Best 30 Cards From All 30 Teams; AL West

After a few days of Mansfield show recap and a frankenset post to boost, I'm back on schedule with the best 30 cards from all 30 teams mini-series. Today, the division that I'll be overviewing is the AL West.

Like every other division that I have or will be showcasing cards from, the AL West is unique in a few different ways. Unlike the AL Central, it wasn't a challenge to find cards from each team to include in this post. In addition, while a few AL East teams had multiple candidates, there seemed to be 1 standout card from every club in the West.

Thus, it was manageable for me to craft this list for the AL West, for each team had just the right number of stellar cards that made deciding on the top 5 relatively easy.

Moreover, I'm also proud of the variety of cards featured in this post. Unlike the past division, the crown jewels of the AL West aren't just jersey relics. In fact, only 2 of the 5 team's greatest cards are hits (relics/autos). All the rest are rookie cards of iconic players from those teams.

Just as it was for the first 2 posts of this series, I thoroughly enjoyed creating this list of cards for the AL West, and I'm excited to see what the posts for the NL divisions will look like in the coming days.

For the time being, however, let's concentrate on the division at hand; the AL West and the #1 card from each of its 5 teams.

Houston Astros

Originally a dime box pickup, Jose Altuve's 2011 Topps Update card has quickly become one of the most cherished rookie cards in my entire Baseball card collection. Although he's had his fair share of struggles so far in 2019, Altuve is a perennial All-Star and former AL MVP award winner. 

Thus, it was a no brainer for me to get this card graded towards the end of 2018, and I was thrilled that it came back at a BGS 9.5. Out of all the top tier cards in my collection, I can't recall paying less than a dime for any of them.

That's the reason why, to this day, Jose Altuve's 2011 Topps Update rookie card reigns supreme as my greatest dime box pickup of all-time.

Los Angeles Angels

While we're on the subject of superstar rookie cards, let's move onto the next team in the AL West, the Los Angeles Angels, and my best card from this team. I may not have a rookie card of Mike Trout, but I arguably do have the next best thing; Shohei Ohtani's action image variation rookie card from 2018 Topps Heritage.

I pulled this card myself from a box of Topps Heritage last year, and I also sent this card off to Beckett and got it graded at a 9.5 towards the end of 2018. I don't stay up to date with Baseball card values, but this card, graded at a 9.5, was worth a solid amount following Ohtani's AL ROY win.

At the top of this post, you'll see another sensational card that I pulled from a pack of cards last year; Jo Adell's gold Early Indications auto, numbered out of 50, from 2018 Bowman's Best. 

If he develops and becomes the superstar that he's expected to become, I could foresee the Jo Adell auto taking Ohtani's place as the best Angels card in my collection.

Oakland Athletics

I've already shown this card on the blog a handful of times before, but I couldn't choose any other Oakland Athletics card to take its place on this countdown. This beautiful Dennis Eckersley autograph relic from 2017 Topps Gypsy Queen, numbered 45/50 on the back, cannot be beaten.

I have my reservations with the '17 Gypsy Queen set design as well as how the set is formatted, but I tend to ignore those problems as soon as I'm faced with this stunning card. Once again, I pulled this HOF hit from a box of 2017 Gypsy Queen, and I got it graded at The National last year.

While I wish it had earned a 9.5 like the Altuve and Ohtani cards, it's hard to complain about this eye-catching autograph relic. The attention to detail used when creating these cards is extremely evident.

Seattle Mariners

As far as the Seattle Mariners are concerned, I'm not blessed with as many fabulous cards as I am for the other teams in the AL West. Thus, my choice for the best Mariners card in my collection isn't as valuable as the card chosen for the other 4 teams, but it's still a card that I'm proud to feature at this spot.

Granted, I could've gone with a Gypsy Queen framed relic card of Ken Griffey Jr for the Seattle Mariners spot instead, but the Ichiro card stood out to me in a few different ways. Although it's not incredibly valuable, the 2001 Upper Deck card above is a true base rookie card of Ichiro, the only one that I have in my collection.

Texas Rangers

There were a ton of different Ivan Rodriguez relic cards that I could've chosen for this post instead of the one above. There were more glove relics, standard jersey cards, a dual relic with A-Rod, and all sorts of oddball options. 

However, I'm confident in the card that I selected for this spot; a 2002 Donruss studio dual relic, featuring a piece of his bat and batting glove. The card, numbered out of just 50 copies, is one of the coolest relic cards in my entire collection.

If it's able to achieve that status as it pertains to my whole collection, this card certainly deserves to be recognized as the best Texas Rangers card that I own. 

2019 Predictions; AL West

It's incredibly fitting that I planned to make my predictions for the AL West division today of all days. After all, the greatest Baseball player of this generation, Mike Trout, signed a record-long extension with the Los Angeles Angels earlier today, a deal that will keep him in Anaheim for the next 12 years.

