Oakland A’s — They lose 100+ games
What else is there to say? The Oakland A’s have gotten rid of nearly every good player that they had in 2021 when they won 86 games. They also don’t have their veteran manager Bob Melvin.
Look at their lineup. Look at their pitching staff. It is flat-out atrocious. I won’t go this far but they could rival the Orioles to be the worst team in the sport.
Seattle Mariners — They regress … but make the playoffs for the first time since 2001
The Seattle Mariners won 90 games in 2021 but their run differential says that they should have won 76 games. Usually, that means there will be some correction the following season … but they did add Robbie Ray, Jesse Winker, Eugenio Suárez, and Adam Frazier.
So they may only win 85 games or so but the rest of the AL is really weak, meaning that the Mariners still make the playoffs.
Texas Rangers — Corey Seager plays 145+ games for them
The Texas Rangers have spent a lot this offseason and their biggest investment was in Corey Seager, who is never healthy. In his seven-year career, he has played in more than 145 games once (2016) and has only played in 100+ games once (134 games in 2017).
Overall, the Rangers don’t have enough pitching to be a contender but Seager will be good because he is healthy.