2017 Major League Preview: AL West

HOUSTON ASTROS

BEST-CASE SCENARIO: Carlos Beltran and Josh Reddick shore up last season’s outfield problems, Dallas Keuchel and Collin McHugh return to their 2015 form, and the well-rounded Astros win their first division title since their 2001 NL Central crown.

WORST-CASE SCENARIO: In a velocity-dominated environment, Keuchel, McHugh and Mike Fiers deliver subpar seasons and the young starting-pitching reinforcements prove not up to the task, and Houston hovers around .500 even with an impressive offense.

BIGGEST OFFSEASON ACQUISITIONS: DH Carlos Beltran, OF Josh Reddick, C Brian McCann

BIGGEST OFFSEASON LOSSES: 3B Luis Valbuena, C Jason Castro, RHP Doug Fister

NEXT FIRST-TIME ALL-STAR: OF George Springer

TEXAS RANGERS

BEST-CASE SCENARIO: Adrian Beltre, Rougned Odor, Nomar Mazara, Jonathan Lucroy and Mike Napoli power an offense that overshadows any pitching shortcomings, and the Rangers roll to their third straight AL West title.

WORST-CASE SCENARIO: Free agent acquisitions Andrew Cashner and Tyson Ross flop in the rotation behind Yu Darvish and Cole Hamels, Beltre finally shows his age and Odor and Mazara struggle to repeat their breakout years, leading to a third-place finish.

BIGGEST OFFSEASON ACQUISITIONS: 1B Mike Napoli, RHP Andrew Cashner, RHP Tyson Ross

BIGGEST OFFSEASON LOSSES: 1B Mitch Moreland, OF Ian Desmond, DH Carlos Beltran

NEXT FIRST-TIME ALL-STAR: OF Nomar Mazara

SEATTLE MARINERS

BEST-CASE SCENARIO: Jerry Dipoto’s offseason trading spree pays off as Jean Segura, Yovani Gallardo and Drew Smyly make immediate impacts, and the Mariners end baseball’s longest current playoff drought at 15 years.

WORST-CASE SCENARIO: The offseason moves don’t actually make the Mariners any better, while Felix Hernandez, Smyly and Gallardo all continue last year’s decline, resulting in a fourth-place finish.

BIGGEST OFFSEASON ACQUISITIONS: SS Jean Segura, RHP Yovani Gallardo, LHP Drew Smyly, 3B/1B Danny Valencia, C Carlos Ruiz

BIGGEST OFFSEASON LOSSES: RHP Taijuan Walker, OF Seth Smith, 1B Adam Lind

NEXT FIRST-TIME ALL-STAR: RHP Edwin Diaz

LOS ANGELES ANGELS

BEST-CASE SCENARIO: Garrett Richards, Tyler Skaggs and Matt Shoemaker stay healthy, giving the Angels a solid rotation to go with a deeper lineup as they pick up a wild card.

WORST-CASE SCENARIO: Richards and Skaggs get hurt again and offseason acquisitions Cameron Maybin, Danny Espinosa and Martin Maldonado prove to be offensive black holes, giving the Angels the same depth problems as last year as they waste another Mike Trout season.

BIGGEST OFFSEASON ACQUISITIONS: LF Cameron Maybin, 2B Danny Espinosa, C Martin Maldonado

BIGGEST OFFSEASON LOSSES: RHP Jered Weaver, C Jett Bandy, RHP Jhoulys Chacin

NEXT FIRST-TIME ALL-STAR: RHP Garrett Richards

OAKLAND ATHLETICS

BEST-CASE SCENARIO: Sonny Gray returns to health to lead an impressive rotation of youngsters with Sean Manaea, Kendall Graveman and Jharel Cotton and the A’s hang around in the wild-card race until the very end.

WORST-CASE SCENARIO: Gray struggles again, scuttling the season and his trade value, while the rest of the club’s young pitchers takes their lumps. A lineup of largely mediocre veterans fares as poorly and the A’s post the worst record in the AL.

BIGGEST OFFSEASON ACQUISITIONS: OF Rajai Davis, RHP Santiago Casilla, OF Matt Joyce

BIGGEST OFFSEASON LOSSES: 3B/1B Danny Valencia

NEXT FIRST-TIME ALL-STAR: OF Khris Davis