The Improving American League West

Houston Astros

Sep 27, 2013; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Scott Feldman (34) throws the ball in the third inning against the Boston Red Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

The Astros moved to the AL West in 2013 and the Texas Rangers were very happy about it. They are a young team that is not ready to play with the big boys yet, but they are going to be a lot closer in 2014 than they were in 2013. They added Scott Feldman to try to lead a very young rotation, and Jose Altuve plays with the attitude and aggressiveness that we should all want our major league players to play with. They have a year of experience behind them and a manager that believes that he can win with this group of guys, kind of like Ron Washington did when he took the job with the Texas Rangers. I believe that the Astros are still at least a year away from being very competitive, but they will not be as easy to beat as they were in 2013.

For more on the Astros please visit the FanSided Astros site Climbing Tal’s Hill.