Los Angeles Angels
It wasn’t a heavenly campaign in Anaheim in 2010, as the season ended with the Angels in unfamiliar territory in third place. It was their first sub .500 season since 2003. The offseason brought even more disappointment, as the team seemed to have a leg up on the competition in negotiations with Carl Crawford, only to see Crawford follow the dollars to Boston.
The offense did add OF Vernon Wells in a trade with Toronto, and he adds some right-handed power to the middle of the lineup. A big key to the lineup will be how switch-hitting 1B Kendry Morales recovers from a broken leg suffered celebrating a walk-off homerun in May, as the offense never got on track after Morales was lost for the season. Outfielders Bobby Abreu and Torii Hunter continued to produce solid numbers in 2010 despite reaching their mid-30’s. Peter Bourjos showed off incredible speed and defense in center field as a rookie, but he struggled at the plate, and the Angels will move Wells or Hunter to center if his bat doesn’t progress.
In addition to Morales, the infield features 2B Howie Kendrick, who finally stayed healthy and produced solid numbers, speedy SS Erick Aybar, and a big question mark at third base. Maicer Izturis appears to be the early favorite, but midseason acquisition Alberto Callaspo and former hot prospect Brandon Wood will get chances as well.
The pitching staff returns some terrific right-handed arms, including Jered Weaver, who led the majors with 233 strikeouts, Dan Haren, who was picked up from Arizona in a midseason trade, and Ervin Santana, who rebounded well from elbow injuries in 2009. LH Scott Kazmir took another step backwards last season and could be in danger of losing his job with a shaky start.
RH Fernando Rodney will begin as the closer, but he isn’t the most stable closer around and will receive competition from a few young flamethrowers in the bullpen, including Kevin Jepsen and Jordan Walden.
Manager Mike Scioscia has worked wonders with the Angels for a long time, so they can never be counted out. But a lot has to go right for them to challenge the top of the division.
Projected finish: 3rd
Oakland Athletics
After a 3 year stretch of disappointing seasons, the A’s managed a .500 record and a second place finish in 2010, and luckily for their fans, the future remains bright. The A’s had the best ERA in the American League last season, but the offense was 11th in the league in runs scored, so GM Billy Beane added quality bats this offseason to add some juice to the lineup.
DH Hideki Matsui signed with Oakland after one season with the Angels, and he should stay productive as long as he stays healthy. The A’s added two outfielders as well. Lefty David DeJesus was added in a trade with Kansas City, and he is versatile enough to play all three outfield spots. Josh Willingham will play left field after being acquired from Washington, and he adds a solid righty bat who draws a lot of walks.
CF Coco Crisp looks to stay healthy for a full season after having a very good second half of 2010, and his speed and defensive ability are assets. The infield isn’t spectacular but will get the job done. 1B Daric Barton is a terrific defender, and he led the AL with 110 walks last season. SS Cliff Pennington is also a good defender who also runs well. C Kurt Suzuki is a solid hitter who should rebound from last year’s .242 batting average.
The pitching staff was very quietly one of the best in baseball, and should remain that way in 2011. The rotation is young and deep in talent. LH Brett Anderson is just 23 and hasn’t been able to shake injuries early in his career, but if he does, he’ll emerge as one of the best in the league. RH Trevor Cahill was an All-Star last year at age 22. 25-year old lefty Gio Gonzalez took major steps in his second season in the rotation, and fellow lefty Dallas Braden, 27, threw a perfect game in 2010. The bullpen will be anchored by steady RH Andrew Bailey, and veteran LH Brian Fuentes adds proven insurance at closer.
Manager Bob Geren’s team could be a potential sleeper if the newcomers on offense stay healthy and provide consistent production.
Projected finish: 2nd
Seattle Mariners
The only word to describe the 2010 season in Seattle is disaster. The team was lauded for their bold offseason acquisitions, only to see all of them flop miserably. This year, the team was much quieter on the free agent market.
