Rangers 2013 Mediocre Analysis

 
So I have seen a total of 3 spring training games and I'm about to give you my half ass preview of this 2013 season.  I'm huge Rangers fan but I'm telling you, I HATE SPRING TRAINING.  I take it with a complete grain of salt. You see some good stuff from it but really its completely worthless.  Someone can come out of spring training hot and then go into the season completely cold.  I'm ready for the season and I'm ready for the "Tweet Wars" between traditionalist and the advanced stats crew.  I fall under the in between the traditionalist and sabermetrics crew.  I like some of the old school things about baseball but I also realize there are some old school thought that is just ridiculous.  Advanced stats sheds light on flashy players who don't truly help you win as much as the guys who are actually helping you win.  This of course isn't a post about how awesome Sabermetrics is. Its about the best team on the face of the earth... Just kidding its just about the Texas Rangers.

Rangers had such high hopes last year.  And I guess if I would of told you that they won 93 wins, I'm not sure you wouldn't of called it a disappointment.  Sure we all wanted to win a World Series, but it just wasn't in the cards.  I think Colby Lewis was such a large hit and Derek Holland's performances weren't very consistent.  Josh Hamilton was quite the let down too but he is always know to have super hot months and super cold months as well.  Another large issue was Washington's constant use of his starters without giving them days off.  Michael Young played the same amount of games in 2012 than he did in 2002.  Of course in 2002 he recorded a WAR of 1.7, not bad for a sophomore year.  Now Michael Young 10 years later at the age of 35 he recorded a WAR of -2.4.  You did not read that wrong. That is a NEGATIVE -2.4!  One of the lowest in the league.  Pitiful, but screw it we played him 156 times last year.  Also more than half of those games were played in the field.  I'll move on, this isn't a rant about Michael Young's deficiencies.  Lets move on 2013, that's what we all want to talk about.

2013 should be a real interesting year.  Yu Darvish doesn't have as much of a circus around his starts as he did last year so it should be interesting to see how he does this year.  My pick for opening day starter, its obviously Yu Darvish.  I do realize that Matt Harrison has made some large strides but I'm not sure if he will have similar success this year.  Derek Holland has decided to concentrate more on pitching and less on radio interviews with Ben and Skin (which he doesn't have much a choices since their break up with ESPN radio) and doing weather reports with Arnold Schwarzenegger voices.  We shall see Mr. Holland.  I think his performance is really going to rely on him being more consistent and placing the ball better. He leaves so many balls over the plate and gets completely creamed.  5th starter issues really don't matter because we will eventually be ok after Colby Lewis gets back who is automatic.
 

Now what everyone really cares about, HITTING and when are we going to quit screwing around and get some hitting in here.  I think a lot of people need to relax with the loss of Josh Hamilton, Mike Napoli and Michael Young.  Rangers still have a lot of good players on this team that can score a lot of runs.  Ian Kinsler, probably the most controversial player I can remember in a long time.  Some people love him and some people effing hate him.  Kins is your on base guy and without him you have no one to keep the games going.  Hitting behind him Elvis Andrus, someone who is utterly under valued and under utilized.  He led the league with 17 sac bunts,  which is just plain stupid.  I understand some instances for sac bunts but a lot of times we just wasted outs.  Let Elvis get on base and quit wasting his talents by bunting.  Beltre, come on we all know he will be there.  Lance Berkman was added this year to be the resident DH.  Berkman is a really good on base man, and should add to the lacking of fat Elvis look a likes.  Just kidding but Berkman should definitely help before he hurts the Rangers.  Nelson Cruz has been my favorite for a good while but that love affair is slowly fading.  I think his power should never be forgotten but his swinging pattern has been awful.  His patience at the plate hasn't been ideal. This should be the last year for Cruz so hopefully it will motivate him a little but also could make him try too hard. Centerfield has turned into quite the competition with Gentry playing ok and Martin Leonys playing well and also Julio Borbon playing well too!  Mitch Moreland will fully get his chance without any true competition.  My prediction, Moreland will continue to flutter into mediocrity.  Yes he has a big bat but other than that he is unreliable.  I'll close with the catching situation.  AJ, sure he will be fine but doesn't mean I have to like hm.  I think he is a pretty big jerk but I guess that will work behind the plate.  But I find it funny how far we have come at the catcher position.  We had what they called a catching surplus and now we have problems filling out the roster.  Geovany Soto, oh Mr. Soto.  If your looking for a strong bat, look else where.  Soto's only contribution will come for the pitchers.  I know that's minimizing his contributions but come on we got him from the Cubs for a washing machine or something.  Actually traded for a pitcher in turn they gave us the pitcher back.

I still think this team can compete this year and I'm not worried about the big bad Angels.  If the Giants can win a World Series with that team, I believe this team at least has a shot.  The problem is I don't think they are bad, at all.  They have a good starting rotation, with a solid closer (bullpen is a year by year development but I'm sure they will be ok).  The runs will be scored and the defense in the field will be fine (No more Michael Young at 3rd).  Enjoy the 2013 season, I have a feeling its gonna be a good one.  And if its not, at least we aren't the Padres. 

Prediction: 91 Wins