Opening day of the 2013 MLB Season is fast approaching and odds for the Texas Rangers to win the 2013 World Series are at +2500, according to Sportsbook.ag. We've gotten accustomed to seeing the Texas Rangers as part of the AL playoff fray. But can they keep it going without the services of Josh Hamilton?
The Texas Rangers were all in for the 2012 season, but that did not get them far. With a very good 93-69 record, the Rangers were only able to secure a wild card spot, which they used to lose 5-1 in the one game playoff to the Baltimore Orioles. While Texas has lost many key parts from the 2012 team, including all-star slugger Josh Hamilton, they still have a loaded farm system that is starting to burst at the seams. Their future is very bright, but that is still the future.
Lance Berkman was a key offseason acquisition. Sure, there's risk in signing a 37-year-old who's coming off a season in which he managed just 97 plate appearances. However, Berkman is just two years removed from a .301/.412/.547 season, and it's entirely possible that strict DH duty will afford much better health. As well, consider that in 2012 Texas DHs combined to hit .265/.323/.432, which isn't a terribly high bar for an offense-only position playing home games in hitter-friendly Arlington.
Although the tendencies of the Rangers' home park might lead you to think otherwise, the rotation is this team's bedrock. In 2012, the Texas rotation ranked second in the AL in fWAR, fourth in road ERA and fourth in xFIP. In other words, put the Texas rotation in the proper context (i.e., correct for or remove the influence of Rangers Ballpark in Arlington), and it stands as one of the best in the American League. As well, the (imposing) front of the Texas rotation -- i.e., Yu Darvish, Matt Harrison and Derek Holland -- is uniformly at an age that lends itself to skills growth.
Production from the outfield is a weakness, and this is where the dominating absence of Josh Hamilton is going to be most acutely felt. David Murphy should be good for his usual above-average level of production, but elsewhere the situation is less certain. In 2012, Cruz put up an OPS of .779, which is far from optimal for a corner outfielder playing half his games in Arlington. Hope for a rebound? Maybe not. Last season, Cruz continued to struggle to make contact, continued to have difficulties against same-side pitching, failed to hit balls in the air as often (a pattern since 2010) and lost significant distance on what balls he did hit in the air. The state of the Texas outfield is hardly a glaring weakness (the Rangers are, after all, a very good team), but the loss of Hamilton's bat will be felt, as will Cruz's continued decay.
The Ranger will most like finish 2nd in the tough AL West and will also most likely grab one of the two Wildcard spots.
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Little about Steve Fezzik: In 2000, he moved to Las Vegas, and has been betting for a living ever since. During the next 10 years, Fezzik sharpened his focus in several areas including Proposition betting, and Football Contests.