American League West Check-In (6/9/2026)

Greetings, baseball nerds! I'm back with another update of how the teams in the American League West have fared over the past month. We're nearly halfway through the first half of the season, with the All-Star Game in Philadelphia taking place next month. You must be wondering why I'm solely focusing on this division. Covering all teams from the rest of the league would be too time consuming. Plus, the AL West right now is a tight race. So, let's check up on these teams.

Mariners (35-32)

The American League West pendulum has shifted a bit, as the Mariners are currently in first place in the division. They're currently on the road for a four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles, then against the Washington Nationals for a three-game series before returning home to go against Baltimore once again for a three-game series. They hope to clinch the AL West title for the second consecutive year.

Rangers (32-33)

Next up are my beloved Rangers, who are second place in the division. They started the month of June with series wins against the Cardinals and Guardians. They're on the road for a three-game series against both the Kansas City Royals and Boston Red Sox before returning to Arlington to start a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins. They may be two games behind the Mariners at the moment, but winning more series on the road is something that I'd like to see the Rangers do more often. Judging by their schedule for this month, I expect them to win at least all but one or two series.

Athletics (31-35)

If you were up late last night, you've missed a great game that went into extra innings. The game lasted 14 innings, but the Athletics lost to the Brewers 15-14. Both teams combined for a total of 34 hits. The Athletics went from leading the division a month ago to being in third in the AL West. I still believe that they'll make the Postseason as a Wild Card team. If the season were to end today, they wouldn't make it to October.

Astros (31-37)

It hasn't been a great season for the Rangers hated rivals. According to FanGraphs, they have a 23% chance of winning the division, but those odds are slim to none. Also, they have an 18% chance of securing a Wild Card spot. They're not getting any younger and that's not being cruel. That's just the honest truth. They're currently four and a half games out of first place.

Angels (25-42)

The Angels are currently last in the division and they're not off to a good start this month, losing series to the Rockies and Dodgers. The only glimmer of hope that's keeping this team together is Mike Trout. I feel sorry for him, because he's pulling all the weight while the rest of the team is heading towards yet another losing season. They haven't been to the Postseason since 2014, so if this team wants to make an enormous change, the first priority has to be Arte Moreno selling the team. Fans are at their wits end with him and desperately seeking changes to the organization.

Remember I said at the beginning of this story that it's a tight race for the division crown? Right now, it's a three-way race between the Mariners, Rangers, and Athletics. There are also Wild Card aspirations on the line. Will the Rangers punch their tickets to October for the first time since their 2023 magical season or miss out on the Postseason for the third year in a row? Can the Athletics dethrone the Mariners to win the AL West title? I'll post another update after the All-Star break.