Mound Musings: A Look at Pitching in the AL West

For most leagues, draft day is on the horizon, and "wait until next year" is now, not later. That's okay. We will be ready. After a brutal season of pure pitcher meltdowns, I'm hoping for more normalcy. The World Series is still fresh in our minds. A typical 2024 game might be three errors, a walk, basic base-running blunders, and on and on. Pretty much every team did it all. Is that what we have to look forward to in 2025? I sure hope not. I genuinely hope MLB teams will return to the basics. As in the past, I'm covering one division each week, and hopefully, we should have a value-laden pitching staff heading into the 2025 season. Things will surely change as spring training progresses, but we handle those changes on the fly. Remember, the Musings are intended to be interactive. Ask questions, and share opinions. That's what we're here for. Let's get to it and look at the:

American League West

Houston Astros – For years the Astros boasted the class – both hitting and pitching – of the AL West, but others, notably Seattle and Texas, have cut into that advantage. However, I wouldn't run up any white flags. They aren't completely without quality. Framber Valdez, the only lefty in the group, has proven that he can be a top-of-rotation starting pitcher. Cristian Javier will eventually be right behind him once he gets healthy. Both have very good stuff, and they can throw strikes. I wouldn't be surprised to see even better from Valdez this season. I have always liked Hunter Brown even though he struggled early last year. He added a sinker and turned into a monster. The rotation will be rounded out by Spencer Arrighetti and Ronel Blanco. Arrighetti has a slightly higher upside, but he needs to miss more bats. I could see taking a flyer on him. Depth could be an issue especially early as Lance McCullers and J.P. France, as well as Javier, will miss the first half due to injuries. McCullers is tough when healthy, but that doesn't happen very often. There is hope if the team can stay afloat until midseason.

The Astros bullpen has also been top-shelf with exceptional depth, but they aren't as deep as they once were. Ryan Pressly was an exceptional set-up man and never missed a beat when asked to handle the ninth inning, but he's gone. I think most would agree he is a top-shelf closer, but I'm going to say on any given day Josh Hader could be the best. Add in key set-up guy Bryan Abreu and they aren't without weapons. A couple other names to look at are Kaleb Ort, Tayler Scott, and Bryan King. They aren't overwhelming but they are generally consistent contributors.

Recapping the Astros:

The arm to roster: Let's go with Brown. He's getting better, and his best is yet to come.

He'll likely be overpriced: I like McCullers when he's healthy, but that's never guaranteed.

Best of the bullpen: IMHO Hader is an ace and the best of a very solid bullpen group.

Los Angeles Angels – The Angels were loaded on the mound and at the plate with stars like Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, yet neither has a World Series ring to show for it. In fact, they haven't challenged for a playoff spot for years. Trout returns, but Ohtani is gone, and the supporting cast is probably weak once more. That leaves the necessary heavy workloads to others, but they have yet to find the quality innings they need. Top of the staff now belongs to Yusei Kikuchi. He loosely fit's when he's on. Another newcomer, Kyle Hendricks has been an annual disappointment for the Cubs for about 10 years. He's the prototypical changes in latitudes guy, and I look for a minor step forward. They do have another sometimes-capable arm in Tyler Anderson, but the guy I'm hoping for is Reid Detmers, He has shown some promise but he's still really a mid-rotation guy. The other rotation options, guys like Jose Soriano, Chase Silseth and Jack Kochanowicz are generally nondescript. They do have a kid who flashes some pretty good stuff at times, but I'm not convinced Caden Dana is ready to step into a full-time role. Keep an eye on him. This staff is not going to challenge the better teams in the division. Drafting an Angels' starter is not for the faint of heart. Maybe you'll get lucky, but a contingency plan is a good idea.

For the past few seasons, the Angels' shaky starting pitchers have turned the game over to an equally shaky bullpen. Up until a few days ago, that appeared to apply again. The Angels signed ace closer Kenley Jansen, and I think he has something left in the tank. They also own one of the best arms in the game. Ben Joyce and his 105 mph fastball looks like the closer of the future, but he has to throw strikes. They have a few semi-capable middle relievers led by Jose Quijada and followed by Robert Stephenson and Ryan Zeferjahn who more or less fit as a set-up trio.

Recapping the Angels:

The arm to roster: Kikuchi has the highest ceiling, but he needs to be consistent.

He'll likely be overpriced: He could be better, but he's still probably overpriced.

Best of the bullpen: Welcome aboard, Kenley. The rest of the pen is weak.
 

