AL West Week 2 Recap: Houston, We Don't Have A Problem

Two weeks into the season and the Astros have assumed the position most experts predicted they would have in October. The only question now is: Who can catch them? Because other than an obvious issue mentioned below, they look strong. But that's why they play the games. The Mariners proved the other big winner this week, moving out of last and sweeping the Rangers. More details on all five American League West teams - and a look at where every team is playing this week - below.

Astros (8-4)

They took over first place in the American League West and also have the second best record in the American League behind the Baltimore Orioles. The bats have heated up, they are young, they have one of the best starting pitchers in baseball and they've got a front office with a plan for sustained success. But...starting pitching, man. Dallas Keuchel has already taken the mound three times and looks almost Sandy Koufaxian. Lance McCullers looks OK in the second slot of the rotation, but the three slot and back end of the rotation look "a bit dodgy" as the English dude I sometimes watch games with says. That would be Charlie Morton, Joe Musgrove and Mike Fiers. That smart front might be considering a trade for more starting pitching, what do you think?

The week ahead: A four-game home stand vs. the second-place Angels in which the aforementioned 3-5 slots in the rotation are expected to pitch, and then it's off to Florida for a weekend series against Rays

Angels (6-7)

They were 5-2 at the end of week one. Then they won that incredible game against the Rangers. Then they never won again and got swept on the road in Kansas City. Mike Trout is Mike Trout, and guys like Andrelton Simmons and Yunel Escobar are hitting well. But no starting pitcher has an ERA under 5 entering Week 3. Unless they plan on a truckload of miracle endings, that's got to change.

The week ahead: In Houston for four games, then at home against the Blue Jays.

Athletics (5-7)

The A's looked good, and the starting pitching looked really good, in Kansas City, where they took two of three. Then...(dramatic music)...enter the Astros. The A;s lost the first two to the Astros at home and might have been swept if not for Mother Nature and a third game rainout. Hard to gauge them because the Astros are hot. One of the more intriguing series this week is the match-up of the Athletics and Rangers, two teams who have played about the same so far through the season (that is to say, below average).

The week ahead: The A's remain at home for two divisional foes: first the Rangers, then the Mariners.

Mariners (5-8)

Not last, and that looked "not possible" at the beginning of Week 1. After losing two out of three against the Astros, the Mariners took it to the other Texas team all weekend in Seattle, sweeping the Rangers and leapfrogging them in the standings. That included a 9th-inning rally to win the final game of the series, 8-7.

The week ahead: The Mariners host the first-place (!) Miami Marlins for a three-game series, than it's off to Oakland for a Thursday-Sunday four-game series

Rangers (4-8)

It's all about the bullpen for the Rangers, who watched leads melt away in the late innings both in Los Angeles and Seattle. The great Cole Hamels, who along with Yu Darvish and Martin Perez have pitched well, has left a game three times with a lead and not gotten a win. Is he cursed? No, the Rangers bullpen is a problem. Sam Dyson, who has struggled the most, is heading to the DL.

The week ahead: The road trip continues with a three-game set against the A's, then back to Arlington for a four-game series with the Royals.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

American League West Teams Ranked By Payroll 2017

If money changes everything, then how much does it affect your position where it counts - in the standings? The 2017 team payroll numbers are now available. Several sources exist, I went with the numbers from Spotrac. But before getting into what each American League West club is spending, let's look at the money vs. results for the past few years. Return On Investment In the AL West Here's what the American League West clubs spent by team last season. These numbers include the active 25-man roster, plus money wrapped up in players on the DL and money paid to players no longer on the team. The money spent on active players is in parentheses. Los Angeles Angels - $180.7 million ($89.8 million) Texas Rangers - $168.5 million ($134.7 million) Seattle Mariners - $154.7 million ($131.8 million) Houston Astros - $114.7 million ($75.4 million) Oakland Athletics - $99.9 million ($27.8 million) And the final 2016 standings: Texas Rangers: 95-67 Seattle Mariners : 86...
Read more

Weekend Long Reads: Mike Trout Is Exactly As Amazing As You Think He Is. Actually, More.

Political junkies and stat fanatics have long read the 538 site, where the famed statistician Nate Silver serves as editor-in-chief. The site has been a Mike Trout fan, but this month they laid down some startling statistics. Basically, he's the next best thing to Babe Ruth. Literally. Based on Trout's Wins Above Replacement, he's second all-time only to Ruth. They also take a look at how Trout adjusts when pitchers develop new approaches to getting him out. The short version: The new approach doesn't work very long. You can read the whole thing here . Despite rumors of its demise, baseball, as it turns out, is doing just fine, thank you. For the start of the new season, Forbes ran down the estimated value of all 30 Major League Baseball teams,.The average value of all the teams is $1.54 billion. That's almost 20 percent more than 2016. Four of The American League West teams are in the Top 14. You can probably guess the fifth. But, hey, the value of the A's in...
Read more

Thursday April 20: Astros Widen Gap, Who Will Emerge To Challenge Them? Anyone? Anyone? Hello?

The Astros continue to distance themselves from the pack. After beating the Angels on Wednesday night behind another precision performance from Dallas Keuchel, the Astros are three games ahead of the A's and already five games ahead of their bitter rival, the Rangers. They have the most wins in the American League and a fired up fan base. Which team in the sub-.500 group can emerge to challenge them? A look at each club and links below. 1. Astros (10-5) The starting rotation is really the only major concern for the Astros at the moment. Keuchel looks like Diego Velaquez out there, a controlled master painting the corners, changing speeds, keeping everyone off balance,. Lance McCuller and Charlie Morton have looked good so far, but the four and five slots are troubling. That said, they are a 10-5 ball club with this lineup. In the short term, they have earned at least a split in the four-game series with the Angels and go for the series win today with McCullers on the mound. ...
Read more