Astros: 2020 AL West preview has Houston as clear favorite

The Houston Astros are the favorites to win the AL West division in 2020.

Now that we actually have a baseball season to prepare for, we can look ahead to what the team’s expectations will be. Coming off their second American League pennant in three years and their third straight AL West title, the Houston Astros will be favorites to win the division once again.

Coming off a 107-win season, the Astros return most of their team. Gerrit Cole is gone to New York, but Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke return to headline the rotation. Lance McCullers Jr is rejoining the rotation after Tommy John surgery, and Jose Urquidy is looking to build off an impressive debut in 2019.

Pretty much the entire offense returns from a team that was third in the AL in runs scored last year. George Springer, Jose Altuve, Michael Brantley, Yuli Gurriel and Carlos Correa give the team a great deal of lineup depth, while Alex Bregman has emerged as a star and legitimate MVP candidate. Youngster Kyle Tucker is looking to supplant Josh Reddick in right field, and Myles Straw’s presence on the roster adds another dimension of speed.

The only real change on the field is the loss of catcher Robinson Chirinos, who provided above-average production last year. Defensive whiz Martin Maldonado, a veritable sniper behind the dish, will take the lion’s share of innings but doesn’t have the offensive profile of his predecessor.

The team’s bullpen should be solid at the back end with Roberto Osuna, Ryan Pressly and Joe Smith. There’s upside in some young arms like Josh James and Framber Valdez, and veterans Chris Devenski and Brad Peacock will look to bounce back from disappointing 2019 campaigns.

In a 60-game season, health will be key for all teams. If the Astros can avoid being ravaged by the COVID-19 virus, pushing 40 wins would not be out of the question. There’s less margin for error in such a short campaign, but this team is built to make the postseason once again. New manager Dusty Baker has plenty of talent to work with.

Oakland Athletics

The A’s were the toughest competition for the Astros last year as they won 97 games before losing to the Rays in the Wild Card game. Manager Bob Melvin seems a great fit for this club, and they return most of their major players as well.

The offense is led by shortstop Marcus Semien, who emerged as an MVP candidate last year. They have great power and defense at both corner infield positions with Matt Olson and Matt Chapman, but they’ll be trying out new starters at catcher and second base.

Slugging DH Khris Davis is looking to bounce back after a rough 2019, while center fielder Ramon Laureano, a former Astros prospect, has turned into a quality player. Veteran Mark Canha is coming off a nice season and should get plenty of at-bats, and former Astros Tony Kemp and Robbie Grossman are in the mix as well.

The A’s don’t usually have a problem finding quality pitching, and they’ve got plenty of candidates for it. Their rotation is led by Houston’s public enemy number one, Mike Fiers. Veterans Brett Anderson and Homer Bailey are gone, but Chris Bassitt and Frankie Montas return after solid 2019 campaigns. Sean Manaea and Daniel Mengden look to rebound from injury-riddled seasons.

Liam Hendriks took over as closer last season and shined, while deposed closer Blake Treinen has moved on to the Dodgers. Veterans Yusmeiro Petit and Joakim Soria are back to set up Hendriks, while left-hander Jake Diekman may be relied on to get out those pesky left-handers.

This squad doesn’t have many weaknesses and may very well push the Astros again. 35 wins wouldn’t be out of the question for them at all, so the rest of the division will have to take note. These guys are going to be in the mix once again.

Texas Rangers

Coming off a 78-84 record and third place finish, the Rangers are looking to open their new Globe Life Field with a postseason run. Manager Chris Woodward will have his work cut out for him, though, as there are some areas of uncertainty with this team.

Surprisingly, considering their history, they have some questions on offense. They had only one player hit 30 homers last year, and that was Rougned Odor, who had a dismal .283 on-base percentage. A healthy season from Joey Gallo would help with that, but they’ll need more.

They made a couple of additions that will help. Infielder Todd Frazier will add some pop, as will the return of Chirinos, who spent one year down south with the Astros. Danny Santana had a breakout 2019, and veterans Shin Soo Choo and Elvis Andrus return as well. Hunter Pence is gone, but further progress from youngster Willie Calhoun will make up for that.

On the flip side, the Rangers rotation looks strong. Mike Minor and Lance Lynn return and are joined by former Indians ace Corey Kluber. The team also added Kyle Gibson and Jordan Lyles to the mix, so their starting five looks to be set. This could well be one of the strongest overall rotations in the game.

The bullpen could be another story. Closer Jose Leclerc had some struggles last year but does have upside, but there aren’t really any sure things aside from that. The makeup of the team’s bullpen will have to be figured out in camp and as the season goes along.

So overall, the offense should be solid and has the chance to be stronger. The rotation looks stout, but the bullpen is a concern. This team has potential but has some legitimate question marks and looks to be more likely to flirt with 30 wins. It’s a short season, though, which means anything is possible.

Seattle Mariners

Remember when the Mariners started off the 2019 season by winning 13 of their first 15 games? That seems like a decade ago, and it didn’t help that despite the hot start, they finished 68-94 and in last place. Manager Scott Servais is going to have a tough time keeping the 2020 club out of the cellar.

Part of their problem was pitching, as the only two AL teams to allow more runs than the Mariners last year were the Tigers and Orioles, who lost 114 and 108 games respectively. They were also 10th in the AL and last in the division in runs scored, so there’s plenty of room for improvement.

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Unfortunately they traded one of their best players, catcher Omar Narvaez, to the Brewers in the offseason. Catcher Tom Murphy will try to replicate his .858 OPS from last year, but otherwise there aren’t many proven hitters in their lineup. Veterans Dee Gordon and Kyle Seager didn’t set the world on fire last year, and Mitch Haniger’s production dropped off significantly. They have some power on the team, but the guys who did hit for power last year didn’t hit for average.

The rotation has plenty of question marks too. Marco Gonzales will be back to lead the bunch, but longtime franchise icon Felix Hernandez is gone after putting up a 6.40 ERA last year. They took a flier on Taijuan Walker, and guys like Yusei Kikuchi and Kendall Graveman will look to bounce back as well.

The bullpen is even more of a mystery. The only player to post double digit saves for them last year was Roenis Elias, and he’s gone. Carl Edwards Jr has a good track record but had a dismal 2019, but a bounceback from him could put him in the closer’s role. The rest of the bullpen may be a work in progress, as of the four players who made 40 or more appearances for them last year, only one remains, and he’s coming off a 4.56 ERA.

So in all likelihood, the Mariners will find themselves in the basement again. They simply don’t have the talent to compete with any of the other four teams in this division, and that disparity will hurt them, even in a short season.