American League West Mid-Season Review
Tight Race Atop the Division Between Angels, Rangers, Mariners
Jul 12, 2009
Three teams have been jockeying for position atop the American League West all year. The question is who will be on top at the end of the season?
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim - First Place
The Angels went into the season as heavy favorites to win this division but it has been anything but smooth sailing for this team. They have been ravaged by injuries this season. They have also had to deal with the Nick Adenhart tragedy. Somehow, this team has persevered. Once again, they are one of the most fundamentally sound teams in the league. They work counts, take the extra base, and play solid defense. Torii Hunter has had an excellent season spearheading the offense and is fourth in the league in RBIs. Chone Figgins has been great, making his first All-Star team. Brian Fuentes has done an excellent job as closer, leading the league in saves. If this team is healthy, it is hard to see anyone beating them out in this division.
Texas Rangers - 1.5 Games Back
Surprisingly, the Rangers have remained in the hunt in the American League West. Even more surprisingly, they have done it on the strength of their solid starting pitching. Kevin Milwood and Scott Feldman have been very good and Vicente Padilla has been serviceable. Their offense has been O.K., led by Ian Kinsler and Nelson Cruz, who is second in the league in home runs. The injury to Josh Hamilton has really hurt what could have been a very explosive offense. They figure to put up a strong fight but it would be a big surprise if they won the division.
Seattle Mariners - 4 Games Back
After an abysmal season last year, the Mariners have been competitive this year. They have cooled since a great start but they are still in the race. They have done it on the strength of their pitching staff, which has given up the fewest runs in the league. The staff is led by young phenom Felix Rodriguez and Jarrod Washburn, both in the top five in the league in ERA. Their problem, though, is that they can't score runs. They are second from the bottom in the league in runs scored. Russell Branyan has been one of the few bright spots on the offense with a solid season. If they hope to contend in this division, though, they will need to add another bat.
Oakland Athletics - 12 Games Back
The Athletics are the only team in the division that is already looking toward next year. They are in a rebuilding phase and are going with mostly young players. One of those young players in pitcher Dallas Braden. He is seventh in the league in ERA. and made his first All-Star team. Offensively, this team has had trouble scoring runs and Matt Holiday has not had the impact that the team had hoped. They will likely look to trade him for some prospects as they look ahead to next season.
