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Astros, Rangers, and Angels: 2 truths and 1 lie about the AL West

By Beau Adams

ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 07: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels lays down at first base on a throw from Chris Bassitt #40 of the Toronto Blue Jays during the fifth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during the 2023 home opener at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 07, 2023 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 07: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels lays down at first base on a throw from Chris Bassitt #40 of the Toronto Blue Jays during the fifth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during the 2023 home opener at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 07, 2023 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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Apr 1, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers relief pitcher Taylor Hearn (52) and catcher Mitch Garver (18) celebrate the victory over the Philadelphia Phillies at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 1, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers relief pitcher Taylor Hearn (52) and catcher Mitch Garver (18) celebrate the victory over the Philadelphia Phillies at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

Truth: Texas Rangers in, Houston Astros out

The following truth in our two truths and lie on the AL West is the Texas Rangers are better than the Houston Astros. That’s right, early on, the Rangers are contenders while the Astros are off to a sluggish start without Jose Altuve.

So far, the Rangers are impressive. They are currently tied with the Angels for the top of the AL West. However, the real eye-opener for the Rangers is their run differential of +12 in the first seven games of the season.

Jacob deGrom is living up to his free agency hype with 18 strikeouts in just 9.2 innings. He allowed just one earned run over six innings while striking out 11 as Texas in a 5-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

Josh Jung entered the 2023 season as a Rookie of the Year candidate and is playing up to that hype. He has a slash line of .286/.333/.869 in 28 at-bats, and his two homers are leading the team with Mitch Garver. The Rangers are not flashy, but are playing good solid baseball and look to continue that all season.

The Houston Astros are not living up to their preseason expectations or looking like they will defend their World Series crown. Jose Altuve’s WBC injury is exposing a weakness in their lineup, and they are hitting a lackluster .235 as a team. That’s 21st in MLB heading into Saturday.

The Texas Rangers will be a Wild Card team, and the Astros will not make the playoffs. It is a hard truth to swallow, but the Astros at 3-6 are struggling to crawl out of the AL West cellar.

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