The American League West has been dominated by the Houston Astros in recent seasons. But last year, the division and the World Series were claimed by a different team in the division. Here, we look at this year’s AL West futures odds and recommend bettors see where the teams in this division stand in this year’s World Series odds as well.
2024 AL West Futures Betting Odds
Houston Astros: AL West Favorites Again
This season, the Houston Astros are once again favored to win the AL West at the start of play, and they are also favored to win the American League. The acquisition of Josh Hader at the closer spot is expected to help this team on the mound, while their batting order is expected to be dangerous as always. This team has played well with a chip on its shoulder in the past and this year could be another example of that.
Texas Rangers: Hoping to Repeat
Last year, the Texas Rangers not only won the AL West, but they won the World Series as well. But the Rangers still trail the Astros in AL West futures markets going into the 2024 season. Pitching health could determine whether or not that status is justified, as the Rangers hope to have a healthy Max Scherzer at some point. But for now, the Rangers will look to once again prove that they are the best team in Texas.
Seattle Mariners: A Tough Spot
The Seattle Mariners came up just short of making the playoffs last season. This season, they will have to try to catch up to the rest of the American League playoff qualifiers with a lineup that suffered a couple of significant losses in the offseason. Losing Jarred Kelenic and Teoscar Hernandez could really hurt the offense of the Mariners, even if their pitching should once again cause headaches for their competitors.
Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Angels: What’s Next?
The bottom two teams in the American League West should be the Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Angels. The Angels lost a great pitcher and hitter when Shohei Ohtani left them for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the offseason. Meanwhile, the A’s continue to look directionless as their roster didn’t improve in any tangible way heading into a year where the only thing they have to look forward to is getting closer to being out of Oakland.