Oakland Athletics’ Division Race: Checking In On the Competition

Jun 17, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez (34) throws against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Seattle Mariners

Rank: Fourth – 9.0 Games Back
Record: 38-44
First-Half MVP: Nelson Cruz, with all due respect to Felix Hernandez
Biggest Surprise: Lefty starter Mike Montgomery, who is 4-2 with a 1.62 ERA in 50 innings.

The Mariners aren’t exactly tearing it up in the AL West, but they’ve managed to stay slightly more competitive than the A’s have. Luckily for them, Hisashi Iwakuma returned from the disabled list on Monday, after being absent since mid-April with a strained lat muscle. The Mariners have felt his loss, given that he posted a 3.07 ERA over the past three seasons. They lost James Paxton, as well, when he injured the tendon in his middle finger.

But it hasn’t been all bad for the Mariners. After a very shaky first few two months, Taijuan Walker turned his season around and began pitching the way that Seattle expected him to. While he still sports a 4.34 ERA, he was 4-1 with a 2.36 ERA in the month of June. Hernandez has been stellar as always, posting a 3.02 ERA and a 10-5 record, with 106 strikeouts so far this year.

Offensively, Cruz has been the star of the show. The Mariners’ big right-hander has crushed 21 home runs this season, batting .304/.364/.554 and racking up 50 RBIs in the first half. Robinson Cano has struggled, hitting just .248 in what has been the worst season of his career by far. The rest of the Mariners’ offense has been mediocre at best, including Logan Morrison and Austin Jackson.

If the Mariners have a chance – and it’s looking more and more like they don’t – they’re going to win with pitching, not offense. Seattle has continued its trend of acquiring too many power hitters and not enough players who can hit for average or even just get on-base.

Next: Division Competition: Texas Rangers

Jun 17, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Texas Rangers designated hitter Prince Fielder (84) doubles in the second inning of the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Texas Rangers

Rank: Third – 6.5 Games Back
Record: 41-42
First-Half MVP: All-Star Price Fielder
Most Exciting Debut: Joey Gallo, who’s batting .218/.306/.448, but has five home runs in just 25 games.

The Rangers acquired Fielder in the hopes of competing last season, but a season-ended neck injury dashed those hopes. This season, however, Fielder is back with a vengeance. He’s batting .347/.413/.530, with 50 RBIs on the year. While players like Shin-Soo Choo and Elvis Andrus have struggled, Fielder has punished the ball on a regular basis.

In April, the Rangers acquired Josh Hamilton from the Angels in an unusual trade. Hamilton, who had an off-field issue that created serious friction with the Halos’ leadership, was all but given back to Texas for nothing. Since his return, he’s been plagued by muscle strains – likely a result of his lack of Spring Training. When he has played, he’s 10-for-33 with a pair of home runs, so he’ll certainly help out Fielder in the lineup if he can stay healthy.

If the Mariners are pitcher-heavy, the Rangers are the exact opposite. Texas’s pitching staff was depleted with the loss of Yu Darvish, leaving the rest of the rotation to pick up the pieces. Yovani Gallardo has been great, going 7-6 with a 2.56 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 102 innings.

Right-hander Nick Martinez has filled in better than anyone could have expected – he’s 5-5 with a 3.43 ERA, despite not having the stuff one would expect a successful pitcher to have. He does seem to be tiring though, as his ERA has steadily climbed throughout June. Disappointments include Wandy Rodriguez, Colby Lewis, and especially Ross Detwiler.

Unlike the Mariners, the Rangers are not about to get a pitcher like Iwakuma back. Lefty Matt Harrison is set to return on Wednesday, but it’s unknown how he will fare. This puts them in the position of needing to buy a starter if they hope to compete, which is a pretty unfortunate position to be in, given the competitiveness of the market.

Next: Division Competition: Los Angeles Angels

Jun 15, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (27) watches as a fan catches a home run by Atlanta Braves right fielder Jason Heyward (not shown) during the seventh inning at Turner Field. The Braves defeated the Angels 7-3. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Angels

Rank: Second – 3.0 Games Back
Record: 44-38
First-Half MVP: Mike Trout, because how can it not be Trout?
Non-Mike-Trout First-Half MVP: Albert Pujols, who has managed to play in 79 games and also hit 25 home runs.

Unlike the Rangers or the Mariners, the Angels have an unusually balanced team. Their offense and their pitching staff both have some weak links, but there are still plenty of reasons for Los Angeles fans to be excited.

Trout powers the lineup, batting .299/.393/.575 with 21 home runs. He’s played in every game, made plenty of stellar plays, and he’s (unsurprisingly) still probably the best player in baseball. Pujols is backing him up with an .894 OPS and 53 RBIs, unlike last season when he missed considerable time due to injuries.

But the two of them aren’t the only contributors to the offense. Erick Aybar and Johnny Giavotella are performing well, and Kole Calhoun has looked strong. The weak links are mostly at third base and catcher, where David Freese and Chris Iannetta have both struggled to perform at the plate.

In terms of pitching, Garrett Richards and C.J. Wilson have been the story. Wilson has posted a 3.82 ERA with 93 strikeouts, going 7-6, while Richards has just a 3.35 ERA and a 9-5 record. The two do what they can to make up for the rest of the struggling rotation, as Matt Shoemaker has a 4.91 ERA, and Jered Weaver‘s has ballooned to 4.75 with just 49 strikeouts in nearly 97 innings. The two have combined for an 8-15 record, which is really hurting the team.

If the Angels can acquire a pitcher and some offensive help at either third base or catcher, they could be a true threat in the division. As it stands, they just have to hope that Trout, Pujols, Richards and Wilson will carry them to the pennant.

Next: Division Competition: Houston Astros

Houston Astros

Rank: First Place in the AL West
Record: 48-36
First-Half MVP: Dallas Keuchel, who not only has the most impressive pitching line, but also the most impressive beard.

After Monday’s game against Cleveland, Dallas Keuchel owns a 2.14 ERA and an 11-3 record, with 110 strikeouts in just over 130 innings. The Astros’ surge to the top of the division has been unexpected, but with pitching like that, they could be unstoppable.

Add in players like second baseman Jose Altuve, who is batting .301/.344/.418 with seven home runs and 24 stolen bases, and it seems likely that Houston will find themselves in the playoffs.

The Astros have finally had the opportunity to call up the prospects they’ve been stockpiling. Shortstop Carlos Correa has a .932 OPS and five stole bases in 25 games, and outfielder George Springer has swiped 14 bags while knocking in 13 home runs so far this year. The loss of Springer, who fractured his wrist on a hit-by-pitch last Thursday, will hurt them, but they have so much talent that it’s hard to imagine them being devastated by a single injury.

The rest of the rotation hasn’t been as solid as the Astros had hoped – Collin McHugh has posted a 4.54 ERA, despite striking out 85 in 107 innings and obtaining a 9-4 record, and no other pitcher has managed to really impress. Lance McCullers has not been bad, posting a 2.16 ERA in 58.1 innings, but he’ll need to keep that effort up if he wants to remain a part of the rotation.

Houston needs to add an arm quickly, before they start to lose the lead they’ve worked so hard to build. A trade deadline move is imperative – and they certainly have enough talented prospects to fetch a big-name pitcher who can help them take home the pennant. It’s hard to believe, but the Astros’ might be the Oakland Athletics’ biggest obstacle in the division race.