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2025 MLB Division Previews: American League West

The AL West has long been dominated by the Astros. Can Houston keep it rolling with a new core? Here’s our predicted record for each team, along with best- and worst-case scenarios.

Nick Selbe

MLB Preview: AL West
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Last year, the American League West champion failed to crack 90 wins for the first time in 10 full seasons. Even as fortunes sagged, one thing remained constant—the team that won the division.

The Houston Astros’ stranglehold on the AL West held firm, with the streak at seven full seasons. But change is afoot in Houston, as the team said goodbye to outfielder Kyle Tucker, third baseman Alex Bregman and pitcher Justin Verlander this offseason. The remaining pillars from Houston’s core are designated hitter Yordan Álvarez and second baseman Jose Altuve.

The Seattle Mariners have won between 85 and 90 games in each of the last four years, but have just one postseason appearance to show for it. Seattle boasts perhaps the best rotation in baseball (the M’s starters had a 3.38 ERA in 2024) and would need merely average hitting (the squad hit .224 last year) to make a return to the playoffs. But ownership has been reluctant to invest in the roster beyond the massive 12-year contract extension given to outfielder Julio Rodríguez in 2022.

The Texas Rangers, who stumbled to 78 wins a year after capturing the franchise’s first World Series, should be helped by a slew of players returning from injury. Healthy years from Jacob deGrom, Jon Gray and Tyler Mahle would do wonders for a rotation that lagged near the bottom of the league a season ago. Offensively, the Rangers need a return to form from second baseman Marcus Semien, right fielder Adolís García and catcher Jonah Heim, who saw their combined WAR drop from 14.5 in 2023 to 5.5 last year.

As for the A’s and Los Angeles Angels? Well, Sacramento becoming a big league city is a curious wrinkle in the saga of the nomadic A’s slow move to Las Vegas. The Angels, meanwhile, appear to be once again resisting a much-needed teardown in favor of continuing their march through purgatory.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) prepares to pitch to the Kansas City Royals in the third inning of a game.
The Rangers are counting on a healthy deGrom season to get back to their winning ways. / Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images

1. Houston Astros (87–75)

Best case: New third baseman Isaac Paredes thrives, while Hunter Brown develops into the staff ace. Álvarez and new first baseman Christian Walker keep the offense chugging. 

Worst case: Houston’s aging hitters start to decline earlier than expected, leading to a third-place finish and the front office taking a hard look at the reset button.

2. Seattle Mariners (84–78)

Best case: Rodríguez, 24, enjoys a resurgent season and gets enough help from the rest of the lineup that Seattle makes the playoffs for the first time since 2022. 

Worst case: The offense, which ranked 10th in the AL in runs scored, remains middling, placing too much strain on the rotation as the M’s continue their cycle of hovering around 85 wins.

3. Texas Rangers (84–78)

Best case: A healthy deGrom and young pitchers Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter anchor a top-10 rotation. Corey Seager’s OPS returns to its torrid level of 2023. 

Worst case: An older roster suffers persistent injuries, while outfielders Wyatt Langford and Evan Carter go through growing pains. The depleted bullpen squanders too many leads.

4. Athletics (70–92)

Best case: With right fielder Lawrence Butler and designated hitter Brent Rooker delivering at the plate, Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park is rocking. Shortstop Jacob Wilson wins AL Rookie of the Year. 

Worst case: A rotation short on household names flounders and the novelty of a 14,014-seat park gives way to dismay about the team’s awkward handling of its move to Las Vegas.

5. Los Angeles Angels (64–98)

Best case: Shortstop Zach Neto and catcher Logan O’Hoppe blossom into All-Stars. Mike Trout, rejuvenated by his shift from center to right field, plays a full season after spending most of the last four years on the shelf.

Worst case: None of the young pitchers are consistent. Trout remains unable to stay on the field, grows tired of the persistent losing and requests a trade out of Anaheim.

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Nick Selbe
NICK SELBE

Nick Selbe is a programming editor at Sports Illustrated who frequently writes about baseball and college sports. Before joining SI in March 2020 as a breaking/trending news writer, he worked for MLB Advanced Media, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. Selbe received a bachelor's in communication from the University of Southern California.

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