AL West Preview

We wrap up the American League with a look at what appears to be one of baseball's tougher divisions. Can anybody usurp the Astros from atop this division? Will Houston suffer a World Series hangover?

• Team to Beat: Houston Astros: There's an old saying used by the great Ric Flair: "To be the man, you gotta beat the man." Houston hopes to avoid the World Series hangover plagued by many predecessors with the addition of Gerrit Cole to their pitching staff. The Astros also have that potent lineup with Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, and George Springer.
  
• Team That Can Either Be Really Good or Bad: Los Angeles Angels: Seriously. The Angels added Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani to bolster their rotation (and lineup), but Ohtani's looked shaky on the mound. Other questions surrounding the team include the health of the rotation, how Albert Pujols will look after losing weight, and if additions like Ian Kinsler can produce at a high level again. The only certainty will be that Mike Trout will kick ass at an MVP level.
  
• Team That Could Surprise Everyone: Oakland Athletics: Don't sleep on the Oakland Athletics. They may have a young lineup, but players like Matt Chapman and Matt Olson are set to take the next step. The A's also added some veteran leadership in Jonathan Lucroy (.345 OBP, 40 RBIs) and Stephen Piscotty (.342 OBP, 39 RBIs), whose story for signing with Oakland is quite inspirational.