2026 AL West division preview: Lineups, rotations and one question for each team

The American League West has been freed from the dominance of Houston. It was close, but it happened. For the first time in a full season since 2016, the Astros did not win the division. Instead, the Mariners won the 2025 AL West title after a run of — we’ll do this for effect — Astros, Astros, Astros, A’s (60-game season in 2020), Astros, Astros, Astros, Astros. 

Not that the Astros weren’t a factor. They were. They went 87-75 and finished only three games behind the Mariners. The Astros were in first place for 118 days while the Mariners were in first for just 67. Of course, the only day that matters is the last of the season and the Mariners got it done. 

Seattle made some serious noise in the playoffs, too. The one team out of 30 in MLB to have never made the World Series held a 3-2 lead in the ALCS before falling in seven games to the Blue Jays.

There is plenty of recent postseason success from teams in this division. We just discussed the 2025 Mariners. The 2023 Rangers won the World Series, just like the 2022 Astros did. The 2024 ALCS is the only one since 2016 to not feature an AL West team and the 2023 ALCS was both AL West teams. 

Is it a powerhouse? I’m not sure about that, but it’s very relevant and keeps showing that’s the case.

Odds via Caesars

Seattle Mariners (+100 to win division)

Projected starting lineup

1. Brendan Donovan, 3B
2. Cal Raleigh, C
3. Julio Rodríguez, CF
4. Josh Naylor, 1B
5. Randy Arozarena, LF
6. Dominic Canzone, DH
7. J.P. Crawford, SS
8. Victor Robles, RF
9. Cole Young, 2B

There’s plenty of fluidity in here. Luke Raley will see time at first, in the outfield and at DH. Leo Rivas could platoon with Young at second and Rob Refsnyder is also in the mix for outfield and DH at-bats. The one to watch is top prospect Colt Emerson. He was a first-round pick out of high school in 2023 and worked his way up to Triple-A (only six games) last season. He’s a shortstop, but could play third base with Donovan moving to second.

Projected rotation

1. Bryan Woo, RHP
2. Logan Gilbert, RHP
3. George Kirby, RHP
4. Luis Castillo, RHP
5. Bryce Miller, RHP

Emerson Hancock is the sixth starter, but the Mariners are one of the few teams in baseball that looks like they could have five starters make 30+ starts this season without it being much of a surprise. 

Notable relievers

Closer: Andrés Muñoz, RHP
Setup: Matt Brash, RHP; Jose A. Ferrer, LHP; Eduard Bazardo, RHP

Biggest question: Can they take the next step?

The Mariners were once one of the worst franchises in baseball, but they rose to respectability in the mid-90s and have since been the biggest tease to their fan base. They’ve had all-time greats like Ken Griffey Jr., Ichiro Suzuki, Randy Johnson and Edgar Martinez (and A-Rod … and King Felix … ), but have the aforementioned distinction of being the only franchise with zero World Series appearances.

It isn’t just that, though. We can’t forget about the regular-season collapses. They set an MLB record with 116 wins in 2001 and failed to win even two games in the ALCS. In 2022, they finally got their first home playoff game since 2001 and scored zero runs in 18 innings in front of what started as a raucous crowd. 

Last year felt different for a while. They had that 3-2 ALCS lead after a five-run eighth inning in Game 5 — headlined by a Eugenio Suárez grand slam — sent T-Mobile Park into a frenzy. And then they lost two games. 

That was the closest they’d ever come. The fans are as excited as ever now for 2026. Will the tease job continue or can the Mariners finally break through? 

The rotation is on point, though there isn’t much margin there for error concerning a terrible season or injury from one or two of them. The bullpen looks good, too, but sometimes those things go south. The lineup has questions to answer, but it’s capable. Things need to break right. My concern is that there isn’t enough depth to absorb a few bad outcomes, along with the reality that Raleigh can’t possibly replicate what he did last season. 

They have a very good roster, though, and the American League seems wide open. The front office needs to be ready to strike at the deadline, again, just like last year. 

