GW2 AL West preview: Season 1

The AL West is one of the more fiscally responsible divisions in GW2, as none of the teams have committed more than $79 million to their player payroll so far for Season 1. Here's a look at how this season should shake out for the four teams.

Cheyenne Morning Stars

The Morning Stars didn't do anything crazy one way or the other in the offseason, which is probably a good idea for a novice GM. Cheyenne traded away an intriguing pitcher (Amp Dickerson), traded for a few pitchers (Rafael Bonifacio, Eduardo Ortega and Orval Merrick) and signed a couple infielders (Carlos Rodriguez and Trent Schmidt).

The only certainty about the Morning Stars is that their games are going to be long and sometimes frustrating for their fans to watch. The rotation to start the season is Earl Ferrell, Butch Parker, Ivan Rodriguez, Bonifacio and Willie Saenz. While some of them have the potential to be solid pitchers, their control ranges from mediocre to terrible and there figures to be a lot of Cheyenne opponents taking a casual stroll down to first base this season.

The bullpen is a little better, with Rafael Elcano, Virgil Aguilera, Tony Keats and Ortega. B.C. Baez could also help at some point this season.

The lineup has some very impressive players, led by MVP candidate Jimmy Forsch, a solid defensive SS who can hit for average, has good power and patience and is a big threat on the basepaths. He should get help from 1B Tony Viriato, LF T.J. Simpson, OF Al Baerga and C/DH candidates Artie Harris and Albert Ortega.

Defense may be a bit of an issue for Cheyenne, as well. Baerga doesn't really have the range for CF, but he doesn't have the arm for RF either and Cheyenne's best defensive option for CF (Zephyr Mattes) is a huge liability against righties. Also, the Morning Stars need to decide which of Harris and Ortega is the least bad option to catch.

Overall, the offense appears to be above average and the pitching staff seems below average.

Prediction: 81-81

Colorado Springs Eternal

The Eternal had a pretty quiet offseason, with the only move a trade for decent SS Alex Izquierdo. Izquierdo joins a lineup that might be a bit on the weak side.

1B Earl Mulholland and DH Nash Stephens are the team's best hitters, but neither one looks like a real star at the plate. The catching tandem of Ricardo Rincon and Gail Meyer is solid and Bob Walbeck is a fine hitter for a second baseman.

The outfield is the real problem spot, though. RF Vic Rodrigo should hit a bunch of homers, but might not provide much else. LF Troy Oliver and CF Bruce Davis are fantastic defenders, but their bats leave something to be desired.

The rotation would have three very strong pitchers if Alex DeSoto, Theodore Walters and Quilvio Garrido had a better assortment of pitches. Instead, they just have the potential to be solid mid-rotation types.

Those three will be joined by Matt James, with Jeff Meadows and Vladimir Marrero also available to start.

The bullpen features a solid trio in Octavio Sardinha, Stu Coffman and Luke Owen.

The pitching looks like it has a chance to be a bit above average, and it will be helped by what appears to be an excellent defense. The offense is more questionable, although the only player who looks like a truly easy out is Davis against lefties.

Prediction: 84-78

Los Angeles Anteaters of Irvine

The Anteaters didn't have much talent to start with, and they traded away most of what they did have. Tiny Kelley, Cap Vernon, Chief Lewis, Juan Manzanillo, Marc Stephens, Joe Benson and others were all sent packing. What's left is a motley crew of misfits, rejects and Rule 5 picks.

The lineup is built around a bunch of one- or two-tool players. 1B Tony Pena is probably the team's best hitter, but he doesn't have much power for a first baseman. LF Julio Palmeiro, RF Jorge DeSoto and DH Emilio Moya all have power, but they're all flawed in at least a couple areas.

Not only is the offense lacking in the lineup, the defense isn't anything great either. 2B Tony Gibson, 3B Kareem Wright and SS Ross Mills all appear to be significantly below average defenders.

The rotation doesn't have any truly terrible pitchers, but it also doesn't have anybody who'd be anything more than a No. 3 starter on a good staff. Eric Howard, Marc Rolison, Buzz White, Vladimir Cedeno and Garrett Gordon shouldn't be the worst rotation in the AL, but it's certainly not good enough to prop up such an uninspiring lineup.

The bullpen is more of the same: pitchers with some talent but with serious flaws as well. Davey Marichal, Juan Castro and Chuck Mullin will pitch as much as they're able to, and Wallace Watson will be asked to eat up a lot of innings.

Prediction: 57-105

Salem Trout

The Trout had an exceptionally quiet offseason, declining to add even a single player from outside the organization to the ML roster. Instead, they'll take their chances with a strong rotation, a solid lineup and an acceptable bullpen.

The rotation is clearly the best in the division with Cord Thompson, Neifi Maradona, Rafael Benitez and Cole Perkins. The only problem is that there isn't a workhorse in the bunch. The good news is that Salem has plenty of help available in AAA, including Junior Spencer, James Martin, Peter Larson and J.C. Black. If anything, Salem probably has a surplus of starting pitches.

The bullpen features Luis Cruz, Alex Mateo, Sid Kingland and Carlos Terrero. Again, there's help available at AAA from George Stearns.

The lineup has a couple big boppers in C Yeico Carreras and 1B Lance Frazier, as well as a few good all-around hitters in LF Ricky Hernandez, Carlos Valentin and DH Pedro Ontiveros.

The Trout also have one of the most intriguing players in GW2 in SS Brandon Key. He's an elite defender with good contact and power and excellent patience. Unfortunately, his approach at the plate is terrible against lefties and even worse against righties. It will be interesting to see how much he can produce.

In all, Salem seems to have an above-average offense and an above-average pitching staff, making it easily the most complete team in the AL West.

Prediction: 92-70, AL West champion