Texas Rangers
2015 Win/Loss Record:
88-74, 1st in American League West
Last Postseason
Appearance: 2015
Last World Series
Championship: None
Key Arrivals: Justin
Ruggiano (OF), Tom Wilhelmsen (P), Ian Desmond (INF)
Key Departures: Yovani
Gallardo (P), Leonys Martin (OF), Mike Napoli (1B)
Manager: Jeff
Banister, 2nd Year W/L 88-74
Overall Review: Consider the 2015
regular season a surprising success. Consider the postseason a huge
disappointment after blowing a two games to none lead in the best-of-five ALDS
against the Toronto Blue Jays. But despite the failure in the playoffs, the
Rangers had a very good year and will look to build upon that in 2016. The
problem is that even if they’re better than they were a year ago, the Houston
Astros may be too much to overcome.
Not much remains from the team
that made back-to-back World Series trips in 2010 and 2011. First baseman Mitch
Moreland, outfielder Josh Hamilton (although he’s merely a shadow of the player
he once was) and pitcher Derek Holland are pretty much all that is left. There
wasn’t much in the way of off-season acquisitions for the Rangers so what you
had last year is what you’ll get again.
Offense: If Delino DeShields can
improve his on base percentage, he could be one of the best leadoff hitters in
the division, maybe the American League. Although he doesn’t have much power
(two home runs in 121 games) he did steal 25 bases. If he can get on more, he
could swipe 40 over the course of a full season. Prince Fielder had a decent
re-bound season in 2015 after missing most of the previous year with an injury.
He batted .305 and drilled 23 home runs and added 98 RBIs. Look for the power
numbers to go up if he can stay healthy.
At 35 years old, Josh Hamilton
could be nearing the end of his career. Injury problems as well as personal
demons, have derailed what was once a freight-train of a ball player. In only
50 games last year, Hamilton batted .253, hit 8 homers and had 25 RBIs. Second
baseman Rougned Odor could be a future All-Star. At only 21 years of age last
year, he batted .261 in 120 games in his second year in the league. He also
added 16 home runs and 61 RBIs. If he gets over his habit of trying to pull the
ball and starts spraying to all fields, the average will improve.
Pitching: The starting rotation is the
big question mark in Texas right now. Last year’s ace, Colby Lewis, who won 17
games (he also posted a 4.66 ERA and struck out 142 batters) wasn’t even one of
the starters in the playoffs. At age 36, he had off-season surgery on both his
knees. How he recovers physically—and how he deals with the frustration of
being snubbed in the post season—will go a long way to the success of the
Rangers’ staff. Yu Darvish returns after missing the entire 2015 season after
Tommy John surgery. Derek Holland only had ten starts last year after having
injury trouble with his shoulder and knees. Even the big trade-deadline pick-up
Cole Hamels has some question marks. Although he went 7-1 in his 12 starts with
the Rangers, he was inconsistent in his last three years in Philadelphia.
The closer will once again be
Shawn Tolleson. In 2015, Tolleson saved 35 games, won six in relief, posted a
2.99 ERA and had 76 strikeouts. Sam Dyson will be the set-up man after pitching
31 games in relief last year, saving two games, winning two, posting a
brilliant 1.15 ERA and striking out 30 batters.
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| Rangers' DH Prince Fielder |
Prediction: Second place seems to be
the destination for the Rangers in 2016. Due to Houston’s slump down the
stretch, the Rangers were able to snag the division title late in the year.
Houston won’t have those same problems this year. The Rangers won’t have a
record good enough to win either of the wild card spots. A strong season from
the starting rotation could move them ahead of Houston, but age and injury may
be the biggest obstacle for that to happen.
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