The second half of the 2023 MLB season is ready to kick off and the American League West is intense as ever. Join us as we share our MLB odds series, and make a 2023 AL West Division winner prediction and pick for the rest of the season.
We are about the kick off the second half of the season. Significantly, there is a lot of activity in the AL West. The Texas Rangers currently lead the division with a 52-39 record. However, they have gone 3-7 over the 10 games before the All-Star Break. The Houston Astros are in second place, sitting two games behind the Rangers. Additionally, they went 6-4 in the 10 contests before the break.
The Seattle Mariners are 45-44, standing six games behind the Rangers for first. Amazingly, they went 7-3 in 10 games before the break, indicating a hot streak is coming. The Los Angeles Angels are 45-46. Unfortunately, they have struggled a lot, going 1-9 over the 10 games before the All-Star Break. The Oakland Athletics are 25-67. Sadly, they have the worst record in baseball.
Here are the MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: AL West Division Winner Total Odds
Texas Rangers: -110
Houston Astros:+100
Seattle Mariners: +1300
Los Angeles Angels: +3500
Oakland Athletics: +25,000
Under 82.5 games: -115
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Rangers Will Win the AL West
The Rangers have held a stranglehold on this division for a majority of the season. Curiously, things have finally gone well for them after years of frustration. The Rangers are the top team in batting average, on-base percentage, and runs. Moreover, they are sixth in home runs. The Rangers are also second in slugging percentage.
Adolis Garcia is one of their better players, with 23 home runs, 75 RBIs, and 69 runs. Meanwhile, Josh Jung is batting .280 with 19 home runs, 56 RBIs, and 62 runs. Corey Seager is batting .353 with 12 home runs, 52 RBIs, and 41 runs. Likewise, Marcus Semien is hitting .271 with 11 home runs, 56 RBIs, and 70 runs. But the Rangers are thriving because of hitting and starting pitching.
Nathan Eovaldi is 10-3 with a 2.83 ERA. Furthermore, Dane Dunning is 8-2 with a 2.84 ERA. Both of these starting pitchers have become the pillars of this rotation. Moreover, they have managed to dominate games where the Rangers do not score much. Jon Gray remains consistent, with a 6-5 record and a 3.59 ERA. Ultimately, he has been the victim of hard-luck run support at times. But he has maintained his ability to keep the Rangers in games. However, he, like many starters, has been the victim of a bad bullpen.
The bullpen has been bad. Unfortunately, they are 25th in bullpen ERA. The relievers have 10 blown saves. Ultimately, the Rangers must find an answer for their bullpen woes, as this will affect them once October comes around.
But the Rangers will win the AL West because they have the best hitting team in the division. Moreover, they are relatively healthy, and three of their starters are top quality and will be able to lead them to the promised land.
Why Astros Will Win The AL West
The Astros have dealt with numerous injuries. Yet, they are still in the race. The Astros have the fourth-best bullpen in baseball. Significantly, Ryan Pressley is 2-2 with a 2.52 ERA and 20 saves. But the starters have battled injuries, and the Astros have made something out of nothing. Curiously, a good chunk of their starters were not even in the rotation last season.
Framber Valdez is one of the familiar faces, with a 7-6 record and a 2.51 ERA. Conversely, Brandon Bielak is relatively new, with a 4-5 record and a 3.79 ERA. J.P France is also new, with a 4-3 record and a 3.26 ERA. Somehow, these starters are keeping it up.
The hitting has not been as great. Unfortunately, they are 17th in batting average, 19th in on-base percentage, 10th in runs, 11th in home runs, and 14th in slugging percentage. Kyle Tucker is batting .288 with 13 home runs, 56 RBIs, and 46 runs. Meanwhile, Jose Altuve is hitting .264 with six home runs, 18 RBIs, and 25 runs. But the Astros have dealt with the absence of Yordan Alvarez all season, who has been dealing with a major injury.
Why Mariners Will Win The AL West
The Mariners have not played well for most of the season. However, they are 7-2 in July so far. The offense has struggled, ranking in the bottom 10 in batting average, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage. Regardless, the Mariners have kept themselves alive with good pitching. Luis Castillo is 6-6 with a 2.85 ERA while George Kirby is 8-7 with a 3.09 ERA. Likewise, Logan Gilbert is 7-5 with a 3.66 ERA. The Mariners can get hot and steal the division if their starting pitching continues to soar, and their hitting improves.
Why Angels Will Win The AL West
The Angels have seen their season plummet. Ultimately, Shohei Ohtani is the only player thriving in a team that has sustained many injuries. Mike Trout, Logan O’Hoppe, Zach Neto, Gio Urshella, and Brandon Drury are all out with injuries. Therefore, the Angels need some health to have a chance to come back.
Why Athletics Will Win The AL West
The Athletics will not win the AL West. Amazingly, they have just 25 wins. The person reading this article has a higher chance of winning the lottery and finding a pot of gold than the A’s do of magically coming back and winning the division.
Final 2023 AL West Division Winner Prediction & Pick
The Rangers have the most health right now. Therefore, I expect them to hold onto the lead and barely inch out the Astros for the division.
Final 2023 AL West Division Winner Prediction & Pick: Texas Rangers: -110