Top 10 Best Players in the AL West for the 2026 MLB Season

After the Houston Astros dominated the AL West for most of the last decade, winning seven of the last nine division titles since 2017, the Seattle Mariners claimed the division crown for the first time since their iconic 2001 season.

The AL West has become one of the more talked-about divisions over the last couple of years since the Astros’ dynasty started to fall apart, and new teams have started to emerge as serious playoff contenders.

Just three seasons ago, the Texas Rangers surprised everyone by winning their first-ever World Series championship, despite losing the division title to the Astros, whom they ultimately defeated in the ALCS.

The Mariners, Rangers, and Astros will each be mentioned by fans as possible AL West winners in 2026, and the fight for the division will surely be a race to watch all the way into September.

While teams like the Los Angeles Angels and Athletics may be less experienced, their rosters, each boasting young talent, have the potential to surprise the baseball world, especially a team like the Athletics, who showed the potential to be future contenders last year.

A large reason why this division is so interesting every year is the plethora of talent on each team. Several players rank among the best at their position, and even some of the best in the game reside in the AL West.

Today, we will examine some of the absolute elite players in the AL West, as well as some names that narrowly miss the cut; let’s refer to it as… The Best of The West!

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Top 10 Best Players in the AL East for the 2026 MLB Season

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Top 10 Best Players in the AL Central for the 2026 MLB Season

Who Just Missed the Top 10?

Los Angeles Angels – Mike Trout

Three-time MVP and one of the best players of the 2010s, Trout is entering his 16th season in the big leagues. Everyone knows all the accolades and stats, but the last several years have looked much different.

Before the 2025 season, Trout appeared in just 319 games over five seasons due to several injuries. For Trout, maintaining his health and consistency will be crucial for him to get back on track.

Usually known for his stellar defense in center field, Trout shifted to appearing more in the DH spot this past season after a knee injury sustained in late April, which could be a key to staying healthy in the future.

Trout has already publicly voiced his desire to return to the outfield in 2026, but getting off his feet more in the future might be the key to seeing a couple more “Trout-like” seasons before he retires.

Since we are talking about Trout, no one will be surprised if he has a season that is similar to his old self and leads a young Angels squad in several categories.

Houston Astros – Jose Altuve

Like Trout, Altuve is closer to the end of his career than his prime, but the 35-year-old is still a leading force in the Astros lineup.

Last season, Altuve blasted 26 home runs, the third-highest season total of his career. While Altuve does strike out a bit more than he did in his prime, the power is clearly still there and a big part of his game.

Last season was an intriguing one when it came to Altuve’s position. The veteran made a late-career position change from second base to left field to help out the team’s current situation while keeping his bat in the lineup.

In just 48 games played in left field, Altuve logged a dismal -10 Defensive Runs Saved and -5 Outs Above Average and Fielding Run Value, displaying obvious first-time struggles. Altuve’s defensive metrics at second base were worse than in left field so it’s not great overall, but his bat is more than serviceable still, so he will remain in the lineup until father time says otherwise.

While some of Altuve’s skills from the past, such as contact, average, and defense, have dipped or gotten worse recently, the storied lifetime Astro still brings a lot to the current team, other than just a veteran leadership role.

Seattle Mariners – Brendan Donovan

In 2025, Donovan posted his second-best career season by WAR (2.7) on a struggling Cardinals team, and now the second baseman has found a new home in Seattle after an offseason trade.

While Seattle is notoriously a challenging hitters’ park, Donovan’s main game has always been about contact over power. Last year, the lefty logged his second season in a row with 30-plus doubles while also striking out just 67 times in 515 plate appearances.

While mostly playing second base, Donovan also features some positional flexibility in the infield and even outfield when needed, and will likely get a lot of looks at third base for his new club.

Thinking about adding Donovan to a Mariners lineup that was one game away from its first World Series appearance is super exciting.

Donovan is easily in the conversation for the top five second basemen in the game (as a matter of fact, we have him ranked as our top utility player, which shows how stacked this division is that he’s only an honorable mention here!), and the lefty will get a chance to show off on his new team and against new division foes in 2026.