Simply put, the deal makes logical sense for both Trout and the Angels. Los Angeles gets to keep their future Hall of Fame player while Trout can continue his dominance as Baseball's best player for over a decade longer. The deal, worth 12 years and $430 million, is worth over 30% more than Bryce Harper's contract with the Phillies.

Nothing for nothing, but I'll take Mike Trout over Bryce Harper any day of the week. After all, Trout's a 2-time MVP award winner whose also finished as a runner up 4 times. 

A 7-time All-Star, the only season that he didn't make the top 3 in MVP voting was 2017 when an injury limited him to just north of 400 at-bats.

For a 27-year old, Trout's list of accomplishments is unheard of, yet he remains incredibly humble despite being the face of Baseball. This contract extension, along with another extension signed by Nolan Arenado, is far less risky than signing for a similar amount of money with a brand new team.

By staying in LA, Trout won't have to worry about adjusting to a brand new city and team. Now, all the Angels need to do is create a team that can help him win. They need to build a young and talented team around their generational superstar.

It'll be interesting to see how this signing affects the AL West, a division that appears to be controlled by only 1 team. With the Mariners in full rebuild mode, the Angels and the A's are the only legitimate threats to the Houston Astros, and it'll be intriguing to see where they stack up after the 2019 season.

1st Place; Houston Astros

Barring any extraordinary circumstances, the Houston Astros should capture the AL West division title for the 3rd straight year. When Jose Altuve, George Springer, and Carlos Correa are healthy, combined with Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole, this team is nearly impossible to beat. 

Even so, 2019 will be a different type of year for the Houston Astros than they're used to. Rookie Kyle Tucker is expected to make his much-anticipated debut, but they could very well be without Cy Young award winner Dallas Keuchel who has yet to sign a contract so far this offseason.

If Springer and Correa are back to performing at the level their capable of, the Astros could regain their title as American League champions. However, while the AL pennant will be a difficult feat to accomplish, they should have the division title locked up.

2nd Place; Los Angeles Angels

Admittedly, I have way too much faith in the Angels each and every year. After all, look no further than my 2018 AL West predictions where I predicted them to finish 3rd and could even surprise me. Well, they did surprise me. Actually, the Angels shocked me in 2018. That is, by finishing 4th.

It just baffles me that a team with Mike Trout can be so lackluster, but when you consider how many veterans they signed to long contracts, it makes sense. Still, with Mike Scioscia no longer at the helm, there could be hope for Trout and Ohtani to lead the Angels to at least a Wild Card spot.

Still, veterans like Justin Upton, Zack Cozart, and, of course, Albert Pujols, are drastically holding LA back. With declining performances in addition to excessive contracts, the other Angels players need to pull their weight, big time. If not, Mike Trout's gonna spend all 12 years of his contract extension stuck in 4th place.

3rd Place; Oakland Athletics

Along with the Tampa Bay Rays, the Oakland Athletics were one of Baseball's biggest surprises in 2018, finishing with 97 wins and earning a Wild Card spot. However, after losing 7-2 to the Yankees in the 1-game playoff, it became clear that the A's weren't at the same level as the 3 100-win AL teams in 2018, even though they themselves finished with 97.

Since he led all of Baseball with 48 home runs, Khris Davis' consistent .247 batting average can be ignored, for now. However, the Athletics lack a true multi-tool player who can do more than just hit home runs. 

Matt Chapman received MVP votes last year, and Matt Olson's a respectable player as well. However, there needs to be a balance between power hitting, batting average, and pitching on this team. Without a solid rotation and an all-around stellar hitter, the A's won't be able to contend in the American League.

4th Place; Seattle Mariners

After finishing 3rd in one of Baseball's toughest divisions with 89 wins, the Seattle Mariners decided to dismantle their entire team. They traded away stars like Robinson Cano, Edwin Diaz, James Paxton, and Jean Segura in exchange for prospects and an almost washed up Edwin Encarnacion.

Somehow, I don't think this was the best decision for Seattle. Granted, they received an abundance of prospects, but given how close they were to become a legitimate World Series contender, it doesn't make sense to tear down their entire roster.

While their prospects have time to develop, 2019 will test the patience of Mariners fans. Mitch Haniger was one of the most surprising breakout players of 2018, but there aren't many guys left in Seattle besides him, Kyle Seager, Dee Gordon, and Encarnacion.

One thing's for sure; when you take into account all the stars that Seattle gave up, their future team of current prospects better be near-unstoppable. 

5th Place; Texas Rangers

With Adrian Beltre retired, I don't think I could name 5 total players on the Texas Rangers, and their team has been that way for a number of years. Another team that puts home runs above everything else, Texas is bound to struggle for a number of years in the talent-packed AL West. 

Joey Gallo and Rougned Odor have proven themselves to be power hitters, but a combined .230 batting average between the 2 in 2018 is a major problem. The team also lacks a strong rotation and bullpen, and I don't know of any young Rangers players bound for breakout seasons.

In a division that has 3 teams that could clinch playoff spots, hypothetically, the Rangers are destined to struggle in 2019 and for the next number of years until they can become competitive once more like they were in the early 2010s.