Houston Astros (+230)

Projected starting lineup

1. Jeremy Peña, SS
2. Yordan Alvarez, DH
3. Jose Altuve, 2B
4. Carlos Correa, 3B
5. Christian Walker, 1B
6. Joey Loperfido, LF
7. Yainer Diaz, C
8. Zach Cole, RF
9. Jake Meyers, CF

There’s an infield crunch that leaves Isaac Paredes as a backup at first, second and third (and also DH, really). He’ll see plenty of at-bats even if not listed as an official “starter.” Youngster Cam Smith surely figures heavily in outfield plans and might even play more than Cole and/or Meyers and/or Loperfido. We’ll have to see how everything develops out there. Also, keep an eye on Zach Dezenzo, who was relatively hyped a few years ago and just hasn’t been able to get a foothold at the MLB level to this point. 

Projected rotation

1. Hunter Brown, RHP
2. Cristian Javier, RHP
3. Tatsuya Imai, RHP
4. Lance McCullers Jr., RHP
5. Mike Burrows, RHP
6. Ryan Weiss, RHP

With Framber Valdez gone via free agency and Ronel Blanco recovering from surgery, the Astros aren’t quite as sturdy here as in the past. Jason Alexander and Spencer Arrighetti are also options.  

Notable relievers

Closer: Josh Hader, LHP
Setup: Bryan Abreu, RHP; Bryan King, LHP

Hader is dealing with biceps inflammation this spring. If he misses time, Abreu becomes a very capable closer, but the depth is already not where it needs to be. 

Biggest question: How does the rotation fare?

There are plenty of offensive questions, but better health and a few bounce-backs are expected. 

The rotation, though, is worrisome. Brown took a huge leap into acedom last season, but continued improvement is far from guaranteed. Javier has a 4.47 ERA in 46 starts in the last three seasons with a Tommy John surgery sandwiched in there. Imai was a beast in Japan, but sometimes pitchers struggle in the transition to Major League Baseball with the travel schedule (Japan only has one time zone, for example) and pitching once every five days instead of once a week. It’s hard to know exactly how he’ll fare. McCullers missed all of 2023 and 2024 with injuries and had a 6.51 ERA in just 55 ⅓ innings last season. Burrows could be good, but he has less than 100 innings of MLB experience and none with the Astros. Weiss is a 29-year-old minor-league journeyman who was in Korea last year. 

It’s entirely possible to see something like Brown remaining an ace, Javier pitching like it’s 2022, Imai looking like a frontline starter all year, McCullers throwing it back to his prime, Burrows blossoming and Weiss bringing back frontline stuff from overseas. How likely is all of that, though?

Texas Rangers (+340)

Projected starting lineup

1. Brandon Nimmo, RF
2. Wyatt Langford, LF
3. Corey Seager, SS
4. Joc Pederson, DH
5. Jake Burger, 1B
6. Evan Carter, CF
7. Josh Jung, 3B
8. Josh Smith, 2B
9. Danny Jansen, C

Pederson can’t face lefties, so the DH spot against southpaws is open for someone like Ezequiel Duran, Sam Haggerty or Michael Helman. Andrew McCutchen has signed a minor-league deal, so maybe that’s the veteran DH platoon. Kyle Higashioka will split time behind the plate with Jansen. Cody Freeman is dealing with a back injury during spring training, but he’ll figure for prominent playing time at second and/or third base. 

Projected rotation

1. Jacob deGrom, RHP
2. Nathan Eovaldi, RHP
3. MacKenzie Gore, LHP
4. Jack Leiter, RHP
5. Jacob Latz, LHP

Cody Bradford will return from surgery at some point and it’s possible Kumar Rocker gets another go in the rotation or at least with a few spot starts. Maybe toward the end of the season we’ll see a return of Jordan Montgomery, too. It looks like a strong top four with the fifth spot needing to be settled on the mound in season. 

Notable relievers

Closer: Robert Garcia, LHP
Setup: RHP Chris Martin; Cole Winn, RHP

Biggest question: Can the rotation carry them?

The upside of this rotation is the best in baseball. I have them fourth right now and that might end up being too low. There are ace-caliber arms and there is depth. It could be so great. There are questions in the bullpen, though, and the lineup has taken a huge tumble since being such a force in 2023. Last season, the Rangers finished 23rd in runs scored and 26th in OPS. 

They swapped out Marcus Semien for Nimmo and let Adolis García walk, giving the top of the order a makeover. They’ll need Langford to become the star everyone thinks he can be while Seager stays as healthy as can be expected. Still, that leaves the bottom part of the lineup. Is the Carter breakout coming? Is there more from Jung and/or Smith? Burger and Pederson must be better to make this work, but are they capable? 

