Los Angeles Angels: After a disappointing season where they finished below .500, the Angels should bounce back this season and at least get back above .500 or perhaps even the 90 win total. I still like their lineup and I expect Vernon Wells to benefit from a change of scenery after moving from Toronto. Kendry Morales is still recovering from his broken leg but, all in all, this lineup still is capable of respectable numbers. That said, a pitching staff with a big three of Jered Weaver, Dan Haren, and Ervin Santana means that better days are ahead after the Angels just suffered their first losing season since 2003.

Oakland Athletics: After finishing at .500 last season, the A's should challenge for the AL West title this season. I like the additions to the lineup. Guys like David DeJesus, Josh Willingham, and Hideki Matsui are the right type of bats for Oakland to add to their lineup. I am not nuts about their rotation but yet they mostly stood pat there, other than the addition of Brandon McCarthy, and let's not forget that the Athletics had a 3.58 team ERA last season! Out of the bullpen, Andrew Bailey's recovery from injury is a concern but, if the pitching holds up, the offense is improved enough to forecast a nice upward trend for Oakland this season.

Seattle Mariners: Look for improvement from the Mariners this season but, of course, when you're off of a season where you lost 101 games how hard is that to forecast? The fact is that Seattle is likely to still fall short of 70 wins. The holes on this team are numerous. The M's hit .236 as a team last season...yes that was dead last in the league! As for the pitching rotation, behind Felix Hernandez is a group that's tough to trust and Erik Bedard's shoulder problems are a concern. That's a lot of added pressure for guys like Jason Vargas and Doug Fister. Couple that with a lineup that is very weak after the first five and you have big concerns again in the Pacific Northwest.

Texas Rangers: The Rangers won the AL West by a big margin last season but don't be surprised if things change in a big way this season. Not only will the race be much tighter, I also expect that Oakland and the Angels are both capable of overtaking the Rangers this season. Already causing concern for the Rangers is the fact that Tommy Hunter is dealing with a groin injury and Brandon Webb is bothered by a shoulder injury. While I love the Rangers lineup, the pitching is a concern if Texas is forced to turn to guys like Michael Kirkman or Dave Bush as fill-ins! Also, a lefty-dominated rotation can become an issue for a team as it doesn't always set up well. For instance, in a key series against a team that hits well against lefties, Ron Washington could get hurt by having to trot out a parade of southpaw starters. It’s a powerful lineup but there are some questions for the pitching in Texas. We look for a dropoff here. Perhaps a .500 season in the offing after last season's big run through the playoffs.