MESA, Ariz. — They have been baseball's biggest bullies, winning at least 100 games the past three years, laughing and dancing their way to glory.

It stops now.

This is the year the Houston Astros go down in the American League West, succumbing to the noise and intimidation, playing every road game as the most despised team in sports.

At least if the Oakland Athletics have anything to say about it.

“It’s going to be very interesting to see how they handle the day-to-day lifestyle of everything,’’ A's closer Liam Hendriks told USA TODAY Sports. “It’s going to be a very long season for them. There are only two possible outcomes: either it overwhelms them, or they embrace it. I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes.

“Just wait until they come to Oakland [for their first road series]. We may not have the most fans in baseball, but we have the most passionate fans in baseball. They’re going to be loud. They’re going to be obnoxious. And they’re going to be wearing guys out. They’re going to have no recourse. If they start fighting back, it’s going to snowball even more."

The Astros’ charmed life, winning 311 games the past three years, with three division titles, two American League pennants and a World Series championship, may be over as we know it.

“I don’t think that team has felt uncomfortable for awhile,’’ A’s Gold Glove third baseman Matt Chapman says. “They’re always in first place, and have been on cruise control. They rode their good pitchers. They could always hit. They had it all. They were doing all of their dances, having fun, and were always getting good press.

“It’s going to be nice for them to get some boos and kind of feel like it’s them against the world, because that’s kind of how the A’s have felt for awhile. Nobody counted on us. Nobody expected anything from us."

After earning a wild-card spot each of the past two seasons, the lovable A’s, who struggle draw fans to their antiquated stadium, are poised to become the new kings of the AL West.

“I haven’t had a better team, lets put it that way,’’ A’s manager Bob Melvin says. “And it’s probably the best rotation, on paper, we’ve had here. Our best pitching prospects are here at the same time. These guys know there’s more in the tank, and came in with a different vibe. They know they’re good.

“Now, they just have to go out and prove it.’’

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The A’s are loaded, with perhaps the best defense in baseball, rising stars in the lineup and a rotation that includes young lefty trio Sean Manaea, Jesus Luzardo and A.J. Puk.

“We’re not going to be happy at all if we don’t win the World Series,’’ Hendriks says. “If we don’t do that, it’s a failure of a season.

“We’re going into the season with really no question marks.’’

Says reliever T.J. McFarland: “I know everybody says their goal in spring training is to win the World Series, but when you look around, the talent in this room, the complete wholeness of this team, anything less would be a letdown. This team has been good for the last few years, but I know I think it has the confidence and arrogance knowing we can play with anybody.’’

Certainly, the A’s won’t be sneaking up on anyone this year.

“This is as good a team as I’ve ever been on,’’ said veteran starter Mike Fiers, who became a household name over the winter, blowing the whistle on the Astros’ cheating scandal. “To have our core group coming back from our team that won 97 games, and having young arms like Puk and Luzardo now with us all year, there’s just a different feel in here.

“We have the talent, we have what it takes, and now it’s about just going out and getting it done.’’

The Athletics' window isn't about to close with Olson and Chapman not even eligible for arbitration, but there is a sense of urgency.

Marcus Semien, who finished third in the MVP race last year, hitting 33 homers, scoring 123 runs and driving in 92 runs, with an .892 OPS, is a free agent after the season.

He was born and raised in the Bay Area, attended Cal-Berkeley, lives in the East Bay, works out all winter at the Coliseum, badly wants to stay.

But these are the A’s. They never retain their marquee free agents.

And Semien will probably be the latest, with the A’s having yet to even explore contract talks.

“I really don’t know what will happen,’’ Semien says, “all I know is what happened here in the past. I try not to think about it too much. I just want us to keep improving, and stay healthy, and if we can do that, we’ll be fine.

“We just need to focus on what we can do to beat the Astros. And regardless of what they know, or don’t know, they still have so much ability. There’s going to be a lot of outside noise with the fans and the media, but you can’t go in there thinking they’re not going to be good."

Then again, with all of the drama and theater surrounding the Astros all season, the A’s can’t help but fantasize about Fiers being on the mound the moment they finally topple the Astros.

“Fiers doesn’t like the spotlight on him,’’ Hendriks says, “and much would have preferred to keep his name out of it. But he knew the only way that story would break is if somebody from that team would attach their name to it. So he was the guy who put the onus on him to come out.’’

Fiers, who has rejected offers from everyone from “60 Minutes’’ to “Good Morning America’’ to speak about his role in exposing Astros, says this feels like any other spring. He doesn’t feel threatened. Doesn’t want extra security. And doesn’t want attention.

“A lot of people do things or say things, and don’t understand the ramifications, especially at this level,’’ Chapman says. “I think this was hard for him to do. He had to think about it for a long time because he still cares about those guys. It’s not like he dislikes those guys, or was doing it out of spite.

“He just felt it was the right thing to do. I think when he spoke up, he was ready for everything that was coming his way. I don’t know if I could do it. It take a lot of courage to do what he did.

“There’s always going to be mixed emotions when you put yourself out there like that, but when you truly believe you did the right thing, you can sleep at night. He’s handled everything so well this spring. I think it’s going to be a big year for him."

And while the Astros have rightfully garnered all the negative attention, Oakland players just want to go beat them fair and square.

“I’m not rooting against any of those guys,’’ Chapman says. “I don’t think they’re bad people. I think that they’re actually great baseball players regardless of anything that happened. They’re studs.

“But if we’re back on an even playing field, and everything is right, I like the A’s chances a lot."