Predictions 2013 AL West

The American League West can be one of the toughest divisions. The addition of the Astros will only help the best teams win more games.

1 Angels – Angels are the best in the league. With Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Mark Trumbo and Josh Hamilton providing the offense and CJ Wilson and Jered Weaver at the top of their rotation, the sky’s the limit for this club.

2 Athletics: The Athletics proved that a team on a tight budget can go through a full season and rise to the top. They probably won’t repeat as division champs, but their youth will serve them well. They should be in the running for a wild card spot when September rolls around.

3 Rangers – Lost Josh Hamilton (to the Angels), but picked up AJ Pierzynski. Pierzynski won’t completely replace Hamilton’s bat, but he will provide offense, defense and tend to ruffle opponents’ feathers. The Rangers and Athletics will fight throughout the season, and they can get both wild card spots.

4 Mariners – The Mariners have Felix Hernandez, but the rest of their rotation is questionable. His defense is also suspect. They will score a few runs, but it won’t be enough to beat the Rangers, the A’s and the Angels.

5 Astros – Two straight 100-loss seasons and a move to a different league aren’t promising indicators of how this season is shaping up. Add to that the lowest payroll in baseball, and things are looking downright horrible for the Astros. They can exceed 100 losses for the third year in a row. But their uniforms sure look good this season.

This seems like a very strong division. The Angels should win it pretty easily, with the Athletics and Rangers tied for second. The Mariners aren’t ready to spoil the party just yet, and the Astros will fight their first year in the American League.