#26
The Texas Rangers hit the reset button over the offseason this year. Will the new faces in Arlington bring about more success in 2019?
2018 Predictions
4th in AL West
Cole Hamels will be traded before the end of the season.
2018 Results
67-95, 5th in AL West
The Rangers did not have as strong of a season as I expected them to have. They struggled in many ways, including being in an extremely strong division in 2018. Cole Hamels did indeed get moved to the Cubs at the Trade Deadline, making that a wasted deal for the Rangers. However, the 2018 season in Texas will be remembered as the farewell tour for Adrian Beltre, who retired once the season ended.
Additions / Subtractions
There wasn't much turnover in the Rangers' lineup going into 2019. Veteran Asdrubal Cabrera replaces Beltre at third base, and Jeff Mathis goes behind the plate to replace Robinson Chirinos. The pitching staff had much more change, with Mike Minor being the only returning starter. Gone are Bartolo Colon, Yovani Gallardo, Martin Perez, Doug Fister, and Matt Moore. In their place, the Rangers have Lance Lynn, Drew Smyly, Edinson Volquez, and Shelby Miller. The bullpen had some big turnover as well, with Keone Kela, Alex Claudio, and Jake Diekman moving on. With all these changes, possibly the biggest change is Chris Woodward taking over as manager from Jeff Banister.
Most Important Hitter
Elvis Andrus
It wasn't that long ago that the Rangers were playing in the World Series. However, the only player remaining from those great Ranger years is shortstop Elvis Andrus. He has already been in the league for 10 years even though he is only entering his age 30 season. He has become the grizzled veteran of the team and continues to be a cornerstone of what the Rangers want to do. However, Andrus had a bad 2018, posting only a 1.7 WAR and the lowest OPS+ since 2010. Andrus is only halfway through an 8 year contract, which means he will be paid by the Rangers through 2023. If he is going to earn the second half of this contract, he has to play a lot better than he did last season. If he is going to be the veteran leader the Rangers need him to be, he has to be a leader with his play.
Most Important Pitcher
Jose Leclerc
Relievers can be so up and down from season to season. However, the Rangers are hoping Jose Leclerc's 2018 season gets repeated over and over again. Leclerc had one of the most dominant seasons of any reliever in 2018, posting a 1.56 ERA in 59 games, averaging 13.3 strikeouts per 9 innings. As a setup man, Leclerc posted the fourth best WAR on the Rangers' roster in 2018, and was named one of the ten best relievers right now on MLB Network's yearly countdown. With so many bullpen arms moving on this offseason, Leclerc is now the closer and will now have much more expected of him. If he can continue his dominance from last year, he will be the anchor this bullpen will need to be effective in 2019.
Prospect to Watch
Jonathan Hernandez
The Rangers have a pretty good farm system, but most of their top prospects are at least a year or two away. Their highest prospect that has a chance to impact the big league club this year is starting pitcher Jonathan Hernandez. The Rangers' 5th ranked prospect, Hernandez is a 22 year old righty with a strong fastball and a good slider. He struggles a little with command, but if he puts it all together, there is a good chance he starts games for the Rangers before the end of the season, especially considering how old the starting rotation is slated to be to start the season.
2019 Prediction
5th in AL West
The Rangers are headed in the right direction. They are riding a line few teams attempt anymore. They are rebuilding and waiting for their farm system to pay off while also featuring enough veterans and big league talent to be interesting this year. They will end up in the cellar again simply because of the strength of this division. The AL West has become one of the strongest in baseball, which will lead to rookie manager Chris Woodward having a bit of a struggle in his first season.
Fearless Prediction
No pitcher for the Rangers will throw over 150 innings in 2019.
New manager Chris Woodward is a sabermetric guy, coming over from the Dodgers. One of the goals of managers like this is to limit the innings of starters and lean on the bullpen. Now let's combine that with the makeup of the Rangers' rotation. Mike Minor threw 157 innings in 2018, which was his most since injuring his arm several season ago. Lance Lynn is coming off a very disappointing season split between the Twins and the Yankees. Drew Smyly is coming off Tommy John. Edinson Volquez is a prime candidate to be traded to a contender mid-season if he pitches well. If he doesn't, he will probably be released. Shelby Miller has never quite found his form that made him the centerpiece of a trade that brought the Braves former number one overall pick Dansby Swanson. This is an aging rotation this is bound to break down as the season progresses. None of these starters can be counted on entering the season. This might change throughout the season, but there is no way any of these guys rack up even a modest amount of innings.
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