BASEBALL REPORT CARD: APRIL (AL WEST)

AL West

1.       Texas Rangers (17-9)

The Rangers lost Josh Hamilton to the Angels in free agency during the offseason. However, the Rangers continue to be one of the better teams and is taking care business. Two of their veteran hitters, Ian Kinsler (.330, 5 HRs, 3 SB) and Nelson Cruz (.291, 6 HR, 20 RBIs) have rebounded early from substandard seasons. Adrian Beltre has also been a staple in the last couple of seasons. He struggled in April with a .215 batting average but does have 6 homers and should continue to be a force in the Rangers lineups. The starting pitching has been great early as well led by Yu Darvish who has been dominating going 5-1 with 58 Ks in 38.2 innings, .93 WHIP, and 2.33 ERA. In terms of their bullpen, Joe Nathan continues to anchor the back end as the closer with 8 saves. With a +32 run differential, they are doing well in all facets of the game.

Grade: A

2.       Oakland As (16-12)

The As have a solid, young team and are off to a solid start. They lead the Majors in runs with 158. Without a true star hitter, they have done it with a group effort. Jed Lowrie has stood out at shortstop batting .327 with 3 homers and 15 RBIs and Coco Crisp was off to a great start before getting injured batting .283 with 5 homers and 8 stolen bases. They also have one of the most talented, young rotations. However, it has struggled a bit. Tommy Milone has stood out as a positive with 36 Ks in 39 innings with a 1.18 WHIP and 3.69 ERA. The As bullpen has been a strength with Grant Balfour closing and future closer Ryan Cook anchoring the back of the pen.

Grade: B

3.       Seattle Mariners (12-17)

The Mariners tried to bring in some power to their lineup acquiring Michael Morse, Kendrys Morales, and Raul Ibanez in the offseason. However, their offense is still mediocre scoring the third least runs in the AL. Of the three acquisitions, Morse has stood out with 9 homers but has only batted .248 and only has a .303 OBP. Kyle Seager is another bright spot as a good, young third basemen batting .288 with a .352 OBP. Their rotation is still anchored by Felix Hernandez who continues to be one of the best in baseball with 0.96 WHIP, 1.90 ERA, and 44 Ks in 42.2. innings. Hisashi Iwakuma has stepped up as the number 2 starter with a 0.69 WHIP, 1.67 ERA, and 37 Ks in 37.2 innings. With a K/BB ratio over 7, his performance has been legit and he is building on a strong second half last year. Their bullpen has also been strong. Tom Wilhelmsen took over the closer role during last season and has been great with a 0.62 WHIP, 0.69 ERA, and 8 saves. However, their run differential has been -33. They will need their offense to start pulling its weight.

Grade: D

4.       Los Angeles Angels (9-17)

The Angels made big signings last year with Albert Pujols and CJ Wilson. They did it again this year by bringing in Josh Hamilton. Similar to last season, they have had a terrible start. Albert Pujols is off to a substandard start and continues to battle injury. As an aging player, it may be a fair question to ask whether his best days behind him. Josh Hamilton has been a disaster so far batting .214 with only 2 homer with only 6 walks and 32 Ks. While Mike Trout has not been bad, he has looked more human batting .270 with 3 homers and 4 steals. The starting pitching has been an even bigger problem. Their ace Jered Weaver is hurt and on one else is pitching great. Their only real strength at the beginning of the season has been their bullpen. While closer Ernesto Frieri has a 2.19 ERA and 15 Ks in 12 innings, he has also struggled walking 11 batters and made things interesting. With a massive payroll and huge expectations, the Angels have been nothing short of a disaster.

Grade: F

5.       Houston Astros (8-19)

The Astros have moved to the American League. They are clearly not trying to win. They are tied with the Marlins for the worst record in the Majors and has a Major League worst -45 run differential. They will be fighting for the first pick of next year’s draft to try to rebuild. Jose Altuve has been the one bright spot for the Astros as he is batting 336 with a .378 OBP.

Grade: F

AL Central

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