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AL West Preview

Seattle as the big bully in the West? Let's find out.

Pablo Figueroa
Baseball 3/18/2026

With rosters mostly set, Spring Training in full force, and even the WBC now in the rearview mirror, it is the perfect time to size up how each division could fare in the upcoming season. Having already looked at both Central and East divisions, we are using every Wednesday up to Opening Day to talk about the state of every team and division around MLB, using Steamer projections to give us an idea of how depth charts and competitive cycles are lining up in 2026.

Today, we turn to the AL West, a division where a clear changing of the guard is occurring in real time. After almost a decade of the Houston Astros dominating the division with relative ease, 2025 saw them miss out on the playoffs and fail to replenish their once-deep roster, while the maligned Mariners finally capitalized with an aggressive trading spree to not only take their first division crown in a quarter century, but also come painfully close to the World Series. The deep playoff run served as a catalyst for Seattle, who finally looks ready to dominate the West for the foreseeable future, while both teams from Texas scramble to stay relevant, the A’s are at least interesting, and the Angels are as confounding as they are boring. By preseason odds, the AL West appears ready to be the most predictable division in baseball, but still, each team deserves a larger look.

 

Los Angeles Angels – 2025 Record: 72-90 – 2026 Projection: 74-88

 

In a world where it is easy, almost automatic, to make fun of organizations like the Rockies and Nationals, it becomes increasingly sad to realize that even they have had more recent success than the Angels, who appear as hopeless as ever in their quest towards relevancy. With Mike Trout entering his age-35 season, his presence may be the only saving grace for a franchise that continues to operate with a different mindset and timeline than anyone else. Even in a division where regression has finally hit the bully Astros and 85 wins could do the trick to take the crown, the Angels are almost guaranteed to come not even close to that mark, while also not bottoming out to, say, 100 losses.

This penchant for remaining in the middle has been a constant for the Angels, who tend to hover around 90 losses and give playing time to middling veterans and low-ceiling prospects. The formula appears a lock to repeat itself in 2026, with the lineup featuring the likes of Yoán Moncada, Jorge Soler, and Josh Lowe, while even Adam Frazier has emerged from a non-roster invitee to the probable starting second baseman on Opening Day. That sounds less than ideal, especially given that Trout has clearly lost a step and there is no clear secondary bat to complement Zach Neto, who is almost certain to be the team’s lone All-Star representative.

Even with a rotation that could surprise a few people, including intriguing reclamation projects like Grayson Rodriguez and Alek Manoah, LA’s bullpen may be ready to squander many leads. When your save opportunities are projected to be scattered between a trio of pitchers whose combined age is well over 100, wins may be hard to come by in Anaheim. With Anthony Rendon again being a non-factor and no notable prospects to dream of in 2026, the Angels’ course of action would be better suited for any hope of strong first-half performances that could yield nice trades, even if they involve Trout, Neto, or any veteran rotation arms. Knowing how the Angels operate, that is quite the longshot.

 

Sacramento Athletics – 2025 Record: 76-86 – 2026 Projection: 80-82

 

In year one of their awkward Sacramento residency, the A’s managed to create plenty of buzz via their young offensive core, while also making life difficult for their pitchers, who had to adapt on the fly to life on a minor-league stadium. The results were entertaining and frustrating simultaneously, as it looks painfully obvious that even a league-average staff would be able to carry the A’s to playoff contention. Alas, it seems that the front office has reached this status by design, as it would somehow become bad business for this team to peak before their move to Las Vegas sometime in the next half decade.

All of this is a shame, as the A’s have capped their potential while only caring for the greener pastures of Nevada, but at least they have continued to set up a foundation for when that time comes. This offseason included the long-term signing of both Jacob Wilson and Tyler Soderstrom, who joined Brent Rooker on the team-friendly extension club and can now for a fruitful partnership that includes team stalwart like Shea Langeliers and reigning Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz. The A’s even added a nice complementary veteran as they traded for Jeff McNeil, creating what could end up becoming a top-5 offense in the league.

The issue, just like it happened last season, will come on the mound. Luis Severino, who openly complained about the conditions in Sacramento, will again try to be the team’s ace, while an uninspiring bunch of mediocre arms will be by his side to potentially blow whatever leads the offense provides. Even as the bullpen added a couple of decent options for long relief, the A’s are designed to play many 8-6 type games, albeit with the chance to come out on top in many of them. The potential call-up of top prospect Leo DeVries adds a nice layer of hope, but it is more likely that the A’s will play to their .500 projection and at least become an uncomfortable spoiler down the stretch for the AL’s real contenders.

 

Houston Astros – 2025 Record: 87-75 – 2026 Projection: 81-81

 

After dominating the West and being a fixture in the ALCS for nearly a decade, it was inevitable that the Astros would have to reinvent themselves at some point. Taking a look at their current roster, there is a nice mix of legacy names and younger additions, but that does not mean that Houston has gotten better, which is reflected in their current projection. Last year’s squad was technically only a couple of games out of a playoff spot, but it felt much farther than that for many reasons, culminating in a quiet offseason that seems quite far removed from the franchise’s heyday.

