Ranking the 5 AL West DH's entering the 2023 season

We've seen Shohei Ohtani already ranked as one of the best aces in the AL West, and now we see Ohtani in his other position of Designated Hitter.

Ohtani is coming off of a year where he wasn't quite as good offensively as he was in his MVP season but he was still an elite hitter.

Where does the Angels two-way superstar ranked compared to the other Designated Hitters of the AL West?

5) Brad Miller/Mitch Garver - Texas Rangers

The Texas Rangers signed Brad Miller fresh off of a 20 home run campaign in 2021. Miller had three straight seasons with an OPS+ of over 100 and despite his limited at-bats, the Rangers signed him to a two-year deal. Miller rewarded them with a poor showing as he posted a .590 OPS with just seven home runs in 81 games and 241 plate appearances.

Miller will likely be the DH against righties with Mitch Garver playing against lefties. The Rangers traded for Garver to catch but he suffered a flexor tendon injury which caused him to stop catching in early May and he ended up getting shut down for the season in July.

This platoon has the potential to be decent as both Miller and Garver have been good in the past but both players are coming off of very down and injury-filled seasons. Both players are veterans with the ability to bounce back but for now, the Rangers have the worst DH situation in the division.

4) Aledmys Diaz - Oakland Athletics

Aledmys Diaz is a name Angels fans should be familiar with as he's played each of the last four seasons with the Astros. Diaz is a versatile player with the ability to play all over the diamond but he's expected to be the DH for the Athletics on Opening Day.

Diaz was a bench player for the Astros but has been an above average hitter for his career as his 105 career OPS+ would suggest. Diaz had a down year in 2022 posting a .695 OPS with a 95 OPS+ in 92 games but he did hit 12 home runs which is a solid number.

Diaz is best used as a bench bat but playing on a bad Oakland team should have him in the lineup every day. I don't expect much from him, but it's possible we could see a career year with regular playing time. He gets the unfortunate reality of playing 81 games in the worst ballpark in baseball, but if he performs well he could find himself in another uniform when the Athletics inevitably decide to sell their good players at the trade deadline.

3) A.J. Pollock - Seattle Mariners

A.J. Pollock had a really good season for the Dodgers in 2021 as he hit 21 home runs and had an .892 OPS in just 117 games. He had a 134 OPS+ which was higher than the 130 OPS+ season he had when he made his lone all-star appearance. This good performance got him traded to the White Sox in the offseason in exchange for Craig Kimbrel. Both Pollock and Kimbrel underwhelmed in their new homes.

Pollock had arguably the worst offensive season of his career, slashing .245/.292/.389 with 14 home runs and 56 RBI in 138 games. Pollock's 91 OPS+ was the lowest mark in his career in seasons that he's played in 100+ games.

Despite the down year, Pollock does have a good track record and he'll hit toward the bottom of a solid Mariners lineup. I don't expect all-star production, but I'd comfortably rank him as the third-best DH in this division.