2026 American League West Preview

For the first time since the beginning of the decade, the Athletics may have something to offer. First baseman Nick Kurst won American League Rookie of the Year in 2025 with a 1.002 OPS. Shortstop Jacob Wilson, his teammate, finished second in voting for the same award. Catcher Shea Langliers is another burgeoning star, too.

It’s looking a lot like the early 2000s, when the Athletics and Mariners routinely battled for American League West bragging rights. Here’s what this division is cooking up in 2026.

Houston, We’ve Got A Problem

For the first time since 2016, the Astros failed to advance to the playoffs. Injuries certainly didn’t help their cause, but it was a lost seasoned defined by a lack of contributions from many players.

Jeremy Peña and Isaac Paredes were the only mainstays on the roster who did anything offensively. Hunter Brown finished third in Cy Young voting. Josh Hader returned to form as the game’s premier closer. Beyond that quartet, Houston failed to launch in 2025.

With a bleak farm system and a lineup that is virtually identical to last year’s 21st-ranked unit, the Astros are just hoping to stay competitive. Their glory day are long over, and they have relinquished American League West control to the Mariners.

Resurgent campaigns from Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, and some glimmer of hope from the outfield can go a long way towards steering the Astros back on track. But until then, this ball club’s days of guaranteed trips to the ALCS are in the rearview mirror. 2026 will see an 80 to 84-win Houston squad.

There Are No Angels In This Outfield

The Angels are a living, breathing example of an organization that cannot get out of its own way. They haven’t made the playoffs since 2014, and they couldn’t finish above .500 with Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. Their best player who doesn’t have the Trout surname is Zach Neto.

Mike Trout is rightfully viewed as baseball’s greatest player of the 2010s, and he solidified his Cooperstown candidacy years ago. But aging relics of a bygone era aren’t getting the Halos to baseball heaven, especially when their payroll is ranked 16th in the big leagues and there’s no promising young talent outside of Neto.

It’s going to be another despondent season in Disneyland. If Mike Trout can regain his form alongside a continued burgeoning of Zach Neto into a star, then the Angels will at least have a reason to sell tickets. Until there is a new owner and a philosophic overhaul in Anaheim, the Angels’ prayers will remain unanswered. A 75-win season is a magnanimous estimate.

Some Nice Aesthetics For The Athletics

Only three years removed from being one of the worst pro baseball teams of all time, the Athletics are now infused with tantalizing young talent that is producing immediately.

From the aforementioned Nick Kurtz and Jacob Wilson to Shea Langliers, Brent Rooker, and Tyler Soderstrom, the A’s could be building something special. Let’s also not forget about the No. 4 prospect in baseball, Leo De Vries, a Dominican-Dutch shortstop who was considered the top international prospect in the 2024 class.

Oozing talent and an off-season defined by trading for Jeff McNeil has put the A’s in a position to be a dark horse wild card contender. The Mariners are far too superior to the A’s in the American League West, but manager Mark Kotsay’s squad is getting close to being a threat.

The rotation and bullpen leave a lot to be desired, but The Green and Gold should have one of the most eruptive lineups in The Show. A season of .500 baseball and a potential wild card spot are attainable for one of the sport’s most bright young teams.

Sleepless In Seattle

The Mariners have always won the affection of the Kingdome faithful, but now they’ve assembled one of the best rosters in franchise history. Emerald City’s crusaders nearly got to their first-ever World Series, but lost an agonizing Game Seven in the ALCS to the Toronto Blue Jays.

In previous years, M’s ownership would have been complacent and not doubled down, but the 2026 Mariners are determined to not only win the American League West; their eyes are on the ultimate prize.

Catcher Cal Raleigh nearly won MVP instead of Aaron Judge, but Big Dumper still enjoyed one of the greatest seasons we’ve ever seen from a backstop. Also returning is the best rotation in baseball, comprised of Logan Gilbert, Bryan Woo, George Kirby, Luis Castillo, and Bryce Miller.

One of the most active teams during the offseason, Seattle inked Josh Naylor to a five-year deal and traded for Brendan Donovan. A lineup comprised of Raleigh, Naylor, Donovan, Randy Arozarena, and Julio Rodríguez will do plenty of damage to baseballs, and they’re counting on just that.

It’s safe to say that, outside of their 1995-2001 teams, this is the best team in Mariners history. It’s now or never for them. The Mariners have some big free agents next year, and they have not finished with a payroll ranked higher than 10th since 2009, which means many guys won’t be back.

An American League West championship is far from the only hardware the Mariners have their eyes on in 2026. It’s time for this team to win its first-ever pennant and exorcise 50 years of futility. A 92-win season is the benchmark for Seattle.

A Lone Star, Indeed

Few World Series winners have entered free fall mode faster than the Rangers. Since winning their first championship in 2023, they’ve posted a 159-165 record with back-to-back third place finishes in the American League West. Injuries and underperformance can be attributed to their regression, but the roster has been gutted – particularly the batting order.

What was once a lineup comprised of a productive Jonah Heim, Josh Jung, Marcus Semien, Corey Seager, Adolis García, Mitch Garver, and Nathaniel Lowe is now just broken parts. Other than Seager and Wyatt Langford, Texas’ lineup has burned down to the ground.

At least the rotation is promising. Jacob deGrom pitched 172 2/3 innings last year and got Cy Young votes. Nathan Eovaldi pitched to a 1.73 ERA in 130 innings of work. MacKenzie Gore was acquired in a trade with the Washington Nationals.

A bullpen that recorded the fifth-lowest ERA in the majors last year underwent considerable turnover. Shawn Armstrong, Hoby Milner, and Jacob Webb are all gone. Texas is a far cry from the team that stormed through the World Series in October 2023.

An elite veteran rotation could keep games close, but a revamped bullpen and shoddy lineup are too much to overcome. Texas will try to play .500 ball, but 75 to 79 wins seems more likely.

End Of My American League West Rant

Perhaps no division in baseball is more top heavy than the American League West. There’s the Mariners, and then everyone else, although the A’s should be a fun team to watch.

But at the end of the day, one club stands alone in this division. Hold the trident.