Houston Astros: 96.5 wins
- Baseball Prospectus: 99 wins
- FanGraphs: 101 wins
The defending World Series champions won 101 games last year and were rarely challenged during the regular season. The Los Angeles Angels have improved this winter, but the rest of the division has not done much to make themselves a more serious threat to the Astros.
Houston led the American League in virtually every meaningful offensive category last year and struck out fewer times than anyone else in the league. That type of lineup is hard to keep down. Throw in a pitching staff that will feature Justin Verlander for an entire year and Gerrit Cole looking to bounce back, and the Astros have another cakewalk through the AL West in the making.
It is impossible to pinpoint a weakness on this roster. Jeff Luhnow could become the gold standard against which all analytically-minded GMs are held up against. The Astros keep the line moving on offense and have at least six starters who could pitch for a playoff contender. The depth is insane.
Conclusion: The Astros were a 100-win team last season, and they will be a 100-win team again this year. The rest of the AL West might fight it out for a Wild Card, but they don’t pose much threat to the Astros.