Texas Rangers 2010 Preview, Predictions & Odds

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Texas Rangers 2009 MLB Record: 87-75
Texas Rangers 2009 MLB Home Record: 48-33
Texas Rangers 2009 MLB Away Record: 39-42

Texas Rangers 2010 Betting

Texas Rangers Odds to Win the American League: 12/1
Texas Rangers Odds to Win the World Series: 25/1

Texas Rangers 2010 Preview & Prediction

Afresh outlook was pumped into the Texas Rangers during the off season, when an investment group that included Nolan Ryan was selected to purchase the club. The face of the group, Pittsburgh attorney Chuck Greenberg, immediately gave his word that cash would be available to make player acquisitions – perhaps as soon as the July 31 trade deadline. The Rangers, though, already have the right pieces in place to compete. They are coming off consecutive second-place finishes in the Ai West, a division that appears to be wide open. Valuable experience was gained last season as the Rangers entered the final three weeks only two games out of a wild card spot. The young and talented players who helped lead the surge are a year wiser, and some key players who struggled at the plate in 2009 should rebound. They all believe that 2010 will be the year the Rangers taste the postseason for the first time since 1999.

The Rangers believe that 2010 can be the year they return to the postseason. They have learned that pitching and defense win games, and the offense is expected to rebound after one of its worst seasons since Rangers Ballpark in Arlington opened in 1994. There’s no shortage of talent for the offense to return to its normal place among the league leaders. The pitching staff is also talented and deep and enters 2010 with a tad more experience. But the group learned enough during a playoff push last season to again put the Rangers in the hunt for the American League West tide and the wild card berth.

Texas Rangers Manager: Ron Washington (3 Seasons) Record: 241 – 245

Texas Rangers 2010 Projected Batting Order: CF Julio Borbon (L), 2B Ian Kinsler (R), 3B Michael Young (R), LF Josh Hamilton (L), RF Nelson Cruz (R), DH David Murphy (L), 1B Chris Davis (L), C Jarrod Saltalamacchia (S), SS Elvis Andrus (R)

Texas Rangers 2010 Projected Rotation: RH Rich Harden, RH Scott Feldman, RH Tommy Hunter, LH Derek Holland, RH Neftali Feliz

Texas Rangers 2010 Projected Closer: RH Frank Francisco

2010 Texas Rangers Rotation:

The mantra last year was to pitch with more conviction, throw more strikes and pitch deeper in games. That’s the system Ryan implemented, and everyone bought in. The result was a lower team ERA and far less wear and tear on the bullpen. The system could be tested in 2010. Kevin Millwood was traded in December and replaced by Rich Harden. While the belief is that Harden has better stuff, he has never pitched 190 innings in a season in a career marked by injury. Scott Feldman, who led the team with 17 victories, usually doesn’t log seven innings. The one innings-eater is Tommy Hunter, but he has only 22 career starts. The hope is that youth and talent – much of it home-grown – will prevail. The Rangers will have at least 11 starters at spring camp and will mix and match throughout the season to find the best combination. Thanks to a series of off season bullpen additions, 21year- old fireballer Neftali Feliz could find himself starting in 2010.

2009-2010 Texas Rangers Bullpen:

The holdovers from 2009 will find themselves in similar roles this year. Frank Francisco endured three DL stints but still managed 25 saves. There is some concern about his ability to pitch on consecutive days, but the Rangers like his power arm at the back of the bullpen. C.]. Wilson should get his share of saves, even though he will be given a chance to start this spring. Team needs will put him back in the bullpen, and he is as durable and effective as any reliever the Rangers have. Perhaps the best in ’09 was Darren O’Day, whom the Rangers claimed off waivers in April. An immediate fit, he finished with the seventh-best ERA among big league relievers with at least 50 innings (1.84). The biggest off season acquisition here was another D.O. – Darren Oliver. He gives the team a lefty who can pitch at any time and a veteran presence who is relatively young.

2010 Texas Rangers Middle Infield:

Manager Ron Washington wants to see his fielders make the plays they should make. Elvis Andrus made the difficult play look routine as a rookie shortstop last year, and his defensive lift had a trickle-down effect throughout the team. He took care of balls in the hole while Michael Young was transitioning to third. The hits Andrus took away saved the pitching staff’s workload. Some observers thought Andrus was the team’s first-half MVP. Double-play partner Ian Kinsler started fast, picking up where he left off in 2008, but in May he began to see a steady slide in his average. Still, he finished with 31 homers and 31 stolen bases to become the third second baseman in MLB history in the 30-30 club. He also . scored 101 runs and drove in 86 – very good stats, but the Rangers need him on base more.

2010 Texas Rangers Corners:

Young took another bullet for the Rangers when the team moved h.im from shortStop to third base in 2009 – then earned yet another All-Star appearance. By May, it looked like Young was a seasoned vet, even though he had never started a game at third in his career. His power picked up, too, and entering September, he was a legitimate MVP candidate. But he strained his left hamstring Sept. 1 and had only one at-bat the next 26 days. Chris Davis moved from first base to fill in for Young, and the part-time duty at third didn’t slow his turnaround at the plate. Davis struggled the first three months, dipping to a .202 average and leading the majors in strikeouts (I 14) when he was shipped to Triple-A after returning in late August, Davis batted .308 (41-for-133) with six homers and a much-improved 36 strikeouts. Only his splendid defense kept him in the lineup the first half of the season. In 2010, he must also be consistent at the plate.

2010 Texas Rangers Outfield:

Julio Borbon enters his first full big league season with a starting job and will cause a shift in the outfield. Most of his games will be in center, where Marlon Byrd played in ’09. That pushes Josh Hamilton to left. The Rangers have wanted to move him to a corner spot, believing it will be less taxing on his big frame. Nelson Cruz will stay in right field, as he is more comfortable there. Borbon flourished after being called up for good in August and is more of a true leadoff hitter. But he batted almost exclusively against right-handed pitching and will face righties and lefties in ’10. Should Borbon struggle defensively, he and Hamilton will likely swap places. Should Borbon become a liability at the plate, he could lose time to David Murphy – a solid defender who gives the Rangers quality at-bats.

2010 Texas Rangers Catching:

This was thought to be a strength entering last year, but the Rangers open 2010 with some uncertainty. Management likes the improvements Jarrod Saltalamacchia made defensively in ’09, but the spring opened with the club unsure of his health. He started ’09 as the regular catcher and had missed consecutive games only once into August before symptoms of Thoracic Outlet Syndrome developed. He had surgery in September and was sent home from winter ball after only one full game because of fatigue. Taylor Teagarden, who backed up last year, is in the mix either to start, back up or head to Triple-A. He struggled offensively and tried a stint in the Arizona Fall League to get straight.

2010 Texas Rangers Bench:

Murphy is the top in-house candidate to serve as the primary DH, but the Rangers would like to add a veteran bat before spring training. Murphy isn’t afraid to hit with two strikes, usually puts the ball in play when needed, and will gladly take a walk. Those three traits are what new hitting coach Clint Hurdle is hoping to institute. The Rangers might also add a corner infielder in case Young suffers another lengthy injury or Davis struggles again at the plate. Joe Inglett, an off season waiver claim, has only seven career games at third base and even fewer (three) at shortstop. The Rangers, though, believe he can be an effective shortstop and a suitable backup for Andrus.

Texas Rangers 2010 Season Predictions

We predict that the Texas Rangers will finish 3rd in the AL West Division .

Texas Rangers 5-Year Win Trend

2009: 2nd AL West 87
2008: 2nd AL West 79
2007: 4th AL West 75
2006: 3rd AL West 80
2005: 3rd AL West 79

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