That’s a lot of questions. Maybe the rotation should just be the engine here. 

Athletics (+1600)

Projected starting lineup

1. Nick Kurtz, 1B
2. Shea Langeliers, C
3. Tyler Soderstrom, LF
4. Brent Rooker, DH
5. Jeff McNeil, 2B
6. Jacob Wilson, SS
7. Lawrence Butler, RF
8. Max Muncy, 3B
9. Denzel Clarke, CF

Colby Thomas will see time in the outfield and third base is where things might be up in the air a bit. Muncy likely has competition from Andy Ibáñez and Brett Harris there. Keep in mind that second baseman Zack Gelof is recovering from shoulder surgery and if he returns, McNeil could slide to the outfield. 

Projected rotation

1. Luis Severino, RHP
2. Jeffrey Springs, LHP
3. Aaron Civale, RHP
4. Jacob Lopez, LHP
5. Luis Morales, RHP

Luis Medina and J.T. Ginn are also in the mix, though either also could cement bullpen roles. 

Notable relievers

Closer: Scott Barlow, RHP
Setup: Hogan Harris, LHP; Justin Sterner, RHP; Mark Leiter Jr., RHP

The A’s haven’t named a closer yet and might have a by-committee approach. 

Biggest question: Was the late surge real? 

It wasn’t even technically just “late.” The A’s were one of the worst teams in baseball through June 4, sitting 23-40. Things clicked after that, though. The A’s went 53-46 the rest of the way. If we started the standings on June 5, the A’s would’ve been a playoff team. Of course, we don’t do that; the horrific stretch of baseball that preceded that run mattered. 

In looking toward 2026, the A’s are surely telling themselves that they found something. One thing they found was Kurtz as a centerpiece and rising superstar. Langeliers is a force as an offensive catcher. Rooker is a quality middle-of-the-order slugger. Soderstrom runs hot and cold, but his hot streaks are glorious. McNeil and Wilson are capable of running high batting averages. It’s a really good lineup. Severino and Springs can look good in the rotation too, but there are questions all over the pitching staff. 

Still, we might’ve seen a glimpse of the A’s turnaround last season. There’s good talent here, especially with the bats. 

Los Angeles Angels (+4000)

Projected starting lineup

1. Zach Neto, SS
2. Nolan Schanuel, 1B
3. Mike Trout, DH
4. Yoán Moncada, 3B
5. Jo Adell, CF
6. Josh Lowe, RF
7. Jorge Soler, LF
8. Logan O’Hoppe, C
9. Christian Moore, 2B

Vaughn Grissom will look to play his way into a role here in his third MLB stop in four seasons. Travis d’Arnaud splits time with O’Hoppe. Bryce Teodosio will see playing time in the outfield. Oh and the Angels have a bunch of non-roster invites to spring training that you’ve heard of before, such as Chris Taylor, Trey Mancini, Jeimer Candelario, Nick Madrigal and Jose Siri. 

Projected rotation

1. Yusei Kikuchi, LHP
2. José Soriano, RHP
3. Reid Detmers, LHP
4. Grayson Rodriguez, RHP
5. Alek Manoah, RHP

Notable relievers

Closer: Robert Stephenson, RHP
Setup: Drew Pomeranz, LHP; Kirby Yates, RHP; Jordan Romano, RHP

Biggest question: What will be fun to watch?

The Angels look ticketed for last place. They finished last in 2024 and 2025 and own the longest playoff drought in baseball, having missed the postseason every year since 2014. They’ve wasted Mike Trout’s career and the years they had with Shohei Ohtani. 

I hate going this hard because I always feel bad for the fan base. They deserve better. What we’ll do now is find some fun stuff. 

Well, there’s Trout. He’ll never not be fun on a baseball field for me. That’s likely a stale answer, though. Adell and Soler both have light-tower power so there’s always the chance to see some prodigious home runs. 

Also, bring on Neto! He’s still only 25 years old and is a very nice power-speed combo. In just 128 games last season, Neto had 26 home runs and 26 steals — meaning there’s 30-30 or more potential in there in a full season. The only 30-30 players in Angels history are Bobby Bonds (1977) and Trout (2012).