Bruce Bochy hopes the Texas Rangers will always remember their first World Series title.
Bochy, in his first season with the Rangers, led the team to their first World Series championship, and it was also his fourth season as a big league manager. He said they don't want to rely too much on that achievement.
The Rangers have the chance to be the first team in 25 years to win consecutive world championships, but they are not the defending champions in their own division.
And they are not expected to win the AL West this season.
Once again, Houston is the favorite to win the division, having won it for the past six full MLB seasons. The Astros won their regular season finale on Oct. 1 and claimed the AL West title by outperforming Texas head-to-head.
The Astros have reached the AL Championship Series in the last seven seasons, even in the 2020 season when they were not division champions due to the pandemic. They have made four trips to the Fall Classic and won two titles during that time.
Dusty Baker retired shortly after Houston lost ALCS Game 7 at home to the Rangers last fall, wrapping up a successful 26-year career as a big league manager with five teams and a total of 2,183 wins.
New Astros manager Joe Espada, who previously served as their bench coach for six seasons, is well acquainted with a lineup that includes big hitters Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker, and a strong starting rotation.
Espada is not the only new manager in the division. Ron Washington, who led the Rangers to their previous World Series appearances, was hired by the Angels. Meanwhile, the Angels still have Mike Trout but not Shohei Ohtani, who is now with the other Los Angeles team.
Seattle has once again overhauled its roster without significant spending in free agency, aiming for a faster return to the playoffs after narrowly missing out last season following their first postseason appearance since 2001.
Similarly to last year, the Athletics head into another season unsure if it will be their last in Oakland.
HOW THEY PROJECT
1. Houston Astros. Three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander, who was reacquired in a trade last July, will start the season on the injured list. However, his time on the IL is expected to be brief. The Astros still have lefty pitcher Framber Valdez and right-hander Cristian Javier. Second baseman Jose Altuve signed a new $125 million, five-year contract through 2029. Third baseman Alex Bregman, who has also been a consistent presence in all seven ALCS trips, is nearing the end of a $100 million deal.
2. Texas Rangers. After transitioning from six consecutive losing seasons to a World Series victory, the Rangers should be contenders for the playoffs. They have ALCS MVP Adolis García and most of the lineup that hit 233 home runs and scored an AL-leading 5.4 runs per game. However, World Series MVP and AL MVP runner-up shortstop Corey Seager, Gold Glove first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, and All-Star third baseman Josh Jung have all missed significant time in the spring due to injuries. All-Star right-hander Nathan Eovaldi leads a rotation that is still without injured multiple Cy Young Award winners Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom.
3. Seattle Mariners. The front office has built a roster that could be better than last year, but everyone needs to stay healthy. Seattle's offense should improve with Mitch Garver, Mitch Haniger, Jorge Polanco, Luke Raley, and young superstar Julio Rodriguez. If J.P. Crawford can repeat last season's performance at the plate and Ty France returns to his 2021-22 form, the lineup will be stronger. A better offense combined with one of the best rotations in baseball led by Luis Castillo, George Kirby, and Logan Gilbert, should once again make the Mariners contenders in the division.
4. Los Angeles Angels. They feel like they are starting over once again and have not made it to the playoffs since 2014. Ohtani left after six seasons for a record $700 million with the perennially contending Dodgers. The Halos added almost nothing in free agency, only making changes to their bullpen and taking low-cost chances on Aaron Hicks and Miguel Sano. Trout and Anthony Rendon are back, and an open DH spot will allow them to rest their injury-prone bodies more regularly. Their rotation is the same as last year's group minus Ohtani. The 71-year-old Washington brings a unique blend of expertise and enthusiasm, which should benefit an exciting crop of young talent ready to break through in the majors.
5. Oakland Athletics. This could be the final season playing at the Coliseum with a lease set to expire. So the A’s are still trying to figure out where they will play beyond this year with a new ballpark and move to Las Vegas scheduled for 2028. Manager Mark Kotsay has been committed to keeping his team focused on what it can do to be better on the field after two years with a combined 214 losses (112 last season). The A’s acquired Ross Stripling from the San Francisco Giants and added Alex Wood to the rotation.
OLD SKIPPERS
When the 74-year-old Baker retired, Bochy became the oldest manager in the majors. That lasted only a few weeks until the Angels hired Washington. Bochy will turn 69 on April 16, just 13 days before Washington turns 72. Bochy, with 2,093 wins going into his 27th season, is one of six managers with four World Series titles, his first three coming in San Francisco (2010, 2012 and 2014). Washington won a franchise-record 664 games in eight seasons with Texas from 2007-14. He was on Atlanta’s staff the past seven years, and part of the Braves’ 2021 World Series title.
RELIEF HELP
Several new relievers have joined the AL West, including hard-throwing lefty Josh Hader with the Astros, veteran right-hander David Robertson and former All-Star closer Kirby Yates in Texas, Gregory Santos and Ryne Stanek in Seattle, and Robert Stephenson with the Angels.
Hader’s $95 million, five-year deal was the biggest after becoming a first-time free agent. The 29-year-old, once in the Astros’ minor league system, turned down a $20,325,000 qualifying offer from San Diego.
