by Scott Rickenbach
Wednesday, Mar 27, 2024AL West Division Preview for MLB 2024
First number is the estimated projected wins per sportsbook odds while the second number is last season’s win total. This is followed by quick information on each team that likely impacts their season.
Houston Astros – 93.5 projected wins. Last season 90 wins. Astros looks so strong with the big acquisition of star closer Josh Hader. That means rock solid Ryan Pressly can be the setup man. One concern for the Astros is other injuries impacting the pitching staff heading into the season and some guys will be out multiple months. The Rangers have similar issues though so this division should be a 3-team race with the Mariners also in the mix.
Los Angeles Angels – 72.5 projected wins. Last season 73 wins. Considering Trout having health issues last season and the fact that Ohtani is now in Dodger blue, I just can’t trust Trout to stay healthy all season and carry this team. Though the win totals in the marketplace are in the low 70s, just like last season’s final tally for LA, I just can not see them getting there. They have been struggling in recent seasons and now lost Ohtani. That also hurts their rotation too. This team has a respectable bullpen but I don’t trust their lineup and their pitching rotation seems top-heavy. The Angels struggle again this season.
Oakland Athletics – 57.5 projected wins. Last season 50 wins. This organization is a mess and the move to Las Vegas has this team struggling bad in Oakland. It is such a bad situation and this will again be the worst team in the league this season. An unimpressive lineup, a bullpen that is also a weakness, and a starting rotation that has some talented arms but will those guys be traded away before the trade deadline? The A’s are truly just a mess right now and in for another long season.
Seattle Mariners – 87.5 projected wins. Last season 88 wins. The Mariners have a solid pitching rotation and they did make some quieter pick-ups in the off-season but they are additions that could pay dividends quicker than people think. One of the keys is that they added some veteran guys with post-season experience and that can pay dividends for a team battling closely with the Astros and Rangers again this season in this division. Julio Rodriguez is a rising star in Seattle too!
Texas Rangers – 88.5 projected wins. Last season 90 wins. Scherzer and Mahle and deGrom all have injury issues that are long-term. They are all expected back by mid-season but at varying times and, of course, nothing concrete when it comes to injuries. This team can hit so well however and coming off the huge post-season leading to the title and this team looks similar in strength to the last season with a solid lineup again.
First number is the estimated projected wins per sportsbook odds while the second number is last season’s win total. This is followed by quick information on each team that likely impacts their season.
Houston Astros – 93.5 projected wins. Last season 90 wins. Astros looks so strong with the big acquisition of star closer Josh Hader. That means rock solid Ryan Pressly can be the setup man. One concern for the Astros is other injuries impacting the pitching staff heading into the season and some guys will be out multiple months. The Rangers have similar issues though so this division should be a 3-team race with the Mariners also in the mix.
Los Angeles Angels – 72.5 projected wins. Last season 73 wins. Considering Trout having health issues last season and the fact that Ohtani is now in Dodger blue, I just can’t trust Trout to stay healthy all season and carry this team. Though the win totals in the marketplace are in the low 70s, just like last season’s final tally for LA, I just can not see them getting there. They have been struggling in recent seasons and now lost Ohtani. That also hurts their rotation too. This team has a respectable bullpen but I don’t trust their lineup and their pitching rotation seems top-heavy. The Angels struggle again this season.
Oakland Athletics – 57.5 projected wins. Last season 50 wins. This organization is a mess and the move to Las Vegas has this team struggling bad in Oakland. It is such a bad situation and this will again be the worst team in the league this season. An unimpressive lineup, a bullpen that is also a weakness, and a starting rotation that has some talented arms but will those guys be traded away before the trade deadline? The A’s are truly just a mess right now and in for another long season.
Seattle Mariners – 87.5 projected wins. Last season 88 wins. The Mariners have a solid pitching rotation and they did make some quieter pick-ups in the off-season but they are additions that could pay dividends quicker than people think. One of the keys is that they added some veteran guys with post-season experience and that can pay dividends for a team battling closely with the Astros and Rangers again this season in this division. Julio Rodriguez is a rising star in Seattle too!
Texas Rangers – 88.5 projected wins. Last season 90 wins. Scherzer and Mahle and deGrom all have injury issues that are long-term. They are all expected back by mid-season but at varying times and, of course, nothing concrete when it comes to injuries. This team can hit so well however and coming off the huge post-season leading to the title and this team looks similar in strength to the last season with a solid lineup again.
