Felix Hernandez and the Seattle Mariners are positioned well in the AL West.
(Creative Commons)

AL WEST

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

2009 Record: 97-65 (1st)

2009 Recap: The Angels suffered a loss far greater than any game when on April 9, 2009, young pitcher Nick Adenhart was killed by a drunk driver on his way home from Angel Stadium. Adenhart had just pitched a six-inning shutout against the Athletics in his first start of the season. He looked like he was going to have a bright future with the organization, but he never got the chance to prove it. The team managed to rebound from the tragic event and used it as a source of inspiration throughout the season.
 
The Angels' rotation suffered from the loss of Adenhart as well as injuries early in the season. Jered Weaver, Joe Saunders, John Lackey and Ervin Santana eventually got healthy and formed a solid front four, with Matt Palmer and Darren Oliver auditioning for the fifth starter role.
    
On offense, the Angels played their usual Mike Scioscia small-ball style of play. They couldn't rely on Vlad Guerrero for power as they had in seasons past, so they turned instead to the tandem of Kendry Morales and Juan Rivera, who combined to hit 59 home runs.
 
The Angels made it all the way to the American League Championship Series, where they lost to the eventual World Series champion New York Yankees in a thrilling six-game series. The Angels played well, but made a few too many costly mistakes, including letting Yankees outfielder Johnny Damon pull off a rare feat by stealing two bases at once. The Angels lost the ALCS, but they made it further than expected given the turmoil they had to deal with at the beginning of the season.  

Key Additions:
-Hideki Matsui, DH
-Joel Pineiro, RHP
-Fernando Rodney, RHP
-Brian Stokes, RHP

Key Losses:
-John Lackey, RHP
-Chone Figgins, IF
-Vlad Guerrero, DH
-Gary Matthews Jr., OF
-Darren Oliver, LHP
-Kelvim Escobar, RHP

2010 Prediction: First place.

The Angels have had a stranglehold on the AL West the last few seasons, but this year it looks like it's going to be tight. The Mariners and Rangers finally have the weapons to challenge Los Angeles' perch at the top, but the Angels seem to have a more complete outfit than either team. They will likely win the division again -- unless they suffer an injury bug even worse than last season.

The Halos got away from their "speed first" mentality a little bit with the departure of Chone Figgins, and they lost some power when Guerrero left for Texas, but Bobby Abreu, Hideki Matsui and breakout first baseman Kendry Morales should provide the power necessary to fill the void. The signing of Matsui was an especially good move, as he out-produced Guerrero last season and provides a much more disciplined approach at the plate. The entire lineup should benefit from having a patient, disciplined slugger like him in the lineup.
    
The Angels also seem to have the best bullpen in the division, as they inked Fernando Rodney, traded for Brian Stokes and returned Scot Shields. The team may have let their best starter get away, but they have the bullpen depth to make up for it. The Angels also saved money this offseason, which gives them the flexibility to make a midseason move if necessary. And if all else fails, they're the Angels; they can turn to Christopher Lloyd -- a.k.a "Al the Boss Angel," from the classic Disney film "Angels in the Outfield." 

Seattle Mariners

2009 Record: 85-77 (3rd)

2009 Recap: The Mariners avoided a losing season in 2009 by relying on pitching and defense, a strategy many teams are starting to follow. Seattle's new general manager Jack Zduriencik, not only has a name worthy of the final round of a spelling bee, but also an incredible vision for the team's future. The Red Sox and Yankees are actually following Zduriencik's lead, recognizing that strong starting pitching and defense win games.
    
Unfortunately, the Mariners didn't have enough quality pitchers last season -- it was staff ace Felix Hernandez and then everybody else -- and their defense didn't make up for a complete and utter lack of offense. Outfielder Ichiro Suzuki hit like clockwork, and the team got power production from Russell Branyan and Jose Lopez, but other players, such as Ken Griffey Jr., were holes in the lineup.

The best that can be said for the 2009 Mariners is that they surpassed the expectations of their fans. Last season will go down as a fundamental turning point in the franchise, and the result should be even better this year.

Key Additions:
-Cliff Lee, LHP
-Chone Figgins, 3B
-Milton Bradley, OF
-Casey Kotchman, 1B
-Ryan Garko, 1B
-Eric Byrnes, OF
-Chad Cordero, RHP
-Josh Bard, C

Key Losses:
-Adrian Beltre, 3B
-Russell Branyan, 1B/DH
-Brandon Morrow, RHP
-Kenji Johjima, C
-Miguel Batista, RHP

2010 Prediction: Second place.

Not only did the Mariners lock up young ace Felix Hernandez with a long-term deal, they also traded for Philly ace Cliff Lee. This gives them the best 1-2 punch in the division. Unfortunately, they still don't have much strength in the rotation behind those two.

Seattle's defense can make up for some mediocre pitchers rounding out the rotation, but, again, it won't make up for a complete lack of offense. The Mariners still lack a big bat in the middle of their lineup. They let their primary power hitter, Branyan, walk at the end of the season. Unless malcontent Milton Bradley, who the Mariners acquired from the Cubs, puts up a career season or Ken Griffey Jr. plays like it's the 90s again, there won't be any real power to speak of in the lineup.

