- Texas Rangers
- LA Angels
- Oakland Athletics
- Seattle Mariners
As competitive as the NL West, the AL West was not. Baseball fans were happy to see that the Texas Rangers were able to grab the division title from the Angels, who had been the AL West Champs for most of the decade. If you bought Rangers baseball tickets last year you are likely still smarting from the defeat in the World Series to the San Francisco Giants. Even though the Rangers lost Cliff Lee to free agency, they still have the talent to repeat as AL Champs. Lefty CJ Wilson has the stuff to anchor a tough rotation, and we all know that Texas can hit the ball. A lot of how the Rangers play this year will be determined by the rest of the division, which once again looks to be a bit weaker than the rest of the potent AL. The Angels whiffed on acquiring Carl Crawford a year after loosing John Lackey. They best the Angels front office could manage was Vernon Wells, who had a disappointing 2010. But Wells has been among the most feared hitters in the league in the past, and if he can regain his swing, he can help Torii Hunter and the rest of the Angels get back to the playoffs.
One team that could end up benefiting from the lack of depth in the division are the Oakland Athletics. They have been consistent the past few years, and if some of their younger players make the leap they could be a force. Perfect Game Dallas Braden has started to look like an ace, and the rest of the young team might be ready to breakout. That leave the Seattle Mariners, who are a year older. The Mariners were supposed to compete for the division crown last year, but between Milton Bradley’s continuing escapades and some losses to the pitching staff, the Mariners underwhelmed last year. If a few pieces fall into place the Mariners could be a dark-horse threat to make the playoffs. They have one of the best pitchers in the game in Felix Hernandez, and with Ichiro and Chone Figgins in the lineup, they could end up surprising more than one baseball fan this year.
As competitive as the NL West, the AL West was not. Baseball fans were happy to see that the Texas Rangers were able to grab the division title from the Angels, who had been the AL West Champs for most of the decade. If you bought Rangers baseball tickets last year you are likely still smarting from the defeat in the World Series to the San Francisco Giants. Even though the Rangers lost Cliff Lee to free agency, they still have the talent to repeat as AL Champs. Lefty CJ Wilson has the stuff to anchor a tough rotation, and we all know that Texas can hit the ball. A lot of how the Rangers play this year will be determined by the rest of the division, which once again looks to be a bit weaker than the rest of the potent AL. The Angels whiffed on acquiring Carl Crawford a year after loosing John Lackey. They best the Angels front office could manage was Vernon Wells, who had a disappointing 2010. But Wells has been among the most feared hitters in the league in the past, and if he can regain his swing, he can help Torii Hunter and the rest of the Angels get back to the playoffs.
One team that could end up benefiting from the lack of depth in the division are the Oakland Athletics. They have been consistent the past few years, and if some of their younger players make the leap they could be a force. Perfect Game Dallas Braden has started to look like an ace, and the rest of the young team might be ready to breakout. That leave the Seattle Mariners, who are a year older. The Mariners were supposed to compete for the division crown last year, but between Milton Bradley’s continuing escapades and some losses to the pitching staff, the Mariners underwhelmed last year. If a few pieces fall into place the Mariners could be a dark-horse threat to make the playoffs. They have one of the best pitchers in the game in Felix Hernandez, and with Ichiro and Chone Figgins in the lineup, they could end up surprising more than one baseball fan this year.