2023 AL West Preview
The 2023 MLB season begins on 3/30, but spring training is already in full effect. The Houston Astros won 106 games last year, took home the division title, and they won the World Series. The Mariners made their first playoff appearance since 2001, and they seem primed for another great season.
Let’s take a look at the odds of winning the AL West this season.
Odds to win the AL West
| Team | Odds to Win Division | Season Win Total |
| Houston Astros | -180 | 95.5 |
| Seattle Mariners | +310 | 87.5 |
| Texas Rangers | +850 | 82.5 |
| Los Angeles Angels | +850 | 81.5 |
| Oakland Athletics | +20000 | 60.5 |
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
Despite having the World Series champion Astros and a Wild Card team in the Mariners, the AL West was one of the least competitive divisions in all of baseball. The Angles, Rangers, and Athletics were all well below .500 and never had a chance to make a push for the division title.
The Astros (-180) are the favorites to repeat as division champs, while the Mariners (+310) have the most realistic chance of any team in the division to knock them off. The Astros signed Jose Abreu from the White Sox and retained Rafael Montero and Michael Brantley.
Coming off its first playoff appearance and series win since 2001, Seattle was relatively quiet in free agency, but they made trades for Kolten Wong and Teoscar Hernandez to strengthen their team.
The Angles (+850) have two of the best players in all of baseball, but they still are not seen as a threat to win the division. Los Angeles got busy this off-season. They signed Tyler Anderson, a Brandon Drury, Carlos Esteves, and Matt Moore and made trades for Gio Urshela and Hunter Renfroe.
The Rangers (+850) have the same odds to win the division as the Angels, and they made one of the biggest signings of the off-season by inking Jacob deGrom to a 5-year $185 million contract. They also signed pitchers Andrew Heaney, Nathan Eovaldi, and Martin Perez.
The Athletics (+20000) are tied for the longest odds of any team to win its division in 2023, and it is not hard to see why. Oakland won just 60 games last season; their projected win total for this year is 60.5, which is tied for the lowest in the MLB. The A’s spent $34 million this offseason on four players after trading away C Sean Murphy to the Braves.
2023 AL West Bets to Consider
Jose Abreu, Houston Astros, AL MVP (+7000) – Abreu signed a lucrative deal to come to Houston this off-season, and it may have been one of the best moves any team has made.
Josh Jung, Texas Rangers, AL Rookie of the Year (+1800) – Jung played 26 games at the big league level last year, and he should contribute all season long for the Rangers in 2023.
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