Checking in with the AL West: gaps becoming wider between the haves and have nots

We’re still a week away from seeing an AL West opponent, when the Mariners will hopefully have a chance to get right against a floundering A’s team before having to face a reinvigorated Astros team. As May turns to June, though, the cries of “it’s early yet” sound more and more hollow as it becomes clear the Mariners are digging themselves a hole they are less and less likely to clamber out of down the stretch. Meanwhile, as the Mariners continue to sink, the Astros and Angels continue to rise, rise, rise. It’s a stark image, as presented by FanGraphs’ playoff odds tracker:

Remember those halcyon days of late April, when the Mariners were within shouting distance of a coinflip’s chance to make the playoffs?