Where do the Mariners stack up against rivals in the A.L. West after the first month?

2nd in the A.L. West: Texas Rangers, 15-14, 0.5 games back

The Texas Rangers may be the scariest team in this division. I know I am not breaking any news with that statement, but the Rangers have reinforcements coming. They rank 15th out of 30 in team ERA, and their struggles in the rotation have been documented. They have Max Scherzer coming back soon, as he is already on a rehab assignment. Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle should be back around the trade deadline. Their starting rotation will look a lot different come August.

Their offense has been a middle of the road type, hovering between 11-15 in all of the major categories. Marcus Semien and Adolis Garcia are having their typical dominant seasons, while Corey Seager has struggled out of the gate. Josh Jung is injured yet again, this time with a fractured wrist. He could be back by the end of May, but he has missed a ton of time over his career.

The Rangers have a good young core in their lineup. Evan Carter and Wyatt Langford have given the Rangers a much-needed boost so far this season. With Carter, Langford, Jung (when healthy), Heim, Semien, Seager, and Garcia, the Rangers have a good portion of their lineup locked up for the next half-decade. Should their pitching stay healthy, the Rangers can be the best baseball team again.

The Rangers run differential this year is just +7 so far. They also have a record of 9-8 against teams .500 or better. That tells me that they have had a tough schedule so far, so look out when they get to play the White Sox, Angels, and A's. The Rangers are likely the betting favorite to win this division unless the Mariners can keep up their winning ways.