The Houston Astros have met expectations with the best record in the American League West through their first 20 games. There is a lot of baseball left to play but based on the roster and the club’s early performance the baseball fans in Houston have to be excited about the Astros chances in the division. Meanwhile, it should also help the Astros that both the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners are off to slow starts. Texas and Seattle were expected to contend for playoff spot but they are a combined eight games below .500. There is still plenty of time for them to turn things around but they will need to start putting stringing together win streaks soon to avoid falling any further back of Houston. Here is a look at the x-factors for each team in the American League West.
Houston Astros (14-6)
X-Factor: SP Francis Martes
Dallas Keuchel has bounced back with a solid start to the season. However, the Astros rotation has for the most part been terrible early on and they will need to produce better numbers for this team to be considered a serious contender. Their top prospect Martes could be an x-factor as he is projected to contribute at some point this season. The 21-year-old is considered one of the game’s elite pitching prospects but he needs to prove he can improve his control at Triple-A before they bring him up. Martes’ nine walks in 9.1 minor league innings so far this season is a little bit troubling but he has time to work on his arsenal and make the necessary adjustments. Houston will need Martes to figure things out in order to solidify the back end of the starting rotation this season.
Oakland Athletics (10-10)
X-Factor: 2B/SS Franklin Barreto
Marcus Semien’s fractured wrist could accelerate Barreto’s path to the majors. The 21-year-old is hitting .286 with two home runs and nine RBI in 13 games so the Athletics will likely be tempted to make the move soon. Barreto has an excellent blend of power and contact rate and he could provide a similar impact to what Ryon Healy provided for Oakland a year ago. The Athletics have produced a .500 record through 20 games so they could turn to Barreto to help provide a spark at a position of need.
Los Angeles Angels (10-12)
X-Factor: SP Garrett Richards
The Angels were hoping to have Richards back in their starting rotation by now. However, the veteran pitcher is nursing a biceps strain that is expected to keep him out for at least a couple of weeks. Richards has recovered from a partial torn ligament last season and he was able to avoid Tommy John surgery but he still has some work to do with his rehab in order to get back in the lineup. Richards went 15-12 with a 3.65 ERA in his last full season. There is no guarantee he reaches that level again this season but the Angels are banking on him making a healthy return as one of their x-factors this season.
Texas Rangers (9-12)
X-Factor: SP Tyson Ross
Texas filled a void in its starting rotation with the addition of the former All-Star Ross on a one-year, $6 million deal. They haven’t seen any return on their investment to this point as he continues to recover from thoracic outlet surgery. Ross produced a 3.26 ERA in 2015 before missing almost all of last year due to injury. If he can make a full recovery then he might be able to provide a spark for a Rangers rotation that ranks 12th in the majors with a 3.67 ERA.
Seattle Mariners (8-13)
X-Factor: SP Drew Smyly
Smyly’s fastball-curveball combination turned heads in the World Baseball Classic when he struck out eight over just 4.1 innings of work against Venezuela. However, Smyly was hit by elbow issues at the end of spring training and was forced to the 60-day DL after receiving a PRP injection. Seattle is willing to be patient with Smyly but it’s clear they will need him in their rotation in order to contend for an AL West title and more this season. The Mariners rank 29th in ERA this season so they are banking heavily on a healthy Smyly returning to solidify the back end of their rotation.
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