Here’s our mini primer on the A.L. West with longtime National MLB writer, Kyle Glaser.
We start of course with the Astros, who are looking to reclaim the division.
Has the Astros window for titles closed?
Has the window closed for Houston?
I wouldn’t say the Astros are completely out of the running, but there is no question they’ve lost a lot of talent in recent years and are no longer the dominant team they once were. Their success this year will depend heavily on if Yordan Alvarez can stay healthy
and if Tatsuya Ima and Mike Burrows fortify the rotation as hoped. If that happens, they’ll be fine. If not, it could be a long season.
It’s still such an enjoyment to watch the daily enthusiasm that Jose Altuve approaches the game with. Do you think if he continues to be productive, we’ll see him as a first ballot member at Cooperstown?
First ballot will be tough unless Altuve reaches 3,000 hits, and even then I expect some voters won’t vote for him because of the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal. That said, with a strong finish to his career, I think it’s very likely he will be elected to the Hall of Fame, even if it isn’t on the first ballot.
If the Astros get off to a slow start, could Joe Espada be on the hot seat?
Espada will be on the hot seat this season even though he doesn’t deserve to be. Let’s not forget he’s led two flawed, injury-riddled teams to 88 and 87 wins, respectively, in his first two seasons as a manager. But Astros owner Jim Crane is notoriously demanding, and it would not shock me if he fires Espada if things don’t go according to plan this season. It would be a mistake for him to do so, but there’s no question it’s a very real possibility.
Is the most exciting player in the division Julio Rodriguez? Is he the one guy you’d personally pay to see?
Julio Rodriguez is the most exciting player in the division and one of the 5-10 most exciting players in all of baseball. Cal Raleigh is coming off a historic season, Nick Kurtz an unbelievable offensive talent and let’s not forget Mike Trout is still around, but no one else can impact a game offensively, defensively and on the basepaths like Rodriguez. I expect him to come out extra motivated after how close the Mariners came to reaching their first World Series last year and deliver an MVP-caliber season.
Doesn’t it “feel” like it’s been much longer than Fall of 2023 since the Rangers won the World Series?
There’s no question the Rangers’ last two seasons have been a disappointment and they’re in a very different place as an organization. They really need their young players like Wyatt Langford, Josh Jung, Evan Carter, Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker to deliver strong, consistent, healthy seasons. Otherwise, it’s hard to see things meaningfully changing for them this year, even with the additions of MacKenzie Gore and Brandon Nimmo.
Does A.L. West place multiple teams into the post season or just the division winner?
I think it will be close, just as it was last season when the Astros missed out on a wild card spot because of a tiebreaker. I expect the Mariners to run away with the division and assert themselves as arguably the best team in the American League. I can see the Astros contending for the final AL wild card spot, and don’t rule out the Athletics if you’re looking for a sleeper team. Their offense will be one of the best and most exciting to watch in baseball, and even with a lot of question marks on their pitching staff, they’re going to win some slugfests.