Analysts are picking the Mariners to be the ones to finally upset the Angels this season because of the two aces in Seattle's deck, but there just isn't enough offense on the team to make that a reality. For that reason, a second place finish is probably more realistic.
 

Texas Rangers

2009 Record: 87-75 (2nd)

2009 Recap: The Rangers took fans by surprise last season with good young pitching, which is not the norm for Texas. Kevin Millwood served as the veteran starter, with Scott Feldman, Derek Holland and Tommy Hunter rounding out a solid rotation. Vicente Padilla started the season in Texas, but teammates found him so abrasive that the team let him go -- Padilla later signed with the Dodgers. The Rangers' bullpen, featuring closer Frank Francisco and breakout star Neftali Feliz, was even more impressive
    
Unfortunately, Texas lacked power on offense. Outfielder Josh Hamilton suffered a series of injuries and was unable to return to form, and the Rangers failed to get the power they needed from behind the dish -- Jarrod Saltalamachia and Taylor Teagarden combined for just 15 home runs.

Texas' lineup didn't quite live up to its previous standard, but it was still a worthwhile season for the Rangers, given the improvement of their pitching staff.

Key Additions:
-Rich Harden, RHP
-Vlad Guerrero, DH
-Darren Oliver, LHP
-Chris Ray, RHP

Key Losses:
-Kevin Millwood, RHP
-Marlon Byrd, OF
-Hank Blalock, IF
-Andruw Jones, OF
-Omar Vizquel, IF
-Ivan Rodriguez, C
-Jason Jennings, RHP
-Eddie Guardado, LHP

2010 Prediction: Third place.

Texas let a known entity go by letting Kevin Millwood walk after the season and opted to replace him with a much riskier option: Rich Harden. Harden has a far higher upside, but, again, he is a bigger risk. The pitching staff has improved by leaps and bounds in Texas, but they just don't have a strong enough rotation to keep up with the rest of the division.

That, coupled with the lack of true power or speed in the lineup, will doom the Rangers to a third-place finish behind Los Angeles and Seattle this season. Look for the pitching staff to make a steady improvement, however, and become a serious contender in 2011 with Nolan Ryan having a full year to groom his staff. The Hall of Fame pitcher is one of the people involved in the recent purchase of the franchise. Fans have to hope he takes an active role with the hurlers they have on the squad.
 

Oakland Athletics

2009 Record: 75-87 (4th)

2009 Recap: The Athletics were in rebuilding mode last season. They trotted out a mix of unsure youngsters and aging veterans throughout the season to fill the holes. They acquired Matt Holliday in the offseason, but only kept him for half the season, using him as a trade chip to pick up fresh-faced prospects to help them rebuild.
    
The Athletics lacked pop in their lineup last season, and weren't nearly fast enough or defensively inclined enough to make up for it. There was also no clear ace on the team in what ended up being a middle rotation full of young prospects getting a tryout. There were bright spots, however, such as the solid performance of 21-year-old pitcher Brett Anderson. Anderson won just 11 games and had a relatively high ERA, but he looked like he could be a key part of the Athletics' future -- as did many of the other young players who got a tryout. But again, the operative word is future. The team was not nearly competitive enough to make 2009 an interesting year.

Key Additions:
-Ben Sheets, RHP
-Kevin Kouzmanoff, 3B
-Coco Crisp, OF
-Michael Taylor, OF

Key Losses:
-Adam Kennedy, 2B
-Bobby Crosby, IF
-Nomar Garciaparra, IF
-Brett Tomko, RHP
-Scott Hairston, OF

2010 Prediction: Fourth place.

Is Oakland GM Billy Beane really as smart as everybody thinks he is? At this point people are starting to question Beane and his entire "Moneyball" strategy. While it looks like this season will be another losing one for Oakland, it may provide some answers on that front.

The team is taking a risk with starter Ben Sheets. It's uncertain whether he will recover from injury to fulfill his potential as an ace, but signing Sheets was an excellent move by Beane. The Athletics showed that their young pitchers have the potential to grow into a rotation that will anchor the organization in the future, but they need a veteran ace to help groom them. In addition to Sheets and Brett Anderson, the team has a healthy Justin Duchscherer coming back to join the staff. They also have a decent bullpen. Ultimately, though, they're still a few steps away from having a truly threatening pitching staff.

In terms of offense, the Athletics grabbed Coco Crisp and Kevin Kouzmanoff this offseason, but the lineup just does not look dangerous. There are few names, if any, on the roster that really scare pitchers, so where run production will come from remains a question.

While Oakland will improve and start to take shape as a solid ballclub, it is unrealistic to think the team stands any chance of threatening Los Angeles, Seattle or Texas for the division crown. Sheets will probably be another midseason trade chip used to acquire a few new prospects, so the team should use this season to figure out which players will stay on board and which ones need to be replaced in order to make a serious run in 2011. The Athletics will probably add a few wins to their record, but they'll finish in fourth place unless Texas collapses.