyler Anderson in the rotation, after the lefty earned his second All-Star nod in three seasons. José Soriano slotted nicely into the rotation, after spending the entirety of his first year as a reliever. The last rotation slot will be a battle between underperforming lefty Reid Detmers and the unproven pair of Jack Kochanowicz and Caden Dana. The bullpen looks to be a ragtag bunch similar to the trio fighting for the back end of the rotation, with Ben Joyce being the one of the group with the highest ceiling.
Even with a healthy Trout and a team that performs to the standard of play that Los Angeles expects, this team is still closer to a rebuild than a legitimate threat in the American League.
All stats are from Baseball Reference and FanGraphs as of Feb. 6.
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