Athletics – The first two teams we looked at in this division offered some promise or a lot of question marks, but now that we move on to the A's, things seem to get a bit more predictable. They have a collection of back-of-the-rotation starting pitchers (that's probably generous), led by surprise free agent signee Luis Severino. He has a modest arm and modest command, but I'll pass. Maybe the A's pitcher to have on your team is newcomer Jeffrey Springs? He's not awful, but durability will be a concern. Can we expect a step forward from holdover JP Sears. He's competent but lacks the raw stuff to dominate. The list of kids to consider for rotation spots is long but not very distinguished. Label me a skeptic. We look at guys like Mitch Spence, Luis Medina, Osvaldo Bido and eventually Ken Waldichuk (he's coming back from Tommy John surgery). They have one thing in common – I don't want to roster any of them. I do actually like Joey Estes a little bit. While his trials have not been the best, he is a possibility. 

Last spring I suggested trying fire-baller Mason Miller, and he found himself working the ninth inning. He can get erratic at times, but he's their guy. If I had to name a likely understudy, I guess I'd reluctantly toss Jose Leclerc's name into the mix. He has closer stuff, but only when he's not closing. Leclerc is just ahead of Tyler Ferguson and lefty T.J. McFarland, but to be honest this has the makings of a potential committee if Miller stumbles at all. Michel Otanez should also see some late-inning work.

Recapping the A's:

The arm to roster: Maybe Springs, but remember they will likely limit his innings.

He'll likely be overpriced: Sears doesn't provide enough upside in my eyes.

Best of the bullpen: I know he can get wild, but I'm rolling the dice with Miller.

Seattle Mariners – The Mariners have been quietly, but steadily, building a very strong, contending team. And, they might be there. Let's look at the pieces. A couple years ago they went out and got Luis Castillo (numbers? but I think he's a legit No. 1). Two younger guys have made a huge impact the last couple years, and more help is on the way. George Kirby and Logan Gilbert were major contributors in 2023-24, but I still see room to grow in both. I give a very slight edge to Kirby based primarily on his command. The kids on the way are Bryan Woo (LOVE him), Bryce Miller and Emerson Hancock. It's probably not fair to tag them "on the way," as Woo and Miller contributed the last couple seasons, but, yes, they have room to improve. Once Hancock (who has experienced shoulder trouble) earns a starting spot, and if the others even approach their collective ceilings, the Mariners will be a serious threat in the AL West.

The bullpen probably has slightly more to prove than the rotation, but don't feel sorry for them. Andres Munoz leads the parade. His stuff is pure filth. That would leave Matt Brash (his stuff is equally filthy, but he is coming back from Tommy John surgery) in the primary set-up role along with Collin Snider. They also have Trent Thornton and Gregory Santos providing depth. Specific roles should sort out pretty quickly. Another name to watch is Jackson Kowar. His future might be in the rotation, but this year he's probably in the pen. The problem here? Nobody is left-handed.

Recapping the Mariners:

The arm to roster: Their starters are all appealing, but Castillo is the real ace. Watch Woo.

He'll likely be overpriced: Probably Miller because I want any/all of the others.

Best of the bullpen: Munoz is an all-star in the making, and his time is here.

Texas Rangers – We conclude our assessment of preseason pitching in the AL West with the Texas Rangers. And they will enter the season with an injury list to dream about. Let's start with Jacob deGrom. When he's on the mound he's the best in the game (IMHO). But he hasn't broken 100 innings in five years. Nathan Eovaldi joins deGrom on the often-injured roll call. He's not bad, but he has made more than 25 starts just three times since 2014, although two of those have been his two seasons with the Rangers. Next up is Jon Gray. He escaped Colorado a couple years ago and has posted decent numbers since arriving in Texas. Maybe he could perhaps build on that.  Tyler Mahle is probably the fourth starter, but he too will be iffy as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. So, the question is, can they stay close and keep everyone healthy? If health issues do creep up, their depth will be tested, which isn't the team's strong suit. Dane Dunning and Cody Bradford will undoubtedly be in the rotation with so many injuries, but they only fit as lower upside No. 4 or No. 5 starters. There is some potential help down on the farm in guys like Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter, but they need to prove themselves. It's a leap of faith expecting them to provide innings.

When a team has a brittle rotation (like the Rangers) they usually look to sport a deep bullpen. Unfortunately, I'm not seeing that in Texas. The most likely closer is newcomer Chris Martin. He served as a set-up guy in Boston before stepping into the closer's role. He did an adequate job, but he really doesn't profile as ninth-inning guy. If Martin should stumble, look for 31-year-old Jacob Webb or Robert Garcia to step in. Another couple names to know here are veteran Shawn Armstrong and youngster Marc Church, at least until Josh Sborz returns from the IL. Church might actually be a bit of a sleeper to close at some point. He's got some tools and just needs experience.

Recapping the Rangers:

The arm to roster: Grab deGrom and pray he gives you 100-plus innings.

He'll likely be overpriced: Mahle shows flashes but never sustains them.

Best of the bullpen: Martin doesn't truly profile as a closer, but who does?

Next week we'll evaluate pitching staffs in the NL Central.