The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Oakland A’s have combined to win the last eight American League West titles. But their joint reign atop the standings might come to an end in 2010, courtesy of the two teams they’ve been beating over the years.
The Texas Rangers took a quantum leap forward in 2009, winning 87 games and finishing second in the division. The bats have always been productive in Texas, but the Rangers are talking more about pitching these days. Team president Nolan Ryan has dramatically changed the pitching philosophy, pushing his starters to go deeper into games. It worked in 2009, as the Rangers lowered their team ERA by a full run.
The team to beat, however, might be the Seattle Mariners, who boast Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee atop the rotation and signed third baseman Chone Figgins early in the offseason. Seattle, coming off an 85-win season, is shaping into a small-ball team built on pitching and speed. There’s good reason for that approach — after all, it’s the same way the A’s and Angels dominated the division for most of the decade.
