Texas Rangers armed and ready to make playoff push. What about Angels?

Jonah Heim’s eyes light up when the catcher is asked how fun it will be to handle the revamped rotation of the Texas Rangers, who spent $244 million last winter on an arms package that includes a bona fide ace in two-time National League Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom. Those three will join left-hander Martín Pérez, the 31-year-old sinker-changeup specialist who had a career-best 2.89 ERA in 32 starts for the Rangers in 2022, and hard-throwing right-hander Jon Gray, 31, who went 7-7 with a 3.96 ERA in 24 games last season, in what could be one of baseball’s best rotations. We have five quality guys who are gonna give us a chance each and every night.” Predicted order of finish in the American League West Division for 2023: 1 | Houston Astros 2022 | 106-56, 1st in West Last year in playoffs | 2022 Star second baseman and leadoff man José Altuve suffered a fractured right thumb when he was hit by a pitch in the WBC and is expected to be out for two months, an injury general manager Dana Brown described as a “massive blow.” The rotation should be among baseball’s best despite the loss of Justin Verlander to free agency and Lance McCullers Jr. to a muscle strain. 2 | Seattle Mariners 2022 | 90-72, 2nd in West Last year in playoffs | 2022 One of baseball’s best rotations will have 2022 trade deadline acquisition Luis Castillo for a full season. 3 | Los Angeles Angels 2022 | 73-89, 3rd in West Last year in playoffs | 2014 The addition of Hunter Renfroe, who had 60 homers and 168 RBIs combined over the last two seasons, and Brandon Drury, who hit 28 homers in 2022, along with the return of a healthy Anthony Rendon and Jared Walsh should boost a lineup that led the majors in strikeouts and ranked 25th in runs despite having two of baseball’s best hitters in Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani.