AL West

By launching the 400th home run of his impressive career Friday, Adrian Beltre furthered, if not solidified, his understated but already strong Hall of Fame credentials.

The Oakland A's season has not gone as expected, and yet we may see a few more surprises before all is said and done.

Just over one month into the season, the A's are struggling.

Sonny Gray and Scott Kazmir have been solid. After them, the starting pitching has been all over the place. The offense is inconsistent, and the bullpen is a problem. Injuries have decimated the roster as well. From leadoff hitter Coco Crisp to closer Sean Doolittle, key players have missed extended periods here and there.

The first five weeks of the 2015 season have been filled with surprises for the Seattle Mariners.

Offseason acquisition Nelson Cruz has been on a tear nobody could have seen coming and is currently leading the majors by a healthy margin with 14 home runs. Cruz has really helped Seattle stay afloat during a rough stretch of play.

The Carlos Correa countdown is on. The Houston Astros—check that, the AL West-leading Houston Astros, who sport the best record in the American League at 18-8 entering play Tuesday—suddenly find themselves in a position where promoting their young shortstop and No.

After one month of baseball, we've learned quite a bit about the 2015 Oakland Athletics, haven't we?

The area many thought would be a strength is a weakness. The one many questioned is a strength. And the third component we expected to be mostly good with some bad has been...mostly good with some bad.

New leaders have emerged.

New faces are clicking with each other.

Veterans have risen again.

Albert Pujols’ discomfort was mild, but it was enough to cause serious concern. 

When the future-Hall of Fame first baseman grabbed his left hamstring Wednesday night, the Los Angeles Angels’ panic needle moved, even if they would not admit it publicly. And when he had to be removed from that game and missed the following two, it undoubtedly brought on worry.

There's a new Mike Trout roaming the baseball landscape early in 2015. And so far, he looks suspiciously like the old Mike Trout, who most everyone knew and loved as the game's best player.

That's the takeaway you get when looking at Trout's numbers. In 19 games, the Los Angeles Angels Angels center fielder is slashing .318/.432/.545 with four home runs, five stolen bases and a .978 OPS.

To say the Houston Astros have been bad since arriving in the American League West is an understatement of Texas-sized proportions.

In 2012, the year the Astros ditched the senior circuit, they lost 111 games. It was their third consecutive 100-loss season. 

Last year, Houston finished 70-92, enough to avoid the cellar but still 28 games off the pace.

Outfielder Josh Hamilton held a press conference Monday to discuss being traded from the Los Angeles Angels to the Texas Rangers, his drug and alcohol relapse and his future with the Rangers and beyond baseball.     

The Oakland Athletics have had a surprisingly strong start at the plate this season, but they will be without one of their top offensive contributors in Ben Zobrist after it was revealed he will undergo surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.

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