With the Angels sliding, who is the Astros’ biggest challenger in the West?

This week, the Los Angeles Angeles fired 2016 World Series champion manager Joe Maddon, amidst a 12-game losing streak.

It came to many as a bit of a shock, as Maddon had the club around the .500 thus far, only a third of the way into the season. Nonetheless, the club currently sits at a record of 27-31, second place in the American League West.

With Maddon out at manager and the Angels in a plummet, who can challenge the Astros for the AL West crown?

Coming into the season, most analysts felt strongly that Seattle, Los Angeles and possibly Texas would stay close with the Houston Astros throughout the year. The majority of those analysts did predict one team correctly as Oakland will not be in the run for the postseason this year.

Beyond the Athletics’ rebuilding, let’s break down where the other three American League West teams sit.

Los Angeles Angels

The Angels have always been big spenders, tending to bring in big names in the offseason. This year was no different, as they signed Noah Syndergaard and Michael Lorenzen to beef up their starting rotation, which has troubled them for years.

This rotation combined with their big offensive names in Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon would lead them to believe they would compete down the stretch. However, this plan has been foiled thus far, as the Angels’ pitching has been abysmal.

I mean, let’s be honest here, if you have Trout, Shohei Ohtani and Rendon, there is no reason that you should be below .500. However, I do think the club will bounce back to a degree, but I am not sure if they have postseason quality pitching. I think they are the Astros’ biggest threat, but I do not think the Angels have enough to overtake Houston’s crown.

2. Seattle Mariners

The Mariners traded everything they could at the deadline last year, yet still managed to get hot and finish with 90 wins. With an ending like that, it is no surprise that analysts had this club competing for the American League West crown.

They currently sit at 26-31. The problem is, the team just cannot hit. They currently only have three players in their lineup that have a batting average above .250. For comparison, the Astros have eight. I think the bats get hotter as the weather does too, but the only rain the Mariners will see in October will be from the weather. They are not a contender.