Athletics – Tyler Soderstrom

After appearing in just 106 games across his first two seasons, Soderstrom had the definition of a breakout season in 2025, appearing in nearly every single game and posting a 3.4 fWAR.

Last year, Soderstrom made headlines after a hot start to the season, blasting nine home runs over the first month.

While the numbers did cool off as the season went on, Soderstrom still ended the year with an impressive .276/.346/.474 slash line with an .820 OPS to go along with it.

The stellar season from Soderstrom earned him an eight-year extension with the Athletics this past December, solidifying him as a core piece of the future as the team moves to Las Vegas in 2028.

This season will be big for Soderstrom and could show how much of a bargain his new extension is.

10. Zach Neto, Los Angeles Angels

2025 Stats: 128 G, .257/.319/.474, 26 HR, 26 SB, 62 RBI, 116 wRC+, 3.1 fWAR

After being drafted in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft, Neto made his major league debut less than one year later, appearing in 89 games as a rookie in 2023 for the Angels.

The 25-year-old’s true breakout campaign happened in his second year of action, putting up 3.5 fWAR while roping 34 doubles, 23 home runs, and stealing 30 bags.

While missing more than 30 games due to injury in 2025, Neto still passed 3 fWAR, hit 29 doubles, 26 home runs, nearly stole 30 bags again (26 SB), and also increased his OPS by 30 plus points, just south of an .800 OPS.

Some defensive metrics like OAA and FRV don’t favor Neto as much, leaning more in the negative, but the shortstop has put up back-to-back 10 plus DRS seasons at a premier position.

Playing the premier position of shortstop and being a far above average hitter, Neto is a super valuable piece to the Angels and their future success. The potential for a young shortstop like Neto is super high and while he may already be a top ten shortstop in the game, he could easily put himself into top five conversations with a couple strong seasons.

9. Shea Langeliers, Athletics

2025 Stats: 123 G, .277/.325/.536, 31 HR, 72 RBI, 132 wRC+, -2 FRV, 3.9 fWAR

Langeliers experienced a breakout campaign at the plate in 2025. The young catcher was a major reason why a young Athletics team recorded 76 wins, their most since 2021.

Last season, he cranked a career-high 31 home runs while posting an .861 OPS, the second-highest among catchers and good for the 14th-highest OPS in all of baseball.

Langeliers is a formidable slugger in the heart of the A’s lineup and looks to be a mashing combo for years with an Athletic teammate that will be mentioned later.

With the ball flying a bit more in Sacramento during the summer, adding a little help, Langeliers could put up some truly unreal numbers for years to come from behind the dish.

While maybe not the best defensive catcher, posting a bit below average defensive metrics, Langeliers is far above the average hitter at the catcher position, and his bat is incredibly valuable at the position.

8. Josh Naylor, Seattle Mariners

2025 Stats: 147 G, .295/.353/.462, 20 HR, 30 SB, 92 RBI, 128 wRC+, 3.1 fWAR

While Naylor didn’t begin last season in the AL West, the first baseman ended the year on a Mariners team that made its deepest playoff run in history.

Naylor turned on his game even more and made quite the impression with his new team after the Mariners acquired him from the Diamondbacks at the deadline. In just 54 games in Seattle, Naylor cracked nine homers compared to just 11 in his previous 93 games with Arizona.

A wildly surprising stat about Naylor’s 2025 season was his ability to steal bases, even though he may not be the quickest of runners. In 2025, Naylor recorded 30 stolen bases, and 19 of them came during his second half with Seattle.

Before the season, the 28-year-old had only stolen 25 total bases over his first six seasons in the league.

Naylor ended the season with a .295/.353/.462 slash line along with an .816 OPS, cracking 20 homers with nearly 100 RBI, and was easily one of the most important bats during the Mariners’ playoff run.

In 12 playoff games last year, Naylor posted a .967 postseason OPS with three home runs, two doubles, four walks, and two stolen bases, truly doing all he could to help the team win.

After signing a five-year deal to return to Seattle this offseason, Naylor will return his energetic personality and elite game to the AL West for years to come.

