AL WEST Preview and Prediction Post

It is getting to be that time, Opening Day is on Sunday, also known by many as Easter, featuring the Yankees and the Red Sox, and the majority of the rest of baseball will get going on Monday!

I will be at The Ballpark in Arlington for the Texas Rangers against the Toronto Blue Jays, making it the second consecutive year that I will be seeing Blue Jays baseball in opening week, and it will feature a return to Rangers opening day baseball, a tradition that I have only missed twice since the new Ballpark opened (and one of those times was last year when the Cubbies were in Houston, so I was there instead).

So, with baseball literally upon us, let's begin our previews and predictions starting with the AL West, the divisional home of the Texas Rangers.

The Angels have won this division going away for a number of years now, but due to losing a number of their offensive players as well as John Lackey coupled with the vast improvement over the last couple of seasons of the Rangers and the offseason improvement of the Seattle Mariners, I think that this is the season when the Angels finally reliquish control of the West.

I also think that this division will be the most exciting to watch in all of baseball, with it being at least a three team race, and possibly a race involving all four teams, throughout the majority of the season.

The Rangers offense won't struggle as much as it did at times last year, however, it also won't be the potent force that it has been in years past, however, the pitching for the Rangers looks to be a strong suit as young pitchers began to make some names for themselves and propell the Rangers into their first division title since (party like its) 1999.

The Mariners will finish 3 games behind the Rangers followed very closely by the Angels and the A's will finish within 7 games.

Final Record Predicitions

Texas Rangers
90-72

Seattle Mariners
87-75

Los Angeles Angels
86-76

Oakland Athletics
83-79

Tomorrow I will be back with a look at the AL East.