As the 2014 season begins to heat up, it’s pretty apparent who is having a great season, and who is not. When these guys step on the the field, fans have all of the faith in the world in them. Here is a look at the AL West guys you can count on.
Seattle Mariners: Felix Hernandez
The King has always been the face of the Seattle Mariners, even when Robinson Cano made the switch from pinstripes. According to MLB.com, in his last six games, the 28 year old has accumulated a 3-1 record with a 2.40 ERA.
In those 41.1 innings the righty has given up 30 hits with 47 strikeouts. He isn’t exactly having the “King Felix” season Seattle Mariners fans are used to, but needless to say you shouldn’t drop him from your fantasy teams, and should not look for anyone who is next in line to the throne.
via Robert Stanton/USA TODAY Sports
Los Angeles Angels: Mike Trout
Who did you think I was going to say? The 22 year old leads his team in batting average in the 27 games he has been in with a .321 line. Of those 109 at-bats, the former Rookie of the Year has 35 hits, six bombs, and 18 RBI’s. He is easily dependable to get hits, and has been left stranded on base many times.
The Angels are finally looking promising with a 14-13 record and with a sigh of relief that comes to Halos’ fans when Trout steps to the plate, or anywhere on the field, Angels could very well stand a chance.
via Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports
Oakland Athletics: Jed Lowrie
The green and gold are currently in first place in the AL West, much in thanks to Jed Lowrie. He isn’t known for power, but he has something Billy Beane loves; getting on base. According to rotoworld.com, the A’s shortstop has an OBP of .439 in 99 plate appearances. He is hitting with a .286 batting average and tallied 28 hits and 11 RBI’s. He’s not in the spotlight, but I can guarantee A’s fans are very pleased with him.
Texas Rangers: Alex Rios
You should probably grab a fire extinguisher, because Rios’ bat has been on fire. The right fielder has been hot his last few games at the plate. He’s even had to face a tough Seattle and Oakland pitching staff in those games too. This season, the 33 year old is hitting with a .321 batting average. He’s had hitting streaks multiple times, and it’s only May. He has accumulated 35 hits thus far, but expect that number to be just a fraction of what he’s going to accomplish this season for Texas.
via Steven Bisig/USA TODAY Sports
Houston Astros: Jose Altuve
While there are no players on the Houston Astros that are batting over .300, Altuve has definitely made his presence known on the Astros this season. He has not committed an error so far, and was even in the running for being “Face of MLB” on The Twitter Dot Com. So far the 23 year old has a batting average of .276, but he has a pretty tough schedule to deal with. Don’t sleep on Altuve, and Houston fans should know they definitely have a guy they can depend on if for nothing else, his glove. Or perhaps, his dance moves.
Photo: Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports