The Rangers are honestly exactly where we left them last year. They have a lot of home run hitters and not a lot of good pitchers.
I mean, lineup wise, you're set. Ronald Guzman, Joey Gallo, Asdrubal Cabrera, Shin-Soo Choo, Nomar Mazara, Elvis Andrus, Hunter Pence, Logan Forsythe...they're all hitting. They're all good. Yes, we still have Rougned Odor and Jeff Mathis to work with, but it's an improvement. Joey Gallo seems to finally have a desire to hit above average, which definitely helps. Plus, Ronald Guzman is beginning to come into his own as an offensive fixture, rather than a fill-in.
I mean, the downside of that lineup is a great portion of it is on the older side, and even if the people waiting for callups, like Willie Calhoun, aren't doing well enough to earn them, it's gonna make it hard for the kids to prosper when they ARE ready.
The pitching's still crap, though. You'd think that having Mike Minor as an anchor from last year would help, but it really doesn't. Lance Lynn is alright, but when your other starting options are Shelby Miller, Drew Smyly and Edinson Volquez, either the kids aren't ready or don't exist. It helps that the bullpen is a lot better this year, and that Jose Leclerc is a sharp closer, but...the starting pitching is gonna kill this team. It's just not remotely good.
I mean, you really hope that there's some good talent in AAA ready, because if not, this Rangers team is not gonna have an especially good go of it this year, lineup notwithstanding. Unless THEY'RE the ones that land Dallas Keuchel, which is not especially likely.
Wish I had more good things to say, but that's what trading Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish does to your team.
Coming Tonight: You'd think that he'd end up petering off after his huge 2016 rookie year...and you'd be wrong. He's one of the few giants left on a paltry Colorado lineup.
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