Is The AL West Really Mediocre And Weak? Not So Much.

I didn't pick those words in the headline - I have been reading them since April about the American League West. The division, apparently, isn't any good according to many pundits across the country.

But is it true? So far, not really, if you look at the records.

Yes, as documented here every day for a month, much of the division played below .500 through early May. Of course, that's early in the season and teams sometimes come slow out of the gate (see Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers this season).

Still, if you wanted to throw around terms like "weak" or "mediocre" or "sucks," then that would have been the time to do it. But now? It doesn't really apply. Here are a few facts about the AL West to ponder.

The Houston Astros

The AL West is being won - and likely will be won barring injury or having to play the Cleveland Indians every weekend - by the team with the best record in baseball, the Houston Astros.

Other AL West teams have to play these guys 19 times a year - how would other divisions look having to do that? Just ask the New York Yankees - they are first in the AL East, but lost three out of four to the Astros at home just a short time ago.

The AL West Vs. Everyone Else

Another way to look at that slow start involves the fact the AL West teams were beating up on each other for most of April and early May. Outside the division, every team other than the last-place Mariners has a winning record against non-AL West opponents:

Astros: 14-9
Rangers: 13-8
Angels: 10-9
Athletics: 9-6 (includes the win they just got this afternoon vs. the Miami Marlins)
Mariners: 8-12

The AL West Overall 

The division overall has many teams over .500 (three) as any other division, and more than the AL Central (two) and NL East (one).

In truth, the only division the AL West looks "weak" compared to is the NL West. But then, so does every other division. Colorado, Arizona and the Dodgers are all well over .500. Check it out.

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