2009 MLB Preview: Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers to put on offensive show again in 2009
If you like offense and fireworks, then the Ballpark That Dubya Built in Arlington, Tx, is the place for you. Just don't expect to see much when it comes to pitching in 2009.
I have this fear that the Texas Rangers will win a World Series before my Houston Astros do. This concern has its roots in the rivalry that has long existed between the cities of Houston and Dallas, with the former where I hung my hat for so many years.
Though the Rangers aren’t technically in Dallas, they’re close enough for my argument. And I simply don’t like a thing to do with Big D, from their hoity-toity attitude to Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys to the big hair piled on top of the heads of their women.
When I first learned that the second coming of the Washington Senators would be moving to the Denton-Ft. Worth area for the 1972 season, I was happy. With Arlington just a few hours drive north from Houston, it wouldn’t be too tough to make it up there each season to see some American League ball in general and Carl Yastrzemski and the Boston Red Sox specifically. Why the new Rangers even had another old favorite of mine managing the club with Ted Williams on the top step of the dugout.
But gradually I came to dislike the club for a multitude of reasons, two of which are their most recent owners, George W. Bush and Tom Hicks.
Of course, it doesn’t appear that I’m going to have to worry about Texas pulling off a World Series win this season. Perhaps they could make the playoffs if the Left Coast were to fall into the Pacific after a big earthquake and leave only the Rangers to vie for the AL West title. But even then, I’m not sure they have enough pitching to win the division even in a one-team race.
OFFENSE / DEFENSE
While they don’t have any pitching, or at least they didn’t last season, the Rangers have plenty of offense. Texas ranked first in the majors last season with 901 runs scored, also ranking atop MLB with a .283 batting average and .462 slugging mark. Some of that, perhaps a lot of that, is due to the fact they play in arguably the most hitter-friendly stadium in the big leagues, with The Ballpark That Dubya Built consistently overlooked by fans that tend to just gobble up everything the talking heads on ESPN tell them about other locales and not look into numbers to decide anything on their own.
The Rangers averaged nearly six runs per game, 5.99 to be exact, at home in 2008 compared to 5.14 on the road which was more than a quarter-run higher than any other AL club scored away from their home park. You’d think that scoring 5.99 at home would make them practically unbeatable at home. Nope. Texas didn’t even have a winning record at home in 2008 with their 40-41 mark in Arlington. We’ll get to the reason why in just a bit, though you can probably guess what caused the losing home record.
The Rangers will be without a big part of last year’s offense with the departure of Milton Bradley to play for the Cubs this season. Still, Texas should put up plenty of runs behind an offense that includes Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler, Chris Davis and Michael Young. Since three of that quartet fill up most of the infield, let’s begin there.
Davis and Kinsler fill out the right side of the infield at first and second respectively, and could be forces for opposing pitchers to deal with for years to come when facing the Rangers. Kinsler missed the last six weeks of the season and still scored 102 times to go with 18 homers and 26 steals. Davis wasn’t called up for his MLB debut until late June and he went on to send 17 balls into the bleachers and drive in 55.
Young is making the move from short to third this season, and is coming off his worst season offensively since 2002. From 2003-07, Young recorded five consecutive 200-hit, .300 seasons and has been an All-Star the last five years. His move opens up short for heralded Elvis Andrus who will bring more speed to the lineup.
Signed to back Andrus up and mentor the 20-year-old – Elvis won’t turn 21 until late August – is Omar Vizquel. Additional infield reserves include the versatile Frank Catalanotto, Joaquin Arias and Travis Metcalf. Plus there’s Hank Blalock who will enter the season as the primary DH but can also man the infield corners.
Behind the plate will be the longest name in the majors, Jarrod Saltalamacchia who was part of the July 2007 trade from the Braves with Mark Teixeira going to Atlanta. He will be pushed for playing time all season by Taylor Teagarden.
Hamilton leads the young and talented outfield that will find David Murphy in left and Nelson Cruz in center. Injuries kept Cruz from making his first appearance in 2008 until late August, and he made the most of his short season with a .330 average, seven homers and 26 RBI in 31 games. Fantasy players are drooling over his potential over a full season.
Right now the outfield reserves are Marlon Byrd, Brandon Boggs and, wait for it…Andruw Jones. I’m rooting for Jones to stick somehow just because I think Hicks deserves him.
PITCHING
Most of you – At least I hope most of you – have already reached the right conclusion regarding just how the Rangers managed to post a losing home record despite scoring right at six runs per game on average in Arlington. Texas pitchers and the Rangers defense allowed 6.31 runs per game at home in 2008, and if not for the Orioles pitching staff, Texas would’ve been the worst set of arms in the AL.
So naturally the club went out and improved their mound this offseason, right. Think again. The three biggest names Texas added to their mound this winter were Kris Benson, Brendan Donnelly and Derrick Turnbow. How much any might actually improve the staff remains to be seen. But don’t take my word for how bad this group of arms is, listen to what the team’s MLB.com beat writer had to say recently.
“Just about any pitcher could probably help the Rangers,” T.R. Sullivan wrote when asked if the club might be thinking of adding Pedro Martinez to the roster.
