MLB 2012 Division Odds and Win Totals – AL West
The 2012 MLB season is just days away. Spring Training will be winding down soon, and the games will start to count. We’re taking a division-by-division look at betting odds and team by team season win totals. Let’s take a closer look at the American League West.
In 2012, it was the Texas Rangers who ran away with the division. The Rangers were tied with the Angels on July 3, but a 12 game winning streak helped separate them from the rest of the field. Texas swept the Angels in a three-game series to finish off the year, which gave them home field advantage in the first-round of the playoffs. It was a heartbreaking end to a terrific year last season for the Rangers. Texas was one-strike away from winning the World Series twice in Game Six, only to lose in extra innings. The Cardinals beat the Rangers 6-2 in Game Seven.
The Los Angeles Angels didn’t do enough to reach the postseason, but they had a solid 86-76 record. Jered Weaver and the Angels pitching staff were terrific in 2011. Major acquisitions over the offseason have brought plenty of buzz to this year’s Angels team. Both Oakland and Seattle had extremely disappointing seasons in 2011. The Athletics finished 74-88, while the Mariners were a terrible 67-95.
MLB 2012 Previews and Predictions- AL West
AL West Odds: Los Angeles Angels -150
Season Win Total: Over/Under 91.5
Which team made a bigger splash than the Los Angeles Angels over the offseason? Signing Albert Pujols gave this team the most feared and reliable hitter in all of baseball. They followed that up by adding a top-of-the-rotation type starter in C.J. Wilson. This was a team that won 86 games last year, so clearly they didn’t have a ton of work to do, but this year’s team should be much better. With Weaver, Wilson, Haren, and Santana the Angels can compete with anyone in the American League as far as a starting pitching rotation. Pujols provides the big hitter that the Angels have been missing the last few years. This team has a solid chance of winning 95 games or more.
AL West Odds: Texas Rangers +100
Season Win Total: Over/Under 91
The Rangers have been to the World Series two straight times, but they are still searching for that elusive World Series title. The biggest addition to the roster was Japanese star pitcher Yu Darvish, while the biggest loss from last year’s team was C.J. Wilson. Darvish has the stuff to dominate in the majors, and the Rangers will need him to give them a lot of innings. Joe Nathan is the team’s projected closer, and he’ll need to return to old form if this team is going to win the AL West. This lineup is extremely good, and I fully expect them to keep piling up the runs this year. [dfads params=’groups=10&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
AL West Odds: Oakland Athletics +3,500
Season Win Total: Over/Under 72
Billy Beane made some big moves over the offseason to try to build up this lineup a little bit. The Athletics were 24th in the majors in batting average last year, and this is an offense that really needs a spark. Beane surprised many when he won the Yoenis Cespedes sweepstakes. Cespedes is a raw talent, but he could turn into a great find. Manny Ramirez was also given a one-year deal. Can Ramirez show that hitting stroke he had a few years ago? The bad news is the Athletics lost a ton of young talented pitchers. Gio Gonzalez and Trevor Cahill were two great young pitchers, but they are both gone. The team is counting on a big bounce back from Dallas Braden this year.
AL West Odds: Seattle Mariners +3,500
Season Win Total: Over/Under 72
Seattle was 37-35 after 72 games last year, but the wheels fell off the rest of the way. The Mariners were last in the majors in almost every offensive category. Jesus Montero will be inserted in the middle of the order right away. Montero was one of the Yankees top prospects, but the Mariners had to get rid of Michael Pineda to get him. Justin Smoak needs to have a big season if Seattle is going to compete at all. Ichiro will no longer leadoff, rather he will bat in the third spot. Chone Figgins will be the leadoff hitter. Seattle’s hitting may be a bit better, but their pitching staff got worse in the offseason.
