MLB 2024 Predictions: Ranking AL West teams ahead of Opening Day

The AL West was an extremely strong division last year, producing two playoff teams, both of which made the ALCS, and the eventual World Series champion. There's a chance they'll try and send three teams to the postseason this year, and they have the talent and firepower to do it. Here's how the final standings might shake out.

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Predicting the AL West 2024 rankings

5) Oakland Athletics

How bad will the Athletics be?

This is one of the easier predictions to make. There is nothing in Oakland that suggests they'll even be surprisingly good. The roster is almost totally devoid of talent and they didn't address that this offseason. They will probably once again be one of the absolute worst teams in the entire sport. They may not even have enough assets to sell at the deadline to rejuvenate their farm system, either.

Record: 60-102

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4) Los Angeles Angels

There's no Shohei Ohtani anymore, so the Los Angeles Angels are left to Mike Trout alone. There's not a lot of starpower otherwise, so it figures to be a very long season for them. If not for Oakland, they'd be dead last year in and year out. Don't be surprised if they start selling off assets at the deadline and start an official and lengthy rebuild. It's been needed, and it might see Trout go elsewhere, but the Angels are as aimless as ever right now.

Record: 75-87

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3) Seattle Mariners

The Seattle Mariners are a very good and very young team. They have an excellent pitching staff, and their offense is led by Julio Rodriguez, who is an MVP candidate this season. They took a small step back last year, but they should once again be a contender even though they play in a very tough division. They almost made the playoffs anyway last year, so a slight improvement at all would ensure that they do.

Record: 93-69

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2) Houston Astros

Can the Astros repeat as AL West champs?

The Houston Astros are still one of MLB's best teams. With players like Yordan Alvarez, Kyle Tucker, and Jose Altuve, they have more than enough firepower to weather the absence of Justin Verlander. The rest of their pitching staff is still strong, so there's no reason they won't at least threaten to repeat as division champs.

Record: 95-67

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1) Texas Rangers

If not for a one-game lull at the end of the season, the Texas Rangers would have won the division last year. They didn't get a lot better, but they are the defending World Series champions. They will soon have a rotation that features both Nathan Eovaldi and Jacob deGrom, so they're probably not going to be any worse this year. With their boisterous offense (aided by rookies Evan Carter and Wyatt Langford), they should be great again.

Record: 96-66