To be fair, Benson hasn’t looked too bad when he’s been on the mound this spring. The problem is the fragile righthander is already nursing back pain.
Kevin Millwood has been tabbed to be the Opening Day starter following his second consecutive season with an ERA over 5.00. Vicente Padilla is the best bet to pitch second in the mix, followed by Brandon McCarthy who has looked good in his spring outings. Then again, McCarthy has already been scratched from one start with a sore shoulder.
The leading candidates for the last two starting jobs are Scott Feldman and lefty Matt Harrison. Benson and Jason Jennings figure into the plans at some point.
Manager Ron Washington and pitching coach Mike Maddux will be breaking in a new closer this year after the C.J. Wilson experiment didn’t work out in 2008. Frank Francisco, probably best known for being arrested in Oakland in 2004 when he hurled a chair into the stands and broke a woman’s nose, is going to get a shot at closing this time. He’s got the stuff to do the job, but will have to prove he can stay healthy and out of trouble.
Wilson, slowed this spring by a blister, is a strong candidate to set Francisco up slinging from the left side and having performed very well in that role in 2007. Turnbow and Donnelly plus lefty Eddie Guardado also figure into the plans, assuming Turnbow and Donnelly show something this spring. So far only Turnbow is making a strong push for a bullpen job.
In the middle relief roles, watch for Warner Madrigal, Dustin Nippert and Elizardo Ramirez to possibly claim the job. There might only be room for two of them, but all three are posting some nice stats in spring action to date.
SCHEDULE
One thing I will say for the Rangers is they have probably the toughest schedule year in, year out in the majors if only because all of their AL West road games are played two time zones away from home. And this year Texas also has a very lopsided slate against teams from the AL East and AL Central.
The Rangers were remarkably consistent in my simulation runs, though that doesn’t mean they were remarkable. Texas averaged 77.8 wins through the five sims, right about where they finished last season at 79-83. Their low total was 75 and the high was 80.
Betting odds at The Greek have the Rangers as part of the Field – Everyone not named the Angels – to win the AL West at +140.
Texas is +6050 to win the World Series and I do like the Over at that shop, currently at 73½, -125. The Under is priced at +105.
Over at 5Dimes, current odds include the Rangers at +6000 to win the Series, +3300 to win the AL Pennant and a stand-alone +850 to take the AL West.
If you like offense and fireworks, then the Ballpark That Dubya Built in Arlington, Tx, is the place for you. Just don't expect to see much when it comes to pitching in 2009.
I have this fear that the Texas Rangers will win a World Series before my Houston Astros do. This concern has its roots in the rivalry that has long existed between the cities of Houston and Dallas, with the former where I hung my hat for so many years.
Though the Rangers aren’t technically in Dallas, they’re close enough for my argument. And I simply don’t like a thing to do with Big D, from their hoity-toity attitude to Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys to the big hair piled on top of the heads of their women.
When I first learned that the second coming of the Washington Senators would be moving to the Denton-Ft. Worth area for the 1972 season, I was happy. With Arlington just a few hours drive north from Houston, it wouldn’t be too tough to make it up there each season to see some American League ball in general and Carl Yastrzemski and the Boston Red Sox specifically. Why the new Rangers even had another old favorite of mine managing the club with Ted Williams on the top step of the dugout.
But gradually I came to dislike the club for a multitude of reasons, two of which are their most recent owners, George W. Bush and Tom Hicks.
Of course, it doesn’t appear that I’m going to have to worry about Texas pulling off a World Series win this season. Perhaps they could make the playoffs if the Left Coast were to fall into the Pacific after a big earthquake and leave only the Rangers to vie for the AL West title. But even then, I’m not sure they have enough pitching to win the division even in a one-team race.
OFFENSE / DEFENSE
While they don’t have any pitching, or at least they didn’t last season, the Rangers have plenty of offense. Texas ranked first in the majors last season with 901 runs scored, also ranking atop MLB with a .283 batting average and .462 slugging mark. Some of that, perhaps a lot of that, is due to the fact they play in arguably the most hitter-friendly stadium in the big leagues, with The Ballpark That Dubya Built consistently overlooked by fans that tend to just gobble up everything the talking heads on ESPN tell them about other locales and not look into numbers to decide anything on their own.
The Rangers averaged nearly six runs per game, 5.99 to be exact, at home in 2008 compared to 5.14 on the road which was more than a quarter-run higher than any other AL club scored away from their home park. You’d think that scoring 5.99 at home would make them practically unbeatable at home. Nope. Texas didn’t even have a winning record at home in 2008 with their 40-41 mark in Arlington. We’ll get to the reason why in just a bit, though you can probably guess what caused the losing home record.
The Rangers will be without a big part of last year’s offense with the departure of Milton Bradley to play for the Cubs this season. Still, Texas should put up plenty of runs behind an offense that includes Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler, Chris Davis and Michael Young. Since three of that quartet fill up most of the infield, let’s begin there.
Davis and Kinsler fill out the right side of the infield at first and second respectively, and could be forces for opposing pitchers to deal with for years to come when facing the Rangers. Kinsler missed the last six weeks of the season and still scored 102 times to go with 18 homers and 26 steals. Davis wasn’t called up for his MLB debut until late June and he went on to send 17 balls into the bleachers and drive in 55.
Young is making the move from short to third this season, and is coming off his worst season offensively since 2002. From 2003-07, Young recorded five consecutive 200-hit, .300 seasons and has been an All-Star the last five years. His move opens up short for heralded Elvis Andrus who will bring more speed to the lineup.
Signed to back Andrus up and mentor the 20-year-old – Elvis won’t turn 21 until late August – is Omar Vizquel. Additional infield reserves include the versatile Frank Catalanotto, Joaquin Arias and Travis Metcalf. Plus there’s Hank Blalock who will enter the season as the primary DH but can also man the infield corners.
Behind the plate will be the longest name in the majors, Jarrod Saltalamacchia who was part of the July 2007 trade from the Braves with Mark Teixeira going to Atlanta. He will be pushed for playing time all season by Taylor Teagarden.
Hamilton leads the young and talented outfield that will find David Murphy in left and Nelson Cruz in center. Injuries kept Cruz from making his first appearance in 2008 until late August, and he made the most of his short season with a .330 average, seven homers and 26 RBI in 31 games. Fantasy players are drooling over his potential over a full season.
Right now the outfield reserves are Marlon Byrd, Brandon Boggs and, wait for it…Andruw Jones. I’m rooting for Jones to stick somehow just because I think Hicks deserves him.
PITCHING
Most of you – At least I hope most of you – have already reached the right conclusion regarding just how the Rangers managed to post a losing home record despite scoring right at six runs per game on average in Arlington. Texas pitchers and the Rangers defense allowed 6.31 runs per game at home in 2008, and if not for the Orioles pitching staff, Texas would’ve been the worst set of arms in the AL.
So naturally the club went out and improved their mound this offseason, right. Think again. The three biggest names Texas added to their mound this winter were Kris Benson, Brendan Donnelly and Derrick Turnbow. How much any might actually improve the staff remains to be seen. But don’t take my word for how bad this group of arms is, listen to what the team’s MLB.com beat writer had to say recently.
“Just about any pitcher could probably help the Rangers,” T.R. Sullivan wrote when asked if the club might be thinking of adding Pedro Martinez to the roster.
To be fair, Benson hasn’t looked too bad when he’s been on the mound this spring. The problem is the fragile righthander is already nursing back pain.
Kevin Millwood has been tabbed to be the Opening Day starter following his second consecutive season with an ERA over 5.00. Vicente Padilla is the best bet to pitch second in the mix, followed by Brandon McCarthy who has looked good in his spring outings. Then again, McCarthy has already been scratched from one start with a sore shoulder.
The leading candidates for the last two starting jobs are Scott Feldman and lefty Matt Harrison. Benson and Jason Jennings figure into the plans at some point.
Manager Ron Washington and pitching coach Mike Maddux will be breaking in a new closer this year after the C.J. Wilson experiment didn’t work out in 2008. Frank Francisco, probably best known for being arrested in Oakland in 2004 when he hurled a chair into the stands and broke a woman’s nose, is going to get a shot at closing this time. He’s got the stuff to do the job, but will have to prove he can stay healthy and out of trouble.
Wilson, slowed this spring by a blister, is a strong candidate to set Francisco up slinging from the left side and having performed very well in that role in 2007. Turnbow and Donnelly plus lefty Eddie Guardado also figure into the plans, assuming Turnbow and Donnelly show something this spring. So far only Turnbow is making a strong push for a bullpen job.
In the middle relief roles, watch for Warner Madrigal, Dustin Nippert and Elizardo Ramirez to possibly claim the job. There might only be room for two of them, but all three are posting some nice stats in spring action to date.
SCHEDULE
One thing I will say for the Rangers is they have probably the toughest schedule year in, year out in the majors if only because all of their AL West road games are played two time zones away from home. And this year Texas also has a very lopsided slate against teams from the AL East and AL Central.
- First 19 games are against AL East and AL Central clubs
- Nine of first 12 games at home
- 27-23 (Home-Away) through May; 67-64 through August
- First road trip to face Angels is July 6
- 3-7 (Home-Away) vs. Orioles, 3-6 vs Yankees, Indians and Tigers
- 6-3 (Home-Away) vs. the Red Sox and Rays; 7-3 vs. the Twins and Blue Jays
The Rangers were remarkably consistent in my simulation runs, though that doesn’t mean they were remarkable. Texas averaged 77.8 wins through the five sims, right about where they finished last season at 79-83. Their low total was 75 and the high was 80.
Betting odds at The Greek have the Rangers as part of the Field – Everyone not named the Angels – to win the AL West at +140.
Texas is +6050 to win the World Series and I do like the Over at that shop, currently at 73½, -125. The Under is priced at +105.
Over at 5Dimes, current odds include the Rangers at +6000 to win the Series, +3300 to win the AL Pennant and a stand-alone +850 to take the AL West.