ZiPS projects A’s to be better, but still finish last in AL West

Feb 8, 2023 - 6:42 PM

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The Oakland Athletics suffered through their first 100-loss season since 1979 in 2022 and while they are expected to struggle again, they are hoping to show some improvement on the field. Dan Szymborski released his 2023 ZiPS projected standings at FanGraphs Wednesday and Oakland is projected for improvement, but with another last place finish.

There are no real surprises in the projections for the AL West although the computers think that the gap between the Astros and the rest of the division is shrinking. Houston still has the best division and World Series odds. The Mariners and the Angels are projected to be over .500 with the Rangers recording another losing season which would be a bit of a disappointment considering the amount of money they have spent the past two offseasons.

The A’s added several veterans to the roster this offseason in hopes of keeping things respectable on the field. They have a number of intriguing rotation options and several other young prospects on the way. Do you think they can outperform this projection or do they inch closer to a second straight 100-loss season.