Don't look now, but the American League West might be the most competitive it's ever been.
None of the five teams in this division outright tanked last year, and after the Seattle Mariners became the first division champion not named the Houston Astros since 2016, it's clear that teams aren't scared to compete with the powers that be. And that also means one player's unexpected breakout could help swing the division.
Ironically, that makes it the perfect time to identify which breakouts might be coming, which means if they happen, they were "expected," in a manner of speaking. Nevertheless, here are some players to watch who haven't developed into stars yet in this division.
Athletics - CF Denzel Clarke
The beauty of having Clarke on the roster is that the Athletics know they don't need him to carry the offense. He's on the team for his otherworldly defense, which was plastered all over season-end highlight reels last year. But he's shown real potential at the plate in the minors, and even if there are some growing pains this year, there's a good chance he could take a leap to becoming a 4-5 WAR type of player.
Houston Astros - LF Joey Loperfido
There was almost nothing this writer wanted to see this winter more than Loperfido getting a chance at everyday at-bats. He proved in Toronto that he deserved them, and now he should get that chance on the team he broke in with -- and the team that clearly wished it hadn't traded him away in the first place.
Los Angeles Angels - 1B Nolan Schanuel
We've been waiting for the 220-pound Schanuel, who only hit 12 home runs last season, to tap into his power. He's an on-base machine already at age 24, and after hearing a bunch of whispers about his bat speed increasing over the offseason, we're buying as much Schanuel stock as we can get out hands on.
Seattle Mariners - LHP Jose A. Ferrer
The Mariners trading for Ferrer was a classic case of every smart fan instantly wondering what the team knew about his breakout potential. It's almost not fair to include him here, because he had a 3.03 FIP last year, but we're betting that his ERA drops so much that it's nearly cut in half from last year's 4.48 mark.
Texas Rangers - RHP Kumar Rocker
It was legitimately stunning to check Fangraphs and see Rocker projected to start the season in Triple-A. Granted, the Rangers' rotation is already a strength, but this is a bet on Rocker quickly establishing himself as a lynchpin in that rotation and finally delivering on all the prospect hype he earned as a top-10 draft pick in back-to-back years.