7. Jeremy Peña, Houston Astros

2025 Stats: 125 G, .304/.363/.477, 17 HR, 20 SB, 62 RBI, 135 wRC+, 5.7 fWAR

After breaking onto the scene during the Astros’ World Series run in 2022, winning both ALCS MVP and WS MVP, Peña has been one of the best young shortstops in the game and is only improving.

Last season, Peña put up his best season by fWAR (5.7), even after appearing in 125 games, the lowest of his career. The shortstop also crushed his career-best OPS and slugging percentage this past year, logging a .840 OPS as well as a .477 slugging percentage.

Overall, the stats have continued to show solid improvement across the board since his breakout rookie season.

The 28-year-old has improved his batting average every single year of his career so far, ending the most recent year with a .304 batting average compared to a .266 average in 2024.

Being a consistent and ever-improving all-around player has been the name of the game for Peña throughout his early career, and continuing to do so will be the focus.

Peña’s future looks extremely promising as he leads a competitive Astros roster and aims to shoot himself into the top five shortstop conversations with another outstanding season.

6. Yordan Alvarez, Houston Astros

2025 Stats: 48 G, .273/.367/.430, 6 HR, 27 RBI, 14.1% BB%, 16.6% K%, 118 wRC+, 0.5 fWAR

After trading away Kyle Tucker before the 2025 season, the Astros were depending on Alvarez to bolster the lineup, but injuries limited him to just 48 games last year.

Despite suffering from injuries last year, Alvarez remains one of the most feared hitters in the league when penciled in the lineup.

Before last season, the power hitter logged four straight 30-plus homer seasons, with three of those seasons being accompanied by a .950 OPS or higher.

A large conversation about Alvarez concerns his defensive home. The 28-year-old can be seen in left field, but is not a very good statistical defender and fits much better as a designated hitter.

In 2024, Alvarez posted a lowly -7 OAA and a -5 DRS in 53 games in the outfield. The numbers show that Alvarez would be better suited for DH, which would also present a lower injury risk for his future and keep the value of his bat in the lineup.

There is every reason to believe Alvarez can return to his former self with better health, and the Astros need his bat to lead the lineup.

5. Wyatt Langford, Texas Rangers

2025 Stats: 134 G, 573 PA, .241/.344/.431, 22 HR, 62 RBI, 118 wRC+, 4.1 fWAR

Entering a season where many people viewed Langford as a possible MVP candidate and someone who could shoot into superstar status quickly after a solid rookie year, the 24-year-old provided some mixed results in 2025.

The easiest way to describe Langford’s second major league season is a couple of steps forward and a couple of steps backward. After appearing in exactly 134 games in each of his two seasons, it’s a bit easier to compare year one Langford to year two.

One of the positives from Langford’s last season was an uptick in his power, a highly regarded piece of his game when coming up. The outfielder hit six more homers than in his rookie year, seeing increases in his slugging percentage and OPS a decent bit.

One of the steps back during his sophomore season would be the strikeout and contact numbers. In 2025, Langford struck out at a 26.4% clip, significantly up from his 20.6% in 2024.

While the numbers could be an early sign of him committing to more power in his bat, Langford is too talented an athlete and base stealer to be a low-average, power-only type of bat. The outfielder has stolen a solid 41 bases over his couple of seasons while also sporting a 16 DRS and a 9 FRV in the field in 2025.

Langford is still young and has shown so much potential to be a possible five-tool outfielder. Watching him in Texas will be a thrilling adventure in the years ahead.

4. Nick Kurtz, Athletics

2025 Stats: 117 G, 489 PA, .290/.383/.619, 36 HR, 86 RBI, 170 wRC+, 4.6 fWAR

Top five selection by the Athletics in 2024, Kurtz shot through the minors, and he showed exactly why this past season.

After getting called up in late April, Kurtz had already smacked 23 home runs by the time the calendar hit August. The lefty slugger ended his rookie season blasting 36 home runs, posting an absurd .619 slugging percentage, and accumulating 4.6 fWAR.

Kurtz also recorded an OPS just north of 1.000, and even though he is unqualified for full-season stat leaderboards, only two other players did that last season, Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani.

Kurtz’s 170 wRC+ would have put him behind the exact same names (Judge and Ohtani), as well as just three points behind Ohtani’s 173 wRC+ in 2025.