The offense in 2010 was one of the worst seen in quite some time, finishing last in the majors with a putrid 513 runs scored, and very little improvement was made during the winter. Ichiro Suzuki continues to be a staple in right field, and another 200 hit season is expected. LF Milton Bradley was a massive disappointment after signing with the club a year ago, and an offseason arrest could cloud his future with the team. CF Franklin Gutierrez is one of the best defensive outfielders in the game, and his bat should rebound in 2011.
Speedy Chone Figgins was also a disappointment in his first season with the club, but he had a solid second half and should be more comfortable moving from second base to third base. 1B Justin Smoak was acquired when Cliff Lee was traded to Texas, and he should provide pop from both sides of the plate. Prospect Dustin Ackley could win the second base job with a strong spring training, but will likely begin in AAA with a chance for a midseason promotion.
The pitching staff isn’t much better, but there is at least one bright spot. RH Felix Hernandez won the AL Cy Young Award last season at age 24 despite winning just 13 games due to awful run support. He posted a remarkable 2.27 ERA with 232 strikeouts, and while the ERA could be hard to maintain, expect the strikeout numbers to remain similar. LH Jason Vargas came out of nowhere to have a fine 2010 season, and RH prospect Michael Pineda is, like Hernandez, a big-bodied power arm who could join the rotation at midseason. RH David Aardsma will not be ready on Opening Day due to offseason hip surgery, and it is unsure who will serve as the closer until he returns.
New manager Eric Wedge is not expected to compete with this club this season, as too many questions remain at the plate and in the rotation.
Projected finish: 4th
Texas Rangers
The Rangers represented the AL in the World Series after a Texas-sized comeback in the Division Series against Tampa Bay and a League Championship Series win over the Yankees. The club fell short against San Francisco in the World Series, but the 2010 season was a major success. The team did lose LH Cliff Lee in free agency this winter, but added a major bat to the lineup in 3B Adrian Beltre. He revived his career last season in Boston and provides right-handed power and fantastic defense.
Josh Hamilton won the AL MVP award by hitting 32 homers and leading the majors with a .359 batting average. He did so despite missing most of September with an injury. He is expected to move to left field this season, and speedy Julio Borbon will play center. RF Nelson Cruz had an injury-plagued campaign but still put up very good numbers, and could have a monster year if he stays healthy.
Michael Young remains with the club despite being asked to change positions again, this time from third base to a super-utility player. Despite the change, he should still continue to produce good numbers provided he isn’t traded before the season. SS Elvis Andrus is an outstanding defender and brings serious speed to the top of the order. 2B Ian Kinsler can’t seem to stay healthy but is always dangerous when he is in the lineup. Lefty Mitch Moreland was terrific in the postseason and enters the season as the primary first baseman. The team recently acquired former Angel Mike Napoli to serve as a righty power bat at catcher and DH.
On the bump, the Rangers will still be solid despite the loss of Lee to Philadelphia. LH C.J. Wilson was outstanding in his first season as a starter, and he should be the Opening Day starter. RH Colby Lewis racked up 196 strikeouts in his first season back from a stint in Japan, and RH Tommy Hunter won 13 games.
There are two wild cards on the pitching staff. One is RH Brandon Webb, who has pitched in just one game since 2009 because of shoulder problems. He won the NL Cy Young in Arizona in 2006, and a return to old form would be a huge boost to an already solid rotation. The other wild card is RH Neftali Feliz, last year’s AL Rookie of the Year. Despite posting 40 saves in 2010, he could move to the starting rotation. Regardless of his role, he should continue to be dominant.
Ron Washington had a dream ride as manager in 2010, and his club is still a heavy favorite in this division.
Projected finish: 1st
So to recap, here’s the projected finish for the AL West.
1. Texas
2. Oakland
3. Los Angeles
4. Seattle
Be sure to comment and tell us if you agree or disagree. Next week we’ll move over to the National League and preview the NL East. See you then.
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