AL West
1. Texas Rangers
2. Oakland Athletics
3. Los Angeles Angels
4. Seattle Mariners
This season is highlighted by a number of teams in contention that are depending upon young pitchers to carry their staff. The two teams TPD sees finishing at the top of the AL West are among those teams. With the loss of Cliff Lee, the Rangers are now depending on hurlers like Colby Lewis, and youngsters Matt Harrison and Alexi Ogando to carry the team on the hill. The plus for the Texas pitching staff is that the Ranger lineup can absolutely mash, which gives their pitchers plenty of wiggle room as they grow throughout the season. The Oakland Athletics are another team depending on a stable full of young promising arms. Trevor Cahill, Brett Anderson, Gio Gonalez, and Brandon McCarthy (who TPD thinks has the makings of a really great pitcher) make up the A's starting staff, and all show great promise. Oakland's only issue lies in their batting order, which is made up of consistent hitters, but lacks the few great stars needed to carry an offense.
At the bottom of the division, we find the Angels and the Mariners, both predicted their by TPD because of their pitching staff. L.A.'s offense has some staying power, and they'll prove to be a formidable opponent, but beyond Jared Weaver, the rest of the staff is a number of question marks. Look for them to compete however, and TPD wouldn't be shocked if they were in a tight race for the top spot coming down the stretch. One thing we are certain of however, is a last place finish by the Mariners. One can only watch in disappointment as an aging Ichiro Suzuki finds himself on a poor Mariners team again. The pitching staff is highlighted as always by King Felix, but also has added interest with rookie Michael Pineda. Ultimately, the Mariners will falter in large part because of their inability to produce runs.
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