The fantastic first-season stats would win Kurtz the AL Rookie of the Year award, unanimously, I might add, making him the 14th AL player to do so.

Kurtz is the type of player who could easily become one of the best hitters in our game for over a decade if he continues to perform as he did in his first major league season. It will be super important for Kurtz to avoid a sophomore slump and adjust to pitchers as they begin to adjust to him in his second year.

Kurtz is absolutely one of the most exciting watches in all of baseball, and seeing what the kid can do over a full season with the team after having some experience under his belt will be a major watch for baseball fans in 2026. It’s incredibly hard not to be overexcited about the potential of Kurtz.

3. Corey Seager, Texas Rangers

2025 Stats: 102 G, .271/.373/.487, 21 HR, 50 RBI, 138 wRC+, 4.0 fWAR

Just three years removed from Seager leading the Rangers to a World Series ring, winning WS MVP, and coming in second place in the AL MVP race, Seager had a down year in 2025 when it comes to health.

Early in the season, Seager suffered a hamstring strain that sidelined him for some time, and then an emergency appendectomy kept him off the diamond for the final month of the season. Even with all the games missed, he still put up 4.0 fWAR with an .860 OPS while cracking 22 home runs in the process.

Seager is still unquestionably a top-five shortstop when he plays, despite his injuries in 2025. Before last season, Seager posted three straight seasons of 30-plus home runs while also recording an OPS north of 1.000 in 2023, when he placed second in the AL MVP voting behind Ohtani.

It will be important for Seager to stay healthy as he heads into his age-32 season because when he is on the field, he can be the type of player who can carry a team through a season and into a playoff run.

2. Julio Rodríguez, Seattle Mariners

2025 Stats: 160 G, .267/.324/.474, 32 HR, 95 RBI, 30 SB, 126 wRC+, 5.7 fWAR

Ranked by many as the best center fielder in baseball, Rodríguez has shown elite flashes of all five tools across his first four years in Seattle.

Rodríguez is one of the top names that comes up when discussing the best all-around players in our game. His ability to average nearly 30 stolen bases, play lockdown defense, and hit among the best outfielders in baseball places him at number two on this list.

Rodríguez experienced a decline in certain statistics during the 2024 season, including a career-low .734 OPS, his first season with a wRC+ of 120 or lower (116), and a strikeout percentage exceeding 25%. While some of the numbers may still look good for the average major leaguer, they were abnormal for Rodríguez, and the centerfielder showed a clear desire to get back on track in 2025.

Last season, Rodríguez posted his second career 30-30 season, ripping 32 home runs and stealing 30 bases while logging a near .800 OPS (.798). His batting average saw a very minuscule dip, but his power stroke returned, hitting 12 more homers in just 17 more games

When talking about all the positive hitting stats, it’s easy to forget that Rodríguez also puts up some of the best defensive stats of any center fielder in the game. Last season, the 25-year-old recorded a 9 DRS, a 10 OAA, and a 10 FRV, one of his best overall defensive seasons to date.

It is not unrealistic for the Seattle superstar to reach new levels and potentially even join the 40-40 club, as we might not have even seen the peak of his performance yet.

1. Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners

2025 Stats: 159 G, .247/.359/.589, 60 HR, 125 RBI, 161 wRC+, 7 FRV, 9.1 fWAR

After a 2025 campaign that saw Raleigh nearly break the AL home run record and come so close to dethroning Judge as the AL MVP, the switch-hitting catcher has solidified himself as one of the best players in the game.

For Raleigh, it will be crucial to see how he can build on his historic season while maintaining his performance at the top of his game, all while managing one of the league’s best pitching staffs.

Other than hitting 60 homers, Raleigh held a .948 OPS, which was good for fourth-best in the league and also was nearly a full 200 OPS points from his career best.

Given that the season came as a shock to many, and considering his career averages, it will be important to monitor whether this season is a bit fluky for Raleigh in the grand scheme of his career.

One of the support reasons given by many Raleigh MVP voters was his ability to hit 60-plus homers while also playing every day at a premier position, and being one of the best to do it at the position.

Raleigh’s defense can be overlooked by the less-in-tune fans of the game, but it is surely a reason why he is well respected as a top player in baseball and number one on this list.