As much as Jose Altuve has managed to defy the odds at his age, it is not a good sign that he remains the offense’s focal point, but that has to be the case when Yordan Alvarez’s health status is a mystery. Carlos Correa, Christian Walker, and Isaac Paredes are also brand-name bats, but it would be foolish to expect top-tier production from all of them, and that is not even considering that Jeremy Peña is set to start the season on the IL. Overall, the Astros may not completely fall apart offensively, but a weak bench and plenty of injury-prone veterans are not a winning combination, especially for a team that was used to being aggressive with trades and free-agent signings.

The loss of longtime ace Framber Valdez, possibly stemming from a bizarre incident last season, creates a huge hole in the rotation, while the health status of closer Josh Hader is not a good sign to start the year. Houston’s staff can count on Hunter Brown to be an ace, but the gulf between him and the rest of the rotation is significant enough to see the Astros struggle to stay around .500. The team’s high payroll and expectations may not provide an opportunity to stage a true rebuild, but it is clear that Houston needs a serious change in approach and roster construction, especially as the rest of the West continues to level up gradually.

 

Texas Rangers – 2025 Record: 81-81 – 2026 Projection: 81-81

 

Remember when may be the lowest form of conversation, but remember when the Texas Rangers won the World Series? That was only three years ago, but it somehow seems way longer when you consider how unremarkable the team has been ever since. A losing season was followed by a .500 mark and now the Rangers are projected to stay near that mark of mediocrity. An optimist Texas fan could indicate that the Rangers employ three of the best players in the league and play in a soft division, but a pessimist could counter with the fact that said players are almost certain to miss time and the team is unlikely to feature a top-3 rotation. In the end, it makes sense to meet in the middle and say that the Rangers are good but flawed, albeit with a chance to break through.

As stated, employing great players is not a problem for this franchise, especially as Corey Seager remains an elite producer and Wyatt Langford looks ready to take a star turn of his own. However, Seager has missed more than a combined 120 games over the past three seasons, limiting Texas’ ceiling despite putting up MVP numbers when he is on the field. The same caveats apply for co-aces Nathan Eovaldi and Jacob deGrom, both of whom led the Rangers to having an elite staff in 2025. That was all squandered by a middling offense, and the front office had a clear goal to upgrade in any way it could, but your mileage may vary when considering if it was enough heading into 2026.

The additions of Brandon Nimmo and Danny Jansen do have some veteran credence, but may be rendered moot unless Seager and Langford remain healthy and productive, while other role players like Jake Burger, Joc Pederson, and Josh Jung start to produce quality at-bats. Letting go of Adolis García, World Series hero, was a sign that the Rangers are not content with simply running it back, so it will be interesting to see if the gamble pays off. Trading for Mackenzie Gore as an insurance policy was an inspired move, as it is clear that the Rangers are smelling an opportunity to become the clear best team in their home state. If it all goes right, this team could challenge for at least a Wild Card and hover around the 90-win mark, but it is also easy to see how they could remain stuck in .500 land. In any case, the Rangers are bound to become one of the most interesting and fun teams to follow this season.

Seattle Mariners – 2025 Record: 90-72 – 2026 Projection: 88-74

 

Aerosmith once said that you gotta lose to learn how to win, and that has been clear for both 2025 ALCS participants, as the Blue Jays and Mariners have used their heartbreak as motivation. This has led to both of them looking like the class of the American League, with Seattle in particular playing a role that is not usually associated with them: the frontrunner. This status has not come by accident, though, as the M’s took their time before finally dethroning the mighty Astros, and now they have the chance to build upon their success to create a defining momentum for this long-tortured franchise.

While the aggressive moves in 2025’s trade deadline were a nice starting point, Seattle set out to continue improving in the offseason, resulting in the long-term re-signing of Josh Naylor, trading for Brendan Donovan, and even adding a couple of veteran bench pieces with Andrew Knizner and Rob Refsnyder. These are the kind of moves a team expecting to win makes, and the time has come for the Mariners to act as such. If the Rangers can boast of their inconsistent stars, Seattle is a clear step ahead, with Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez becoming perennial MVP candidates and a rotation that looks ready to be a top-5 unit in MLB.

Even with this unfamiliar expectation of being the best, the Mariners appear ready to embrace this newfound status and take their revenge around October. While winning the West is not a given, odds are that they will cruise to a title and can use the deadline again to complement any weak spot that may come up during the early part of the season. With a deep lineup, a frontline rotation, a power bullpen, and a manager that knows how to maximize his roster, it is easy to see the Mariners take advantage of their weaker division foes en route to 95+ wins. It is time to start believing around the Space Needle – Seattle is really that good.

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Pablo Figueroa

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Pablo Figueroa is a Baseball Writer here at Pitcher List, with experience as a writer since 2013. He lives in Aguascalientes, Mexico - proud home of Los Rieleros. When he´s not thinking about baseball , he's a husband, owns two dogs, watches random episodes of The Sopranos , plays padel, and works on his day job to pay the bills.

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