The Sports Don's 2009 AL West Preview

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim won the American League West by 21 games in 2008, a margin 13 1/2 games wider than the next largest difference which was the Chicago Cubs’ 7 1/2 game lead over National League Wild Card winner Milwaukee. With the departures of some key Angels and the acquisitions of some big name players by the other teams in the West, the race will tighter, but don’t expect Texas, Oakland or Seattle to leapfrog Los Angeles who should capture their fifth division title in six years.

To read Monday’s AL East Preview, click here.

To read yesterday’s AL Central Preview, click here.

1. LOS ANGELES ANGELS (100-62, first place and lost in the ALDS in ‘08)

The golden prize of free agency left the West Coast when Mark Teixeira signed a megadeal with the New York Yankees rather than returning to the Angels which has left a gapping hole in the middle of Los Angeles’ lineup. Kendry Morales will step in at first base but will only put up half the power numbers Teixeira did. The Angels signed Bobby Abreu late in the offseason to aid the offense, and a lot of people think this will be the year Howie Kendrick will display his potential. Vladimir Guerrero produced the lowest numbers of his career last season and is perhaps showing his age despite hitting 27 homeruns and driving in 91.

Francisco Rodriguez saved a major league record 62 games in ‘08 and departed for the New York Mets as a free agent. He has been replaced by former Colorado Rockie Brian Fuentes, and although Fuentes’ name may not have the same cache as K-Rod, he did save 88.2% of his chances which was only 1.7% less than Rodriguez last season. The bridge to Fuentes, who has been awful this spring, will be Jose Arredondo (10-2, 1.62 ERA, 1.05 WHIP in 61 innings pitched in ‘08) and Scot Shields, perhaps the best setup man in the game. The starting rotation is hampered by injury, but assuming John Lackey, Ervin Santana and Kelvim Escobar return in late April and early May and pitch effectively, the Los Angeles staff, front to back, is a fearsome bunch.

The Angels have some injury concerns, the question of who will replace Teixeira’s offense, and whether or not Guerrero will continue to decline, but all that said Los Angeles is still the premier team out west.

2. TEXAS RANGERS (79-83, second place)

The Rangers feature a lineup that should have double-digit homerun totals from batters one through nine, the AL’s best hitting second baseman in Ian Kinsler (18 homeruns, 71 RBI and a .319 average in ’08), potential MVP Josh Hamilton (32, 130, .304) and young stud Chris Davis who is predicted to hit 30 long balls and drive in 100 or more. Texas will often score a plethora of runs, they just may not win all those games since its pitching staff could be allowing just as many.

The team entered camp with a projected rotation of Kevin Millwood, Vicente Padilla, left-hander Matt Harrison, Brandon McCarthy and Scott Feldman, and the entire group has pitched sufficiently this spring after going 39-30 combined last season. Both Millwood and Padilla are in contract years, and the previous time they were, Millwood led the AL in ERA (2.86 in 2005) and Padilla won 15 games in 2006, a career high. So that’s good news for the Rangers, anyway. Frank Francisco will close after posting a 3.13 ERA and holding opposing batters to a .200 average in 63 1/3 innings in ’08.

The team ERA needs to improve from last season’s ML worst 5.37 (almost a quarter run higher than Baltimore’s 5.13), and perennial all-star Michael Young needs to make the move from short to third seamlessly, which he should. Texas will win games, especially if its youthful bullpen takes the next step, but the Rangers are still a respectable pitcher or two away from winning the division.

3. OAKLAND ATHLETICS (75-86, third place)

The Athletics scored the fewest the runs in the AL and possessed the lowest batting average in the majors in ’08 necessitating the offseason additions of Matt Holliday, Jason Giambi, Orlando Cabrera and Nomar Garciaparra to help resuscitate the offense. Oakland’s pitching has always been its strength, but the staff’s status is the team’s potential downfall in 2009.

Starter Justin Duchscherer went 8-5 with a 1.91 ERA in the first half of last year which earned the righty his second all-star selection of his career. An injury cut short the remainder of his season, and though he was expected to return healthy, he had exploratory elbow surgery yesterday and will be sidelined at least six weeks. Joey Devine, the Athletics’ proposed closer, has had similar problems and is also on the disabled list leaving the closer role to Brad Ziegler (3-0, 1.06 ERA in 59 2/3 innings in ’08). The starter with the most big league experience is Dana Eveland who has a 9-9 career record with a 5.23 ERA in 35 starts, and he’s struggled this spring. The remainder of the rotation is Sean Gallagher, Gio Gonzalez and Dallas Braden. The trio is 12-23 in 52 career starts in five years of experience combined.

If Eric Chavez can finally be available from Opening Day on, Oakland is hoping he’ll revert back to his ‘05 form, his last full season, when he had 27 homeruns and 101 RBI, all while playing gold glove defense at third. It all comes down to the performance of the starting pitching staff that may be just too young, inexperienced and injured to seriously compete with the Angels. If the A’s are out of it by the break, expect Holliday to be traded.

4. SEATTLE MARINERS (61-101, last place)

The Mariners brought back every 20-somethings childhood hero, Ken Griffery Jr., to play outfield alongside Ichiro Suzuki. Unfortunately for Seattle, Junior is now a senior citizen in baseball at age 39 which just happens to be the exact same number of games the Mariners finished behind Los Angeles last season.

Ichiro will continue to be a premier leadoff hitter, second baseman Jose Lopez is primed for a breakout year, and Adrian Beltre will hit some homeruns but continue to not be the hitter he was in 2004 when he hit 48 homeruns and 121 RBI with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Passed that trio, there is little to be excited about in terms of offense. Management brought in Russell Branyan and Franklin Gutierrez to help the lineup, but Branyan will strikeout profusely and Gutierrez is still a far better defender than he is hitter. The pitching staff isn’t awful, but isn’t that great after Felix Hernandez. Good years from Erik Bedard and Carlos Silva could keep Seattle out of the cellar.

Don’t expect the acquisition of Griffey to change the franchise, because the onetime face of said franchise isn’t even half the player he was during his first go-around. His addition may have made the Mariners’ fans smile, but the team’s record in ’09 will only make those happy faces cringe.

Stay tuned tomorrow for The Sports Don's National League West preview.

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